What is wrong with Kentucky?

We're asking the samething. They aren't going to the play offs at this rate. There is some dissapointment here, this is big wild cat country, although a few louisville fans, not as many.

 

Bet you guys don't let women post in here, man country in the sports forum?

 

I don't understand the question. As far as I know, there is no rule that says a woman can't post here. I know of at least 2 other women, Debby in Philly and filmproducer, who post in the Sports thread fairly regularly.

As to the OP, I'd say that Kentucky is down in talent from other years. I'm all for Kentucky losing.

 

Don't count us out yet, DonnA. I am still hopeful that we can pull it together. At least Bama was not a complete blowout, and we still are a good defending team. Now we just need somebody to start scoring some perimeter shots. What happened to Sparks this year? I hope he gets it together. Sims and Bradley are descent shooters when they have "on" games, but they definitely need more consistency in that area, as does EVERYONE on the team. I'm glad Morris is finally back, though.

CC,

We definitely do not have the talent of years past, but I am NEVER for the Cats losing! The team isn't completely without talent, though. We have some pretty decent players, take Rondo for example.

 

This may not be popular, but I was born and raised in KY and have been a fan before I could even walk and talk. But IMHO I think Tubby Smith needs to go. His style of play is killing this team and we do have talent. He has to open up his offense and quit allowing guys to just stand around and watch Rondo dribble. The players do not even like playing for him any longer and thus the recruiting his getting tougher and tougher because the top players do not want to come here anymore. But regardless of all of this, I bleed blue still and always will.

 

I'm an LSU fan, so i'm always happy to see UK having a down year in basketball.
I do like Tubby though, i hope they don't start asking for his head as a result of a down year.

The problem with UK is the same problem everywhere else...kids are not wanting to play college ball, they are wanting to get drafted. How else can UNC have the year they had last year and this year start off the season unranked?

 

Excellent point bobbyd. Coaches everywhere are having to contend with players leaving. Tubby has had one or two seasons, already where this is a problem. I think Tubby is a good coach. BTW, anybody see the win last night? Now THAT'S how I want to see the Cats play! I still think there is time to pull it together. We have a killer defense and as long as we can put up some perimeter shooting we will be fine. We are not the best team UK has ever seen, but we are decent.

 

Filmproducer, I'm sure you haven't forgotten this, but UK came oh-so-close to the Final Four last March with a team of players recruited by, and coached by, Tubby. He hasn't forgotten how to coach or recruit. Either very good players have left UK early (no idea if this is true), or else this team just has players that haven't lived up to expectation. It's not necessarily the coaches fault.

 

Tubby Smith

 

CC,

I agree. I like Tubby. I think he is a great coach. I think it hurt us that Morris pulled his stunt with the NBA and missed out on the beginning of the season. It also hurt losing Azabukie, but I understand his motives, I think. Last year during the tourney his father was sentenced to, I believe, four years for fraud or something. It wasn't until this that he decided to leave and try for the pros. We could have definitely used him this year.

As far as expectations go, I think that is the case with this team. They are not playing with the heart of other Tubby teams, or any UK team for that matter. I am extremely disappointed in Spark's performance thus far. I was also hoping for more from Alleyne this year. Other players, like Joe Crawford, for example, have great games occasionally, but are not consistent. That is probably our biggest obstacle to overcome, besides perimeter shooting. We need to be consistent from week to week.

 

I lived in Kentucky for ten years and live 20 minutes from the border. I believe that, if the slide continues, this will give the fans the chance to undo what C.M. Newton did by hiring Tubby. The fans have wanted Tubby out since he got there, and it's not because of anything on the court. The quiet (and sometimes, not so quiet) cry of the UK fans is this: we don't want a black man coaching our beloved Wildcats. When UK won the title in '98, Tubby got no credit. "He did it with Rick's talent," they said. Of course, many in the Blue nation wanted Rick Pitino gone since he had no UK ties, but not to the extent that they want to hang Tubby.

Tubby is an excellent recruiter. UK's classes are always very good, but off the court troubles are starting to take their toll. UK has got to clamp down on an out-of-control athletic department. ESPN did a notorious feature on the Vols' football team troubles with arrests over an 18 month period. UK had an equal number in just one year, and South Carolina had an equal number in less than nine months!

Besides, like my 2005 football Vols, every Goliath going to get hit with a stone or two. It just happens.

Here's hoping that my boys end Florida's unbeaten streak at home Saturday night and sweep the Mildcats this year Kudos to Pat Summit for getting her 900th victory last night over the hated Commodores.

 

You make a great point about college basketball recruiting. It means very little. UT had a very high class under Buzz Peterson, but one goes into the NBA and poof...you're 15-15.

I thought UK's game against Georgia would be crucial. UK definitely stopped the bleeding with an impressive victory. UK is not dead yet. But trips to Florida and Tennessee are on the horizon, and I don't see UK beating FLA at home. I'd give y'all the edge over my Vols at Rupp right now...but just for right now

Where do you all have to play LSU?

 

TV,

A few things...

1. I think you are somewhat right about the fans attitude about Tubby. I think it really depends on the area. UK fans are die hard, we literally bleed blue. We already have to contend with a dismal football season, and all the repercussions of good old Hal Mumme. By the time basketball rolls around we want to win. In general, as long as we are winning, the fans do not have a problem with Tubby. Many of the fans don't expect UK to lose, when we do, the first one to go to the chopping block always tends to be the coach. I personally like Tubby. I think he is a great coach. In previous seasons, he has taken, what many of the commentators call unspectacular teams, with few standout players, and made them great. I really think he will turn this team around. If nothing else I look at this season as a wake up call. As shown by the GA game, it takes heart and intensity to win.

2. As far as recruiting, I also agree with your comments. I do believe Tubby does a pretty good job reigning in the team, though. At least, much better than the football team in years past. Since my husband was a player I heard a lot of the stuff that did not make it into the news, concerning the football team. Needless to say I was surprised.

3. You are dead on about the GA game. We needed that win. If not for the fans, for the team's confidence. We have the ability to play well and win, now we just need to be consistent. Florida will be a tough game, especially in Gatorland. I think by Feb we will be in better shape, though. I think Tubby is just now solidifying the starting lineup. If we would have had Morris from the start I think we would be in a much better position now. The Vols had better watch out if we lose to the Gators. If we lose we will definitely come out strong the next week at Rupp. Besides we have already had two SEC losses at Rupp. I will be greatly surprised if we have many more.

4. We play LSU in Baton Rouge on Feb 25. I am going to hold off judgment on that game until I see if the Cats are really pulling it together.

5. I see the Vols are having a pretty good season. Good luck with the rest of it. I'll take my Cats anyday over the Vols, though, even with our dismal start.

 

TV,

Awesome win over the most hated Gators!!!!!

It was also pretty nice to see UK back in action. Sparks had a pretty good game, and he and Rondo made some pretty amazing clutch threes, when we needed them. I still take my Cats over your Vols any day, we have finally got it together. I have faith we will keep it together.....

 

I watched the game also. It was pretty much neck and neck the first half. We had, what seems to be our usual second half slump, but SC did not outplay us. We were down by twelve at the seven minute mark. Then we had a 12-4 run. Like I said earlier, this is not the best team UK has ever seen, but we are decent. Compared to other seasons this is definitely going to be a long season, but we seem to be pulling it together.

 

Yes, I guess so...

You seem to forget the 12-4 run to come back from the 12 point deficit. We were down by five, before Spark's three, at the two minute mark or so. Rondo's three won us the game, by two. Clearly SC did not outplay us in the last seven minutes of the game, or they would held on to a little bit of that lead. We always tend to have shooting slumps in the second half, which is how SC even took the lead. Like I said, we were neck and neck the first half. If SC outplayed us like you said they would have won, for one, and two the game would not have been so close almost the entire time. It took about four minutes to go down by twelve and about four to come back.