Donovan Denies Knicks Rumors 20th June, 2006 - 1:30 pm Sun-Sentinel - Billy Donovan was rumored to have been contacted by the Knicks last week about the possibility of him becoming their new head coach. On Monday, he denied the rumors. "I've never heard from the Knicks, and I've never spoken to Isiah [about the job]," he said. Later, he added, "I don't know what's going on. . . . I've never heard anything at all Donovan said he and Thomas met once, in April, when the UF coach visited the team to watch former Gator David Lee. The two former NBA guards met for 15-20 minutes, Donovan said, but Thomas never addressed him about joining the organization. Monday, Donovan said he felt uncomfortable being linked to the Knicks because of his family's long relationship with Coach Larry Brown. Brown and Donovan's father played against one another as Long Island youths. MORE BASKETBALL: Boise State guard Coby Karl, Arizona point guard Mustafa Shakur and George Washington point guard Carl Elliott have withdrawn from the NBA draft. George Washington guard Danilo Pinnock hired an agent and won't return for his senior year. The deadline for withdrawing was Sunday. According to the NBA, 47 players who had declared as early-entry candidates withdrew their names from the June 28 draft. Thirty-seven collegiate and 10 international prospects remain early-entry candidates. . . . The USF men's team has hired Charles Cunningham as an assistant. He was an assistant at Duquesne last season. He also has been an assistant at UNLV and Minnesota, among others.
