UK files countersuit against Gillispie; Jodie Meeks clarifies Draft intentions

It started to get ugly yesterday in the Billy Gillispie-Kentucky divorce…it looks like it’s getting uglier now. In what is likely to be a first step to fight Gillspie and bring the court proceedings back to Kentucky from Texas, where Gillispie filed his claims, UK has filed a countersuit against Billy Gillispie:

The University of Kentucky filed suit in Franklin Circuit Court on Thursday, the day after former basketball coach Billy Gillispie filed suit in Texas seeking $6 million for breach of contract.

UK contends that its memorandum of understanding with Gillispie was not a long-term contract.

“UK contends that repeated efforts to reach a definitive long-term employment contract were rejected by Gillispie, therefore the MOU is not an enforceable contract, and no ’cause’ was required for its termination of him,” UK said in a statement released Thursday.†”These are questions of law which we hope can be determined without much delay.

“The decision to terminate Mr. Gillispie’s employment was a university decision.† UKAA will vigorously seek the dismissal of the Texas lawsuit.† The university is the proper party to any suit, not UKAA (University of Kentucky Athletics Association), and the university will rely upon the allegations of its Franklin Circuit Court complaint as the true version of this contract dispute.”

Just like I said yesterday, the fight is going to be over whether the Memorandum of Understanding functioned as a contract. Gillispie’s representation contends that it did and that UK treated it as such until Gillispie was fired and it came time to buy him out. UK will contend otherwise, and possibly even argue that Gillispie did not live up to the terms of the deal. 

 COURIER-JOURNAL – His Facebook is filling up with messages. His Twitter is littered with private pleas.

Kentucky fans want Jodie Meeks to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return for his senior season, and they’re letting him know it. But if Meeks is leaning either way, he wasn’t tipping his hand today at the NBA Combine in Chicago.

This much Meeks did say: It’s “not accurate” that his opinion has shifted lately more toward staying in the draft.

“I came in not really sure what I was going to do, and now it’s the same thing,” Meeks said. “If I’m second round, I’ll go back to school. If I’m top 25, first round, I’ll probably stay in.”

Meeks spoke before participating in today’s workouts at the Combine. He wasn’t sure exactly what to expect out of those. So far, he’s worked out for four teams (the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards) and hasn’t yet lined up any workouts for after the Combine.

Meeks said that, like most basketball players, it’s his dream to play in the NBA. That’s his preference. But if he’s not “really confident” that he’ll be selected in the first round, Meeks said he’ll return to UK. He’s not willing to risk the draft, he said, if he’s told that he’s a probable second-round pick.

It’s unlikely the flood of mutlimedia messaging he’s getting will sway him either way.

“I have no problem coming back, but the people who want (me) to come back are just worried about Kentucky basketball,” Meeks said. “I have no problem with that, no problem with the Kentucky fans, but I have to make a decision that’s best for me.”