ATLANTA - On the long list of Billy Donovan's coaching attributes, you can add another one. He knows how to answer tough questions.

The inevitable Kentucky questions came near the end of Florida's Final Four press conference Friday in the Georgia Dome.

Had he spoken to anyone from the University of Kentucky about its coaching vacancy? Had his agent spoken to anyone from the University of Kentucky about its coaching vacancy?

Donovan's body language and tone were no different than when he was asked about tonight's opponent UCLA and its full-court pressure defense. He didn't frown. He didn't glare. And he didn't hesitate.

"I haven't even thought about any of that stuff," said Donovan. "I give my phone to my secretary (when he's on the road)."

Hmm. So maybe someone needs to run down Donovan's secretary and see if she has been playing phone tag with University of Kentucky officials. My guess is she would have a good answer, too.

Donovan has a longer answer to a similar question. It's all about love.

"I love the University of Florida," he said. "I love everything about it."

Kentucky fans will embrace those terms of endearment for Florida. All that love, but no denial. Many Kentucky fans already are convinced Donovan will replace Tubby Smith, who left Kentucky last week for the head-coaching job at Minnesota. And they have the rumors to support their convictions.

As you might have heard, Donovan's wife, Christine, is from Eastern Kentucky and she wants to return home. Actually, she is from Long Island, N.Y.

As you also might have heard, Donovan has purchased a horse farm in Kentucky. Jerry Tipton, who covers Kentucky basketball for the Lexington Herald-Leader, remembers hearing the same rumor about Marquette coach Al McGuire when Kentucky was seeking a replacement for Joe B. Hall after the 1984-85 season. That was wrong, too.

There's also the rumor that Donovan's contract with Florida allows him to leave for only one other school (Kentucky, of course) without penalty. There's no such escape clause in the contract, according to Tipton.

Rumors aside, Kentucky fans can still cling to the hope of non-denial. If Donovan has no interest in the Kentucky job why doesn't he say so?

Answer: Nick Saban.

Denials mean nothing. As the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Saban repeatedly denied - in the strongest of terms - any interest in the Alabama coaching job. A month later, he became Alabama's head coach.

Donovan has another good reason for not denying interest in the Kentucky job. And if he forgets that reason, his agent will remind him quickly and passionately.

Kentucky can make Donovan a much richer man, and he doesn't have to sign anything. He only has to listen. Once he gets an offer from Kentucky, he will get another one from Florida.

University of Florida president Bernie Machen already has invested more than money in Donovan. He has invested his ego by basically saying the Gators won't let their basketball coach get away.

After saying that, imagine how foolish Machen would look if Donovan took the Kentucky job. Although you couldn't prove it by a couple of former University of Tennessee presidents, most university presidents prefer looking presidential to foolish.

It will take more than money for Donovan to leave Florida, which is two victories away from winning back-to-back national championships. It will take a massive ego.

Donovan wouldn't be the first coach whose ego overrode logic. The appeal of reviving the glory days at a basketball program as hallowed as Kentucky's is obvious, particularly for someone like Donovan, who already has experienced those glory days as an assistant to Kentucky coach Rick Pitino.

But he also has his mentors to consider. He knows that Smith couldn't live up to Kentucky's expectations, and that Pitino, now at Louisville, would be his biggest rival.

Bottom line: Donovan has more reasons to stay at Florida than to go to Kentucky. But he has another good reason not to say he's staying.

Kentucky can make him the highest-paid coach in college basketball. And he can stay right where he is.