Bruce Pearl: Rondo, Crawford and Bradley were all better than Lofton out of HS

[PRESSROW]

I don't follow that reasoning as he GIVES ALL THE CREDIT to Lofton and deflects any for himself. Would that not increase the Lofton name?

 

Yeah right....I don't buy that one bit. The statement he made after UK losing at Tennessee told it all. I was listening, were you listening? He said that it showed today why Ramel Bradley was recruited to UK instead of Chris Lofton. Lofton was key down the stretch for the Vols win.

[Hatz]

I've yet to figure out why some people take the Chris Lofton to UT instead of UK thing so personally.

 

BTW, I wasn't feeling to high on Lofton Sunday when he almost gave the ball back to Butler late by not figuring that they would be looking for the ball when his back was turned.

 

Lofton has disappeared in the NCAA and I hope he recovers or TN has no chance to get much further.

[pigman]

Mason County fans do take it a little personal.

[bigblueinsanity]

I think most fans of Chris Loftons and UK fans can probably live with Mr. Arrogant Coach Pearls statements, but it still doesn't explain how you can recruit J.P. Blevins, Carrier, and the likes to UK and not Chris Lofton. You ought to know what kind of worker, player and person your getting when recruiting that player, and Chris Lofton has made himself a better player and if your locked in recruiting a kid, then you would know what your getting. I can't stand Bruce Pearl.....he is not Tennessee, and he wouldn't be crap without the likes of his players namely Lofton. Pearl can't stand it that Lofton is a bigger name in Knoxville than the name Pearl is!

 

I agree.

[Lights Out 30]

I'm going to throw this out there too. Lofton's senior year, he wanted to continue to play on Mason Co.'s football team. Don't blame him either. Pitino said if he played that he WOULDN'T offer him a scholarship. Well, Chris decided to play football his senior year of high school. Just some food for thought.

[hoopboy]

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080325/SPT01/803250366/1062/SPT

 

UT coach Bruce Pearl said it's unfair for fans to blame Smith and Pitino for not securing Lofton. Kentucky, for example, offered scholarships to Joe Crawford and Rajon Rondo, who were five-star recruits, according to Rivals.com. Ramel Bradley, a three-star recruit, also accepted a scholarship from Kentucky.

 

But Lofton, a three-star recruit as well, wasn't as polished as Bradley, Pearl said.

 

"Louisville and Kentucky have both taken hits for not recruiting Chris Lofton," Pearl said. "Coming out of high school, the guys that they got instead of Chris were better than Chris. That's not a knock on Chris, and it should not be a knock on Tubby or coach Pitino."

 

Recruiting, after all, is more art than science, Pearl said, and Louisville and Kentucky couldn't have anticipated the player Lofton would ultimately become.

 

"Why should they be criticized because Chris Lofton made himself into an All-American?" Pearl asked. "It wasn't UT or coach Pearl or Buzz Peterson. It was Chris Lofton that did it. He's one of the hardest-working guys in college basketball and is a self-made player."

 

"Well that's like...your opinion...man," The Dude

[swamprat]

This horse isn't glue yet? :sssh::jump:

[ladiesbballcoach]

This horse isn't glue yet? :sssh::jump:

 

With UL playing UT this week, you know it had to come up.

[ladiesbballcoach]

"Well that's like...your opinion...man," The Dude

 

I don't know what that means.

[pigman]

This horse isn't glue yet? :sssh::jump:

 

One more game and it will be.

[hoopboy]

I don't know what that means.

 

You've never seen The Big Lebowski.

[sportsfan41]

I agree with Pearl's assesment, Tubby and Rick got better players out of HS, think they still may've gotten players for what they needed to.

 

Not sure how much more Lofton would've helped UK this year than Bradley of Crawford.

[mexitucky]

I don't know what that means.

 

You really need to get out. It's from The Big Lebowski, a staple of my college life.

[mexitucky]

I'm failing to see where this is a slight at Lofton or Pearl talking himself up. I see this as Pearl praising Lofton for how hard he worked to make himself an All-American.

[ladiesbballcoach]

I'm failing to see where this is a slight at Lofton or Pearl talking himself up. I see this as Pearl praising Lofton for how hard he worked to make himself an All-American.

 

It seems the only ones that are slighted here are the UL or UK fans that want to rip on Pitino or Smith for missing out on Lofton.