Western Kentucky 83 Wisconsin 76

[nikeman49]

He’s average. He’s 7-6 with an immensely talented team, for a CUSA team. I think just about any coach in America could accomplish that with his roster.

335 career wins (65% win pct) 12 postseason trips.....not bad

[The Double Deuce]

335 career wins (65% win pct) 12 postseason trips.....not bad

 

While I'm not a huge Rick Stansbury guy, I do think he was a great hire by WKU at exactly the right time. However, with that said, including NIT bids as "postseason trips" is a little silly. He made the NCAA Tourney 6 times in 14 years...which is nothing to sneeze at. Going 4-2 in the first round of those tourneys is even more impressive.

 

If you wanted to throw some shade, you could point out that of his 6 losses, 3 were in white jerseys (3 to a 6, 5 to a 12, and 2 to a 7). The losses as an 8 and a 9 to a 1 in the 2nd round are certainly understandable. As is the loss to a 4 seed as a 13.

[CyrusJS]

During his time a MSU, he was the winningest coach in the SEC besides Calipari. 14th most all time wins in the SEC. I think his inability to make it past the round of 32 is what got him to "retire" after 14 or so years.

 

WKU is going to be a great team as long as we can keep him.

[MJAlltheWay24]

335 career wins (65% win pct) 12 postseason trips.....not bad

 

While I'm not a huge Rick Stansbury guy, I do think he was a great hire by WKU at exactly the right time. However, with that said, including NIT bids as "postseason trips" is a little silly.

 

Funny how things can be worded to try and help someone make a better point. Since when were NIT bids included as an accomplishment for a coach that has spent the vast majority of their career in a Power 5 conference? lol

[MJAlltheWay24]

Even before the game the Wisconsin basketball coach was talking about how much he hated this contract. WKU played a 2 for 1 mixed sport contract. They went to play at Wisconsin in football for a pay game, but at below the going rate (and at a time when WKU was up and coming). They then played at Wisconsin in basketball (and got robbed) and got one game at Diddle. Their coach despised it and wanted out of it. Now that they've lost it's even worse.

 

Shouldn't come as a huge surprise that they lost if the coach publicly had this attitude before the trip.

 

I am wondering how much the Badger faithful wish they had Herro.

[nikeman49]

During his time a MSU, he was the winningest coach in the SEC besides Calipari. 14th most all time wins in the SEC. I think his inability to make it past the round of 32 is what got him to "retire" after 14 or so years.

 

WKU is going to be a great team as long as we can keep him.

 

Agreed 100%.....believe it or not other teams in the state do play basketball and can have great coaches other than Ky and Cal lovers!

[CyrusJS]

Agreed 100%.....believe it or not other teams in the state do play basketball and can have great coaches other than Ky and Cal lovers!

 

To be fair, WKU is in a rough spot geographically. Within a few hours drive there are 3 SEC teams and an ACC team. It's hard to find a huge fan base with a market so saturated. Thankfully, WKU has started to build a decent one over the last 7 years with a successful football team when UKY and Vanderbilt were down. The basketball team is now nationally respected again, but the football team had an inexplicable downfall at the same time.

 

WKU isn't going to get its bread and butter from basketball when two of the top programs in the country are in the same state. Football is what WKU really needs to excel at in order to continue rising. Couple the fact that our football team is in a slump with the current reality of UKY actually being good at football for the first time in a decade & the nice niche that WKU had carved out in South Central/Western Kentucky/Nashville starts to fade.

 

I respect the hell out of UofL for scheduling WKU in sports. Next year they play us in football & basketball in Nashville. UKY hasn't scheduled WKU in basketball since 2001-2002, when WKU beat them by 12 in Rupp. WKU and UKY, two of the winningest programs in NCAA history, have only met 6 times ever. They didn't want to renew the football series after the events of 2012 & 2013. Meanwhile, UofL and WKU have met SEVENTY NINE (79!) times in basketball!

[MJAlltheWay24]

Agreed 100%.....believe it or not other teams in the state do play basketball and can have great coaches other than Ky and Cal lovers!

 

I don't feel like hardly any UK fans on this board have ever even remotely been like that, but write the narrative how you wish.

[UKMustangFan]

To be fair, WKU is in a rough spot geographically. Within a few hours drive there are 3 SEC teams and an ACC team. It's hard to find a huge fan base with a market so saturated. Thankfully, WKU has started to build a decent one over the last 7 years with a successful football team when UKY and Vanderbilt were down. The basketball team is now nationally respected again, but the football team had an inexplicable downfall at the same time.

 

WKU isn't going to get its bread and butter from basketball when two of the top programs in the country are in the same state. Football is what WKU really needs to excel at in order to continue rising. Couple the fact that our football team is in a slump with the current reality of UKY actually being good at football for the first time in a decade & the nice niche that WKU had carved out in South Central/Western Kentucky/Nashville starts to fade.

 

I respect the hell out of UofL for scheduling WKU in sports. Next year they play us in football & basketball in Nashville. UKY hasn't scheduled WKU in basketball since 2001-2002, when WKU beat them by 12 in Rupp. WKU and UKY, two of the winningest programs in NCAA history, have only met 6 times ever. They didn't want to renew the football series after the events of 2012 & 2013. Meanwhile, UofL and WKU have met SEVENTY NINE (79!) times in basketball!

 

I get what you’re saying, but there is literally nothing for Kentucky to gain by playing Western.

[nikeman49]

What does Ky gain by playing SIU, Winthrop, TennSt, Monmouth,VMI, North Dakota, and Transy?