The University of Tennessee announced Sunday the hiring of Missouri State University head coach Cuonzo Martin.

The 39-year-old Martin, who is a graduate of Purdue University, posted a 61-41 (.598) record in three seasons at Missouri State from 2008-11.

"Cuonzo is among the most promising young coaches in the game, and we are excited about the coaching ability, toughness and energy that he brings to our program," Tennessee Director of Athletics Mike Hamilton said.

The Celtics have not been approached by Tennessee about interviewing assistant head coach Lawrence Frank.

“All I know is that Lawrence is under contract with us for the rest of the season,” Danny Ainge said on Wednesday. “Right now he’s committed to helping us win our next NBA title this year.”

Frank's name was floated on Tuesday as the front-runner for the position.

The Celtics have offered an extension to Doc Rivers on multiple occasions, but he has repeatedly said he prefers to wait to make a decision until after the season.

Frank could presumably be a candidate to replace Rivers should the current head coach not return.

Lawrence Frank is the front-runner to become the next head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, according to sources.

Other candidates include Shaka Smart, Chris Mooney, Anthony Grant, Buzz Williams, Gregg Marshall, Mark Turgeon and Chris Mack.

Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Frank turned down Big East overtures in the past year. Frank was an assistant coach at Tennessee for three seasons under Kevin O'Neill.

Frank is currently an assistant coach with the Celtics.

Tennessee fired head coach Bruce Pearl on Monday due to charges of unethical conduct.

Tennessee star Tobias Harris will enter his name in the draft, his father Torrel said on Monday.

“Yeah, he’s gonna test the waters,” Torrel said. “He’s one of the best in the country. Why wouldn’t he?”

Harris averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and is projected as a mid to late first round pick.

The deadline to enter the NBA Draft is April 24.

Bruce Pearl will not return as head coach of Tennessee, according to multiple sources.

Pearl, according to a source, received compensation as part of a buyout agreement.

Sources said that former Appalachian State head coach Houston Fancher is expected to take the reigns as the interim coach until a permanent replacement is hired.

After the Volunteers were pummeled by Michigan, 75-45, in their West Region game on Friday, the 6-foot-8 freshman forward Tobias Harris said he was uncertain about his future with the program.

Harris, who scored 19 points, was asked if Pearl’s precarious position with the Vols would affect his decision to return to the team next season or opt for the N.B.A. Pearl is under investigation by the N.C.A.A. for various recruiting violations and did not receive a vote of confidence from Athletic Director Mike Hamilton this week.

“Well, it’s something that I’m going to have to consider and, you know, go from there and, you know, see how it plays out,’’ Harris said. “It’s definitely a question for me now.’’

Harris is projected as a mid to late first round pick.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says schools not on track to graduate at least half of their basketball players should not be allowed to compete in the NCAA tournament.

Duncan proposes bans for teams with a score lower than 925, which predicts a graduation rate of roughly 50% of a team's players.

"The math on this is not complicated," Duncan said. "If you can't graduate one in two of your student-athletes, I just question the institutional commitment to academics. And I think if the NCAA were to draw a line in the sand, you'd see this behavior change very rapidly."

Duncan cites an analysis by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, out Thursday, that says 43.7% of the revenue paid to conferences from the men's tournament the last five years was earned by teams not on track to graduate half of their players.

Tobias Harris has impressed Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl with his work ethic.

"He's played terrifically. He has played great down the stretch," Pearl said. "He's a professional at a very, very young age because of his discipline, his toughness, his mental focus, his preparation."

It probably doesn't hurt that Harris gets in an early morning workout on his own time nearly every day or spends what little free time he gets resting rather than partying or goofing off like so many other college students.

"He came in solid, but I think you've seen a lot of growth," Pearl said. "You've seen a lot of growth defensively, you've seen some growth in his ability to shoot the basketball. He has just gotten better, he's gotten bigger, he's gotten quicker, faster, more versatile and he's absolutely been a delight to coach. He's an amazing competitor."

Harris is averaging 15.2 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Kentucky defeated Florida by a final of 70-54 to win the 2011 SEC Tournament for the second consecutive season.

Darius Miller was named Tournament MVP and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Brandon Knight and Josh Harrellson, along with Florida's Chandler Parsons and Kenny Boynton.

Jeffery Taylor of Vanderbilt led all tournament participants in points and FIC.

• Click here to view RealGM’s comprehensive list of 2011 Conference Tournaments.

Ohio State is the No. 1 overall seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament and will be placed in the East Region.

Joining the Buckeyes No. 1 seeds is Kansas in the Midwest, Pittsburgh in the Southeast and Duke in the West.

Pitt is the only No. 1 seed to not win their conference tournament, losing to eventual champion Connecticut in the quarterfinals.

San Diego State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Florida are the No. 2 seeds, while Syracuse, Purdue, Connecticut and BYU are the No. 3 seeds. Kentucky, Louisville, Texas and Wisconsin are the No. 4 seeds.

Kansas and Duke were also No. 1 seeds in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, while Ohio State was a No. 2 and Pitt was a No. 3.

The Final Four will be held in Houston on April 2nd and 4th.

• Click here to view RealGM’s 2011 NCAA Tournament Page.