was lambasted by many UK fans, including a good proportion of BGP posters, just a couple or three years ago for being such a sorry coach. Most acknowleged that Donovan was a good at bringing in talent but grossly underachieved with that talent because he simply couldn't coach. Early exits from the Big Dance year after year prompted UK fans and many BGP'ers to say that they wouldn't want Billy back in the Bluegrass. Tubby was the man after '98, but all of sudden after a couple of exits short of the Final Four, Tubby could no longer coach.

 

Now Billy D. is your coaching God, the one who you pray will come and be the next Savior of UK basketball and reign for the next twenty years in Big Blue nirvana. Was Billy that much poorer of a coach two or three years ago? It's amazing what a couple of national titles will do to put a UK fan solidly aboard the BD bandwagon.

 

I love irony... especially when you throw in a hefty dose of hypocrisy.

I imagine Billy will tolerate the fickle UK fan for about 4 million coconuts a year.That is, at least until he bolts for Wyoming ten years from now... and so it goes.

Well, I wasn't here then, but "we" didn't say that Tubby couldn't coach. We said he couldn't recruit, and that sounds pretty fair to me.

 

You're exactly right, we didn't want Donovan. You never want to exit early, but Donovan proved to everyone that he is capable of doing what all of the Kentucky fans want, and that is to win, and win big.

You're exactly right, we didn't want Donovan. You never want to exit early, but Donovan proved to everyone that he is capable of doing what all of the Kentucky fans want, and that is to win, and win big.

 

What if it just proves to be a good run of players at the right time, and nothing more? Congrats to UF for winning the title, but how much coaching did Donovan really have to do with this group? Everybody played their best at the right time, when they needed to the most. Doesn't seem like this bunch was too hard to motivate, unlike some of the others that have passed through his system in the previous years.

What if it just proves to be a good run of players at the right time, and nothing more? Congrats to UF for winning the title, but how much coaching did Donovan really have to do with this group? Everybody played their best at the right time, when they needed to the most. Doesn't seem like this bunch was too hard to motivate, unlike some of the others that have passed through his system in the previous years.

 

To mold the chemistry that this team obviously has takes someone who knows what they ae doing, especially a bunch of rich, spoiled brats that they all seem to be. They bought into his system wholeheartedly and that is what impressed me the most about him.

What if it just proves to be a good run of players at the right time, and nothing more? Congrats to UF for winning the title, but how much coaching did Donovan really have to do with this group? Everybody played their best at the right time, when they needed to the most. Doesn't seem like this bunch was too hard to motivate, unlike some of the others that have passed through his system in the previous years.

I agree. There's a hundred coaches in the country who could have won with the talent that Florida has had the past two years. Same with UK in '96. It's all about recruiting.

What if it just proves to be a good run of players at the right time, and nothing more? Congrats to UF for winning the title, but how much coaching did Donovan really have to do with this group? Everybody played their best at the right time, when they needed to the most. Doesn't seem like this bunch was too hard to motivate, unlike some of the others that have passed through his system in the previous years.

I agree also.:thumb:

To mold the chemistry that this team obviously has takes someone who knows what they ae doing, especially a bunch of rich, spoiled brats that they all seem to be. They bought into his system wholeheartedly and that is what impressed me the most about him.

 

Noah is the only one who strikes me as a "spoiled brat," but he doesn't play like one. It seems pretty clear to me he was the leader, and the rest fell into line behind him. None of those players strike me as uncoachable, unlike some of Donovan's other recruits in previous years.

 

Fantastic recruiting job by Donovan to get these players. But I'm not sold on the coaching job. I look at him as a Bobby Cremins or Bill Frieder who got lucky. Kind of like Lute Olson.

What if it just proves to be a good run of players at the right time, and nothing more? Congrats to UF for winning the title, but how much coaching did Donovan really have to do with this group? Everybody played their best at the right time, when they needed to the most. Doesn't seem like this bunch was too hard to motivate, unlike some of the others that have passed through his system in the previous years.

 

 

Didn't Donovan recruit the players? Shouldn't he at least get credit for that?

Noah is the only one who strikes me as a "spoiled brat," but he doesn't play like one. It seems pretty clear to me he was the leader, and the rest fell into line behind him. None of those players strike me as uncoachable, unlike some of Donovan's other recruits in previous years.

 

Fantastic recruiting job by Donovan to get these players. But I'm not sold on the coaching job. I look at him as a Bobby Cremins or Bill Frieder who got lucky. Kind of like Lute Olson.

 

 

Wins 2 national championships in a row and he still can't coach. Wow, this country needs a hero.

What if it just proves to be a good run of players at the right time, and nothing more? Congrats to UF for winning the title, but how much coaching did Donovan really have to do with this group? Everybody played their best at the right time, when they needed to the most. Doesn't seem like this bunch was too hard to motivate, unlike some of the others that have passed through his system in the previous years.

 

The difference with Donovan is that he motivates his players constantly. His style of play, energy & demeanor translates into motivation & intensity for his team.

 

Donovan keeps his team focused & motivated with his actions. By the time Tubby did this, Kentucky had already lost focus & motivation. It's much more difficult to get "it" back than it is to keep "it".

The difference with Donovan is that he motivates his players constantly. His style of play, energy & demeanor translates into motivation & intensity for his team.

 

Donovan keeps his team focused & motivated with his actions. By the time Tubby did this, Kentucky had already lost focus & motivation. It's much more difficult to get "it" back than it is to keep "it".

What about his teams before last season?

Noah is the only one who strikes me as a "spoiled brat," but he doesn't play like one. It seems pretty clear to me he was the leader, and the rest fell into line behind him. None of those players strike me as uncoachable, unlike some of Donovan's other recruits in previous years.

 

Fantastic recruiting job by Donovan to get these players. But I'm not sold on the coaching job. I look at him as a Bobby Cremins or Bill Frieder who got lucky. Kind of like Lute Olson.

 

Let me get this right...

 

 

Tubby won the title in 1998 because he could coach better than Pitino, but has since not been able to do jack crap except go to be a Gopher.

 

 

BILLY, on the other hand has just won back-to-back titles and he can recruit, but just got lucky winning 11 games in a row 2 years straight?

 

Some of you guys are classic..........

Let me get this right...

 

 

Tubby won the title in 1998 because he could coach better than Pitino, but has since not been able to do jack crap except go to be a Gopher.

 

 

BILLY, on the other hand has just won back-to-back titles and he can recruit, but just got lucky winning 11 games in a row 2 years straight?

 

Some of you guys are classic..........

 

 

I think what Jim was saying is....Billy D had the most talented team this year, so them winning it all suprised no one. Tubby's title team was far from the most talented team in the country and that team overachieved to win it all. The comeback against Duke was some of the best coaching I've seen in quite a while....

I think what Jim was saying is....Billy D had the most talented team this year, so them winning it all suprised no one. Tubby's title team was far from the most talented team in the country and that team overachieved to win it all. The comeback against Duke was some of the best coaching I've seen in quite a while....

 

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

It took me several years of wondering why the immensely talented GaTech and Michigan and Illinois teams of the '80s always underachieved in the tournament until the revelation came that Bobby Cremins and Bill Frieder and Lou Henson were terrible coaches.

 

Great recruiters, but terrible coaches. I've always separated the two, because most coaches fall squarely into one camp or the other. The ones who can do both well are the ones who win the biggest.

 

Again, I'm not completely sold that Donovan didn't come across, through good recruiting, a team that worked well enough together and was supremely talented enough to overcome whatever deficiencies he might have in the X&O department.

 

Let's approach it from a different angle:

Say Donovan does end up in Lex, which I expect. What happens in the year when the first-round loss comes? How patient will 'Cat fans be then? Because it will happen. He's lost big games before with far superior talent.

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

It took me several years of wondering why the immensely talented GaTech and Michigan and Illinois teams of the '80s always underachieved in the tournament until the revelation came that Bobby Cremins and Bill Frieder and Lou Henson were terrible coaches.

 

Great recruiters, but terrible coaches. I've always separated the two, because most coaches fall squarely into one camp or the other. The ones who can do both well are the ones who win the biggest.

 

Again, I'm not completely sold that Donovan didn't come across, through good recruiting, a team that worked well enough together and was supremely talented enough to overcome whatever deficiencies he might have in the X&O department.

 

Let's approach it from a different angle:

Say Donovan does end up in Lex, which I expect. What happens in the year when the first-round loss comes? How patient will 'Cat fans be then? Because it will happen. He's lost big games before with far superior talent.

Asking a question you already know the answer to.