Unless you're a basketball fan of West Virginia or Texas, you probably paid little attention to the Mountaineers' 71-64 victory over the Longhorns on Tuesday night.
But if you're a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga supporter, especially of the Mocs men, you might do well to start following troubled Texas going forward. Because if Burnt Orange UT decides to fire 17-year head coach Rick Barnes at the close of the season, the trickle-down could lead UTC coach Will Wade to move up the coaching ladder sooner than anyone ever expected.
Why?
Two words: Shaka Smart.
Currently the head coach of Virginia Commonwealth and the former boss of Wade, Smart is always on the short list of every Fat-Cat Five conference job opening, though he's yet to show much interest in leaving the Richmond, Va., school he guided to the 2011 Final Four.
But that could change with Texas, at least partly because Smart is a former assistant of Billy Donovan's at Florida. Much like Florida, Texas is that rare football school with enough money and pride to pay for a top 10 basketball coach. Also much like Florida, the Longhorn Nation's obsession with the oblong ball provides a reasonable amount of cover and privacy for the men's hoops coach.
Because Smart has never seemed to be a guy who's obsessed, or even seriously interested, in the limelight, that makes Texas the best of both worlds. Especially since, also much like Donovan, he seems to greatly value his personal time with his family.
But at some point, the money can be tough to turn down. Burnt Orange UT has both a ridiculously wealthy fan base and as much, if not more, top-level high school talent as any other state in the country.
Given that Barnes is making $2.5 million a year, and Smart's earning roughly two-thirds of that - as well as the fact that Burnt Orange UT will almost certainly top $3 mil annually to lure him from VCU, it almost seems a no-brainer.
Especially when one considers the similarities between Florida and Texas.
And, naturally, should Smart depart, there's little doubt that Wade will almost instantly rise to the top of the Rams' wish list.
This doesn't mean that any of this will happen. Despite losing seven of their last 10 games, the Longhorns have a remaining schedule that could salvage their reputation in the eyes of the NCAA tourney selection committee.
Of course, with a Saturday trip to Kansas, a visit from No. 19 Baylor and a home finale against confounding Kansas State, Burnt Orange UT could also play its way completely out of March Madness unless it wins the Big 12 tourney. And should the Longhorns miss the NCAA tourney for the second time in three years, most believe Barnes's time in Austin could be at an end.
Even then, Smart might stay put. He's clearly happy at VCU. He even turned down a raise of more than $200,000 last spring, preferring that money be rolled back into the program. When's the last time you heard a coach turning down a raise for the betterment of his players?
Nor would Smart's decision to stay or leave VCU should the opportunity arrive necessarily mean Wade won't be welcome elsewhere. Let the Mocs reach the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2009 in his second season on the job and Wade is certain to be a hot commodity with anyone but a Top 25 program, though he should be a serious candidate for any job opening.
Still, let UTC go dancing and Clorox Orange UT be forced to part company with first-year coach Donnie Tyndall over past NCAA indiscretions at Southern Miss, and Vols athletic director Dave Hart could certainly do worse than hire Wade.
In fact, with Vanderbilt seemingly wrapping up a third straight year without an NCAA tourney berth under 16-year head coach Kevin Stallings, it's possible, though not likely, that both the Commodores and Vols could be looking for new coaches a few weeks after tonight's game in Knoxville.
But the most likely scenario for Wade's departure would almost assuredly involve Smart leaving VCU, whether for Texas, or some other plum opening, though there don't appear to be many of those on the near horizon at the moment.
So while it's always been tough for a certain segment of UTC's fan base to root for Clorox Orange UT to succeed, Mocs Nation might want to start rooting hard for Burnt Orange UT. Call it the Smart thing to do.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com