Shaka Smart has options

VCU AD said in the USA Today:”we’re going to keep him” in reference to Shaka Smart.

Good luck.

Shaka Smart is creating more buzz than the-same-sounding-differently-spelled Chaka Kahn once did.

Unless VCU plans to pony up the dollar bills, Shaka might not want to be “Disrespectful” but he might also say “Funk This” if another school offers him the big dollars.

Puns aside, he is building quite the resume.

A lot of people are comparing this VCU team to the George Mason team of 2006. When Jim Larranaga guided the Who’s-their-names from What’s-that-school past No.1-seeded UConn, he was the second coming of John Wooden.

Larranaga stayed. But he was in the midst of building something. The Patriots won 23 regular season games in 2005-2006. Larranaga became the CAA’s all-time leader in coaching victories, was named the winner of the 2006 Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award and the Virginia Coach of the Year.

And he was nominated for an ESPY award.

Smart, not so much.

This VCU team graduates four seniors – the team leaders. The returning squad – save Bradford Burgess – has started a combined 37 games.

This year is special. It won’t last. Smart must know that. If he plans on making the move, now is the time.

And guess who is interested – everyone. .

The Missouri Tigers are rumored to be eying Smart pretty hard. After the “resignation” of Mike Anderson, the Tigers have shown they are willing to spend some cash (roughly $2 million per year) on a quality coach.

But the Tigers aren’t alone.

NC State is looking for a coach as well. The Wolfpack fired Sidney Lowe. And now that Arizona’s Sean Miller pulled his name from the running, They school has it’s eyes on the young up-and-comer.

The school has some money to throw around, but not a ton and they are hungry to win – with North Carolina taking all of the college hoop glory.

Then there is the outside shot: Utah. until 2012, the Utes wouldn’t have a shot at Smart. But now that they slap the Pac-12 logo on their gym floor, they do. The Utes already missed out on Randy Bennett and could focus their sights on Smart.

The Pac-10 might have suffered a down year, but the Pac-12 will get the league back in full swing.

So Smart has options.

VCU only has one: Pay the money. Or they’ll watch their young coach walk.