21 years ago yesterday...

[KingOfBBN]

I was sad when Pitino left but it was a silver lining , this guy had to much of a ego , underline evil, things work out for us, wish we would have got Cal sooner..

I guess it's all about timing. Calipari was still with the Nets and was almost two years away from being fired. Donovan hadn't achieved anything yet when he was available in 1997 although many of the players wanted him as the coach, apparently. I guess Cal needed that 2006-2008 run to make him real appealing and by not getting him in 2007, we likely avoided the Derrick Rose stuff.

 

[morgousky]

I think we dodged a bullet. That's who Rick Pitino is. It would have shown itself eventually.

A title, another title game appearance, and the foundation of another championship, then he's gone? We got the good without letting him hang around for the bad.

I think we would have seen a scandal like the restaurant issue, but hookers in dorms I doubt happens at UK. The Adidas thing definitely wouldn't have happened as Pitino would have been a God at UK and had the program to recruit to. Sort of like Cal from Memphis to Kentucky, he doesn't have to cheat here for players. Rick wouldn't have either.

I don't think it would be nearly as bad, and we'd have 3-6 titles with him right now had he just stayed put and committed himself to college.

 

[morgousky]

Pitino's last 2 recruiting classes at UK were:

1996 class
Jamal Magloire

1997 class
Myron Anthony
Michael Bradley
Ryan Hogan

That 97 class was only because they knew he was gone. It killed him 9n the recruiting trail.

 

[gjcollins79]

We got a 2-fer out of Rick. He rebuilt our program to the point that we were in consecutive title games. Later he went to our instate rival and burned their program to the ground making them a national laughing stock in the process.

Took one program from the ashes to the penthouse and then took another from the ceiling to the ashes.

 

[KingOfBBN]

This was the moment when I truly hated Pitino.


Trying to push that Ford and Pelphrey garbage on us.

 

[DSmith21]

Took one program from the ashes to the penthouse and then took another from SQUIRTING ON the ceiling to the ashes.

FIFY

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I like it. It dispelled the idea that programs don't matter. Louisville ruined Pitino, and it hurt his name recognition as well even before the issues. Pitino was a coach K type of name at the end of his UK days. He was never seen as that guy again on a national front once he went to louisville.

He was actually a bigger name than K even BEFORE he won that title here in 1996. Crazy but true.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Because he was leaving and everyone knew he was leaving. If he weren't, those classes would probably look a lot different.

Unless you're assuming that even in this hypothetical world where he stays at UK forever that he still flirts with the NBA every year.

I agree. The real shitty thing is that UK/Pitino very easily could've basically buried what Duke became, had he stuck around. That great class with Avery and Brand doesn't happen at Duke. Think back to Duke 1995 thru 1997. They were pretty lackluster. That Elton Brand class pulled Duke out of their funk. Duke got their mojo back the very season after Pitino left. Pitino had the college basketball world by the ass, while here at Kentucky. There's really no denying that fact.

 

[Rockford]

Not going to look for the exact quote when he left but something along the lines of:

There will be a lot of greatness for the man who can restore the Boston Celtics to their former glory.

It was always about him and not the program. A word to the wise.

Love your avatar...... I still have that SI.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

This was the moment when I truly hated Pitino.

View embedded media

Trying to push that Ford and Pelphrey garbage on us.

Don't ever forget this UK fans. Rick was not our friend when he left Lexington. It was all about him

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

What I still find somewhat surprising is that Pitino legitimately thought he could have UK fans “transition” into being UL fans... wtf ?

That's just how big his ego is...you're somewhat surprised he tried, he's dumbfounded that it didn't work.

 

[KingOfBBN]

That's just how big his ego is...you're somewhat surprised he tried, he's dumbfounded that it didn't work.

What’s weird is that he spent eight years here and didn’t understand the BBN.

This program is bigger than any player or any coach.

 

[Madcat62]

Loserville Legendary????? I think not. No way Jose.

he didn't leave UK for ul he left for boston

 

[Kentucky fan 1989]

Last time I respected Pitino was during Bill Keightley's memorial. Seriously he and Billy Gillispie were the best speakers there.

 

[Kentucky fan 1989]

Just out of curiosity, do you remember how you found out he left?

 

[Hoskins91]

Sgt. Pepper told the band to play.

 

[stenchymouse]

What I still find somewhat surprising is that Pitino legitimately thought he could have UK fans “transition” into being UL fans... wtf ?

He thought that everyone was emotionally invested into him and his career...

Narcissist!

 

[Ky-troutbum]

Rick Pitino brought this program from the ashes to the top program in the nation in a short period of time, for that I thank him. He brought all his problems on himself, and I thank him again for not doing it at UK, to much success is hard to handle he couldn't handle it.

I'm thankful for what we accomplished while he was here.
AND I'm thankful for what he did to loserville as well!

 

[2Adulterers]

The Sypher stuff is what was one of the worst things about him.

But I can agree that I doubt he has to do that crap with the resources and reputation of UK.

If the Sypher scandal happened at U.K. Pitino would have been fired that day Jurich was scared to put a new Coach in the brand new YUM! Center so he overlooked Pitino horndogg act and Prez Ramsey was stealing uavel blind so he didn’t give a rats ass

 

[55wildcat]

Don't ever forget this UK fans. Rick was not our friend when he left Lexington. It was all about him

It was all about him WHEN he was in Lexington as well

 

[Sawnee Cat]

It was all about him WHEN he was in Lexington as well

It sure was and that was evident from his first press conference if one listened carefully to what he was saying. To hear him talk Rupp Arena had never been filled up or sold out. He was clueless about UK basketball. It was "me"

 

[jameslee32]

I think we would have seen a scandal like the restaurant issue, but hookers in dorms I doubt happens at UK. The Adidas thing definitely wouldn't have happened as Pitino would have been a God at UK and had the program to recruit to. Sort of like Cal from Memphis to Kentucky, he doesn't have to cheat here for players. Rick wouldn't have either.

I don't think it would be nearly as bad, and we'd have 3-6 titles with him right now had he just stayed put and committed himself to college.

Yeah but 2-4 with asterisks.

 

[jameslee32]

21 years ago today Amazon went public at $18 a share and with 250 employees.

 

[jameslee32]

Pitino's last 2 recruiting classes at UK were:

1996 class
Jamal Magloire

1997 class
Myron Anthony
Michael Bradley
Ryan Hogan

He took a ton of heat for his recruiting that people were either too young to remember or too busy bashing Tubby afterwards. It was literally a bloodbath. I mean if Cal takes heat for recruiting, imagine what the call-in shows and articles were like then.

 

[jameslee32]

That 97 class was only because they knew he was gone. It killed him 9n the recruiting trail.

Excuses. Anderson and Evans were a Godsend as transfers because he wasn't getting it done the way UNC did.

 

[Cindog28]

Pitino committed recruiting violations starting out as an assistant at Hawaii.

Patty Swope, the whole Ron Mercer/Rodrick Rhodes fiasco, and Scott Padgett's arrest are reasons enough for me to say that I'm glad Pitino left UK when he did. To say that he was clean while he was at UK when he cheated at every other job is just wishful thinking.

Funny how karma works.

 

[mj2k10]

He took a ton of heat for his recruiting that people were either too young to remember or too busy bashing Tubby afterwards. It was literally a bloodbath. I mean if Cal takes heat for recruiting, imagine what the call-in shows and articles were like then.

No, that's pretty much wrong.

How much heat could he be getting when UK was going 34-2 and 35-5, with an NCAA Title and an appearance in the title game? Not to mention leaving behind a roster that would go on to win another title.

Recruiting wasn't viewed back then like it is now, with good reason. It wasn't some short-term, every year we need studs type of thing, because the majority of players were going to be around for 4 years.

Pitino took no heat at all for the 96 class, other than some disappointment that Jermaine O'Neal went to the NBA.

Any heat he took for 97 (some of that deserved) came long after he left UK.

 

[jameslee32]

How much heat could he be getting when UK was going 34-2 and 35-5, with an NCAA Title and an appearance in the title game? Not to mention leaving behind a roster that would go on to win another title.

Recruiting wasn't viewed back then like it is now, with good reason. It wasn't some short-term, every year we need studs type of thing, because the majority of players were going to be around for 4 years.

Pitino took no heat at all for the 96 class, other than some disappointment that Jermaine O'Neal went to the NBA.

Any heat he took for 97 (some of that deserved) came long after he left UK.

Wrong.

Despite all that success and style of play, it was hit and miss his entire time here with regards to the top HS players. Joe Hall and Eddie Sutton were better recruiters than Slick Rick.

The title came much later in Year 7. Prior to that his recruiting did not put UK on par with UNC or keep the critics at bay at all except for one class basically. You either weren't paying attention or weren't born.

He took guys like Jared Prickett calling him the next Larry Bird. He had JUCO's like Rodney Dent and transfers like Mark Pope that he tried to convince people were as good as the top HS players. Even the great success he had with Delk, Rhodes, McCarty and company only produced Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer and a PG that couldn't shoot, Wayne Turner as freshmen. Mercer from right down the road in Nashville and at the very last minute.

The guy was a great coach and snake oil salesman rolled into one. He was great at getting transfers like Travis Ford and mostly players I would characterize as 3 and 4 stars, then developing them. Not the 5 stars Cal gets.

 

[mj2k10]

Wrong.

Despite all that success and style of play, it was hit and miss his entire time here with regards to the top HS players. Joe Hall and Eddie Sutton were better recruiters than Slick Rick.

The title came much later in Year 7. Prior to that his recruiting did not put UK on par with UNC or keep the critics at bay at all except for one class basically. You either weren't paying attention or weren't born.

He took guys like Jared Prickett calling him the next Larry Bird. He had JUCO's like Rodney Dent and transfers like Mark Pope that he tried to convince people were as good as the top HS players. Even the great success he had with Delk, Rhodes, McCarty and company only produced Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer and a PG that couldn't shoot, Wayne Turner as freshmen. Mercer from right down the road in Nashville and at the very last minute.

The guy was a great coach and snake oil salesman rolled into one. He was great at getting transfers like Travis Ford and mostly players I would characterize as 3 and 4 stars, then developing them. Not the 5 stars Cal gets.

And that has what to do with what?

UK was 183-30 in Pitino's last 6 years at UK. You may have been sitting in Idiotville bitching about his recruiting, but almost no one else was. The 92 class was #1 in the country. 94 saw him bring in a top 5 player, and then 2 top 10 players in 95. And I have news for you- transfers are players too. I remember Travis Ford, Mark Pope, Derek Anderson, and Heshimu Evans all being very good players for UK.

And Pitino was winning big the entire time that was going on. There weren't a whole lot of people complaining about recruiting, and any attempt to portray it that way is absolute bullshit.

 

[jameslee32]

And that has what to do with what?

UK was 183-30 in Pitino's last 6 years at UK. You may have been sitting in Idiotville bitching about his recruiting, but almost no one else was. The 92 class was #1 in the country. 94 saw him bring in a top 5 player, and then 2 top 10 players in 95. And I have news for you- transfers are players too. I remember Travis Ford, Mark Pope, Derek Anderson, and Heshimu Evans all being very good players for UK.

And Pitino was winning big the entire time that was going on. There weren't a whole lot of people complaining about recruiting, and any attempt to portray it that way is absolute bullshit.

It has to do with recruiting.

Sorry to burst the fantasy bubble you were led to believe in regards to Pitino. Slick Rick was missing on the top HS guys consistently. In 8 years he might have only gotten 3 or 4 top 10 guys total. These are the same things fans bitch about today with Cal. The winning was great then and is now but has nothing to do with the recruiting expectations of a fanbase wanting more.

Again, this has ZERO to do with the results and the quality of player his guys became in college but more to do with recruiting them out of HS. Rankings, Mickey D's, etc.

 

[mj2k10]

It has to do with recruiting.

Sorry to burst the fantasy bubble you were led to believe in regards to Pitino. Slick Rick was missing on the top HS guys consistently. In 8 years he might have only gotten 3 or 4 top 10 guys total. These are the same things fans bitch about today with Cal. The winning was great then and is now but has nothing to do with the recruiting expectations of a fanbase wanting more.

Again, this has ZERO to do with the results and the quality of player his guys became in college but more to do with recruiting them out of HS. Rankings, Mickey D's, etc.

No, it has to do with you trying to rewrite history.

You made a post talking about how Pitino was "taking a ton of heat" for his recruiting. That's utter bullshit. Almost no one was complaining about his recruiting while he was at UK. He had stacked rosters and was winning a ton of games.

You can go back and talk about all the guys he missed on, but that's just hindsight that has 0 to do with the reality of 1991 to 1997.

 

[jameslee32]

No, it has to do with you trying to rewrite history.

You made a post talking about how Pitino was "taking a ton of heat" for his recruiting. That's utter bullshit. Almost no one was complaining about his recruiting while he was at UK. He had stacked rosters and was winning a ton of games.

You can go back and talk about all the guys he missed on, but that's just hindsight that has 0 to do with the reality of 1991 to 1997.

Nobody in your circle may have been complaining but I assure you I heard it and read it. The recruiting periods were often not kind to Pitino in those years and if you were following closely, you would have heard it also. Certainly once the season starts, most people naturally focus more on the product on the court.

Winning creates these expectations as you can see with Cal. Only now it's magnified by social media and everyone carrying Rivals with them wherever they go. So the intensity has magnified.

Feel free to bury your head in the sand or I might suggest you do some research. GBB

 

[*CatinIL*]

What I still find somewhat surprising is that Pitino legitimately thought he could have UK fans “transition” into being UL fans... wtf ?

Yeah, that was pretty stupid...sorry Rick...UK fans are UK fans...not Coach fans!

 

[mj2k10]

Nobody in your circle may have been complaining but I assure you I heard it and read it. The recruiting periods were often not kind to Pitino in those years and if you were following closely, you would have heard it also. Certainly once the season starts, most people naturally focus more on the product on the court.

Winning creates these expectations as you can see with Cal. Only now it's magnified by social media and everyone carrying Rivals with them wherever they go. So the intensity has magnified.

Feel free to bury your head in the sand or I might suggest you do some research. GBB

Like I said, you must have been living in Idiotville.

Idiotville is more a state of mind than a place, and always has people complaining. So maybe its citizens were bitching about Pitino's recruiting. They had far less of a voice back then without widespread internet.

But what's even more likely is that you're attempting to rewrite history, harkening back to internet fights of the early 2000's, when there very much was a contingent that tried to place blame for Tubby's struggles at the feet of Pitino.

 

[shutzhund]

I was sick of his flirting with NBA teams and his egocentric belief that he was what made UK basketball important. I was happy when he left and suspected his basketball coaching wasn't going to work in Boston.

Didn't know he was such a narcissist but I guess the signs were there once you stripped him of the UK reputation.

 

[jameslee32]

Like I said, you must have been living in Idiotville.

Idiotville is more a state of mind than a place, and always has people complaining. So maybe its citizens were bitching about Pitino's recruiting. They had far less of a voice back then without widespread internet.

But what's even more likely is that you're attempting to rewrite history, harkening back to internet fights of the early 2000's, when there very much was a contingent that tried to place blame for Tubby's struggles at the feet of Pitino.

Nice strawmen, your defense is admirable.

 

[mj2k10]

Nice strawmen, your defense is admirable.

I'm sorry you live in reality denial. But everything I've said is accurate.

No coach who wins as much as Pitino did at UK takes a ton of heat for anything, except among morons. Any attempt to portray a reality in which there was widespread discontent among UK fans about Pitino, in regards to pretty much anything, has nothing to do with how things actually were in 1997 and everything to do with what has happened since then.

It's like the people who want to claim that Tubby Smith was a terrible candidate for the UK job in 97, and Billy Donoovan was the obvious choice. That's an attempt to rewrite history from hindsight, since Donovan at that time was a 31 year old with 3 years head coaching experience who had never coached a single game in the NCAA Tournament, coming off a 13-17 season, while Tubby was reigning SEC COY, with 3 Sweet 16's on his resume'.

And, BTW, a TON of UK fans would have been ecstatic if Pitino had ended up back at UK when he got axed in Boston, before he decided to go to Louisville.

You can try to ex-post facto all you want, but you're still very, very, very wrong.

 

[jameslee32]

 

[kybloo92]

This topic came up from a caller on KSR last week. Was it any of you here in this thread? Seemed coincidental giving the timing of this thread and a call soon after.