Are we sure we want Scott Drew?

[azurricat2010]

UK's winning percentage since 2020 is 63.5%.

Scott Drew's career winning percentage? 64.6%

I don't think Drew is that guy to get UK back to where we want them. The problem is there's not many who can other than Donovan, Hurley and Oats.


Added: Baylor since 2020 around 75%, since 2015 72%, since 2009 71%

UK: 63.5%, 72%, 77%

Added context

 

[Snarks0]

No, I think a lot of fans don’t want him. But, Mitch doesn’t care what we want. He was ready to keep Cal another year.

 

[azurricat2010]

No, I think a lot of fans don’t want him. But, Mitch doesn’t care what we want. He was ready to keep Cal another year.

For sure, just going by all of the polls the past few days. Drew being at 40% seems way too high.

 

[ala_kat2]

Do we need another thread on this? Just be glad the NBA promoter and “rolling out the balls guy” is gone.

 

[UPSCat4080]

UK's winning percentage since 2020 is 63.5%.

Scott Drew's career winning percentage? 64.6%

I don't think Drew is that guy to get UK back to where we want them. The problem is there's not many who can other than Donovan, Hurley and Oats.

That includes:

-Starting a complete rebuilt at a disasterous program
-Being in his early 30's running a D1 program
-Playing in the most competitive conference in college basketball
-Being at FREAKING BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

 

[docholiday51]

Drew or Beard who is the better fit?

 

[JerseyCat84]

Mitch has never given a shit about what the fans want.

 

[UKUGA]

No. Of course not.

I suspect most do not want him.

 

[The Grubbsfather]

The fact we can’t wait ONE WEEK when we are talking about the next 7-10 years on Billy D is insanity to me!

 

[Farsight]

No, I think a lot of fans don’t want him. But, Mitch doesn’t care what we want. He was ready to keep Cal another year.

Which again puts Mitch in the same category as Cal. Putting their interests above UK's

 

[kenton71]

I'm more than good with it provided there's no 10 year obscene amount of money deal offered.

 

[FirewithFire]

I'm not sure, but at this point I am at peace with the decision if he is the guy. He can recruit and has shown that he can win at a traditionally sub par program. There also aren't that many other realistic choices.

Now if he gets some cushy lifetime contract then Mitch needs to be run out of Lexington on a rail.

 

[meteordealer]

UK's winning percentage since 2020 is 63.5%.

Scott Drew's career winning percentage? 64.6%

I don't think Drew is that guy to get UK back to where we want them. The problem is there's not many who can other than Donovan, Hurley and Oats.

Drew is Tubby 2.0

 

[docholiday51]

No, I think a lot of fans don’t want him. But, Mitch doesn’t care what we want. He was ready to keep Cal another year.

Guess he learned from Cal, fans be damned I'll do what I want

 

[bookerfan66]

I don't want him but nothing I can do about it.

 

[ULisnotmyman]

If we can get Billy Donovan we need to do that. Period.

 

[SemperFiCat]

Few are ecstatic. Few are actually mad. I'm happy Cal is gone and excited about a new era of Kentucky basketball. If Drew is our guy, he'll be my guy. ...til he's not.

 

[Catfan2226]

No. Of course not.

I suspect most do not want him.

I certainly don't want him. He's an OK coach but not built for this job but Barnfart wasn't going to go with anybody else. Mediocrity continues....

 

[azurricat2010]

That includes:

-Starting a complete rebuilt at a disasterous program
-Being in his early 30's running a D1 program
-Playing in the most competitive conference in college basketball
-Being at FREAKING BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Also fair points

 

[crawfords corner]

No but it sounds like people better get used to it

 

[CatFanInIlliniLand]

100% ready.

I like Hurley, Oats & Donovan. Would have been elated with any of them. But if you don’t have enough sense to say Yes to the UK Job (or if you say no multiple times like Billy), then we don’t need you. You can get on the train or get ran over by it. Many of you have got complacent like Cal and you are nervous Nancy’s now that he’s gone.

Bring on Scott Drew if he wants to be here! He’ll make about $5 million a year and should have a low buyout. If he doesn’t get it done in 3-5 years, Mitch will be gone and so will he. Let’s give him a chance and see. Bottom line, UK will be here as long as time. Cal was treading water at the cost of $9 million a year.

 

[catben]

Guess he learned from Cal, fans be damned I'll do what I want

Just look at it this way, if Drew doesn’t work out, we get rid of Mitch too in 3 years. Then the next AD can hire the next big name at the time.

But, if Drew does work out, we will have a great person as our coach and a winner.

 

[KentuckyDad]

He’s a really good coach he’s just not the splash hire that I think is necessary post Cal

Getting Drew is a solid hire, getting Hurley is sending a message to the entire sport

 

[ScottytheBody]

This guy is going to kill it at Kentucky. And get ready, because some of you are going to look stupid very soon. As soon as you realize we aren’t going to miss a beat and will be top 10 year 1, with guys like Edgecombe, and he will immediately pull great players out of the transfer portal. No more Calipari nonsense. And Quantince was waiting on this I bet, that’s why he’s not committed to Cal. He was highly interested in Baylor. Kentucky probably already told him.

Reed could come back, and Perry is going to get to play for a floor coach who WILL PLAY HIM.

You guys are so unreal for not getting how big of a hire this is. I couldn’t even tell what the hell offensive Baylor was running when I was watching, seeing coaching that good has been too long.

Imagine Perry being a lights out shooter and our coach is actually going to GO TO HIM 😃

 

[UKcats1988]

Yea, I’m pretty sure I’d be very happy with this hire.

 

[UK90]

UK's winning percentage since 2020 is 63.5%.

Scott Drew's career winning percentage? 64.6%

This is grotesquely, misleading, given the historically disastrous trainwreck Drew inherited. His first few Baylor seasons he was stuck in a situation where no coach could’ve won.

Recalculate the percentage from about the fourth season on …after NCAA sanctions had finally ended and he’d had a chance to recruit his own full roster … to get a better idea of how he’s done there.

 

[ScottytheBody]

This is grotesquely, misleading, given the historically disastrous trainwreck Drew inherited. His first few Baylor seasons he was stuck in a situation where no coach could’ve won.

Recalculate the percentage from about the fourth season on …after NCAA sanctions had finally ended and he’d had a chance to recruit his own full roster … to get a better idea of how he’s done there.

On paper, it’s literally the BEST hire in the history of this program. lol.

 

[bookerfan66]

On paper, it’s literally the BEST hire in the history of this program. lol.

Too bad they don't play games on paper.

 

[know1]

If he's the guy, I'm all in. His record is tainted by bringing back a terrible basketball school from the brink of death to the top of college basketball.

He's a great recruiter - and getting kids to Waco takes some doing.

With UK's resources, he will kill it.

 

[cat_in_the_hat]

UK's winning percentage since 2020 is 63.5%.

Scott Drew's career winning percentage? 64.6%

I don't think Drew is that guy to get UK back to where we want them. The problem is there's not many who can other than Donovan, Hurley and Oats.

You realize he took over a program with horrible history and coming off a murder coverup. It is no exaggeration to say it was one of the worst jobs in major college basketball. I would count the first 4 years or so of his record because of all he had to overcome. I'm not saying he should be the first call or is the best fit, but if he is the hire fans need to come together. If we continue this negativity, no coach will succeed here at the level we want.

 

[JFCats22]

Drew or Beard who is the better fit?

Drew by a mile

 

[CatFanInIlliniLand]

Scott Drew rebuilt the program those first few years after the murder/cover up. As soon as he got the train back on track, Baylor went on probation in 2010 bc of inappropriate benefits to players. I would like to know more about that. I don’t know exactly what went down there. I think it was an assistant. That would be an important fact to know.

After that, by 2012, he had Baylor in the Elite 8 and one Anthony Davis/UK National champion team away from a final 4.

 

[Catfan2226]

This guy is going to kill it at Kentucky. And get ready, because some of you are going to look stupid very soon. As soon as you realize we aren’t going to miss a beat and will be top 10 year 1, with guys like Edgecombe, and he will immediately pull great players out of the transfer portal. No more Calipari nonsense. And Quantince was waiting on this I bet, that’s why he’s not committed to Cal. He was highly interested in Baylor. Kentucky probably already told him.

Reed could come back, and Perry is going to get to play for a floor coach who WILL PLAY HIM.

You guys are so unreal for not getting how big of a hire this is. I couldn’t even tell what the hell offensive Baylor was running when I was watching, seeing coaching that good has been too long.

Imagine Perry being a lights out shooter and our coach is actually going to GO TO HIM 😃

I've followed college basketball all my life. I'm very aware of what Drew inherited and built at Baylor. I just don't think he's cut out for this job. I like him but he's the wrong choice. Time will tell.

 

[ScottytheBody]

Too bad they don't play games on paper.

Too bad you’re not up to it mentally to understand how good this hire is.

I’ll enjoy our top team this season; with a REAL coach, top players, X’s and O’s, and with a guy who can win titles with a little more than a community college.

You just sit back.

When JQ and Edge get here you’re not allowed to like it either.

 

[TrustinCal]

Don’t want.

You realize he took over a program with horrible history and coming off a murder coverup. It is no exaggeration to say it was one of the worst jobs in major college basketball. I would count the first 4 years or so of his record because of all he had to overcome. I'm not saying he should be the first call or is the best fit, but if he is the hire fans need to come together. If we continue this negativity, no coach will succeed here at the level we want.

No pressure or expectations at Baylor and they have a good football program. Drew is going to pull the remaining hairs off his head his first year.

 

[LXWildcat]

I think Scott Drew is a great guy, very down to earth person. But I don’t think he has what it takes to handle this job. This job is a different animal compared to Baylor

 

[Catfan2226]

I think Scott Drew is a great guy, very down to earth person. But I don’t think he has what it takes to handle this job. This job is a different animal compared to Baylor

Exactly how I feel

 

[cat_in_the_hat]

Don’t want.

No pressure or expectations at Baylor and they have a good football program. Drew is going to pull the remaining hairs off his head his first year.

What if he does?

 

[EliteBlue]

I think he’s a good coach and can/will be relatively successful here…especially compared to the last 5 years.

With that said, my concern (like many others) is personality fit to embrace the full stage and proctor the brand that is Kentucky Basketball. Pitino and early Cal understood the full job description. Tubby/Billy didn’t. We aren’t just any other program…there are dynamics here that isn’t for everyone but if embraced properly is a massive ace up the sleeve.

End of the day, winning big consistently keeps the peace but bland style of play and bland personality that doesn’t embrace the full national public figure aspect of this job will quickly see ppl get antsy quicker if things start to be average results than if the hire is someone with an electric style of play trying to run teams off the floor and fully embracing the celebrity status…it gives a little more captivating hope if you have an average season here and there in the first couple years.

 

[CrimsonCats]

Yes, I’m sure I’m good with him. For the record, Nate Oats would have been my top choice, but Alabama’s boosters apparently made sure he wasn’t available. I do find it ironic though that whenever I and a few other posters spoke positively of Oats in the past couple of years, it was met with a lot of resistance about how he was “flavor of the month” who hadn’t accomplished anything, and now a lot of those same people are furious that we’re hiring a guy who won a national championship only 3 years ago apparently because he’s not brash enough personality wise.

I honestly think a lot of the rage is mostly from people who had convinced themselves that there’s no way we wouldn’t have Hurley if we only pushed hard enough for him, but that was always a longshot at best. If he turned us down (and just because we didn’t send an army to Storrs doesn’t mean he didn’t), then we have to move on. Drew is the anti-Cal in a lot of the ways we’ve claimed to want for years, and it bears repeating, would be the only coach we’ve ever hired with a championship already on his resume. I think he’ll do really well here and doesn’t deserve the hate.