UKWildcats4Ever

A personal assessment.

Hmmm...Yes it is an opinion....that can be backed up by plenty of facts. However just like anything else, the facts can always be adjusted to support what it is you want to support, or discourage something you don't want to.

The post is not about not getting Billy Donovan, nor is it about Pitino not being here. The post is about the direction of our program and my take on it. Nowhere in the post does it say that I wish Donovan was here, nor does it say that I wish Pitino never left. Changes take place. That is what happens. I expressed concern as to whether our program was heading in the direction we as fans want it to. Some may think it is, currently I do not think it is. Coach Gillispie may have us heading in the right direction in the near future. Only time will tell.

If they just could have waited until after the signing period to get Billy D everything would be different...

You are right. I question in game adjustments, including defensive and offensive schemes. Especially games like VMI, and Georgia last year in the SEC Tourney. Coach Pitino had the ability during his post-game press conferences as well as radio shows to motivate you, as he would his own assistants. The game plan may not be discussed in detail, but he provided oratory skills that motivated fans to feel like they were working alongside him. I agree that PP would probably have ended up somewhere else. This would have caused issues at the present. However, I believe that the coaching search should have come first. PP is a great player and will end up playing professionally. However, the long-term success of our program hinges on the hire that we make now. It will ultimately influence future hires. I think more time should have been devoted to the process to see how it would have panned out. As far as motivation for Coach Gillispie, I do not see the passion and intensity. No doubt he cares about the job and his career as a coach, but I don't see that passion that is deep within someone. The kind that needs no fuel to fire it. Every game for me would be the national championship. That's the way Kentucky does it.

Instead of throwing out generalities, give us examples.

 

"his ability to adjust during games is questionable." Examples?

 

Pitino made us feel like assistant coaches?

 

If UK waited much longer than they did, PP would most likely be somewhere else.

 

Coach Gillispie needs motivation? What does that mean?

 

If this were an assignment and the assignment was to support an opinion, you'd get a C. Not for what your opinion is (that's irrelevant) but , rather, how you can't seem to stick to a point. You go back and forth and blame everyone from BCG to Tubby to fans to the administration and you don't cite any examples.

Do I think he would have changed his mind? Maybe. The reason being is that there was a lot of pressure riding on him, especially coming off back to back national championships. Would he have excelled here? Who knows. I think that in his heart there was a huge struggle. Do you stay for what you have created, or do you leave for the greatest program ever?

So, anyway, about the blog...

 

In paragraph three, are you saying you think UK should have waited for Billy Donovan to change his mind? Or am I reading that wrong?

I do not want all people to agree with me, nor do I want everyone to disagree with me. That to me is not the point. I think of the post as expressing what I am thinking at the time. That's why I started the blog. A great man told me that was what made fans the best, they always said exactly what they were thinking. However, sometimes what was being said didn't reflect what was being thought. I just wanted to express what I was thinking.

If you're going to write an opinion piece, you have to have the cajones to accept the responses - negative and positive. If you can't , blogging and offering opinions might not be for you.

 

Are you saying this forum should only have posts that agree with your opinion? Is your definition of "negativity" "you guys don't agree?"

No, I thought this forum was open to opinion based commentary, without all the negativity I found on many other boards. I'll keep my piece on my personal blog.

Apparently, you guys changed his mind.

I understand there will be disagreements and differences of opinions. However, having this board blow up is not worth the piece.

Why did you delete post 1?

Yes I am the author.

Are you the author of the piece?

There was no agenda, just a personal assessment. Since the board could not handle it I took it down. Why would I have an agenda? What would there be for me to gain?

When you essentially say "he hasn't had time for us to judge him yet I'm going to do it anyway" it shows a lack of understanding or it shows an agenda.

 

When you say he hasn't been in the community when, indeed, he has it shows a lack of understanding or an agenda.

 

This guy is one of the fans that he says should be criticized.

It is too early to judge whether he will be deemed a good hire or not. However, it is not too early to critique the current state.

Agreed.

 

I also stopped paying close attention and knew it was flawed when it said "its still too early to judge the guy BUT (I'll do it anyways.)."

The purpose of the post is to express that there is more that goes into college basketball, especially at the University of Kentucky. Public relations is key to winning over a fan base that will scrutinize your every move. I for one agree that basketball at the collegiate level should be about coaching and teaching players. However, there is a subtle obligation to relate to fans and the community.

What's the point of this?? I stopped reading when it said Gillispie has not been a part of doing much charity work...Silly post.

A personal assessment.

Regional titles does not necessarily equate to strength. As a whole the field looks pretty weak. Congrats to South Laurel for their recent success. But to look at that field and say it is top notch competition is exaggerating quite a bit.

Congrats to Corbin. However, most people in the tenth region do not take into account the talent shortage of the region. Over the past several years with the exception of Mason Co. the region has been down. The talent is not the same as in past years, and the players lack the grit. I know you cannot compare different eras, but this has to be one of the worst as a whole for the tenth region. Yes, there have been two state champs, and a runner-up, but any decade prior to the current one, I highly doubt these teams make it out of the region.

There are some very good players listed in the top 25. However, the whole ranking of players is political and unjust. Just because a player signs or is recruited by a major school does not make him/her top tier material. Many of our smaller school players go unnoticed or overlooked. That is the problem I see with player rankings. There is no way to compare players because each have differing skill sets and abilities. Some strengths may be another's weakness, and vice versa. Don't weigh too much one's ranking.

I think you should play the best players, no matter what the grade level. I started varsity as an eighth grader, albeit it was at a small school. However, you must play who the kids who are going to give you the best opportunity to be successful. Playing up at the j.v. and varsity level is not too much too soon. It truly depends on the level of maturity and the basketball IQ the kid has. It is in no way detrimental, as the experience gained from playing more advanced ball far exceeds any downfalls.

Bracken Co. will get better as the season progresses. However, I think that Bracken has really dropped the ball over the last few years in terms of finding and retaining a consistent head coach. There have been a couple of individuals who were interested in the head coaching job who would excellent coaches who were passed up. Poor decision making. Hopefully consistency will eventually find its way.

Should be a close game. Which Deming/Augusta game(s) do you think was the best over the years?

Seemed like a really weak field of teams. Is this by invite only?

Word is that there was a late name thrown into the mix that was fairly interesting.....

And was it 1991 that featured Jerry Fogle's late-game heroics?

I think it was 1991......last year of old Maysville High School I believe.

I might be biased but it seems to me that the great teams in this region are those from the 'old' school days. 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's. I know that you can argue the Mason county squad from the Lofton era, but it appears that great team play was in years past. The guys that played seemed more fundamentally sound and were more hard-nosed.

Last year, Preston Knowles.

Knowles' performance last year in the region was a fantastic one. It was a pretty good duel between two good teams, and two good players (Miller).

What about Chris Lofton, Joe Bane, Jordan Owens,Josh Graham,Jerry Fogle,Lee Gifford,Gayle Conley,Ronnie and Donnie Collins, Wayne Burns,Mathew Grayson,Eric Mastin,Tj Mckee.

If I can remember correctly Joe Bane was a freshman and led Tollesboro to a stunning upset of the Maysville Bulldogs..........another fantastic game.