Defending national champ Kentucky loses in NIT first round. Kentucky NIT loss ... "This is humbling," Kentucky coach John Calipari said.

Don't know of a perfect coach. Just perfect fans.

I was not renewing my season basketball tix if Josh was still around. I paid my donation to the school last Friday and look forward to a refreshing change. I have high hopes that Coach Smith can bring the program back to the level before the Josh era.

Go Tigers!

(04-18-2016 10:06 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 11:20 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  This deserves it's own thread. To help bring encouragement to those not so thrilled with this hire.

What have we complained about for the last 5 seasons? Lack of experience, no X&O, he’s a politician not a coach. I can go on and on.
Memphis just brought back stability and respectability got an X&O future hall of fame coach. Hired the exact polar opposite of the previous coach that the entire city of Memphis had come to loath. They also served notice to the basketball world that we can and will pay whatever it takes to get our guy.

I’ve followed this program for 35 years. This is the best hire that Memphis has ever made in any sport outside of John Calipari who fell in our lap.

In 10 seasons at Kentucky:
3 seasons that finished with elite 8.
2 seasons that finished with sweet 16.
1 national championship and final four.

Made NCAA every season and was run out of town. We would have been throwing him parades every season for that. In fact we did for Calipari. And let’s not forget how big of a dumpster fire UK was after he left. UK had to steal the Memphis program from them to get where they are. Everyone with a brain knows that.

After the stain on his reputation from a ridiculous fan base at UK, he has worked hard to restore himself and it's been hard, but he's fairing very well.

Let’s talk non Kentucky accomplishments:

At Tulsa: 2 sweet 16’s in four seasons.

At Georgia: in two seasons, 2 ncaa's and one sweet 16.

At Minnesota: 3 of 6 NCAA’s. Before tubby they had been to the NCAA tourney 9 times. And 4 of those 9 were vacated. Tubby arrives and makes the tourney 3 times in 6 seasons. At MinnefreakingSota!!!

At Tech: made NCAA in only 3 seasons. In the previous 30 years, they had made the tourney 7 times. After a 9 year absence he got them there in 3 years.

This is a homerun hire for Memphis. It ain’t sexy. But I’ve followed this guy’s career since his Tulsa days. He is a basketball genius. And Memphis will compete at a high level as long as he is here.

Compared to where we were last week. I'm ecstatic and am over joyed to be happy over Memphis basketball again.

Time to sell the Forum out again folks.

If you want to throw out stats. Has not finished above 6th in conference since leaving UK. Been to NCAA only 4 times in 9 years since leaving UK. Recruiting classes of 110, 69, 77 and 122 since arriving at TT..

Raw data can be twisted in any way to say anything.

Lol. At Minnesota and TT

(04-18-2016 10:06 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 11:20 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  This deserves it's own thread. To help bring encouragement to those not so thrilled with this hire.

What have we complained about for the last 5 seasons? Lack of experience, no X&O, he’s a politician not a coach. I can go on and on.
Memphis just brought back stability and respectability got an X&O future hall of fame coach. Hired the exact polar opposite of the previous coach that the entire city of Memphis had come to loath. They also served notice to the basketball world that we can and will pay whatever it takes to get our guy.

I’ve followed this program for 35 years. This is the best hire that Memphis has ever made in any sport outside of John Calipari who fell in our lap.

In 10 seasons at Kentucky:
3 seasons that finished with elite 8.
2 seasons that finished with sweet 16.
1 national championship and final four.

Made NCAA every season and was run out of town. We would have been throwing him parades every season for that. In fact we did for Calipari. And let’s not forget how big of a dumpster fire UK was after he left. UK had to steal the Memphis program from them to get where they are. Everyone with a brain knows that.

After the stain on his reputation from a ridiculous fan base at UK, he has worked hard to restore himself and it's been hard, but he's fairing very well.

Let’s talk non Kentucky accomplishments:

At Tulsa: 2 sweet 16’s in four seasons.

At Georgia: in two seasons, 2 ncaa's and one sweet 16.

At Minnesota: 3 of 6 NCAA’s. Before tubby they had been to the NCAA tourney 9 times. And 4 of those 9 were vacated. Tubby arrives and makes the tourney 3 times in 6 seasons. At MinnefreakingSota!!!

At Tech: made NCAA in only 3 seasons. In the previous 30 years, they had made the tourney 7 times. After a 9 year absence he got them there in 3 years.

This is a homerun hire for Memphis. It ain’t sexy. But I’ve followed this guy’s career since his Tulsa days. He is a basketball genius. And Memphis will compete at a high level as long as he is here.

Compared to where we were last week. I'm ecstatic and am over joyed to be happy over Memphis basketball again.

Time to sell the Forum out again folks.

If you want to throw out stats. Has not finished above 6th in conference since leaving UK. Been to NCAA only 4 times in 9 years since leaving UK. Recruiting classes of 110, 69, 77 and 122 since arriving at TT..

Raw data can be twisted in any way to say anything.

i hear GT is looking for new season ticket holders...

(04-14-2016 09:34 PM)BinghamptonNed Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 01:43 PM)Irish Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 12:31 PM)TigerFan386 Wrote:  It's a wait and see hire for me. We could have done better, but we could have done a lot worse. Three things bother me about this hire. We shouldn't have to pay over 3 million for Tubby. He's not a recruiter. He plays slow, "boring" basketball.

I've seen Tubby's teams at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minn & Texas Tech. Boring is not what I saw. Please define "boring".

Ill tell you what I define as boring, Jacking up shots right and left, not rebounding, not playing decent defense, losing to USF, UCF or ECU --that is boring!

Tubby coaches smart basketball...winning basketball. Winning is never boring.

(04-18-2016 10:06 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 11:20 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  This deserves it's own thread. To help bring encouragement to those not so thrilled with this hire.

What have we complained about for the last 5 seasons? Lack of experience, no X&O, he’s a politician not a coach. I can go on and on.
Memphis just brought back stability and respectability got an X&O future hall of fame coach. Hired the exact polar opposite of the previous coach that the entire city of Memphis had come to loath. They also served notice to the basketball world that we can and will pay whatever it takes to get our guy.

I’ve followed this program for 35 years. This is the best hire that Memphis has ever made in any sport outside of John Calipari who fell in our lap.

In 10 seasons at Kentucky:
3 seasons that finished with elite 8.
2 seasons that finished with sweet 16.
1 national championship and final four.

Made NCAA every season and was run out of town. We would have been throwing him parades every season for that. In fact we did for Calipari. And let’s not forget how big of a dumpster fire UK was after he left. UK had to steal the Memphis program from them to get where they are. Everyone with a brain knows that.

After the stain on his reputation from a ridiculous fan base at UK, he has worked hard to restore himself and it's been hard, but he's fairing very well.

Let’s talk non Kentucky accomplishments:

At Tulsa: 2 sweet 16’s in four seasons.

At Georgia: in two seasons, 2 ncaa's and one sweet 16.

At Minnesota: 3 of 6 NCAA’s. Before tubby they had been to the NCAA tourney 9 times. And 4 of those 9 were vacated. Tubby arrives and makes the tourney 3 times in 6 seasons. At MinnefreakingSota!!!

At Tech: made NCAA in only 3 seasons. In the previous 30 years, they had made the tourney 7 times. After a 9 year absence he got them there in 3 years.

This is a homerun hire for Memphis. It ain’t sexy. But I’ve followed this guy’s career since his Tulsa days. He is a basketball genius. And Memphis will compete at a high level as long as he is here.

Compared to where we were last week. I'm ecstatic and am over joyed to be happy over Memphis basketball again.

Time to sell the Forum out again folks.

If you want to throw out stats. Has not finished above 6th in conference since leaving UK. Been to NCAA only 4 times in 9 years since leaving UK. Recruiting classes of 110, 69, 77 and 122 since arriving at TT..

Raw data can be twisted in any way to say anything.

...at two programs that have never amounted to anything without major scandal. Sounds like an excellent coaching job to me. Hell, they type of turnaround had us kissing Fuente's ass.

At Minnesota, a program that is typically one or two steps above dog poo, he built a team that beat the snot out of Pastner's best team.

(04-18-2016 02:23 PM)99Tiger Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 10:06 AM)ncrdbl1 Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 11:20 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  This deserves it's own thread. To help bring encouragement to those not so thrilled with this hire.

What have we complained about for the last 5 seasons? Lack of experience, no X&O, he’s a politician not a coach. I can go on and on.
Memphis just brought back stability and respectability got an X&O future hall of fame coach. Hired the exact polar opposite of the previous coach that the entire city of Memphis had come to loath. They also served notice to the basketball world that we can and will pay whatever it takes to get our guy.

I’ve followed this program for 35 years. This is the best hire that Memphis has ever made in any sport outside of John Calipari who fell in our lap.

In 10 seasons at Kentucky:
3 seasons that finished with elite 8.
2 seasons that finished with sweet 16.
1 national championship and final four.

Made NCAA every season and was run out of town. We would have been throwing him parades every season for that. In fact we did for Calipari. And let’s not forget how big of a dumpster fire UK was after he left. UK had to steal the Memphis program from them to get where they are. Everyone with a brain knows that.

After the stain on his reputation from a ridiculous fan base at UK, he has worked hard to restore himself and it's been hard, but he's fairing very well.

Let’s talk non Kentucky accomplishments:

At Tulsa: 2 sweet 16’s in four seasons.

At Georgia: in two seasons, 2 ncaa's and one sweet 16.

At Minnesota: 3 of 6 NCAA’s. Before tubby they had been to the NCAA tourney 9 times. And 4 of those 9 were vacated. Tubby arrives and makes the tourney 3 times in 6 seasons. At MinnefreakingSota!!!

At Tech: made NCAA in only 3 seasons. In the previous 30 years, they had made the tourney 7 times. After a 9 year absence he got them there in 3 years.

This is a homerun hire for Memphis. It ain’t sexy. But I’ve followed this guy’s career since his Tulsa days. He is a basketball genius. And Memphis will compete at a high level as long as he is here.

Compared to where we were last week. I'm ecstatic and am over joyed to be happy over Memphis basketball again.

Time to sell the Forum out again folks.

If you want to throw out stats. Has not finished above 6th in conference since leaving UK. Been to NCAA only 4 times in 9 years since leaving UK. Recruiting classes of 110, 69, 77 and 122 since arriving at TT..

Raw data can be twisted in any way to say anything.

...at two programs that have never amounted to anything without major scandal. Sounds like an excellent coaching job to me. Hell, they type of turnaround had us kissing Fuente's ass.

At Minnesota, a program that is typically one or two steps above dog poo, he built a team that beat the snot out of Pastner's best team.

raw data can be twisted in any way to say anything.

So if a guy gets a breakaway dunk he's gonna just say "naw let's slow this thing down till the defense catches up and run some plays". Good defense will brings some exciting plays on offense without question. We had some 6' to 6'3 guys fly down the court at blazing speed, right into the hornets nest in the lane and lose the ball. Maybe, just maybe, star players won't spend 30 minutes a game on the bench with foul trouble.

(04-18-2016 10:32 AM)gusrob Wrote:  

(04-15-2016 02:08 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(04-15-2016 11:28 AM)gusrob Wrote:  If MEMPHIS next season goes:

19-13
3-8 vs Ranked Opponents
Loses 1st Rd Conf Tourney to a team like TCU

Do we go to NCAA Tournament?

This was Tubby's Texas Tech to the NCAA Tourney season. I really want to be positive. But I don't want our fan base to think he's coming in here blazing trails. He never has before. We won't get the same gifts that Tubby got at Minnesota and TT. That's the last negative thing I will point out about Tubby. Go Tigers Go!

Never blazed trails? Same gifts? What are you even talking about?

3 wins against ranked opponents is nothing to sneeze at. Especially at TT.

But how about this blazed trail? Tubby is the only coach in UK's storied history to go to the NCAA tourney every single year. He did what Pitino and Cal and many others did not do.

Did I confuse you with facts? Pitino took job while KY was under NCAA punishment. Cal got team after Tubby/Gilespie took it down. What's ur point? You can expect whatever results u want to expect.

Those are cute qualifiers for Pitino and Cal. But doesn't change the fact. Tubby went every year. Doesn't mean he's better than them. But it does mean he knows what he's doing.

tubby is legit. let UOM be the brand kids will want and add tubby's acumen for winning. i see a huge upside to this here hire, ya'll.

(04-14-2016 11:20 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  This deserves it's own thread. To help bring encouragement to those not so thrilled with this hire.

What have we complained about for the last 5 seasons? Lack of experience, no X&O, he’s a politician not a coach. I can go on and on.
Memphis just brought back stability and respectability got an X&O future hall of fame coach. Hired the exact polar opposite of the previous coach that the entire city of Memphis had come to loath. They also served notice to the basketball world that we can and will pay whatever it takes to get our guy.

I’ve followed this program for 35 years. This is the best hire that Memphis has ever made in any sport outside of John Calipari who fell in our lap.

In 10 seasons at Kentucky:
3 seasons that finished with elite 8.
2 seasons that finished with sweet 16.
1 national championship and final four.

Made NCAA every season and was run out of town. We would have been throwing him parades every season for that. In fact we did for Calipari. And let’s not forget how big of a dumpster fire UK was after he left. UK had to steal the Memphis program from them to get where they are. Everyone with a brain knows that.

After the stain on his reputation from a ridiculous fan base at UK, he has worked hard to restore himself and it's been hard, but he's fairing very well.

Let’s talk non Kentucky accomplishments:

At Tulsa: 2 sweet 16’s in four seasons.

At Georgia: in two seasons, 2 ncaa's and one sweet 16.

At Minnesota: 3 of 6 NCAA’s. Before tubby they had been to the NCAA tourney 9 times. And 4 of those 9 were vacated. Tubby arrives and makes the tourney 3 times in 6 seasons. At MinnefreakingSota!!!

At Tech: made NCAA in only 3 seasons. In the previous 30 years, they had made the tourney 7 times. After a 9 year absence he got them there in 3 years.

This is a homerun hire for Memphis. It ain’t sexy. But I’ve followed this guy’s career since his Tulsa days. He is a basketball genius. And Memphis will compete at a high level as long as he is here.

Compared to where we were last week. I'm ecstatic and am over joyed to be happy over Memphis basketball again.

Time to sell the Forum out again folks.

Will you please quit posting a 20 year old resume. Most telling is he hasn't been to S16 in 12 years-that's 3 coaches fired here usually.

(04-18-2016 07:01 PM)tigers1125 Wrote:  Will you please quit posting a 20 year old resume. Most telling is he hasn't been to S16 in 12 years-that's 3 coaches fired here usually.

Do you have any idea how many Sweet 16's the last two teams he coached have made in the last 20 years? I'll tell you what, let me know if Pastner has a 70% winning percentage at Georgia Tech, if everything should be transitive. Good grief.

We will know a lot about the ability and desire very soon. This is a crucial recruiting period for us. If he steals a few highly rated (3*+) guys, we will be good. No doubt he can coach.

Conversely, if he strikes out (multiple 2*'s, 1-2 3*), then we are looking at a long couple of years and Tiger fans will not be happy

Cut the crap and let Coach Smith do his thing. I for one am willing to give the guy a chance. One thing is for sure, all your bitching won't help him win one game.

(04-18-2016 07:48 PM)MTigerBlue Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 07:01 PM)tigers1125 Wrote:  Will you please quit posting a 20 year old resume. Most telling is he hasn't been to S16 in 12 years-that's 3 coaches fired here usually.

Do you have any idea how many Sweet 16's the last two teams he coached have made in the last 20 years? I'll tell you what, let me know if Pastner has a 70% winning percentage at Georgia Tech, if everything should be transitive. Good grief.

The only thing that tells me is if he is so good, why was he at those horrible jobs to begin with? Two jobs in a row at that? I like Tubby so far and want to give him the opportunity to do a great job. But everyone keeps quoting records dating back 20 years ago, while his last 11 have been mediocre at best.

Let's see how it plays out. I'm all for him. But don't go on like he is Coach K or even Cal cause he's not.

(04-18-2016 08:51 PM)Penny Lane Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 07:48 PM)MTigerBlue Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 07:01 PM)tigers1125 Wrote:  Will you please quit posting a 20 year old resume. Most telling is he hasn't been to S16 in 12 years-that's 3 coaches fired here usually.

Do you have any idea how many Sweet 16's the last two teams he coached have made in the last 20 years? I'll tell you what, let me know if Pastner has a 70% winning percentage at Georgia Tech, if everything should be transitive. Good grief.

The only thing that tells me is if he is so good, why was he at those horrible jobs to begin with? Two in a row at that?

Some schools do crazy things with coaches. Memphis had Pastner running the program into the ground.

(04-18-2016 08:54 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 08:51 PM)Penny Lane Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 07:48 PM)MTigerBlue Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 07:01 PM)tigers1125 Wrote:  Will you please quit posting a 20 year old resume. Most telling is he hasn't been to S16 in 12 years-that's 3 coaches fired here usually.

Do you have any idea how many Sweet 16's the last two teams he coached have made in the last 20 years? I'll tell you what, let me know if Pastner has a 70% winning percentage at Georgia Tech, if everything should be transitive. Good grief.

The only thing that tells me is if he is so good, why was he at those horrible jobs to begin with? Two in a row at that?

Some schools do crazy things with coaches. Memphis had Pastner running the program into the ground.

Two horrible jobs in a row?

(04-14-2016 11:20 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  This is a homerun hire for Memphis.

http://wreckemred.com/2016/03/09/minneso...bby-smith/

"...Fans around the state of Minnesota definitely were excited when Smith was first hired. Former AD Joel Maturi called it a “home run hire,”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-s...e-1.217888

"Minnesota needed a home-run hire, someone who could energize the team..."

Minnesota Basketball - Why the Tubby Smith Era Should Come to an Abrupt End.

(04-18-2016 09:11 PM)Penny Lane Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 08:54 PM)Tiger87 Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 08:51 PM)Penny Lane Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 07:48 PM)MTigerBlue Wrote:  

(04-18-2016 07:01 PM)tigers1125 Wrote:  Will you please quit posting a 20 year old resume. Most telling is he hasn't been to S16 in 12 years-that's 3 coaches fired here usually.

Do you have any idea how many Sweet 16's the last two teams he coached have made in the last 20 years? I'll tell you what, let me know if Pastner has a 70% winning percentage at Georgia Tech, if everything should be transitive. Good grief.

The only thing that tells me is if he is so good, why was he at those horrible jobs to begin with? Two in a row at that?

Some schools do crazy things with coaches. Memphis had Pastner running the program into the ground.

Two horrible jobs in a row?

did he not win at the horrible jobs?

(04-18-2016 09:20 PM)G-Man Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 11:20 AM)BIGDTiger Wrote:  This is a homerun hire for Memphis.

http://wreckemred.com/2016/03/09/minneso...bby-smith/

"...Fans around the state of Minnesota definitely were excited when Smith was first hired. Former AD Joel Maturi called it a “home run hire,”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-s...e-1.217888

"Minnesota needed a home-run hire, someone who could energize the team..."

Minnesota Basketball - Why the Tubby Smith Era Should Come to an Abrupt End.

Minny made a panic decision...Dick Pitino just took them 8-23...I bet they wouldn't mind Tubby coming back with Austin and Andre Hollins, beating UCLA in the NCAAs.

(04-14-2016 02:54 PM)ericsrevenge76 Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 02:50 PM)tigergreen Wrote:  

(04-14-2016 02:22 PM)RekeHavoc Wrote:  He did mention about wanting to play an uptempo pace so we'll see.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear that.

How?

Tubby has been playing up tempo basketball for a quarter century now.

Did you expect him to finally slow it down here?

Coach Smith Fired for All the Right Reasons

"...How did he want his team to play basketball and win game?. We heard a lot about the Gophers doing better out of conference because they could get away from the slow-it-down B1G pace. But if Tubby wanted a run and gun team with athletes, why did he recruit Ralph Sampson III? Maurice Walker? Maverick Ahanmisi? Colton Iverson? Andre Ingram? Oto Oseneiks? Round pegs, square holes. Or maybe just random pegs.

Tubby Smith wasn't fired Monday because he was a bad guy, immoral or a cheater. He was fired because his program wasn't fun, had no direction and his coaching was, at best, suspect."


Uh, Kentucky: Y'all were right about Tubby

"To those Kentucky fans who based their assessment of Smith on facts and trends, though, let us apologize. You were right.

Four seasons after his arrival, Smith's tenure at the University of Minnesota is officially a disappointment.

Kentucky fans complained that Smith runs no discernible offense.

That he failed to recruit outstanding talent.

That his program had lost momentum and had slid into mediocrity..."