Here's Where Unc Basketball Could Turn Next, With Tommy Lloyd Off Table

Tommy Lloyd went into Leonardo DiCaprio mode on Friday and said the words every Arizona basketball fan must love to hear: He’s not leaving.

“I'm happy to announce I'm staying at Arizona,” Lloyd said, ahead of his Wildcats facing Michigan in the Final Four in a battle of 1-seeds.

Lloyd called North Carolina a “one of one” job and said it’s an “honor to even be considered for that job,” but he’s agreed to a contract extension at Arizona that runs through the 2031 season.

Toppmeyer: UNC coaching search looms over Final Four — ask Kansas how that goes

With Lloyd off the table, where does UNC turn?

Four candidates come to mind:

Dusty May, Michigan

Unlike Lloyd, May hasn’t said the magic words — or announced the magic contract agreement — to extinguish North Carolina speculation. “I think it's well-documented how happy I am at Michigan,” May said.

Could he be even happier at UNC? He’d be the home-run choice, if so.

This really isn’t about job ceiling, because May, 49, already has proven he can thrive at Michigan and perform at the highest level.

The most logical move for May would seem to be to keep crushing it at Michigan, until such time that the NBA comes calling, if that’s a move that would interest him.

Billy Donovan, Chicago Bulls

Does Donovan want to return to college basketball? That’s the key question. If he does, now would be a good time to go, with a blue-blood job available, and his Bulls tenure stalling out.

At one time, Donovan was the best in the college basketball business. A lot’s changed within college sports since then. How would he fare in the pay-for-play and perpetual free agency era that college basketball finds itself in now?

That’s not to say Donovan, 60, wouldn’t be a great hire if he can negotiate a breakup with the Bulls. We just don’t know for sure how it would look, as compared to May, who's a proven commodity in this ecosystem.

Hiring Donovan would come with a hint of risk, given his 11 years away from college basketball, but the potential reward is obvious, too. He’s a high-level coach with national title rings.  

Mark Byington, Vanderbilt

Once you get past the flashier names on this list, you realize Byington, 49, would be a really compelling choice.

Consider this:

∎ He’s from Virginia, and he played at UNC-Wilmington, so he knows the terrain.

∎ He’s been an assistant inside the ACC, so he knows the conference.

∎ He was a smashing success at James Madison, and he rectified Vanderbilt’s program.

∎ His career keeps trending up.

Sure, he’s never made a Sweet 16, but he’s never been at a program like North Carolina, either.

Todd Golden and Nate Oats had never been to a Sweet 16 before coaching at Florida and Alabama, respectively. Now, they’re two of the best coaches in the sport.

No telling how Byington would handle the scrutiny and expectations of UNC, but here’s a chance to catch someone on his way up.

Ben McCollum, Iowa

Speaking of an elevator that’s on the way up, McCollum, 44, keeps climbing.

Just two years ago, he was at Division II Northwest Missouri State, where he won four national championships. In one year at Drake, his Bulldogs reached the NCAA’s second round. Then, he took Iowa to the Elite Eight in Year 1.

With only one season of Power Four experience, there’d be risk baked into this choice. Plus, McCollum is an Iowa native who’s never coached east of the Mississippi River. Makes you wonder about fit, but winning fits anywhere, and McCollum wins. Google it. He profiles as a good fallback plan if higher profile targets say no.

Two other names to consider: Grant McCasland (Texas Tech), Nate Oats (Alabama). Both are established winners who enjoy great situations right where they are, but UNC is a powerful ego stroke.

Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UNC basketball could pivot to Plan B, like Mark Byington, Ben McCollum