Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
1. It has been an extremely rough year for beauty queens, and since I was told at the 1570 Christmas partry that we do not highlight women enough on the blog, I thought it was the right time to do this story. First, we all hopefully saw the troubles that Miss Teen South Carolina went through, and what made it worse is she had to embarass herself standing next to Mario Lopez. Then we learn the contestants from the Miss Puerto Rico contest poisoned an opponents dress and makeup, only to see their victim win. And, now the people in Belgium have taken it to a new level when they boo a contestant because she couldn’t speak Dutch, since she came from a French speaking region. Suddenly, these paegents have more reason to watch than just the pretty girls and potential for one of them to fall down. Oh yeah, that happened this year too.
2. While I agree that every game looks dangerous on the schedule this year, don’t be fooled by Houston’s 9-1 record. Their best win out of those 9: Toldeo? Marist?
3. As much misery as the UK fanbase has had to deal with in the last few weeks, lets not forget that is not the only team with serious strggles in the state. In his recap of the weekend, Gary Parrish touches on the current basketball status in the Bluegrass.
4. Cory McCartney of CNNSI felt left out after Parrish’s article, so he made one of his own, and touched on both UK and UL losses this weekend.
5. An interesting article in the Courier-Journal today about Billy Gillispie’s decision not to play certain players, such as AJ Stewart, Jared Carter, and Morakinyo Williams are not seeing a little more playing time when the current rotation of players doesn’t seem to be working.
6. Mark Story touches on a hot topic around the Bluegrass right now, who is to blame more for this season’s struglles: Tubby or Billy? My opinion, long term: Tubby, short term: Billy. This season’s lack of talent pretty much rests on Tubby, but some games this season haven’t been coached particulary well and that is on Billy.
7. If you clicked on the Greg Doyel interview from yesterday, you know now that Greg has what you might call bad feelings towards the UL Basketball team. What suprises me though is that Greg didn’t think his interview with Matt reached enough people, so he has now written an article on the subject, and its scathing to say the least.
8. I have always thought mascot’s in this state really didnt cut it. For what it’s worth, WKU has the best mascot in the state hands down. But none of our beloved state mascots have done anything quite as stupid as the mascots in these videos.
9. Now, here is a group of videos of humans doing embarassing things at sporting events.
10. It has been 10 years since the greatest SNL cast member of this generation, Chris Farley passed away. Here are some of Farley’s greatest skits, even one involving a famous UK athletic moment.
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Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
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December 18th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Pete Rose should be in the hall of fame.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:49 am
LIVING IN A VAN, DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!! Classic.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:55 am
I just hope UofH doesn’t kick our ass
December 18th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Houston’s record wouldn’t bother me if we weren’t on the same level as the schools they’ve already beaten. Or if we had a coach that could actually put an X or an O on a piece of paper.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Cats are a 4 Pt. underdog as
they well should be inasmuch
as a wildcat is no match for a
cougar.Thankfully BCG got out
of the UMass game.
December 18th, 2007 at 11:36 am
We’re actually underdogs in that game? Good grief!
December 18th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
NONE OF THOSE VIDEOS WORK
December 18th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I just double-checked, and they all work.
December 18th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
BCG got his butt whipped by Mike Davis. I really miss TUBBY.
December 18th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Well, finals are over at UK! Where are all those transfers many were predicting?
December 18th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Meeks playing tonight??
December 18th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I love our fans. One bad start to a season and they’re ready to burn the coach at the stake.
If, and I state if, we finish the season the same way we start and we finish roughly .500, it will be the first time since the ‘89-90 season. That’s 18 seasons… grow a pair! I don’t like losing any more than the next person, but jeez at least give the guy a chance… wait till he has AT LEAST a season under his belt.
“I really miss Tubby”, “..if we had a coach that could actually put an X or an O on a piece of paper”, “Thankfully BCG got out of the UMass game”
This b****ing is the same reason OTS jumped ship. When are we ever going to just frick’n relax. If this trend continues… then I’ll get worried… until then, this is a transition season…one with two key injuries, a new coach,
and a new system. Suck it up… I’m as tired of hearing you guys complain as I am of losing… and I hate losing.
December 18th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
As many as twenty players to be suspended by FSU for cheating on exams. Imagine that.
December 18th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
20 FSU criminoles to be suspended.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3159534
December 18th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Bryan, since you’re already calling BCG out and saying that he hasn’t coached some of our games very well, you might as well go ahedad and elaborate…
Because quite frankly, I’ve seen every game and I haven’t seen even 1 coaching mistake yet. I’ve seen him sit certain players, and maybe that bothers you, but that’s his decision. As far as just plain coaching goes, what do you think he’s done badly. What mistakes has he made?
December 18th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
#15 I think a better question would be what has he done well.
December 18th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
#12 I agree that are fans are why OTS left. I guess I’m still stinging from the way people treated a great coach. Now look what we have.
December 18th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
#12 Sorry. That was supposed to say our fans.
December 18th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
16) LOL, you are ridiculous… I swear for every 2 or 3 smart fans we have, there’s 10 who don’t know their ass from a hole in the gournd and only know how to complain. You act like he’s done almost nothing right, yet you offer no insight from your personal knowlege as to what he’s actually done wrong…
The only thing he’s done wrong was not trying to convince DeAndre Jordan to come to UK, but that whole pesky morality thing ya know…
December 18th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
oh bryan…after last picks to click i was so disappointed, but you brought me back into your nest of love with this one…pageant girls, embarrassing moments in sports, pitino bashing…my cold, dead heart has been warmed…by the way, everyone should read the comments after the most embarrassing sports moments, it’s full of eurotrash whining about how more “worldly” sports moments should have been included in the list…priceless
December 18th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
17) yeah, we treated him SOOOO AWFUL. Man I can’t beleive we complained about 12 and 13 loss seasons. We must be insane to get antsyy over 10 years without a final four… but hey, at least Tubby’s recruits got to experience some national lime light… even though no Tubby Smith recruit has EVER reached a final four. Wow, how depressing is that? No player that Tubby Smith ever sat down with in his living room, no player that Tubby ever used his wit and charm to convince come to this mighty school, EVER got to a final four… not in 20 years of head coaching.
I’m sure that had zero effect on recruiting though, because he was landing studs left and right. Remember when he got that number 1 class. Man, that was awesome, then he followed it up with the 103rd best class. But who am I to expect consecutive top 100 classes. at lest the year before his number 1 class he was able to bring in some studs, guys like Bobby Perry, Sheray Thomas, Woo, and Shagari Alleyne. Those kids really didn’t have much talent, but man, he helped them improve so much that… where are they at now?
I guess I am being greedy though… I mean, it can’t be easy to recruit or win at a school like UK. After all, what kid wants to play for a team that never makes final fours and loses 10 games every season. That’s just our history… it’s not like Tubby took over a good program or anything. I mean, sure when he got here we had just been to back to back championship games and the former coach left him with enough talent to win another one… but he really got the shaft. After that he had to watch us fans run his program into the ground and after ten years under his reign we went from being in back to back to back championship games, to where we are now… coming off 3 second round tourny exits in 4 years and back to back 8 seeds…
GEEZE, I didn’t get it til just now. You’ve opened my eyes man, it was the fans that ruined the program! You’re right and I really feel I owe Tubby Smith an apology. But on second thought, I guess I’ll stick to my guns and assume that maybe Tubby left this place just slightly worse off than he found it, but I could be wrong.
December 18th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Only UK fans could run off a coach with the success OTS had.
December 18th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Correction: Only stupid UK fans like #21 could run off a coach with the success OTS had.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Billy’s struggles: Gardner Webb: Failure to change up defenses, allowing GWU to backdoor all night long.
Stony Brook: Failure to remove Michael Porter from the game while Ramel Bradley sat on bench
North Carolina: Failure to teach PP proper booger methods.
Indiana: Failure to get Joe Crawford off his brother.
UAB: Failure to try new defense on Robert Vaden.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Wow… WB and Anton you guys have some things to work out. WB, I agree with you that our fans treated Tubby like crap there at the end of his stay. But, if you look at the records and understand our fanbase, you can see that most saw the program as being in a decline. Top recruits weren’t choosing UK anymore, and the ones that did want to go to UK, weren’t offered scholarships (ask UF and UT how that benefited them).
The fact is, OTS never embraced the job. He was standoffish… not that that is a bad thing, but at a place like UK, the fans want the coach to be as informative as possible… giving info… interacting with the fans, etc. etc. I hated to see OTS go, but I think in the end it was best for both parties involved.
Now, for CBC. I understand (WB) that you’re upset the way the fans treated OTS. But how is what you are doing any better? The guy hasn’t been coaching games for 2 months and you guys are already ready to jump ship. CBC has the same talent level team that OTS has had the past two seasons and those teams went roughly 20-10 with 8 seeds and a first weekend exit in the NCAA tourny.
Is it so hard to conceive that maybe, just maybe, a new system and an injury to two of those key (probably starter) players would be enough to warrant a 4-4 start? I don’t like it anymore than the next. But this silly@$$ BS over OTS and CBC is ridiculous. Whatever the reasons, OTS is gone and we have a new coach. Give him a chance, give our guys a chance, and let’s see if CBC can do at UK what he has done at two previous schools. The two coaches run completely different schemes so it may take awhile for the players to adapt.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
It seems like the only people complaining about the job that BCG is doing are the people that don’t know a damn thing about the game of basketball. I can see you pussies typing behind a desk looking nerdy and gay as hell. I hate fans who can’t look on the bright side of any situation. You guys sicken me. Let BCG’s system take its course. Alot of great coaches have problems in their first year. The ones who adopt a program this has sent their coach packing pretty much. Not the ones that adopt a program that the coach left to pursue greener pastures. Rich Rodriques won 3 or 4 games his first year at WVU. Rick Brooks struggled his first year or two. Hell, even Patino struggled his first year at UK and is still rebuilding UOFL. With any program that needs adjustments to be made it is always tough in the first year. Phil Jackson has struggled with a mediocre team in LA but he has righted the ship. What do you think would happen if Bill Bellichek took the Atlanta Falcons job? Do you think they would have a winning season his first year? NO. It would take him a while to implement his style and how he would want his players to behave not to mention actually getting some great players. I hope you guys are super embarassed when BCG turn this program into a powerhouse again and I honestly don’t think it will take as long as it might have someone else.
December 18th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
#21 thank you so much for that post. IT is so hard to get these guys to change their minds about how great TUbby was and I know that post won’t do it either. These guys think he walks on water. God it gets on my nerves. Thanks for the post man that was the shit.
December 18th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
I’m hearing that Billy G has not signed his contract yet because of a morals clause being added. Per his being kicked out of more Bars in Lexington than Matt Jones.
December 18th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
There must be a lot of people getting “fooled” by Houston. The Cats are 3.5 point underdogs. Maybe you should get to Vegas and make yourself some money.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Big Fan of the show. I appreciate the props Bryan. I think you are right that the mascots do need to take it up a notch in the state. Loved the videos. The cats will get it together, you’ll see! Until then I think we can all agree at least none of us have to look at that stupid constipated turkey- for a mascot like the UofL fans do!
December 18th, 2007 at 7:35 pm
#21 some facts for you (below).
Anyway, on to the Myths and Realities of Tubby Smith.
Myth #1 – Tubby is just an ordinary coach who doesn’t measure up to the Best of the Best in his era or all-time.
Reality #1 – Tubby is 387-145 in his 16 year coaching career. That’s 24-9 (average) per season. Bobby Knight averages 22-9 in his career. Mike Krzyzewski averages 24-8 for his career. Lute Olson, 23-8. Jim Boeheim, 24-8. Rick Pitino, 23-9. Tubby measures up.
Let’s look over the past 10 years. The best coaching records from 1998 through 2007 are:
1. Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, 302-53.
2. Roy Williams of Kansas and North Carolina, 277-73.
3. Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, 264-78.
4. Tubby Smith (formerly) of Kentucky, 263-83.
5. Billy Donovan of Florida, 248-86.
6. Tom Izzo of Michigan State, 245-92.
Once again, Tubby Smith measures up quite well to the Best of the Best active coaches.
Myth #2 – Tubby has achieved good success in the regular season but not in the NCAA tournament.
Reality #2 – Tubby is 29-13 (all-time) in NCAA tournament games and 23-9 over the past 10 years.
He ranks 11th best (all-time) in W-L (%) record at 69% just behind Dean Smith and Jim Calhoun at 70% and slightly ahead of Al McGuire and Jerry Tarkanian. He ranks 8th best among active coaches. It is clear (again) that Tubby measures up to the Best of the Best in NCAA tournament results. He is one of only 11 active coaches who have NCAA championship ring(s).
Again, looking at the past 10 years, the best coaching records in NCAA games are:
1. Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, 28-9 in NCAA.
2. Roy Williams of Kansas and North Carolina, 25-7.
3. Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, 25-6.
4. Tom Izzo of Michigan State, 24-9.
5. Tubby Smith (formerly) of Kentucky, 23-9.
6. Billy Donovan of Florida, 22-7.
Myth #3 – Tubby Smith can’t recruit. He only wins when he coaches players recruited by someone else.
Reality #3 – Not exactly. Let’s look at several examples. When Tubby took his first head coaching job at Tulsa in 1991, the roster contained just 4 scholarship players returning. He went to work and recruited some excellent players for his system. After 2 seasons, he took the Golden Hurricane to consecutive Sweet 16 appearances (in 1994 and 1995) with 23-8 and 24-8 records. Those were the first NCAA wins ever recorded by Tulsa. Nolan Richardson coached at Tulsa but never won an NCAA game there.
Another example is Georgia. Tubby moved from Tulsa to Athens in 1995. His first team had 8 seniors and produced a third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance for Tubby. That team had 21 W and defeated #1 seed Purdue (my alma mater) in the NCAA tournament. His next Bulldog team was almost completely his own recruits but proceeded to set a school record with 24 W and defeated SEC champion South Carolina (twice) on the way to the first ever (and only) back-to-back 20+ W seasons at Georgia.
Tubby moved to Kentucky in 1997 when Rick Pitino left UK for the Boston Celtics. UK had experienced uncommon success (best since the 1940’s and 1950’s) during the Pitino era. UK averaged 30 W per season and won 81% of its NCAA games from 1992 through 1997. How can you top that?
Well, Tubby did just that. Despite UK losing 6 players to the NBA draft in the 2 seasons prior to his arrival, he finished out the 1990’s by averaging 31 W per season and winning 90% of his NCAA games. He took players that had never played a major role at UK and coached them to 35 W while defeating three straight 30+ W teams (Duke, Stanford, Utah) to earn the NCAA title in 1998. That’s never been done (before or since) in NCAA tournament annals.
Tubby recruited 6 (of 9) classes at UK that earned Top 15 or better ratings from the RSCI (recruiting consensus) Winners method. No other coach – not Roy Williams, not Billy Donovan, not Mike Krzyzewski, no one – signed more Top 15 rated classes in that timeframe. The RSCI process was created in 1998 by Jeff Crume and is a well respected recruiting website.
With 100% his own UK recruits the past 5 seasons, Tubby Smith won 77% of his games (131-40). From 2003 through 2005, he was 87-15 (85%) for the #1 record in Div I Men’s basketball. I’m reminded of the remark by ex-Houston Oilers’ coach Bum Phillips, who once said, “He’ll take his (players) and beat yours or he’ll take yours and beat his.” Tubby Smith wins with HIS players, whether they are his recruits or not.
Myth #4 – Tubby can’t develop players. His players never seem to reach their potential.
Reality #4 – Once again, not even close to being accurate. Tubby had 3 players at Tulsa drafted by the NBA. He had 2 players at Georgia drafted by the NBA. Collectively, he had 7 players make All-Conference teams at Tulsa and Georgia.
He continued that pattern at Kentucky. A total of 14 of his UK players either were drafted by the NBA or made it as free agents. And 16 of his Wildcats made All-SEC. Tayshaun Prince became the first 2-time All-American at UK in almost 20 years. His UK players dot the UK all-time best lists – Keith Bogans, 4th best scorer ever at UK. Chuck Hayes, 7th best rebounder at UK. Erik Daniels and Marquis Estill, the best lefthanded (Daniels) and righthanded (Estill) FG percentage shooters at UK.
Myth #5 – Tubby didn’t measure up to the lofty standards of Kentucky basketball.
Reality #5 – Yes, he did. He won 76% of his games there and 77% (with his own recruits) the past 5 seasons. That meets the UK average (76%) all-time. He won 72% of his NCAA games there. That exceeds the UK average of 69% in NCAA games all-time.
He won 1 NCAA title in 10 years there. UK has won 7 NCAA titles in the 69 years of the NCAA tournament (since 1939). He won 5 SEC titles and 5 SEC tournament championships in 10 years. Both meet UK all-time results in SEC history (since 1933).
Finally, Tubby is one of the Top 10 active coaches in Div I college basketball. He is universally respected (and admired) by his coaching peers. He won Coach of the Year awards in 1998, 2003 (unanimous), and 2005. His streak of 14 straight NCAA appearances and 14 straight 20+ W seasons are exceeded only by coaches like Roy Williams and Lute Olson. He is one of a handful of college coaches to have a winning overall record and winning conference record in every season of his coaching career.
December 18th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Bryan, hey man I’m just curious, but who are you? I mean how old are you, and what qualifies you as any kind of expert on the game of basketball? I’m just wondering, but were you a basketball coach in High School maybe. Did you play college ball or even high school ball for that matter? I only ask because after reading your stuff the last couple of days it really sounds like you don’t know anything at all what you’re talking about, but you seem like a nice enough guy, so I’m not trying to insult you… but if I find out that you’re just another posting your own amateur opinion, then it would make more sense. Maybe you could allow me to retort to your so called “Billy Struggles” though, if I may…
Bryan the Intern Says:
Billy’s struggles:
“Gardner Webb: Failure to change up defenses, allowing GWU to backdoor all night long.”
The facts are that this loss was a very bad loss. Meeks was very hurt, and the cats were missing nearly every shot they took. We shot 35.5% from the field that game Brian. We shot 31% from 3 point land (6 for 19). When you shoot 35% from the field, you’re not going to win many games no matter how well you do on defense. Especially when you have only 8 assists for the whole game.
They killed us with the back door, but it wasn’t a coaching “mistake” or “struggle” by not switching out of man. Don’t you think that if backdoor cuts were the perfect solution for all agressive man to man defenses, that the man to man would be rendered pretty much useless? Couldn’t everyone just back door? The fact is that our guys were struggling with a new defense and they were not executing correctly.
IT IS ALSO A FACT that backdoor cuts can still be stopped, no matter how agressive the man to man. IF our team was doing what they’re supposed too. It was not a flaw in the defense, it was a flaw in the execution. BCG is not the kind of coach that is going to let the opposing team dictate his defense, simply because his team isn’t doing it the right way. What message does it send to let your players off the hook for not playing the D the way they were taught? He could’ve switched to zone and MAYBE we would’ve won, but the way we were shooting, it is anything but certain that we would’ve come back. So what is he supposed to do, let them play zone everytime they don’t wan to run the man the way they’re supposed to? He took a stand and made them do it until they got it right, but the guys didn’t do it and we lost. Have you noticed though that since then, we haven’t been back doored to death once? I wonder why that is Bryan… surely every other team we’ve played just inst aware of the back door cut…
Stony Brook: ”
Failure to remove Michael Porter from the game while Ramel Bradley sat on bench”
“North Carolina: Failure to teach PP proper booger methods”
A well thought out point, Bryan…
“Indiana: Failure to get Joe Crawford off his brother.” and “UAB: Failure to try new defense on Robert Vaden.”
Aren’t these two basically the same thing. Against IU you think BCG made a mistake by not taking Joe off his brother, but against UAB it was a mistake not to take Porter off of Vaden. Joe’s brother is about the same size as Vaden, both about 6′5, both scored in very similar ways. However, I think its very telling that your main complaint over these last two losses is that BCG did not want to take these guys off the guy they were guarding. Crawford was getting torched by baby bro, so who should BCG have put on him? Porter? I thought your UAB mistake was that Porter couldn’t guard the 6′5 guy burying long jumpers? So whomever scores on either Porter or Crawford, it’s BCGs fault for not putting the other guy on him?
Well guess what, in the UAB game, BCG did take Porter off Vaden, you just refuse to accept this because you KEEP SAYING IT REPEATEDLY!!!
You’ve basically ignored me every time I point to the EXACT moment in which BCG DID IN FACT take Porter off of Vaden in favor of Crawford and you probably will this time too, but until you explain yourself regarding this point, I’ll continue to bring it up.
Porter held Vaden to 5 points in the first half, period. In the second half Vaden started to hit some ridiculous shots and after several threes, BCG switched Crawford onto Vaden, which resulted in back to back threes and a foul on a three pointer. The end result was 4 fouls for Crawford and 9 straight points for Vaden. Crawford, the same guy that got torched the week before by his brother… So your damn right BCG went back to Porter, who the hell else is going to guard the guy? You don’t go to a zone when a guy is burying 25 footers on you Bryan, so if Joe can’t stop Vaden or his brother, then YES porter is going to get the task. However, in your mind it was a HUGE mistake on BCGs part… unreal.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
#32 that was a great post and you’re right Bryan knows nothing about the game of basketball. Trust me he is just giving an extremely amateur opinion. For some reason he won’t except the facts. Obviously though if most of our fans had the basketball knowledge that you have they wouldn’t come up with these rediculous posts in the first place.
December 18th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Scottland, save it okay. I’ve seen these same stats from other Tubby apologist for months on end okay. They’re not new. You did not discover the secret stats that prove how great Tubby Smith is… I have some of my own stats for you. Stats the guys like you don’t like to look at because you’re fasinated with NCAA tourny apperances and 20 win seasons.
This is Tubby Smith.
Tubby Smith - 16 years. 1 Final Four. 1 Championship. Averages 1 Final Four every 16 years. Smith has the 8th highest win percentage among active coaches at .733 Other notable Smith info… He has never recruited a player to the Final Four. He owns the longerst Final Four drought and has the most ten loss seasons in UK history with 5 in 10 years, including 3 in a row. Smith for his career has 8 seperate 10 loss seasons, meaning half the teams he’s coached went on to lose 10 games. The 2 years before he arrived at Kentucky, the Wildcats went 34-2 (1996) and 35-5 (1997). In Smith’s first year, a team that recruited entirely by Rick Pitino, UK went 35-4. No UK team would win 35 games again for the rest of Smith’s tenure and in the following 4 seasons UK went 28-9, 23-10, 24-10, 22-10 giving Smith the first UK team to lose 10 games since the 89-90 season.
At tulsa Smith was 79-43 with a .647 winning percentage. At Georgia he was 45-19 with a .703 percentage. With the players Tubby recruitred he had a .74 win percentage and an average season of 25-9. As of now, he is not in the HOF. Those are all facts too my friend.
Now lets look at the coaches you are comparing Tubby too.
Coach K - 32 years. 10 final fours. 3 Championships. Averages 1 Final Four every three years. Coach K won atleast 26 games in 16 seperate season, including 8 in a row and he has also won over 30 games in 8 separate seasons. Basketball HOF.
Bobby Knight - 45 years. 5 final fours. 3 Championships. Averages 1 Final Four every 9 years. He’s also the winningest coach of all time and has led the last undefeated champs and the only coach to win the NCAA, the NIT, the Olympic Gold, and the Pan American Games Gold. Basketball HOF
Roy Williams - 19 years. 4 Final Fours. 1 Championship. Averages 1 Final Four once every 5 years. His .801 winning percentage is the BEST among active coaches who have coached more than 10 years. He won more games in his first 15 years than ANYONE. He’s one of only 3 coaches to take two different teams to the Championship game. Only coach to ever win atleast one NCAA tourny game for 18 consecutive years. Fastest coach to 500. Basketball HOF.
Tubby doesn’t even compare to these guys, but I can go all night though…
Rick Pitino - 21 years. 5 Final Fours. 1 Championship. Averages 1 Final Four ever 4 years. The only man in the history of the sport to Coach 3 different teams to the final four. He took Big East Doormant Providence to their only Final Four ever. They were 11-20 the year before he took over. Basketball HOF
Billy Donovan - 12 Years. 3 Final Fours. 2 Championships. Averages 1 Final Four every 4 years. First coach since 1991-92 to win back to back National Championships. Billy D has 1 more championship and 2 more final fours and he’s been coaching 4 less years and his big job came at Florida, not Kentucky. Flroida had a losing record the year before Billy Donovan took over.
Jim Calhoun - 34 Years. 2 Final Fours. 2 Championships. Averages 1 final four every 17 but 2 final fours and 2 championships since the 98-99 season. Basketball HOF.
The fact is, no matter how many wins Tubby had and no matter what his winning percentage was, he was not getting the job done. 5 10 loss seasons in 10 years and only no final fours in 9 straight years… he’s made it to 1 final four in 16 years man, you cannot compare him to the coaches on this list. Every coach you compared him too has more final fours and more championships then Tubby.
Also, something that cannot be forgotten is that a lot of the coaches you’re comparing Tubby too, they took over their programs whne they were very unsuccessful and they built them into the programs they are today. Tubby Smith was handed the best job in the nation in the best situation, and since that time he systematically took the team from the envy of the nation to a team that struggles to even make the NCAA tourny. He went from the top to the bottom, not the other way around. He left University infinitely worse then when he found it and personally I think its a joke that you’re even mentioning him in the same sentence as these coaches.
December 18th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
That should say “With his own recruits, Smith had a .74 win percentage at UK and an average season of 25-9.”
December 18th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Scotland,
Tubby is a great coach. But, his last two years here the team seem disoriented, not cohesive, lacked enthusiasm, and saw a first round exit with a pair of 8 seeds. Now, I know 2 years probably shouldn’t be used to judge someone, but this is UK and let’s face it…. BCG is getting flippin’ crucified on these blogs for his 4-4 start this year. Get what I’m saying?
Sometimes our fans are our own worst enemies… while it’s going good, there’s no fanbase better. When things aren’t going well… jeez… I’m embarrassed to be a cat fan.
December 18th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
36) Based on his career, I’d still say he’s only a pretty good coach… he’s had a lot of help in his career…