"Tubby's our basketball coach"

Have you heard Bruce Pearl talk about the state of Kentucky?

To hear him say it, everyone that lives in KY is a POS redneck with no teeth and no shoes. Which doesn't bother anyone, since that's pretty much how the rest of the nation views everyone in the Bluegrass anyway.

Which is ironic, since he coaches in the worst state in America.

 

1. I don't cover Pearl. I wouldn't discuss my alma mater on here if I covered it.

2. I don't know if he would take the job, and you don't either, unless your name is Bruce Pearl. He's paid pretty well where he is, he outrecruited Tubby last year, he's had a higher seed than UK for two consecutive tournaments, he split with them on the court for two years and he doesn't have to deal with ridiculous expectations. I'm just saying, a lot of people who don't happen to live in Kentucky don't think that job is worth the bullshit. I've talked to them. Are they just bitter coaches? Maybe. But maybe they're right.

3. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

Regardless of anyone's views on this situation, I think we can all agree that's it's definitely an interesting time to have a UK beat around these parts. Much more interesting than you're average 8-seed with little to no hope of getting to the Sweet 16 beat, considering everywhere you turn, someone has a different viewpoint and a different idea on how to "fix" UK basketball.

If you told me six or seven years ago that we'd see the day where both UK's and UofL's football coaches were more popular than their basketball counterparts, I'd have asked you to pass the J.

 

Word.

 

It's not that Kentucky fans shouldn't be upset or want more, it's that they are ready to run Tubby out of town that's ridiculous. Kansas went through a stretch not that long ago that wasn't much better than what Kentucky is doing now. Indiana? Was Bob Knight really doing any better than Tubby in his last few years? If we were talking about four or five down years it would be one thing, but Kentucky doesn't have any problems one great recruiting class wouldn't fix. The class with Morris, Rondo, etc. was supposed to be that, but it didn't pan out. It happens. I'll say it before and I'll say again Tubby needs to hire a hot shot recruiting assistant and everything will be fine.

 

Jake, you nailed it. It can turn around that quickly for programs. Fire the assistants, hire some that can actually bring in some blue-chip recruits and that whining you hear from Lexington will soon go away.

 

Re: \"Tubby\'s our basketball coach\"

Was Tubby UK\'s first choice when he was hired?

 

I thought he was pretty much at the top of everybody's list. I know there weren't too many people surprised by the hire. I couldn't say for certain they didn't talk to anybody else, but I just don't recall anybody. If I can remember, it was a relatively quick decision. I could be wrong though.

 

You're right. IIRC, UK didn't interview very many others, if they did at all. It was Tubby or bust from the get go. Newton probably had a Plan B, but it never got to that.

 

Pitino handpicked Tubby to succeed him when he left for the Celtics. I don't think there were any other candidates because Tubby was hired very quickyl after Pitino left.

And yes, all UK needs a good recruiter. Finney I think was the one who broght in all tose players when Kentucky was a top seed for those few years.

But for people who say UK isn't the destination it once was, please. Florida may be the flavorof the month, but lots of teams have won one title in a row. Let's see how they fare during the tournament. I think they'll win, but let's just see. Everyone thoguht UNLV would roll to a second straight title, too.

25 losses is very bad for UK's standards, and the fans expect more. They are very unhappy, and something needs to be done. Canning Tubby isn't the answer, but a new coacing staff will be.

Go 25-7 next year, win the SEC regular season and tourne title, make the Final 4 and all will be right in Wildcat Nation. Easy right?

 

Finney was part of it, I think. He left UK after the 1999 season to coach Tulane, which means he may have identified the guys UK needed to go after that eventually played in 2003. I think the only player he directly recruited from that team was Jules Camara, and maybe Marquis Estill.

He may have started recruiting Bogans, but Fitch, Daniels and Hawkins were all recruited after Finney was gone.

Regardless, UK's recruiting has already improved since Finney got there. They're expecting to get a summer committment from at least one recruit from the c/o '08, and that's something I don't remember Tubby ever doing--at least not since Finney was at UK the first time.