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Cal's Tenure = Pitino's (8 years)

harlanhomeboy

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Feb 5, 2003
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Was thinking today that now is the time to do a true comparison of Calipari's tenure at UK compared to the popular 8-year UK Pitino run since Cal has now completed the same timeframe as coach. I'll start with:

Cal - 1 Title, 1 Runner-Up, 4 Total Final Fours
Pitino - 1 Title, 1 Runner-Up, 3 Total Final Fours

Those are the biggest things that matter so Cal has the edge with an extra Final Four. I'll leave it to others to crunch the other numbers (I'm too lazy).
 
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Was thinking today that now is the time to do a true comparison of Calipari's tenure at UK compared to the popular 8-year Pitino run since Cal has now completed the same timeframe as coach. I'll start with:

Cal - 1 Title, 1 Runner-Up, 4 Total Final Fours
Pitino - 1 Title, 1 Runner-Up, 3 Total Final Fours

Those are the biggest things that matter so Cal has the edge with an extra Final Four. I'll leave it to others to crunch the other numbers (I'm too lazy).
Why only pick the popular "8-year pitino run" for comparison?
3stax didn't arrive at tardvill only eight years ago.
 
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If you remember Coach Pitino lost to Arizona in the 1996-1997 because of the Injury to Derek Anderson and was out for the Tourney. Coach Pitino didn't want to risk Anderson's future but was told he could have played in the Final Four. Then in 1997-1998 Tubby Smith takes over Pitino's team and wins it all. So, if Coach Pitino would had stayed longer at UK and if Anderson doesn't get hurt we could had 3 National Championships in a row with Coach Pitino. Coach Pitino's recruiting back in late 90's and heading into the early 2000's was like Coach Cal's recruiting is today. If Coach Pitino doesn't head to Boston Celtics for all that money and stays at UK who knows with his Recruiting and Coaching how many Titles UK would have today.
 
If you remember Coach Pitino lost to Arizona in the 1996-1997 because of the Injury to Derek Anderson and was out for the Tourney. Coach Pitino didn't want to risk Anderson's future but was told he could have played in the Final Four. Then in 1997-1998 Tubby Smith takes over Pitino's team and wins it all. So, if Coach Pitino would had stayed longer at UK and if Anderson doesn't get hurt we could had 3 National Championships in a row with Coach Pitino. Coach Pitino's recruiting back in late 90's and heading into the early 2000's was like Coach Cal's recruiting is today. If Coach Pitino doesn't head to Boston Celtics for all that money and stays at UK who knows with his Recruiting and Coaching how many Titles UK would have today.
And if "ifs and buts" we're candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas. He didn't, that's it period. There are what ifs with every team. Bledsoe's ankle wasn't healthy that tournament with Wall and Cousins. Willie's injury, Poytress injury, and so on. UK may have won 10 or they may have never made another Title game. Not sure he could have won that title with those guys Tubby did that year. No sense in giving the man something he didn't do.
 
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If you remember Coach Pitino lost to Arizona in the 1996-1997 because of the Injury to Derek Anderson and was out for the Tourney. Coach Pitino didn't want to risk Anderson's future but was told he could have played in the Final Four. Then in 1997-1998 Tubby Smith takes over Pitino's team and wins it all. So, if Coach Pitino would had stayed longer at UK and if Anderson doesn't get hurt we could had 3 National Championships in a row with Coach Pitino. Coach Pitino's recruiting back in late 90's and heading into the early 2000's was like Coach Cal's recruiting is today. If Coach Pitino doesn't head to Boston Celtics for all that money and stays at UK who knows with his Recruiting and Coaching how many Titles UK would have today.

Growing up on the farm, I remember my dad telling me "iffin the frog had wings he wouldn't skin his ass sliding down the creek bank"
 
It's a tough comparison because the status of the program when they took over was night and day. It was not good when Cal took over but it was 10x worse when Pitino took over.
Mashburn was the game changer when he signed on. If not for him, things might have looked completely different. Same for the Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe class. They made it popular for the top guys to come as a unit to compete. Revolutionary actually.
 
If you remember Coach Pitino lost to Arizona in the 1996-1997 because of the Injury to Derek Anderson and was out for the Tourney. Coach Pitino didn't want to risk Anderson's future but was told he could have played in the Final Four. Then in 1997-1998 Tubby Smith takes over Pitino's team and wins it all. So, if Coach Pitino would had stayed longer at UK and if Anderson doesn't get hurt we could had 3 National Championships in a row with Coach Pitino. Coach Pitino's recruiting back in late 90's and heading into the early 2000's was like Coach Cal's recruiting is today. If Coach Pitino doesn't head to Boston Celtics for all that money and stays at UK who knows with his Recruiting and Coaching how many Titles UK would have today.

The choice not to play Anderson in the FF was Pitino's. To give him credit for not using him is unrealistic IMO. Also, Pitino himself said he did not think he would have won it all in 98. I heard him say it... He was complimenting Tubby's job with the 98 team. To say he was on the verge of 3 straight NC's is generous...

And Cal's classes are rated much higher than Pitino's were/are. Different styles... Freshmen played little roles for Rick then, same as now. Delk was a non factor as a frosh. Mercer was the only one I remember being a big factor......
 
If you remember Coach Pitino lost to Arizona in the 1996-1997 because of the Injury to Derek Anderson and was out for the Tourney. Coach Pitino didn't want to risk Anderson's future but was told he could have played in the Final Four. Then in 1997-1998 Tubby Smith takes over Pitino's team and wins it all. So, if Coach Pitino would had stayed longer at UK and if Anderson doesn't get hurt we could had 3 National Championships in a row with Coach Pitino. Coach Pitino's recruiting back in late 90's and heading into the early 2000's was like Coach Cal's recruiting is today. If Coach Pitino doesn't head to Boston Celtics for all that money and stays at UK who knows with his Recruiting and Coaching how many Titles UK would have today.
I can guarantee you we would be ahead of UCLA by a couple

Pitino hate him or not was on the cusp of INCREDIBLE GREATNESS at Kentucky that would have been unmatched and put the program light years ahead of everyone else
 
Mashburn was the game changer when he signed on. If not for him, things might have looked completely different. Same for the Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe class. They made it popular for the top guys to come as a unit to compete. Revolutionary actually.
Could you imagine a top recruit going to a program that was not on live TV and banned from post season play these days?
 
Pitino's teams weren't tournament eligible his first two years. His first team wasn't even allowed on live television.

Cal has been great, but I can't say he's been better than Rick.

It's fun to hate on Pitino, but his teams also commited to a style of play and had roster make-ups that were highly popular with the fanbase. More so than the model that Cal is working with IMO.
 
I think he left lexington because there weren't enough italian restaurants.
Woulda coulda shoulda. i'm not gonna revere him because of what he maybe would have achieved at uk.
 
I can guarantee you we would be ahead of UCLA by a couple

Pitino hate him or not was on the cusp of INCREDIBLE GREATNESS at Kentucky that would have been unmatched and put the program light years ahead of everyone else
Donovan won back to back. Got the next #1 class. Then didn't go back to a championship game. Don't bank on something that you thought might have happened.
 
I can guarantee you we would be ahead of UCLA by a couple

Pitino hate him or not was on the cusp of INCREDIBLE GREATNESS at Kentucky that would have been unmatched and put the program light years ahead of everyone else

NO way pitino wins 8 titles at uk. Lmao
 
We're not Florida.
Neither were we during Tubbys last years or BCG's tenure either. Our teams will only be as good as the coach. That's how college basketball is now. It helps that we're Kentucky, but you're not getting players based on school name alone anymore.
 
You're seriously comparing what might've been accomplished under RP to Tubby or BCG final years?
 
You're seriously comparing what might've been accomplished under RP to Tubby or BCG final years?
No. Can you read? I said that you can't give someone credit for what might have been because there's no guarantee of it happening. Actually statistically it's unlikely it would've happened the same way. Florida pulled off a back to back, a number one class with a revolutionary coach and never turned it into another title. It's no guarantee. You said "We're not Florida". My comparison showed that even though we're Kentucky, it didn't save us through bad coaches.
 
No. Can you read? I said that you can't give someone credit for what might have been because there's no guarantee of it happening. Actually statistically it's unlikely it would've happened the same way. Florida pulled off a back to back, a number one class with a revolutionary coach and never turned it into another title. It's no guarantee. You said "We're not Florida". My comparison showed that even though we're Kentucky, it didn't save us through bad coaches.

I can read but the conversation was about what might've happened under RP. What that has to do with Tubbys screw ups or BCG's abysmal tenure, I'm just not getting.
 
I can read but the conversation was about what might've happened under RP. What that has to do with Tubbys screw ups or BCG's abysmal tenure, I'm just not getting.
That only had to do with your "We're not Florida" comment. Even though I thought comparing Pitino to Donovan and predicting success was a fair comparison. Heck, we even begged for him to coach after Tubby was gone because we thought he was the next Pitino. I'm sure if he jetted off to UK, the UF fans would still be talking about how many more championships he would have won there.
 
That only had to do with your "We're not Florida" comment. Even though I thought comparing Pitino to Donovan and predicting success was a fair comparison. Heck, we even begged for him to coach after Tubby was gone because we thought he was the next Pitino. I'm sure if he jetted off to UK, the UF fans would still be talking about how many more championships he would have won there.

I wanted Donovan the day RP left.

I see what you're saying now. And I can see how us not being Florida wasn't enough to overcome Tubbys laziness or BCG's ineptitude. Or even, as you said, bad decisions. But we were on a run under RP that would've continued for a while, in my opinion. Whether that would've resulted in more NCs, hard to tell.
 
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I wanted Donovan the day RP left.

I see what you're saying now. And I can see how us not being Florida wasn't enough to overcome Tubbys laziness or BCG's ineptitude. Or even, as you said, bad decisions. But we were on a run under RP that would've continued for a while, in my opinion. Whether that would've resulted in more NCs, hard to tell.
Thank you. And you may be right. He could have possibly won many. As much as I can't stand UL or Pitino today, he did save the program. Hopefully Cal wins another 1-2 and ends the debate.
 
I wanted Donovan the day RP left.

I see what you're saying now. And I can see how us not being Florida wasn't enough to overcome Tubbys laziness or BCG's ineptitude. Or even, as you said, bad decisions. But we were on a run under RP that would've continued for a while, in my opinion. Whether that would've resulted in more NCs, hard to tell.
Billy would have been a stretch at that time. He was in his 3rd year as a head coach coming off a 13-17 season at Florida and yet to make any post season tournaments. That's just not a chance that a program coming off back-to-back National Championship games take.
 
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Andersen's injury isn't even as bad of an injury as losing Alex Poythress in 2015 season.

Alex Poythress injury will always be considered the greatest loss in UK history.

Also, why are we fighting against each other about whether Pitino years or Cal years were better? Both were great, and both were great times to be a UK fan.

Hopefully, we can continue with Coach Cal's tenure for another 8 years with another title and 4 final fours.
 
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Why only pick the popular "8-year pitino run" for comparison?
3stax didn't arrive at tardvill only eight years ago.
As much as fans want to hate the man, Pitino came to UK and helped revive a program on probation. Similarly, Cal came in after Tubby had become complacent and made us relevant again.
Both have done great things but I truly believe Cal's best yrs are going to be the next 5-7. Cal has now managed the program to be the ultimate vehicle for recruits to reach their dreams. He should be able to enjoy the fruits of his labor all while having family close by his side.
 
Billy would have been a stretch at that time. He was in his 3rd year as a head coach coming off a 13-17 season at Florida and yet to make any post season tournaments. That's just not a chance that a program coming off back-to-back National Championship games take.

No more of a chance than Tubby "I took Georgia to the Sweet 16" Smith.
 
No more of a chance than Tubby "I took Georgia to the Sweet 16" Smith.
Disagree. In a 3 year stretch, Tubby took Tulsa to 2 Sweet Sixteens and UGA to 1. Combined, those 2 programs had been to 3 Sweet Sixteens in their history prior to Tubby. He went to 3 in 3 years.
 
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