WrathofRupp

No, you are mistaken to think that the man that assembeled the team has no influence on said team. Pitino was more a part of the 98 team than Tubby. He coached the seniors for 3 years, the juniors for 2 and the sophomores as much as Tubby did. More coaching was done for that team by Pitino than Tubby. Now let's think back for a minute........do you vividly recall that season? I do. Here is the roster for that team with the one player Tubby brought in: http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statistics/roster1997-98.html Early in the season, Tubby had them playing more of his style of ball. Defensive in nature. They took a few losses. Early in the new year(98) the team turned their style back to Pitino ball and never lost again. Please, go watch some video. It's pretty obvious. Pitino even redshirted Sheppard between his junior and senior years to have some leadership for a 98 run. Do you remember the press conference? I do. You could see by the look on Sheps face he didn't want to RS. No my fellow UK fan, Rick was as much a part of the 98 team if not more so than OTS. Heck, the best thing OTS did in that tournament run was to NOT call a time out against Duke when Coach Krylikeagirlski was out of them and his players were gassed. Duke had royally kicked our rears to the tune of an early second half 18 point lead by the Blue Devils until that deep bench OTS was left with(minus Saul) came back. Again, go watch the video and you'll see.

If the fact that he recruited every player with the exception of Saul doesn't make him part of the team...........Yes...he was part of that team. UK fans put too much pressure on the coach making the most money of all college basketball coaches in America. Aren't they supposed to win? Aren't you supposed to produce at the highest level if you make the highest salary? Do you get raises at work for failures or successes? Screw up at work a bunch and then go ask for a raise and see what happens. Tubby took a paycut to go to Minnesota and went to a school with low expectations. Then he tries to hire the guy that was coach that got UM put on probation. Smart move there!!!

Here is what Bob Gibbons had to say about the new 3* recruit UK landed today: The 6-foot-4 Williams, who is in Lexington and will likely commit to UK, was the MVP of the Silver Division (the runner-up teams from pool play) at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions over Memorial Day weekend. He averaged 24 points a game in that event for the New Orleans Jazz. "He's a hidden gem," Gibbons said. "I think Billy Gillispie has added a kid who is ready, right now, to step in and be a contributor and maybe even be a starter. There's no doubt in my mind that he will be a significant contributor as a freshman." Just goes to show that rankings don't always mean what you would think they mean.

Tubby would have been at UK only if he agreed to the guidelines Mitch was laying in front of him. Also, Mr. Smith was telling UK fans he was going to remain at UK while all the time he was negotiating a deal with the Gophers. Tubby won a lot of games but never the big game. And yes, Rick gets at least 1/2 the credit for the 98 title for assembling the team....and I can't stand Rick anymore.

Most likely not at 6'7 already but he is being touted as a Scott Padgett type player. Time will tell. My guys I read have a slightly higher opinion of him though than not making the top 250.

I think the kid needs better exposure and coaching. Billy Clyde is a solid recruiter and he saw something he liked in the kid. Not every recruit will be a 5* but every team needs 4 year players to have that "senior leadership" and maturity. I suspect the Eutons moved closer to Lexington to expose their son to the UK system earlier through summer pick up games. The dad basically got the kid in trouble with the KHSAA with his comments on the subject. Luckily, he and Jackson are now cleared. and for the poster that thinks I am comparing Euton to MJ, not hardly but MJ WAS cut from his HS team his freshman year

People who expect a championship yearly are delusional and not fans but fanatics. Patterson himself was quoted last year as saying he did not sign with Tubby Smith.(paraphrasing) Didn't say he wouldn't but he did say that he didn't. Pitino recruited 2 titles at UK and coached 1. He also coached in two other final fours which is something Tubby can not claim. The only player to come to UK under OTS and win a title is Saul. Also, 17 of 37 players that Tubby recruited left the program early and did NOT enter the NBA. That is an alarming stat if you ask me. Tubby had 4 players he recruited drafted into the NBA and one of them had a year under BCG but credit goes to OTS for not allowing him to leave his freshman year. Bottom line is that OTS was alazy recruiter and it eventually caught up with him. Coaching doesn't trump talent.

So, how did you have 3* Adam Morrison ranked as a sophomore in HS? That low rating landed him a lottery pick in the NBA draft. There is no way at all you can tell me what type of player he will be in 6 years. Nuff said. My money says he will be better than Shagari who was ranked #80 out of HS and you claim that Euton will not be ranked in the top 250.

Good thing Micheal Jordan didn't listen to those evaluators you sat by after he was cut from his high school team.

So you watched a sophomore play and made judgements on what type of college player he will be. Interesting.

Perhaps people shouldn't slam teenagers and make derrogatory commebts anonimously on message boards.....and maybe you are just easilt ammused. FWIW, there are many other sites besides BGP. Maybe you would find it funny that Jodie Meeks dad reads them too.

Exactly!!!!! Nice post.

BTW, Eutons' dad is known to read message boards and is sensitive to negative comments about his son.....as I would be as well. There was an issue with this at the Rivals site within the past year. FWIW.

Euton is better than many think. He was at a small school with little exposure. Now he is at Scott County and is eligible and will get more competition and exposure. While he will not be a top 50 recruit, he is certainly better than top 250. I suspect he will end up as a low 4* when it's all said and done.

Show me one UK fan that thinks that. UK fans do however have the expectation that the longest drought under one coach in school history for making the final four is unacceptable. If Tubby were so great, he would not have suffered through the last two years of his UK tenure with a 3rd year....and most likely an even worse year....on the horizon. He had no top recruits coming in. Say what you will about Patterson but PP never committed to OTS. Fans of the lesser programs seem to like to put their expectations on UK. Not many programs have the ability to understand the lofty and acheivable expectations UK fans have. UNC fans get it for basketball, Ohio State, Michigan and a few others in football. Most fans have never rooted for a program with the decade after decade traditional success of a UK and a few other select programs. Heck, even UCLA with the 11 titles doesn't have UK tradition. They had a good run of about 12 years but not much else until recently under Lavin and now Howland. Hopefully that puts things in perspective but somehow I doubt you will understand my point out of bias towards UK and its fan base. Have you been to Jon Scotts web site? It might open some eyes.