As I have said before I completely disagree with this. If say we did make the final four once during the 03-05 run but just lost as soon as we got there. Then I don't think that would have taken any of the heat off Tubby from a lot of you all. Would have gave you all one less thing to mention, but then it probably would be Tubby can get us there but can't win it with his own players. I have said many times, I truly believe it really didn't matter what Tubby did here. Because for a lot of people they never wanted him here, because he was not Pitino. He would never be as good as Pitino was here, so he would never live up to that, so would never be good enough to people around here. Tubby never stood a chance with fans here, since he followed Pitino. Which I will admit was a very hard act to follow. But Tubby definitely wasn't as bad for this program as many of you all acted like he was. In the end it is better that we went our seperate ways though, just because Tubby would never have been accepted here no matter what. So it was best to go seperate ways, and the jury is still out in seeing if Billy G is the answer though.

 

 

1) I'm not sure who "you all" is, but I'll just speak for myself.

 

2) Probably THE single biggest complaint against Tubby was "he couldn't make the final four with his own players." I don't see how making a final four with his own players wouldn't quiet that somewhat.

 

3) You will ALWAYS have people unhappy about the current coach. Look around at this year.

 

4) I love that a coach who "never stood a chance" lasted a decade and left on his own terms.

But he did...

 

Would he have the following two seasons? We'll never know.

He could have been a clone of Rick Pitino. He would have been okay then I think.

1) I'm not sure who "you all" is, but I'll just speak for myself.

 

2) Probably THE single biggest complaint against Tubby was "he couldn't make the final four with his own players." I don't see how making a final four with his own players wouldn't quiet that somewhat.

 

3) You will ALWAYS have people unhappy about the current coach. Look around at this year.

 

4) I love that a coach who "never stood a chance" lasted a decade and left on his own terms.

 

1.) As I said before that would have just turned into well he can't win it all with his own players. I mean I really don't get the obsession with just making the final four. If we claim to be the greatest basketball program ever, then why do we only want to say we were a top 4 team one year? So yeah I believe its very easy to believe people would have just started saying well he can't win it all. I mean most of the people saying the final four thing, are people who never wanted him here to begin with, etc.

 

2.) True people will always be unhappy about a current coach. But lets see 1st round exit in NCAA tournament for first time in forever, then missing the tournament for first time in 19 years? Then not to mention the off the court stuff, and the things with the media. There is definitely a lot more to be unhappy about right now.

 

3.) He never did stand a chance with "THE FANS". But of coarse he lasted a decade because not like UK would fire him, because guess what. What he did here at UK was plenty good enough to not even be considered for getting fired. It wasn't until his last year, that maybe he was starting to get on the hot seat a little with the University. I mean yeah your right technically he did leave on his own terms. But you are kidding yourself if you think it was basically because of all the fans basically forcing him out, after ten years of never really being accepted by most of the fans. He got tired of it and finally left. I mean I don't even know why you would try to argue that point.

So what was the excuse the year before?

 

Anyway, I do agree that a few plays swinging the other way could have drastically changed Tubby's tenure. Another final four or two under his belt would have kept the heat off somewhat during his last two years.

 

However, that said, when crucial plays in big games consistently go the other way, it may not just be bad luck.

 

And we talked about 3-4 games in 10 years with Tubby. We saw 3 JUST THIS SEASON with Billy Clyde that would have gotten UK in the big dance with Patterson and Meeks on the squad. :idunno:

He could have been a clone of Rick Pitino. He would have been okay then I think.

 

That's about the truth. But then again, what did Pitino have coming in to UK his final few seasons? It was getting MUCH tougher to get the talent he had on the '96 team (which was the best collegiate team I have ever seen).

It all comes down to 1 event. Kelenna Azubuike turning pro his junior year...

That's about the truth. But then again, what did Pitino have coming in to UK his final few seasons? It was getting MUCH tougher to get the talent he had on the '96 team (which was the best collegiate team I have ever seen).

 

Wasn't it a few years after that they also put the limit like on schalarships for a year? Not to mention more people for a long time during Tubby's tenure was going pro straight out of high school. None of this really wasn't happening to much during Pitino's time here. So I think people just assumed Pitino would keep putting together great teams like the 96 team, even though it would have been basically impossible to during the time. The 96-98 run was amazing, but it also made many fans have unrealistic expectations for the program, and thinking that is how it always has been.

It all comes down to 1 event. Kelenna Azubuike turning pro his junior year...

 

That was a big event, and also Morris trying to go pro. He ended up missing the first half of the season when he decided to come back, and just the team really never got to come together because of it.

 

If Azubuike stays, and Morris isn't dumb and doesn't try to go pro after his freshman season. Then we have a great team again with a shot to make a deep run in the tournament.

Wasn't it a few years after that they also put the limit like on schalarships for a year? Not to mention more people for a long time during Tubby's tenure was going pro straight out of high school. None of this really wasn't happening to much during Pitino's time here. So I think people just assumed Pitino would keep putting together great teams like the 96 team, even though it would have been basically impossible to during the time. The 96-98 run was amazing, but it also made many fans have unrealistic expectations for the program, and thinking that is how it always has been.

 

That's true, but that impacted everyone.

 

We will never see another team like the '96 team IMHO. Many think we can relive that again. It ain't gonna happen. Even if Rick were the coach, that particular run was all but over. Not one all american on the '98 title team. I have read on numerous occasions that this was the only time this has happened.

It all comes down to 1 event. Kelenna Azubuike turning pro his junior year...

 

That certainly did not help.

That's true, but that impacted everyone.

 

We will never see another team like the '96 team IMHO. Many think we can relive that again. It ain't gonna happen. Even if Rick were the coach, that particular run was all but over. Not one all american on the '98 title team. I have read on numerous occasions that this was the only time this has happened.

 

That is why I don't get why people just assume we would have won it all still even if Pitino was still the coach. That team was not the most talented team in the country that year, they were good but not the most talented. Even though they were Pitino's players, Tubbys system actually fit the perfectly for what they had that year.

 

I don't think people realize that if Pitino stayed there is a chance we might have one less title than we do now. Because I do think we win the 98 title with him, so unless we won a title after that with him. We might be with one less title today, or if anything the same amount.

Wasn't it a few years after that they also put the limit like on schalarships for a year? Not to mention more people for a long time during Tubby's tenure was going pro straight out of high school. None of this really wasn't happening to much during Pitino's time here. So I think people just assumed Pitino would keep putting together great teams like the 96 team, even though it would have been basically impossible to during the time. The 96-98 run was amazing, but it also made many fans have unrealistic expectations for the program, and thinking that is how it always has been.

 

I think the number of scholarships then are the same as now.

 

I recall in '96 it was huge deal that Kevin Garnett was bypassing college for High School. You probably hit on the reality that many started doing that in larger numbers. (Moses Malone was the first I recall from '74)

 

I never thought we would see anything like '96 again at UK. So if Pitino stayed I didn't expect that. For what it's worth, I thought Pitino's best job was '97. That club was hurting without Anderson but he found ways to supplement the offense with Mills and patchwork a front line with Padgett, Prickett, Mohammed and Magloire.

That is why I don't get why people just assume we would have won it all still even if Pitino was still the coach. That team was not the most talented team in the country that year, they were good but not the most talented. Even though they were Pitino's players, Tubbys system actually fit the perfectly for what they had that year.

 

I don't think people realize that if Pitino stayed there is a chance we might have one less title than we do now. Because I do think we win the 98 title with him, so unless we won a title after that with him. We might be with one less title today, or if anything the same amount.

 

I fall in that category with you. I think Pitino showed twice in his UK time that if he did not hit at least a decent percentage from 3 Land there was a tendency to "push" too much in the tourney atmosphere. (i.e. see Marquette in '94 and UNC in '95) Being down 19 to Duke, it took Tubby's patience and tenacity to settle for a piece at a time in chipping away than "all at once" that led to that key victory.

2) Probably THE single biggest complaint against Tubby was "he couldn't make the final four with his own players." I don't see how making a final four with his own players wouldn't quiet that somewhat.

Tubby's biggest problem is that he wasn't Rick Pitino. His teams didn't play the same style and he wasn't as smooth and glib with the microphone.

 

A sizable segment of Kentucky fans expect to win every game, do so going away and hit a bunch of threes and score 80 or 90 points. It's an impossible standard to live up to.

Edited March 24, 200917 yr by westsider