Let's face the facts:

[SaulsHairstylist]

We should have known:

* summer of 1998 Myron Anthony wrecked car and Wayne Turner lied about what happened.

* fall, 1998 - Jamaal Magloire involved with drugs.

* fall, 1998 - Ryan Hogan involved in underaged drinking.

* winter, 1998 - Myron Anthony transfers.

* spring, 1999 - Michael Bradley and Ryan Hogan transfer.

* winter, 1999 - Nate Knight transfers.

* spring, 2000 - Tubby, in his second year of recruiting, fails to add a top point guard and ends up taking New Mexico commit, Cliff Hawkins. Sawyer, Ridnour, Cook, Taylor, Barrett and Brown all say no to UK. Cook, Ridnour, Taylor all end up playing in the NBA while Brown and Taylor end up playing for Final Four teams. Hawkins, who verballed to New Mexico, would be one of many players who had committed to schools that Smith still went after: Crawford (Michigan), Alleyne(Rutgers), Woo(Fordham), Tackett (Clemson).

* spring, 2000 - Desmond Allison arrested for substance abuse and illegal drugs. He decides to transfer to a D-2 school instead of continuing on at UK.

* spring, 2000 - UK's "silent verbal" from Darius Rice turns out to be nothing as Rice picks Miami. UK's other big targets pick Oregon (Ridnour) and South Carolina (Howell). First sign that little schools could beat blessed Smith in the recruiting wars.

* summer, 2000 - Jules Camara arrested for DUI and suspended for a year.

* summer, 2000 - Michael Southall found with video camera as he makes a documentary on how he and his friends smoke hash.

* winter, 2001 - Marquis Estill suspended.

* spring, 2001 - Marvin Stone suspended for assaulting a girl with a phone.

* winter, 2002 - Rashaad Carruth suspended as he refuses to take shots.

* winter, 2002 - Adam Chiles suspended.

* winter, 2002 - Marvin Stone transfers.

* spring, 2002 - Cory Sears and Gerald Fitch get into a fight when Fitch throws a water bottle at Sears.

* spring, 2002 - Erik Daniels and Gerald Fitch use fake I.D.s to try to get into a nightclud.

* spring, 2002 - Adam Chiles and Rashaad Carruth laugh at Tubby on national TV.

* summer, 2002 - Jason Parker transfers after supposedly being found with drugs.

* summer, 2002 - Rashaad Carruth tranfers.

* summer, 2002 - Adam Chiles transfers.

* summer, 2002 - Cory Sears transfers and says, "Kentucky's just not the same anymore."

* summer, 2003 - Marquis Estill ignores Tubby Smith's advice and enters the draft (he is not selected).

* summer, 2003 - Bernard Cote transfers.

* fall, 2003 - top PFs begin picking other schools over UK as UK has the PF spot wide open. PFs who end up not picking UK in this recruiting cycle are Hansbrough, Echefu, Leo "Cry me a river" Criswell, Barber, Brown, and many others. All of these players had UK on their top spot at one point or another but UK failed to bring all of them in.

* winter, 2005 - Joe Crawford tries to leave team but UK refuses to grant him his release.

* spring, 2005 - Kalenna Azubuike, after Smith says that he will not hire an agent, does exactly that four days later (he is not drafted).

* spring, 2005 - Randolph Morris refuses to call Smith as he enters the draft (he is not drafted). His parents cite the fact that Tubby did not develop their son properly.

* fall, 2005 - with the PF spot wide open for the second straight year of recruiting, Brandan Wright, Thadd Young, Deon Thompson, Kevin Durant and others all pick other schools with top PF talent already in place (with the exception of G-Tech and Young).

* winter, 2005 - Ramel Bradley seems hesitant to say whether he is content at UK.

* winter, 2005 - Rajon Rondo is rumored to be at odds with Smith and his team as he says, "There's some egos."

* also, some of Smith's best players picked UK after their preferred schools screwed them. Prince loved UCLA but the Bruins screwed his older brother. Rondo loved Louisville but Sebastian Telfair was there. Hayes wanted Kansas and Roy Williams but Kansas put him on hold for Josh Childress. OUCH!

Are these all just happenstance or is there a legit correlation?

Logical minds, I'm sure, will see the connection.

[UKFAN]

Now that is a mouth full. You would think a coach with Tubby's rep wouldn't have so many player problems. Maybe he just isn't as good as some have thought and think he is. Todd and Barnhardt need to step forward and take corrective action and replace Tubby after this season. I see at least 13 losses and probably a first round loss in the SEC and NCAA (even if we make it to the big dance). And to think people were talking final four and national championships from this team.

[catfan471]

That is a very good post. With the exception that Desmond Allison was forced to leave under the implemented alchohol policy at UK. It was lessened by the time Camara got his.

Also, has Bradley mentioned anything to that effect? And did Morris' parents really say that?

It just seem there is always off the court issues going on with Tubby's teams. The Carruth, Chiles, and Parker thing was awful..did they really laugh at him,if so...when was this?

It seemed players in the 90's and most of Pitino's players had a passion for wearing the Kentucky jersey. They were All-American and Pitino was great with thier talent. The 96 team was loaded and knowone whined or moaned. The 98 had Mills, Sheppard, Padgett, and Turner who all had passion for Kentucky. It seems as Tubby has evolved his players have lost that passion. They take everything for granted and just do understand what it means. Were Mercer and Walker like this before they bolted to the NBA? It seems players now days just want to ride out the storm.

I will say that Fitch, Moss, Sparks, Estill, Prince, Bogans, and Daniels all play/played with a sort of passion.

[Bluewater]

After looking at all that spin, do you work for CBS news?

[golfnsr]

SaulsHairstylist, thanks for bringing all of this together and I just don't know how anyone cannot see the writing on the wall and stop this vbefore it goes any further.

Tubby definitely is in over his head and maybe his post game remarks indicated that he is beginning to realize it.

It is very important that Tubby realizes the Kentucky position is not for him because he will have to leave on his own. - Kentucky will probably not pull the plug on him for at least long enough that he takes the Program down much further.

[DriveFor8]

Saulhairstylist, that is an excellent and extremely accurate post. Tubby must go. He is one of the nicest guys in the world, but we pay him to win, not be nice. Enough said

[MyBlueHeaven]

SHS,
I certainly remember all of those items that you listed above. They are just all the more ominous and disheartening when listed together.

We all remember Team Turmoil. Well, I have a name for this year's bunch-

TEAM TERMINAL! They have no heart and die each game!

[TexasBlue]

Sorry guys, but after yesterdays games, Uk/Indiana and Texas/Duke, I believe things are not as they appear. I simply refuse to believe that facts are facts and nothing I actually see has happened.

I believe nothing I read or see anymore.

Besides, if a bad game comes along, it will make the big wins that much sweeter.

I am going to hide my head back in the sand now. Please, someone tap me on the shoulder when the tide comes in.