Update on UK basketball search for new assistant

It would appear John Calipari is close to hiring a replacement for Jai Lucas.

Since Lucas left the Kentucky Wildcats nearly a month ago to join the Duke Blue Devils, there’s been very little information come out on who Calipari was looking at to be his third primary assistant alongside Chin Coleman and Orlando Antigua.

Now, KSR is reporting that UK has zeroed in on a candidate and is in the final stages of making the move official.

That’s the only information in the story, so it’s unclear if the next assistant will come from the high school, college, or even the pro ranks, but it sounds like it could happen as soon as this weekend.

Whoever the hire ends up being, it’s crucial that Calipari nails this. Losing an up-and-coming star like Lucas to a rival was a major defeat, especially since it was to Duke, so nailing this hire is important to helping offset that loss.

We’ll keep you posted on who the hire ends up being.

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