Source: Howland out at UCLA
Following a loss to Minnesota in its first game of the NCAA Tournament, and myriad rumors, UCLA will fire men's head basketball coach Ben Howland on Sunday, a source tells The Recruit Scoop.
Multiple sources said Howland would not be retained but the UCLA athletic department was looking to keep second-year assistant coach Korey McCray on board.
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McCray, the lead recruiter for the staff, was instrumental in the recruitment of current players Tony Parker, Jordan Adams and others, as well as the 2013 recruiting class.
"A staff member just called me about an hour ago," one source said when informed of the plan to terminate Howland's contract. "It should be interesting who they bring in. They said [VCU head coach] Shaka [Smart] is the No. 1 candidate."
The source said McCray is scheduled to meet with UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero on Sunday, and Guerrero is expected to keep him on the staff due to the potential ramifications of McCray's departure.
This comes following a Pac-12 regular-season championship, a loss in the Pac-12 tournament championship game and an overall record of 25-10.
In addition, freshmen Kyle Anderson and Shabazz Muhammad likely are on their way out as well, with the pair expected to head to the NBA.