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Memphis Fires Tubby Smith

16thBBall Fan

By 16thBBall Fan
in College Basketball

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MJAlltheWay24

MJAlltheWay24

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I am a UK fan second after Memphis...so I say this with love.

 

Now UK fans can have someone new to hate since Pitino is gone from Louisville and the Calipari they hated when he was at Memphis is now their own.

 

You're suggesting that UK fans should hate Memphis and Penny? I'm confused. If so, why? Just because he may steal a recruit or two? I don't foresee a hatred being built within the majority of the UK fanbase for Coach Hardaway.

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coldweatherfan

coldweatherfan

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Maybe Penny will surround himself with some excellent assistants instead of one of his sons.

 

My dislike of Tubby began when he put his son ahead of the program at UK by not trying to recruit a better point guard, ensuring Saul had no competition.

 

He did something very similar at Memphis. He put his son ahead of the program by demoting another coach.

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Oldbird

Oldbird

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Maybe Penny will surround himself with some excellent assistants instead of one of his sons.

 

My dislike of Tubby began when he put his son ahead of the program at UK by not trying to recruit a better point guard, ensuring Saul had no competition.

 

He did something very similar at Memphis. He put his son ahead of the program by demoting another coach.

 

It is amazing how much Tubby embraced nepotism and is still universally described as a "good guy". I am not saying he isn't a good guy, but nepotism is an ugly trait and was always very visible.

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Oldbird

Oldbird

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I think I would have kept the coach that won 21 games and built on his foundation.

 

Building is an interesting word to describe what Tubby was doing. :jump:

 

He "built" Memphis into a 161st ranked KenPom team (lowest KenPom ranking ever - believe KenPom started in early 2000's) and 71 spots worse than Josh Pastner's lowest rated team and 86 spots worse than Pastner's last team.

 

Tubby "built" Memphis total attendance to its lowest in 48 years with season tickets dropping to 4,115. Memphis president said that they lost over $4MM last season - Memphis basketball has always been the money maker for the school.

 

Tubby did win 21 games. 21 wins was more than enough to get lots of teams into the NIT like Utah, LSU, Stanford, Boston College, and others, but it wasn't enough to get Memphis in. Why? Because the Tigers, "didn't beat anyone of consequence, I guess you could say" - those are Tubby's own words.

 

The only thing Tubby built was his own wealth.

 

Penny might not be the answer long term, but in the short term he is the closest thing to a sure thing to correct the disaster that was Tubby Smith by addressing recruiting and selling tickets. Maybe someone else could have as well, but I have a difficult time coming up with name (that isn't the subject of an FBI investigation).

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UKMustangFan

UKMustangFan

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I've never understood the hatred and disdain for Tubby Smith.

 

Did Memphis need to make a move with him? Maybe so, but put me in the camp that thinks Penny Hardaway is going to be a colossal failure.

 

IMO, the only reason he was given the job is because he's got some elite players on his HS & AAU teams that Memphis thinks will automatically go there now. It's going to be really fun to see how quickly the fans turn on him when they go elsewhere IMO.

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