LEXINGTON - Kentucky basketball is used to losing players to the NBA. Now it faces the departure of its top assistant coach to the league.
Associate head coach Kenny Payne has accepted a job on Tom Thibodeau’s staff with the New York Knicks, UK confirmed Tuesday. The Knicks recently hired Payne's close friend William Wesley, known more commonly as "World Wide Wes" in basketball circles, as executive vice president/senior basketball adviser.
"This is a bittersweet day for us at Kentucky," UK coach John Calipari said in a news release. "Kenny has been an extremely important part of our success here.