U of L Victory

[CardHater]

I have been holding this back, but I just can't anymore. I know on the main thread BC would remove it so here it is on this thread. Here we go.

I hate to say anything, because most take it the wrong way, but good grief. After the win on Saturday it is like all of the problems everyone had with Tubby just disappeared. When we were having a tough time these problems were problems that had been going on for eight years and had showed no signs of dissipating. It was like we had never had any success under Tubby Smith and things were just getting worse and worse.

Many kept saying this just wasn't true. We have had plenty of success. As a matter of fact other than winning a title we had beens as successful as a program could possibly be over the last three years. Yet Tubby was constantly thrown under the bus. Some were even somehow insinuating that Rajon Rondo had better ideas of how to coach this team than Tubby Smith did. Even now the credit for the victory Saturday is being given to Tubby meeting with him and playing more to his style.

I don't think this is really the case. On Saturday we came into the game with the exact same game-plan we had all year long. Play hard-nosed defense, score in transition, and score in the half-court by playing inside out. This has always and will always be Tubby's game-plan. We didn't change to some magical new formula of basketball to win the game on Saturday. If that was the case then what was the difference you may ask.

Well the difference from where I sat was execution from the players and commitment from Tubby to the players. The players executed the way they should have been doing all year long. They played defense with tenacity and got the ball inside on offense. Tubby did make one major change in his coaching to help us win. He changed his substitution patterns and that did help. That has been one fair criticism of his coaching this year and others and he honestly tried to change that.

Now what did come out of the meeting with Rondo that really helped us out if we didn't change our style of play dramatically because of it like the media seems to be saying. Well the major key was that Tubby and Rondo got on the same page. Rondo wanted to be a more critical part of the game-plan than he was being. Tubby wanted Rondo to take more of a leadership role on the team and to be more aggressive. The meeting helped them understand that what they wanted was really the same thing. Tubby wants Rajon to be an extension of him on the court and Rajon wanted Tubby to allow him to do that. What came of it was the impressive game on Saturday.

1. Rondo played much more aggressively on defense and in the half-court offense. He drove to the basket more and hawked Dean the entire game.

2. Rondo was a much more vocal leader. Tubby did much less yelling Saturday, but Rondo did a lot more. At the game I noticed Rondo yelling at guys many times in the half-court set on offense. I heard him yell "MOVE" at least five times. As we all know movement is the key to the motion offense we have attempted to run and movement on offense was key to our success on Saturday.

The next big key to Saturday's win was that two post players in particular showed up to play, which is two more than had showed up the rest of the year. We got a great performance and effort from Lukas Orbzut and Sheray Thomas. Both had career highs in rebounds and points. If they can keep it up then the sky is the limit for this edition of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Anyway I just wanted to get that off my chest. Remember guys:

DECEMBER WINS DO NOT A SEASON MAKE,
AND DECEMBER LOSSES DO NOT A SEASON BREAK

[BlueCat]

cardhater said:

I have been holding this back, but I just can't anymore. I know on the main thread BC would remove it so here it is on this thread. Here we go.

Now I'm the board Gestapo.

For the record I would not remove it, but I would move it if it turned into a Tubby fight. That's what the hot tub is for and you did the right thing posting it here.

As for the post itself I would have to say that I agree with much of what you said.

The gloom and doom came from a total lack of energetic play the entire season so far leading up to the UL game. There just appeared to be no hope for the team if they continued to play that way. The UL game gave us two things to feel great about.

1. A win over UL...............great in anyone's book
2. A sense that the team is capable of having an inside game and some life.

Yes, give Tubby credit for a major part of that since he was taking the blame for much of the prior.

One game hasn't changed the minds of those that think Tubby isn't the right man for the job, but it did at least give room step back and say OK that's more like it lets see if Tubby can keep that up.

JMO. ;D

[4UKtrey]

cardhater said:

I have been holding this back, but I just can't anymore. I know on the main thread BC would remove it so here it is on this thread. Here we go.

I hate to say anything, because most take it the wrong way, but good grief. After the win on Saturday it is like all of the problems everyone had with Tubby just disappeared. When we were having a tough time these problems were problems that had been going on for eight years and had showed no signs of dissipating. It was like we had never had any success under Tubby Smith and things were just getting worse and worse.

Many kept saying this just wasn't true. We have had plenty of success. As a matter of fact other than winning a title we had beens as successful as a program could possibly be over the last three years. Yet Tubby was constantly thrown under the bus. Some were even somehow insinuating that Rajon Rondo had better ideas of how to coach this team than Tubby Smith did. Even now the credit for the victory Saturday is being given to Tubby meeting with him and playing more to his style.

I don't think this is really the case. On Saturday we came into the game with the exact same game-plan we had all year long. Play hard-nosed defense, score in transition, and score in the half-court by playing inside out. This has always and will always be Tubby's game-plan. We didn't change to some magical new formula of basketball to win the game on Saturday. If that was the case then what was the difference you may ask.

Well the difference from where I sat was execution from the players and commitment from Tubby to the players. The players executed the way they should have been doing all year long. They played defense with tenacity and got the ball inside on offense. Tubby did make one major change in his coaching to help us win. He changed his substitution patterns and that did help. That has been one fair criticism of his coaching this year and others and he honestly tried to change that.

Now what did come out of the meeting with Rondo that really helped us out if we didn't change our style of play dramatically because of it like the media seems to be saying. Well the major key was that Tubby and Rondo got on the same page. Rondo wanted to be a more critical part of the game-plan than he was being. Tubby wanted Rondo to take more of a leadership role on the team and to be more aggressive. The meeting helped them understand that what they wanted was really the same thing. Tubby wants Rajon to be an extension of him on the court and Rajon wanted Tubby to allow him to do that. What came of it was the impressive game on Saturday.

1. Rondo played much more aggressively on defense and in the half-court offense. He drove to the basket more and hawked Dean the entire game.

2. Rondo was a much more vocal leader. Tubby did much less yelling Saturday, but Rondo did a lot more. At the game I noticed Rondo yelling at guys many times in the half-court set on offense. I heard him yell "MOVE" at least five times. As we all know movement is the key to the motion offense we have attempted to run and movement on offense was key to our success on Saturday.

The next big key to Saturday's win was that two post players in particular showed up to play, which is two more than had showed up the rest of the year. We got a great performance and effort from Lukas Orbzut and Sheray Thomas. Both had career highs in rebounds and points. If they can keep it up then the sky is the limit for this edition of the Kentucky Wildcats.

Anyway I just wanted to get that off my chest. Remember guys:

DECEMBER WINS DO NOT A SEASON MAKE,
AND DECEMBER LOSSES DO NOT A SEASON BREAK

Great Post That is what really bothered me the most was how it was Bibby and Rondo that made that win possible. Because all I know and I know I'm not alone on this. Tubby has been HOLLERING at Rondo all year to push it. IMO,I think next Tubby has to yell at him(Rondo) to GO he should be benched. Just like I tell my kids there is nothing worse than having to get on your children(Players) about the same things OVER,and OVER again. Next time Tubby just needs to bench him and tell him you will be yanked and sit on the bench until you get it through your head to PUSH THE DAMN BALL at all times. ED

[kj]

The problems aren't over. That was a very overrated UL team. We are averaging 71 ppg with 6 games being vs outright patsys. Tubby's offense will break down often and as the season goes on Tubby will begin to micromanage again. Unless we play consistent great defense I think this team loses 10 games unless Morris has improved a lot. We still have very little at the forward positions and other than Rondo the guard play hasn't been great. Lucky we have 3 more cupcakes, we might get up to 80 points once or twice. IMO Tubby isn't the right man for UK basketball. Look at the Tubby yes or no thread. A dukie wants us to keep Tubby forever, why? Cause he says Tubby is a solid coach but he won't achieve to the level we should expect. When your main rivals say that; it is hardly a ringing endorsement for our coach.

[TexasBlue]

kj, it's kind of like George Steinbrenner giving his manager the ole vote of confidence.

[BlueCat]

kj said:

The problems aren't over. That was a very overrated UL team. We are averaging 71 ppg with 6 games being vs outright patsys. Tubby's offense will break down often and as the season goes on Tubby will begin to micromanage again. Unless we play consistent great defense I think this team loses 10 games unless Morris has improved a lot. We still have very little at the forward positions and other than Rondo the guard play hasn't been great. Lucky we have 3 more cupcakes, we might get up to 80 points once or twice. IMO Tubby isn't the right man for UK basketball. Look at the Tubby yes or no thread. A dukie wants us to keep Tubby forever, why? Cause he says Tubby is a solid coach but he won't achieve to the level we should expect. When your main rivals say that; it is hardly a ringing endorsement for our coach.

When did Duke become one of our big rivals? IMO they aren't a rival at all unless we happen to be playing them. As for the Tubby yes or no thread it's not at all scientific, and proves nothing. The Dukie just wants to stir the pot a little here and baited us. You took the bait.

[kj]

No bait there. If you talk to fans of other teams they are all happy we have Tubby. They know we will be good to very good with Tubby but they feel that UK will never be back where it was in the 90's with Tubby. I think they're on the money.

[MyBlueHeaven]

bluecat2 said:

kj said:

The problems aren't over. That was a very overrated UL team. We are averaging 71 ppg with 6 games being vs outright patsys. Tubby's offense will break down often and as the season goes on Tubby will begin to micromanage again. Unless we play consistent great defense I think this team loses 10 games unless Morris has improved a lot. We still have very little at the forward positions and other than Rondo the guard play hasn't been great. Lucky we have 3 more cupcakes, we might get up to 80 points once or twice. IMO Tubby isn't the right man for UK basketball. Look at the Tubby yes or no thread. A dukie wants us to keep Tubby forever, why? Cause he says Tubby is a solid coach but he won't achieve to the level we should expect. When your main rivals say that; it is hardly a ringing endorsement for our coach.

When did Duke become one of our big rivals? IMO they aren't a rival at all unless we happen to be playing them. As for the Tubby yes or no thread it's not at all scientific, and proves nothing. The Dukie just wants to stir the pot a little here and baited us. You took the bait.

Yes, but the bait was too painfully true.

[BlueCat]

I hear a lot more fans from other teams that say they would love to have Tubby as coach.

I guess it's a matter of what you want to hear.

At least that is my opinion.

[4UKtrey]

bluecat2 said:

I hear a lot more fans from other teams that say they would love to have Tubby as coach.

I guess it's a matter of what you want to hear.

At least that is my opinion.

I've heard the same thing. And of course in Defense of the coach. That '98 team's bench was not good enough to win with Pitino. Hell some say that was one of the reasons he left he didn't have very good recruiting years 2 years in a row(because of the rumors(truth) of him going to the NBA(That came out of Shane Battier and Jason Williams mouths). Set offense work ask dUKe, Syracuse, Maryland, UConn. I could go on for hours on the schools that uses a set offense. And RUNS on the opportunity. JMO. ED

[golfnsr]

"One game hasn't changed the minds of those that think Tubby isn't the right man for the job, but it did at least give room step back and say OK that's more like it lets see if Tubby can keep that up." - posted BC

BC, you took the words right out of my mouth and stated it better than I could.

One game isn't going to trump the under achievement of the last 3 or 4 years of not playing exciting Kentucky Basketball, not recruiting Kentucky quality elite players for the correct positions and not getting to the Final Four.

I really hope that Tubby may have undergone a metamorphosis to be a more energetic and positive coach that reinforces players confidence instead of taking away the freedom to utilize their natural talents, of course within the game plane.

Now, since CH had to get that off his chest, I now feel liberated also.

I do hope that the Louisville game was the rule of how we will play the rest of the year and not just an exception.

[BlueCat]

The UL game was certainly a sample of what this team is capable of. I realize that UL wasn't as good as their ranking, but had Tubby not made the changes he made we would most likely have lost that game.

Let's hope it continues.