It's interesting when people bring up Tubby's 1998 championship because they say he did it with Pitno's players. What's interesting is that Pitino was a Laettner shot away from making the Final Four with several carry overs from Eddie Sutton's tenure. Yet, no one ever says Pitino did it with Eddie's players.

 

Anyway, I digress.

 

When you look at the list of Sutton players who got noticably better under Pitino, it reads with Reggie Hanson, Feldhaus, Pelphrey, Woods, and Farmer. Would those guys have been as good under Sutton as they were Pitino? Highly unikely. Granted, Jonathon Davis was a flop.

 

Fast forward nearly a decade. When Tubby Smith took over for Pitino, there were several players who immediately flourished under the new coach. Nazr Mohammed put up good enough numbers to jump to the NBA. Scott Padgett, Wayne Turner, and Jamaal Magliore all improved noticably under Tubby. And of course, Tubby had Myron Anthony and Michael Bradley.

 

Now, move ahead one more decade. Billy Gillispie takes over a team of Tubby's players. Ramel Bradley's numbers are almost identical to his final year under Tubby, with turnovers up and assists down. Joe Crawford's scoring is up four points in his first year under BCG, while his other offensive numbers drop. The jury is still out on Porter, Harris, and Stevenson.

 

One of the knocks on this year's team has been a lack of improvement from the start of the season to now. Other coaches have been able to mold other coach's players into players who made significant and even big contributions for them. Meeks was a Tubby player.

 

Why aren't we seeing improvement out of Stevenson, Harris, Porter, and Jared Carter? A lot of people thought Nazr was a wasted scholly after his freshman year.

 

Should more of the blame be placed on the staff instead of BCG?

 

Just some random thoughts.

I think the staff should get a lot of the blame, but obviously BCG is going to get most of it because of the pay check he gets and he is the main man. Unfortunately that comes with being a head coach. But when a team is not improving, something with the position coaches isn't working. If BCG and staff are there next year like I think they will be, they need to sit down and have a long meeting about making practices more affective

It's interesting when people bring up Tubby's 1998 championship because they say he did it with Pitno's players. What's interesting is that Pitino was a Laettner shot away from making the Final Four with several carry overs from Eddie Sutton's tenure. Yet, no one ever says Pitino did it with Eddie's players.

Anyway, I digress.

 

When you look at the list of Sutton players who got noticably better under Pitino, it reads with Reggie Hanson, Feldhaus, Pelphrey, Woods, and Farmer. Would those guys have been as good under Sutton as they were Pitino? Highly unikely. Granted, Jonathon Davis was a flop.

 

Fast forward nearly a decade. When Tubby Smith took over for Pitino, there were several players who immediately flourished under the new coach. Nazr Mohammed put up good enough numbers to jump to the NBA. Scott Padgett, Wayne Turner, and Jamaal Magliore all improved noticably under Tubby. And of course, Tubby had Myron Anthony and Michael Bradley.

 

Now, move ahead one more decade. Billy Gillispie takes over a team of Tubby's players. Ramel Bradley's numbers are almost identical to his final year under Tubby, with turnovers up and assists down. Joe Crawford's scoring is up four points in his first year under BCG, while his other offensive numbers drop. The jury is still out on Porter, Harris, and Stevenson.

 

One of the knocks on this year's team has been a lack of improvement from the start of the season to now. Other coaches have been able to mold other coach's players into players who made significant and even big contributions for them. Meeks was a Tubby player.

 

Why aren't we seeing improvement out of Stevenson, Harris, Porter, and Jared Carter? A lot of people thought Nazr was a wasted scholly after his freshman year.

 

Should more of the blame be placed on the staff instead of BCG?

 

Just some random thoughts.

 

That's because Pitino won big time with his own players. And the players that stuck around after Eddie left were all the leftovers that had no where else to go.

You can't possibly be serious. The 92 team was lead by Mashburn who never played 1 second for Sutton. The Senior class that year were throw ins in a class that included Eric Manual and Leron Ellis.

 

Mohamed, Turner, Shepherd, and Padgett were pretty daggone good when Smith arrived on the scene. Correct me if I'm wrong but Mohamed and Turner played on two teams that played for 2 and won 1 national championship. Shepherd played on the 96 team and redshirted in 97. Padgett sit out 96 but played in 97.

 

So using your logic can we say that Meeks is considerably better under Gillispie? Stevenson's, Porter's and Harris's numbers are better now than in their freshman years. Crawford had his best year as a senior.

You can't possibly be serious. The 92 team was lead by Mashburn who never played 1 second for Sutton. The Senior class that year were throw ins in a class that included Eric Manual and Leron Ellis.

You are telling me that Feldhaus, Pelphrey, Farmer, and Woods would have improved under Sutton they way they did under Pitino? Seriously?

 

Mohamed, Turner, Shepherd, and Padgett were pretty daggone good when Smith arrived on the scene. Correct me if I'm wrong but Mohamed and Turner played on two teams that played for 2 and won 1 national championship. Shepherd played on the 96 team and redshirted in 97. Padgett sit out 96 but played in 97.

 

I never mentioned Shepherd. Nazr averaged 8 points and five rebounds in Rick's last year. It improved to 12 and 7 under Tubby and on to the NBA. FG% went from 51% to 59% and FT% went from 50% to 65% under Tubby.

 

Padgett averaged 9.6 points and 5 rebounds in Pitino's last year. It went up to 11 his Jr. season and 12 his senior season. Rebounds went to nine a game and his shooting was much better.

 

Turner's scoring improved from 6 to 9 in Tubby's first year and his assists rose from three to five a game and this was in a system that was more defensive oriented under Tubby.

 

So using your logic can we say that Meeks is considerably better under Gillispie? Stevenson's, Porter's and Harris's numbers are better now than in their freshman years. Crawford had his best year as a senior.

Crawford's scoring was higher his senior year, but his rebounds, assists, and steals were down while turnovers were up.

 

Meeks is comparible to Derrick Miller. Both have the green light to shoot and shoot and shoot. It's hard to compare Meeks because he hasn't been healthy.

 

Have you really seen improvement out of Stevenson, Porter, and Harris? Why is it when either Meeks or Crawford struggles, UK loses? Shouldn't the improvement of Stevenson, Porter, and Harris mean wins at some point?

Here is a novel Idea, maybe players get better with more experience!!

 

Was Jordan better as a Freshman or a Junior at North Carolina?

Issell only averaged 18 a game as a Sophomore, Coach Rupp must have figured out how to coach between then and his senior year.

 

The unforgettables would have never played at UK had UK not got thrown on probabtion. I wouldn't have seen them beating out Chris Mills, Eric Manuel, Sean Kemp ect for playing time. They would have only been role players had they been at UK in 96. Bring out the witch hunt for BCG.

Here is a novel Idea, maybe players get better with more experience!!

 

Why aren't Harris, Stevenson, and Porter?

 

All three played better last year.

Here is a novel Idea, maybe players get better with more experience!!

 

Was Jordan better as a Freshman or a Junior at North Carolina?

Issell only averaged 18 a game as a Sophomore, Coach Rupp must have figured out how to coach between then and his senior year.

 

The unforgettables would have never played at UK had UK not got thrown on probabtion. I wouldn't have seen them beating out Chris Mills, Eric Manuel, Sean Kemp ect for playing time. They would have only been role players had they been at UK in 96. Bring out the witch hunt for BCG.

I think you are missing my whole point. Everyone wants to blame BCG exclusively, but it takes an entire staff for players to improve.

I am going to look up the senior class in Tubby's 3rd season.

I am going to look up the senior class in Tubby's 3rd season.

Won't take long. Magliore was the only senior.

The point I am trying to make is that Pitno left Tubby a good upper class but Tubby did not have much in the upper class in his 3rd year. I know Magloire was a senior on that team. The other leading scorers were freshman or sophomores.

Won't take long. Magliore was the only senior.

Thanks.

I think you are missing my whole point. Everyone wants to blame BCG exclusively, but it takes an entire staff for players to improve.

 

I'm not trying to blame anyone. Players get better with time unless your Rodrick Rhodes or Derrick Hord.

 

You ask me if I'm serious and then compare Meeks to Derrick Miller?

 

As far as the scoring averages of Padgett, Mohamed, and Turner have you ever considered that when Mercer went pro and Anderson graduated that maybe just maybe there was more opprotunities for the remaining players to score?

 

I guess have missed the point of the thread.

 

One last thing Meeks was healthy is freshman year. Unless I'm mistaken he was on the line during the SEC tournament when Tubby waved a player off the lane causing a violation and basically costing UK the game.

The struggles that Tubby had in years 3 and 4 were somewhat of a product of the cubbord being left bare for him so to speak.

The struggles that Tubby had in years 3 and 4 were somewhat of a product of the cubbord being left bare for him so to speak.

 

What about years 8 and 9?