Will Tubby Smith have a job after this year?

[WMR]

Jay Bilas said all they need now is to watch "Brokeback Mountain" and have a good cry together. LMAO.

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Someone sent me this in an email today...

[cumberlandreds]

Where are all the Tubby bashers today? Gone away until the next loss?

[WVRed]

Where are all the Tubby bashers today? Gone away until the next loss?

Don't push your luck. One win in the SEC does not a season make, especially against a young Georgia team that is still rebuilding from the days of Jim Harrick. Remember, we were only up by 3 at the half.

If we can rattle off some more wins against equal or superior SEC foes and give Florida or Tennessee a good ride, I will be happy.

[WMR]

Georgia is *really* bad. I saw some real positives from that game; especially the way everyone seemed to be really enthused and "together" but WVRed could not have said it better: We've got some tough games ahead

[WVRed]

Where are all the Tubby bashers today? Gone away until the next loss?

Sorry to bump this thread back up, but I wonder where all the Tubby supporters are right now.

[cumberlandreds]

He will be back next season. He's paying for his past recruiting blunders. He paid dearly last with Lofton lighting them up for 31. Unless Tubby decides to leave on his own accord he won't be fired for one subpar season.

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There were rumors posted at the Charlotte Bobcats site (or at least that's where the link was) that had Tubby going to coach that NBA team. I'm sure that's all they are, though, is the annual springtime rumors.j

Some are now saying that UK could very well not even make the tournament. Even if they do, they're likely to face first-round elimination. The heat is going to get hotter in Lexington.

[Blimpie]

You can count me in as a Tubby supporter. There are serious character flaws within several of these players...the kind of flaws that don't necessarily reveal themselves on recruiting visits. I can't lay all of that at the feet of Tubby Smith.

When slamming his recent recruiting efforts, please don't forget that Tubby (1) had Kelenna Azubuike was penciled in for 10-12 shots per game this year and (2) Randolph Morris missed 50% of the season--I think half the losses were before he was reinstated. I agree that Tubby left himself very exposed with the recruiting; however, I feel that much of that is cyclical with major programs like Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Indiana. The only programs that seem immune to that are UNC and Duke. That alone burns many of the Tubby bashers in these parts.

As far as Chris Lofton is concerned, it wasn't like UK didn't appreciate his skills. It was strictly a "numbers thing" (remember Kelenna was in the lineup?) for Tubby and at the time he was being recruited, he could not be guaranteed any playing time at UK. It should suprise absolutely nobody that he plays his best against UK--he did last year as well. All guys want to stick it to the team that passes on them. If you don't believe me, ask Rick Pitino if he appreciates the contributions that Rajon Rondo brings to the UK team when they play Louisville.

Tubby is still one of the top 5 college coaches in the land. Over the last three years, UK has won more games (87) than ANY OTHER PROGRAM. Period. What we are dealing with is simply a ridiculous level of expectations for this program. I don't know another coach in the land who could mesh these egocentric personalities into a cohesive team. Not in the course of three months anyway.

[WMR]

Quit wasting scholarships on wastes like Woo, Shagari, and Brandon Stockton and maybe you'll be able to offer scholarships to legit studs like Chris Lofton. Every single person who saw him in the Sweet 16 (myself included) knew he was a stud and would continue to be one as his game progressed.

I'm not blaming Tubby for the actual play of this team, but to give him a total pass on the recruiting gaffes that led to this crap isn't fair either.

[Cedric]

You can count me in as a Tubby supporter. There are serious character flaws within several of these players...the kind of flaws that don't necessarily reveal themselves on recruiting visits. I can't lay all of that at the feet of Tubby Smith.

When slamming his recent recruiting efforts, please don't forget that Tubby (1) had Kelenna Azubuike was penciled in for 10-12 shots per game this year and (2) Randolph Morris missed 50% of the season--I think half the losses were before he was reinstated. I agree that Tubby left himself very exposed with the recruiting; however, I feel that much of that is cyclical with major programs like Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Indiana. The only programs that seem immune to that are UNC and Duke. That alone burns many of the Tubby bashers in these parts.

As far as Chris Lofton is concerned, it wasn't like UK didn't appreciate his skills. It was strictly a "numbers thing" (remember Kelenna was in the lineup?) for Tubby and at the time he was being recruited, he could not be guaranteed any playing time at UK. It should suprise absolutely nobody that he plays his best against UK--he did last year as well. All guys want to stick it to the team that passes on them. If you don't believe me, ask Rick Pitino if he appreciates the contributions that Rajon Rondo brings to the UK team when they play Louisville.

Tubby is still one of the top 5 college coaches in the land. Over the last three years, UK has won more games (87) than ANY OTHER PROGRAM. Period. What we are dealing with is simply a ridiculous level of expectations for this program. I don't know another coach in the land who could mesh these egocentric personalities into a cohesive team. Not in the course of three months anyway.

No offense, but having the best win % the last three years isn't everything. The SEC has been very weak.

[Blimpie]

No offense, but having the best win % the last three years isn't everything. The SEC has been very weak.

Just because the SEC has not performed well in the NCAA tourney over the last three seasons does not mean that the league itself was "weak" during that same period. If you look closely at the league RPI over that same time period (2002-2005), the SEC acquitted itself nicely relative to the Big 10, ACC, Big East and the PAC-10. Actually, the SEC has been decimated by early pro departures moreso than it has been victimized by a lack of overall talent.

In case you weren't aware, UK's non-conference schedule over that same time frame was simply brutal. Those games included home and home series with: UNC, Michigan State, Indiana, Louisville, Notre Dame and Kansas.

Regardless of your assertion about the legitimacy of Tubby's wins, the fact is that he won more games over the last three years than any other coach. Period.

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A friend of mine said in an email tonight that the New York Daily News had said that UK would target Villanova's Jay Wright if Tubby left for the Charlotte Bobcats, as has been rumored. I didn't write him back to ask for a link (he wouldn't get the message until tomorrow night anyway), but I couldn't find anything about it on the Web. He's a very sensible guy and wouldn't have said it if it were pure nonsense, but at the same time, he did say that it was a rumor, and we know how those can be.

Can any of you who are in-the-know confirm that a) the Bobcats are considering Tubby and/or b) that UK would target Wright?

[Revering4Blue]

The talk here in the Carolinas is that Bobcats coach/GM Bernie Bickerstaff is going to concentrate on G.M duties only following the conclusion of this season.
But I've read nothing except the New York daily news report that even mentions Tubby Smith as a candidate.

More than likely, former Hornets coach Paul Silas who is well-liked in Charlotte will get the nod, given everything I've read/heard in the Raleigh/Durham area from folks in Charlotte.

An objective opinion about the Kentucky situation: Keep Tubby Smith. I agree with Blimpie that it is just a cyclical cycle.

[WMR]

The talk here in the Carolinas is that Bobcats coach/GM Bernie Bickerstaff is going to concentrate on G.M duties only following the conclusion of this season.
But I've read nothing except the New York daily news report that even mentions Tubby Smith as a candidate.

More than likely, former Hornets coach Paul Silas who is well-liked in Charlotte will get the nod, given everything I've read/heard in the Raleigh/Durham area from folks in Charlotte.

An objective opinion about the Kentucky situation: Keep Tubby Smith. I agree with Blimpie that it is just a cyclical cycle.

Yeah we've made so many final fours in the past ten years with Tubby's recruits.