That's my point. We can think, have inside information, believe it will/would have happened, but we will never know. We did, however, know that Morriss was gone and there was a good chance that the other recruits could fall through and we would get a couple more Bobby Perry's or (shudder) Sheray Thomas' in their place. This was going to be a train wreck season regardless. Tubby or BCG was facing a season of terrible talent with the exception of one or two. I figure I'll write this season off as a learning experience and see what happens after a full season/off season for BCG.

 

Wow you know Tubby won 20 games with Bobby Perry and Seray Thomas the last couple of years. Were they better than we think, was Tubby a good coach to do that. But the bottom line is those teams were better than this team.

Tubby Smith averaged around 27 wins a year, won a National Championship (and please don't use the "with Pitino's players crap excuse Tubby was on that staff as well and although not the head coach he had a hand in coaching that team AND recruiting some of them), Tubby had something like a 76% win pct. I believe w/o looking it up, Went to I believe three elite 8's, was a bad ankle one year away from and another - an overtime away from another that would have made two more final fours, was in the NCAA every season and advanced at least a couple of rounds in all of them but one or two I belive (again, I haven't looked it up). I know that just the first two or three rounds is not good enough for U.K., is not for me either but there has to be some being realistic. Pitino's teams had a run that may never be seen again as far as the talent on his teams for a stretch of a few years. That kind of talent dosn't come around all the time for anyone.

Should Pitino had let Derek Anderson play in that championship game when the Dr.'s and Anderson's family gave him the o.k. then imo U.K. would have no doubt won another NC and U.K. would have had a three peat (96,97 &98)! : Lets blame sommeone for that while we are at it.

As for Tubby, the man can flat out coach basketball............Period!

 

How long is he going to be blamed for losses at U.K., I have said numerous times on here that there will be some of the bashers that are NEVER satisfied with anyone or anything no matter who it is and that will be blaming U.K. losses on OTS 10 years from now . To those people I would say...."Get Over Rick Pitino"!! He is not at U.K. anymore and hasn't been for quite some time.

Some of these same people were against OTS from the day that he was hired at U.K., they deny it but that does not change the fact.

 

There has been mention on this thread of blaming Joe B. Hall, heck, Why Not and while we are at I am sure that Adolph Rupp had a hand in this as well from the grave :eek::lol:!

 

I also want to say that I support Billy Gillispie as well, he is our coach.

I am not bashing him at all. I just get sick of all the Tubby bashing that is still going on after the man is gone, is imo ridiculous.

I know one thing, Tubby did not inherit near the talent at Minn. than what is here and he left at U.K. and the man is 10-3. Yes, he has played a weak schedule but as I and others have said I am not looking for San Diego, Stoney Point or Gardner Webb to make any final 4's anytime soon.

 

O.K., I am done with my rant now :lol:......carry on. :thumb:

 

OldRambler Bud, I am usually agreeing with mostly everything you post on BGP and I respect your posts more than just about antone on the site but I'm going to have to disagree with some of your opinion on this situation. While I don't want blame Tubby for the current stage of UK's program, it's kinda hard for me to blame anyone else. I think Tubby is one of the best coaches in college b-ball today but I don't think he one of the better recruiters. Unfortunately in college you can be the best coach in the world but if you can't recruit top notch talent then you will never succeed at the highest level. Tubby always got the most out of the talent he had but that isn't good enough for a program the likes of UK. While his coaching stats are impressive the fact remains that he never made it back to the Final Four with his team. I give Tubby credit for coaching UK to the title in '98 because he worked wonders in the tourney that year but it was done with Pitino recruited players. I know Tubby fans are sick of hearing that but that's just how I feel. Those players went to UK because of Pitino and the talent level took a drop after he left. As fans we HAVE to be realistic about things, UK is not going to win NCs every year but I think that at a school like UK or UNC, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, ect that you must COMPETE for a NC on a concistent basis and in college that means making it to the Final Four. I know that if Tubby would have made 1 or 2 Final Fours that I would have been very upset when he left but since he didn't, I was very happy and I was ready for change. SOme of the UK faithful are what I call UK critics instead of UK fans because they are unrealistic but I don't think the standards I stated are unrealistic at all. Like I said earlier, Tubby is a super coach but he's not a great recruiter and poor recruiters don't win in college b-ball.

 

I don't think we can blame everything on Tubby but I do hold him partly responsible for this year and probably some of next year. But it's a two-way street, he UK was 12-2 this year I would be giving Tubby some of the credit. When a coach comes into a school and has success his 1st year like a Tubby in '98 or a Bruce Weber at Illinois, the previous coach is mostly credited for that success. It's the same way if the team is losing in the coaches 1st season. Nobody blamed Roy Williams when UNC struggled badly his 1st season, the UNC base blamed Matt Doherty for that season. I feel like it's the same way with Tubby at UK. I don't blame him completely because we've been bombarded with injuries and a new system with an unfamiliar coach but I do put some of the blame on his shoulders. That's just how I feel. I KNOW that BCG is going to do great things at UK as soon as he can recruit his players. He did great things at his previous schools that have probably have the facilities and money that UK has. He's a proven spectaculor recruiter and in college I think that that is the most important quality of a coach. Good recruiting can overcome bad coaching in college b-ball. OK, I'll shut up now!! LOL!!!

Tubby was a good coach I give that to him. But the guy could not recruit at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wasn't he the one that let Chris Lofton go? Isn't he the one who recruited Shagari Alien, Morris, Rondo (who both turned out to be wastes of scholarships), Orbzut, and many more players who turned out to be really nothing? This is a rebuilding year and once Billy G. recruits more players that has the potential just like Patterson and fit his style of coaching, the program will be turned back around for the good.

 

Ok, we have to get somethings straight. Tubby Couldn't recruit at all!!!!!!???????????????? Ummm, I think saying he doesn't recruit great talent and then throwing in the names of Morris and Rondo is kind of an oxymoron. I believe they are both on NBA rosters and Rondo is the starting point guard for the record-breaking best team in the NBA (Celtics). What was Tubby thinking when he recruited those losers? A previous post was also correct in pointing out that We landed Crawford (like it or not) over Lofton and when they came out of high school Crawford was much higher on everyone's list.

Tubby Smith averaged around 27 wins a year, won a National Championship (and please don't use the "with Pitino's players crap excuse Tubby was on that staff as well and although not the head coach he had a hand in coaching that team AND recruiting some of them), Tubby had something like a 76% win pct. I believe w/o looking it up, Went to I believe three elite 8's, was a bad ankle one year away from and another - an overtime away from another that would have made two more final fours, was in the NCAA every season and advanced at least a couple of rounds in all of them but one or two I belive (again, I haven't looked it up). I know that just the first two or three rounds is not good enough for U.K., is not for me either but there has to be some being realistic. Pitino's teams had a run that may never be seen again as far as the talent on his teams for a stretch of a few years. That kind of talent dosn't come around all the time for anyone.

Should Pitino had let Derek Anderson play in that championship game when the Dr.'s and Anderson's family gave him the o.k. then imo U.K. would have no doubt won another NC and U.K. would have had a three peat (96,97 &98)! : Lets blame sommeone for that while we are at it.

As for Tubby, the man can flat out coach basketball............Period!

 

How long is he going to be blamed for losses at U.K., I have said numerous times on here that there will be some of the bashers that are NEVER satisfied with anyone or anything no matter who it is and that will be blaming U.K. losses on OTS 10 years from now . To those people I would say...."Get Over Rick Pitino"!! He is not at U.K. anymore and hasn't been for quite some time.

Some of these same people were against OTS from the day that he was hired at U.K., they deny it but that does not change the fact.

 

There has been mention on this thread of blaming Joe B. Hall, heck, Why Not and while we are at I am sure that Adolph Rupp had a hand in this as well from the grave :eek::lol:!

 

I also want to say that I support Billy Gillispie as well, he is our coach.

I am not bashing him at all. I just get sick of all the Tubby bashing that is still going on after the man is gone, is imo ridiculous.

I know one thing, Tubby did not inherit near the talent at Minn. than what is here and he left at U.K. and the man is 10-3. Yes, he has played a weak schedule but as I and others have said I am not looking for San Diego, Stoney Point or Gardner Webb to make any final 4's anytime soon.

 

O.K., I am done with my rant now :lol:......carry on. :thumb:

 

I have read this several times in your posts and Tubby had absolutely nothing to do with recruiting the 98 team, he had been at Tulsa and Georgia. Yes he did average 26 wins a season, but that average was dropping quickly. Tubby did not ruin UK basketball, he just left it in worse shape than he found it.

I have read this several times in your posts and Tubby had absolutely nothing to do with recruiting the 98 team, he had been at Tulsa and Georgia.

 

:thumb:

 

Tubby was a UK assistant from 89-91. He was HC at Tulsa 91-95, and UGA 95-97.

I have read this several times in your posts and Tubby had absolutely nothing to do with recruiting the 98 team, he had been at Tulsa and Georgia. Yes he did average 26 wins a season, but that average was dropping quickly. Tubby did not ruin UK basketball, he just left it in worse shape than he found it.

 

:thumb: I agree on all points.

I have read this several times in your posts and Tubby had absolutely nothing to do with recruiting the 98 team, he had been at Tulsa and Georgia. Yes he did average 26 wins a season, but that average was dropping quickly. Tubby did not ruin UK basketball, he just left it in worse shape than he found it.

 

IMO I don't believe that any Coach could have left UK Basketball in or As is Better Shape than it was...

Tubby has not been on the UK sideline any this season...Maybe He ruined UK basketball by leaving?:confused:

 

This is HIS UK team (minus Patterson). This team has very little D-1 talent, that is how he ruined the program.

This is HIS UK team (minus Patterson). This team has very little D-1 talent, that is how he ruined the program.

 

Did you not look at the list of high Recruiting stars on this team?...

BTW Tubby Has less talent at Minn...and they are playing miles above this team...:thumb:

Also, apparently Minn has bought into Tubby and are playing hard for him, thats good, hes a real good Xs and Os coach. And he will bring in his many 3 stars and maybe a 4 star at UM and thats good too, they will play hard for him. But thats not good enough at UK.

 

This UK team has one consistent healthy scorer and a bunch of other unathletic, slow and selfish players with zero basketball IQ.

Here is my post from another thread...

 

Yes there is some talent on the team if you just look at rankings, but you need to look past that. On this team, there is one healthy consistent scorer. The other 5 star, Crawford, has never lived up to expectations and is not a consistent ball player.

Meeks and Jasper are both good players, but have been hurt. Stevenson is weak, and not an offensive talent at all. His strengths on the defensive end are negated when matched up with a bulky big man as he is pushed around constantly.

Bradley is a good ball player but still makes too many stupid mistakes, even as a senior. Stewart hasn't seen the floor much, but appears to be athletic. Harris and Carter, both horrible. Neither have any hands at all and cant shoot. Carter has to be the worst big man in the country at sealing his man off and making himself big.

 

The bottom line is, we have one real post player and he is our only consistent offense. No one else can we count on night in night out to give us points. This team has very little talent, and its depressing to see UK in this state.

IMO I don't believe that any Coach could have left UK Basketball in or As is Better Shape than it was...

 

I guess you want me to say much worse, then yes it is. It is more the mindset the players had taken than the talent.

Also, apparently Minn has bought into Tubby and are playing hard for him, thats good, hes a real good Xs and Os coach. And he will bring in his many 3 stars and maybe a 4 star at UM and thats good too, they will play hard for him. But thats not good enough at UK.

 

This UK team has one consistent healthy scorer and a bunch of other Unathletic, slow and selfish players with zero basketball IQ.

 

I believe that If Tubby were coaching these players that are unathletic with zero Basketball IQ they whould have wins against...Gardner Furniture...UAB...San Diego...:thumb:

You know what, you're right, we probably wouldn't have. But this is a move that will help us in the long run. Tubby's style of play was more passive, keeping lesser teams in it. BCG is more aggressive and relies more on athleticism and intensity to pressure the ball. Athleticism is something this team doesnt have. Intensity is another. This team has no heart.

 

Now, if you would like to argue about the lack of basketball IQ and athleticism on this team, thats fine. 25 losses in the last 2 years wont help you any, but I guess you could try to spin that some way.

I guess you want me to say much worse, then yes it is. It is more the mindset the players had taken than the talent.

 

Im just saying Maybe Jesus Christ could have keep that Machine Up and running at that pace...I don't think that any mortal Person Could...