After reading about Brian Williams' death, I got to thinking about how well those teams played. Do you think UC would have done better in the late 70s & 80s with Catlett? I know he was the reason we were put on probation back then but I thought he was a great coach.

(01-16-2013 03:21 PM)bcat80 Wrote:  After reading about Brian Williams' death, I got to thinking about how well those teams played. Do you think UC would have done better in the late 70s & 80s with Catlett? I know he was the reason we were put on probation back then but I thought he was a great coach.

Without question...UC would not have entered the dark period if Catlett had stuck around. He was a great recruiter and a good bench coach. I think he would have been maybe a half step behind Crum's record at Louisville over that time frame...but there was that probation thing...

Good coach and a scumbag. Glad he left.

(01-16-2013 06:21 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  Good coach and a scumbag. Glad he left.

Well, that's fairly clear. Anything else to add?

The "dark period" was effectively caused by him. Glad he left too.

(01-16-2013 06:36 PM)ctipton Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 06:21 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  Good coach and a scumbag. Glad he left.

Well, that's fairly clear. Anything else to add?

Are you 2 married?

That was some d@mned good basketball and fun times back in the day. Don't project today's standards back upon a different time.

(01-16-2013 09:03 PM)Former Lurker Wrote:  That was some d@mned good basketball and fun times back in the day. Don't project today's standards back upon a different time.

Not me. I am projecting MY standards as they existed then and continue to exist today.

Catlett ruined our program for years.

(01-16-2013 08:24 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 06:36 PM)ctipton Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 06:21 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  Good coach and a scumbag. Glad he left.

Well, that's fairly clear. Anything else to add?

Are you 2 married?

No, but pushing hard for same sex marriage.

(01-16-2013 10:20 PM)OneUChoopsfan Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 08:24 PM)Billy_Bearcat Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 06:36 PM)ctipton Wrote:  

(01-16-2013 06:21 PM)QSECOFR Wrote:  Good coach and a scumbag. Glad he left.

Well, that's fairly clear. Anything else to add?

Are you 2 married?

No, but pushing hard for same sex marriage.

That WAS pretty funny.

I could never stand Catlett. I always thought he was a total scumbag as well. And yes he was the one responsible for those rough years that followed.

(01-17-2013 11:40 PM)Marcus Wrote:  I could never stand Catlett. I always thought he was a total scumbag as well. And yes he was the one responsible for those rough years that followed.

Catlett learned under some of the greats: Lefty Driesell, Adolph Rupp, and Ted Owens. He lifted UC basketball back to national prominence. He earned three consecutive NCAA bids back when there were only 32 teams invited. He assembled a team that was nearly good enough to win it all. Some people were turned off by his style but it was smart because it attracted attention and that was important then and it is now. Kids have to recognize who you are if you expect to get them to play for you. But that's just my opinion. I'd like to know how he was responsbile for ten years of bad basketball. Many schools have gone on probation and not fallen as far and for as long as UC did.

(01-17-2013 11:40 PM)Marcus Wrote:  I could never stand Catlett. I always thought he was a total scumbag as well. And yes he was the one responsible for those rough years that followed.

I was always amazed at how he could take a shower curtain and turn it into a sports coat.

Catlett had some great players and great teams while he was here including the late Brian Williams, Robert Miller (6'11" player from Louisville with a 48" vertical leap), Pat Cummings, Collier. I remember a heartbreaking loss to Notre Dame in 1974-75? Notre Dame stole the ball under the basket and score to take the lead.

I will be honest, as huge a UC fan as I am I do not know much about Catlett years...I didn't move to OH/attend UC until the early 90's. I know we sucked most of the 80's and we were good in the 70's with guys like Cummins, and I know Catlett got us in trouble but I do not know the specifics. What did he do that landed us on probation?

(01-20-2013 09:04 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  I will be honest, as huge a UC fan as I am I do not know much about Catlett years...I didn't move to OH/attend UC until the early 90's. I know we sucked most of the 80's and we were good in the 70's with guys like Cummins, and I know Catlett got us in trouble but I do not know the specifics. What did he do that landed us on probation?

You should have seen us in the late 50s-early 60s. 5 straight Final Fours. Two straight National Championships and blew the third.

(01-20-2013 09:04 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  I will be honest, as huge a UC fan as I am I do not know much about Catlett years...I didn't move to OH/attend UC until the early 90's. I know we sucked most of the 80's and we were good in the 70's with guys like Cummins, and I know Catlett got us in trouble but I do not know the specifics. What did he do that landed us on probation?

Total scuzz recruiting...arranged to have alumni pay recruits and players. Had free charge accounts so players could buy big pimpin' clothes, cars, free airfare for families...good times. Of course he did the honorable thing and beat feet to a new job at West Virginia leaving UC to clean up the mess he created.

(01-20-2013 11:44 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 09:04 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  I will be honest, as huge a UC fan as I am I do not know much about Catlett years...I didn't move to OH/attend UC until the early 90's. I know we sucked most of the 80's and we were good in the 70's with guys like Cummins, and I know Catlett got us in trouble but I do not know the specifics. What did he do that landed us on probation?

Total scuzz recruiting...arranged to have alumni pay recruits and players. Had free charge accounts so players could buy big pimpin' clothes, cars, free airfare for families...good times. Of course he did the honorable thing and beat feet to a new job at West Virginia leaving UC to clean up the mess he created.

His wife was very wealthy, I suspect that's where the money came from. As I remember though, the final nail in UC's coffin was when a booster gave a birthday cake to a recruit when he was on an official visit here on his birthday.

(01-20-2013 11:44 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 09:04 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  I will be honest, as huge a UC fan as I am I do not know much about Catlett years...I didn't move to OH/attend UC until the early 90's. I know we sucked most of the 80's and we were good in the 70's with guys like Cummins, and I know Catlett got us in trouble but I do not know the specifics. What did he do that landed us on probation?

Total scuzz recruiting...arranged to have alumni pay recruits and players. Had free charge accounts so players could buy big pimpin' clothes, cars, free airfare for families...good times. Of course he did the honorable thing and beat feet to a new job at West Virginia leaving UC to clean up the mess he created.

I wonder how different that was than a lot of top programs in those days...we probably don't have any players from that era who could weigh in here but, for example, does anyone believe that Kentucky wasn't cheating? Catlett probably learned it from his experience under the likes of Rupp and Driesell.

(01-20-2013 11:44 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(01-20-2013 09:04 AM)Bearcats#1 Wrote:  I will be honest, as huge a UC fan as I am I do not know much about Catlett years...I didn't move to OH/attend UC until the early 90's. I know we sucked most of the 80's and we were good in the 70's with guys like Cummins, and I know Catlett got us in trouble but I do not know the specifics. What did he do that landed us on probation?

Total scuzz recruiting...arranged to have alumni pay recruits and players. Had free charge accounts so players could buy big pimpin' clothes, cars, free airfare for families...good times. Of course he did the honorable thing and beat feet to a new job at West Virginia leaving UC to clean up the mess he created.

Leaving us with Ed Badger and the inimitable Tony Yates for the next 11 years.