Our team is struggling, we ALL know that. I don't know if some of you guys will EVER give up on trying to get us to all say we want Pitino out...Every team has bad stretches, this is ours...It will take more than one sub-par season, and a slow start to make me jump ship...

 

I agree. A true fan doesn't give up on a young team who is trying to find their legs early in the season. There are a TON of games to go and college sports, ... especially hoops, is loaded with PARITY! Look how many different teams have made the final 4 the past 10 years. It just makes it more exciting IMHO.

 

I think too many fans get their undies in a bunch thinking that UL would have a run like Pitino had at UK at the end after the Cards made the final 4. Those runs are nice, but rare these days. UF made the final 4 last season and haven't been setting the world on fire with all that talent back. I don't think the UF fans are gonna throw Billy D under the bus just yet.

 

I also think some of the UK fans who don't like Tubby want to see UL fans dislike their coach as well. But to be honest, I like them both. I said the same thing about Tubby that I will say about Rick. They are terrific coaches who understand the game very well and will coach their teams up. Fans who give up during down periods are generally on the UK side, but every team has them. Glad to see you aren't one of those fans Deuce! :thumb:

Even you have to admit that Tubby walked into a great situation. One of the top programs in the NCAA at the top of their game. Two straight trips to the final. Exit Rick, enter Tubby. Thats not lucky? Since then UK has been in decline. Zero trips to the final four. They aren't the program of note in the SEC at this time.Thats Tubby's doing. If Tubby goes head to head with Billy or Mike or Roy for a recruit he doesn't stand a chance. The kids just don't want to play for him.

 

And in my opinion, Gruden's seat is probably plenty hot. I also bet if Roy doesn't get back to the final four for the next 8 years he'll be gone from Chapel Hill. Just stop and think... Did Tubby ever beat UK while he was at UGA? Nope. Yet both of the coaches at UGA since Tubby left have defeated UK with Tubby as the coach. That tells me Tubby aint a top teir coach.

 

 

When Billy, Mike or Roy don't make the final 4 every year, does that knock them out of the top tier of college coaches? Nope. Get a grip. That run UK had in the late 1990's was awesome, ... but if you are gonna be honest, what 'top notch' recruits did Pitino have coming to UK when he left? :confused: He was smart enough to realize that the run was great but the time was right to take the money and run. Many UK fans would have been treating him the same way they are treating Rick right now because playing strictly his style, the 1998 team didn't have the depth or talent that the 1996 or 1997 teams had to play that style. He also couldn't get a young PG to come to UK as many wanted to play right away and with Turner running the show, they knew they would have to sit more often than they liked for their first season.

 

Also, Pitino was ahead of the game at that time in college and was one of the first to do the 'new math' on the 3 point line at the major college level. Many top notch coaches resisted it for a while, but now they have all caught up as well as learned how to defend it better. If you think UK would have continued to make the final 4 every year had Pitino stayed at UK, you are fooling yourself. If it was all Pitino, then why hasn't he repeated the same success he had at UK and UL? Maybe Billy D taking his show on the road (first to Marshall then to UF) shows that he was more of the force behind the recruiting because after he left, Rick wasn't getting the same caliber players. Let's look at all the facts when dealing with this ongoing argument which goes on and on and on an on.

In 96, during the regular season when KY was dominating the SEC, the closes anyone came to beating UK was Tubby and Ga. at Ga. Not a victory but a very close call. 5 or 6 points. Nearly everyone else lost by 20-30 or 40 in LSU's case.

 

Very true. :thumb:

Even you have to admit that Tubby walked into a great situation. One of the top programs in the NCAA at the top of their game. Two straight trips to the final. Exit Rick, enter Tubby. Thats not lucky? Since then UK has been in decline. Zero trips to the final four. They aren't the program of note in the SEC at this time.Thats Tubby's doing. If Tubby goes head to head with Billy or Mike or Roy for a recruit he doesn't stand a chance. The kids just don't want to play for him.

 

And in my opinion, Gruden's seat is probably plenty hot. I also bet if Roy doesn't get back to the final four for the next 8 years he'll be gone from Chapel Hill. Just stop and think... Did Tubby ever beat UK while he was at UGA? Nope. Yet both of the coaches at UGA since Tubby left have defeated UK with Tubby as the coach. That tells me Tubby aint a top teir coach.

 

UK wasnt one of the best teams in the country going into the 98 season. We had just lost some an All American in Ron Mercer and 2 other starters who had very good UK careers in Jared Prickett and Anthony Epps. Anyone who says Tubby did not do a great job coaching and was just lucky with the 1st team has doesn't know what they are talking about.

Also, I will agree that at this point the program has declined some, but that can also be changed quickly. We went to 2 OT's and almost made it to the Final 4 2 years ago. UK has 1 bad year and all of a sudden Tubby can't coach. Atleast be rational enough to give this season a chance to unfold some.

You heard it here, mark it down. UK will continue its downward spiral under the untouchable Tubby. They will not make the final four with him at the controls. I'm not saying he has become a bad coach, I don't think he ever was a great coach. He is a perfect fit for a team like Tulsa or maybe UGA. Second teir teams that hustle and work to over achieve. He doesn't have the "swagger" to run UK. JMO, but I'm right on the money on this one.

IMO, if it weren't for a torn ACL we'd be talking about a UK 3-peat. I have a lot of respect for Pitino for the way that he handled the Anderson situation. He probably could have played in the final four, but it would have been rushing a return from his energy, and Pitino wasn't willing to risk the kids future for any selfish reasons such as bettering his chances to repeat.

IMO Coach P got a lot of love out of that decision (not playing Anderson). I felt then and I feel now the reason he did not play DA was his own ego.

1. DA plays and Cats win....it was because DA came back not RP

2. DA plays and they loose....RP should have never risked DA's health

3. DA doesn't play they win....What a great coach RP is

4. DA Doesn't play they loose....Great job by RP to get them this far without star.

5. DA plays and win or loose gets injured....RP looks like a total moron.

Scenario 3 and 4 are the only ones assured of making Coach Pitino look good.

 

The Doctors had cleared him and he was willing to play. By all accounts DA had been practicing for a couple of weeks and had been dominating practice at the end. If he was well enough to go all out in practice, (as was reported at the time) he was well enough to play. Why would you risk his health playing the scout team and not play him in the game.

 

But if Nazr could have hit a freakin free throw or the entire team didn't get faked out on every shot fake SImon and Bibby made we would have still won three in a row

You heard it here, mark it down. UK will continue its downward spiral under the untouchable Tubby. They will not make the final four with him at the controls. I'm not saying he has become a bad coach, I don't think he ever was a great coach. He is a perfect fit for a team like Tulsa or maybe UGA. Second teir teams that hustle and work to over achieve. He doesn't have the "swagger" to run UK. JMO, but I'm right on the money on this one.

 

Thats your opinion and thats fine. I have no problem with that. But you gotta give credit where credit is due. Pitino did a great job at UK. Tubby did a great job his 1st year here. Ever since UK has been up and down. But still yet I believe Tubby can really right the ship if he makes some changes to his staff.

..... But still yet I believe Tubby can really right the ship if he makes some changes to his staff.

I think you hit it right on the head...I was talking to Kenny Walker a few months ago and he said practicly the same thing. He said Tubby was great recruiting the kid and parents, but the other coaches did not do enough recruiting of those around the kid. The next door neighbor, the girfriend, the local barber whoever they were not closing the deal with these folks the way the coaches at some of the other schools do. I like the Assistants and I love Reggie but I think Tubby needs to help the guys get "Promotion" in other jobs and get some new talent in the coaches ranks.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/COLUMNISTS02/312180011/1002/SPORTS

 

“Rick Pitino is my coach,” Jurich said in his Freedom Hall suite right after the Cardinals’ 61-49 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. “I know people are asking. Quote me on this: He is the coach here for as long as he wants to be. Period.

 

"He resurrected this program. People don’t realize, they forget how far down we were. I don’t care if he has to rebuild this thing all over again, he’s the coach.”

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/COLUMNISTS02/312180011/1002/SPORTS

 

“Rick Pitino is my coach,” Jurich said in his Freedom Hall suite right after the Cardinals’ 61-49 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. “I know people are asking. Quote me on this: He is the coach here for as long as he wants to be. Period.

 

"He resurrected this program. People don’t realize, they forget how far down we were. I don’t care if he has to rebuild this thing all over again, he’s the coach.”

 

:thumb:

The team ran great offense today, played pretty good defense too. Crashed the boards, stepped in for a lot of charges (called or uncalled.)

 

The only thing missing was the ball falling through the hoop, including for guys that have proven their ability to hit the jumper in game situations. I thought this was clearly their best effort of the year, and the only thing I'm unhappy about was the score.

 

I agree, UL's spacing and ball movement looked very good, they just could not hit shots. I thought they settled for too many outside shots(even though I was glad they did) when they could have gotten the ball inside and scored or at least got to the FT line more often.

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/COLUMNISTS02/312180011/1002/SPORTS

 

“Rick Pitino is my coach,” Jurich said in his Freedom Hall suite right after the Cardinals’ 61-49 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. “I know people are asking. Quote me on this: He is the coach here for as long as he wants to be. Period.

 

"He resurrected this program. People don’t realize, they forget how far down we were. I don’t care if he has to rebuild this thing all over again, he’s the coach.”

 

How far down was Louisville? What was their regular season and NCAA record during Crum's last five seasons?

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/COLUMNISTS02/312180011/1002/SPORTS

 

“Rick Pitino is my coach,” Jurich said in his Freedom Hall suite right after the Cardinals’ 61-49 loss to Kentucky on Saturday. “I know people are asking. Quote me on this: He is the coach here for as long as he wants to be. Period.

 

"He resurrected this program. People don’t realize, they forget how far down we were. I don’t care if he has to rebuild this thing all over again, he’s the coach.”

I agree!:thumb:

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How far down was Louisville? What was their regular season and NCAA record during Crum's last five seasons?

I can't remember right off hand but I don't believe it was very good!

You heard it here, mark it down. UK will continue its downward spiral under the untouchable Tubby. They will not make the final four with him at the controls. I'm not saying he has become a bad coach, I don't think he ever was a great coach. He is a perfect fit for a team like Tulsa or maybe UGA. Second teir teams that hustle and work to over achieve. He doesn't have the "swagger" to run UK. JMO, but I'm right on the money on this one.

 

So is it just your opinion or a fact, because you said jmo, then say you are right on the money...

 

Yeah your right, I mean I think its awesome how some of us fans on here know more than people who do run these universities and coach big time schools. I mean I really think alot of us should coach and make the decisions because we all seem to think that we know exactly what is going on and what should happen. Even though the people who do this stuff everyday in their lives think Tubby is a great coach, and has a resume to prove it...

 

I will agree with you on one thing, maybe Tubby doesn't have the swagger as you said to run UK, and that is just because of some of the fans who just cant get over the style that Pitino ran while here, even though that style just scored 49 points against us...Tubby if he was to leave would find him self at another pretty big program, and it wouldn't be at a small program like Tulsa as you seen. His style could fit in just right at alot of schools..Do you think UCLA's coach is a good coach, because I mean he runs the same style as Tubby. Which is just half court stuff, and he is at one of the top programs in the nation. So you dont have to run a fast pace style to be successful at a big time school. Just Tubby's style might not be good enough for some fans here at UK, but his style would land him still at another big school if he were to leave. So yeah I dont think you were right on the money on this one at all like you said...