For those alive and aware during Wooden’s run which was worse for UK fans in real time

[TheOtherGreatOne]

I hate both. Wooden would not have done shit without Sam Gilbert's money. Then he lied to the ncaa by saying he did not know who Gilbert was, even though he rode to the away games on the team plane. Even after all this came out the ncaa did nothing to ucla and let them keep all those national titles. That was the biggest farse in ncaa history, even worse than the north carolina academic scandal. Everyone that knows anything about basketball knows what a slymeball duke's coach is. He sucks so bad that I refuse to even write his name, however you spell it.

 

[kywildcats8]

I hate both. Wooden would not have done shit without Sam Gilbert's money. Then he lied to the ncaa by saying he did not know who Gilbert was, even though he rode to the away games on the team plane. Even after all this came out the ncaa did nothing to ucla and let them keep all those national titles. That was the biggest farse in ncaa history, even worse than the north carolina academic scandal. Everyone that knows anything about basketball knows what a slymeball duke's coach is. He sucks so bad that I refuse to even write his name, however you spell it.

Wooden had lots of help from Sam Gilbert: https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-08-la-sp-0609-wooden-gilbert-20100609-story.html

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

The rumor was that UCLA had a well healed booster that had an open checkbook. Many of UCLA’s players were supposedly bought. How else do you get Alcindor from New York to Los Angeles to play for a mediocre coach. I believe the booster was a person by the name of Sam Gilbert. Don’t think anyone cared to look into the rumor.
Duke has not been proven guilty of any irregularities in recruiting, but in my opinion, too many things have bee Sept under the rug by the NCAA

Sam Gilbert was not a rumor. He was real and ended up being banned from the ucla games, but they were allowed to keep all those championships that Gilbert bought. Worst cheating done by any school in history.

 

[Gromcat]

I am old enough to vote for UCLA and Wooden. I was in college when they started their run by winning their very first NCAA title. Walt Hazard was their main man.

Until then they were mediocre as a program. But they took the art of cheating to a level it had never been before. Hollywood money is hard to compete with. So for a decade everyone played for second place. They actually had freshmen teams that could beat the varsity and the varsity was the defending NCAA Champs. Lew Alcindor was a freshmen (ineligible to play varsity) and his team beat the varsity. And easily.

Bill Walton followed Alcindor and was touted as better than Alcindor. He was tough and played hard. Both came close to never losing a college game. UCLA with Wooten will always be my most hated college program. And I underline with Wooden

Glad to see your post. I’ve found that if you’re older and a Mantle fan in baseball you’ve got the ingredients for perfect outcomes in opinions 😃

No disrespect to Stan (couldn’t get by without throwing that in).

I’ve always wondered if that’s why Rupp doesn’t get discussed much these days by the National media. Hell we hear more about Dean Smith than Rupp and he didn’t come close to the guy in hardware or promoting the game as we play it today. Maybe Wooden winning to that level in the end hurt his legacy more than we realize.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

K should have had 10 titles with the talent he's had getting at least 3 top 15 players every year for the last 25 years. K has had players funneled his way too, not just by one man but by shoe companies and others over a longer period.

He has had all those players that were supposed to be so great. When they got to the nba, most of them were mediocre, or busts. The guy from Boston is the exception. Like their coach, i don't write his players names down either. Did I say, I hate everything duke.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

During the old days, there were only 25 teams in the tournament and there byes. UCLA had little competition out West since most of the good teams were East of Mississippi. They always got a bye and and the easy bracket. Don't think Wooden would have done as well in today's 64 team field.

He wouldn't have done anything even back then if it weren't for Sam Gilbert's money. Alcindor would have went to St. John's and Walton would have went to San Diego State. Without those 2 guys, college basketball would have been totally different.

 

[docholiday51]

Sam Gilbert's $$$$ fueled Wooden's run but K was funded by we may find out one day. Even without knowing K source for paying players he rivals Dean Smith and his Afro American Studies program in his reign of a cheating dynasty. So glad he is gone, I hope they lose early so I can celebrate the rest of the NCAAT without him being around and dominating the conversation.

 

[JC CATS]

That would be Sam Gilbert

Lol, yeah I edited it. Dang Wal Mart lol

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

UCLA bought all their titles. Outside of their 12 year dynasty they are a garbage program with a garbage history and only a handful of final fours and one title. If Dook did such a thing, which I suspect, we won’t know for a few years.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

I’m ecstatic we’ll never have to see K on the sidelines after this year. Too bad they have so many alumni in the media, the NBA, and NCAA. They’ll continue to try to prop up Dook.

It’s smart. I wish UK would start putting our alumni in positions of power. No idea why we never have. We’d be have prevented a lot of bullshit like Higgins the Rooferee and the near-death penalty. And we wonder why UK is treated like the ugly step-child of college basketball.

 

[Cawood86]

Was it worse than what we’ve experienced under K’s. I was born in 85 but my father never shut up about the 75 final four. I asked him this question and he told me both will burn in hell lol. “I don’t know it doesn’t f’n matter both will burn” to be exact. Hard to get straight Kentucky answers out of that guy. Man does he hate Wooden though, but it’s tough to tell which he hates more. And this is coming from a staunch Baptist and deacon, so the hate is real. Lol he never talks like that.

So which was worse? If you weren’t alive during Wooden’s run please don’t vote. Just curious to see what the older UK fans think on this. You can post hate comments about them though.

Gonna say this....don't hate. I just don't. But K to me is the bigger fraud. Wooden's run was before I really knew much. I was 7 or 8 in 75'.

K has carried himself as some higher being and is the true carrier of integrity and honor. Such a phony person. I don't like Wooden at all because it'e well documented they were cheating like fiends, but I respect him way more than K.

ESPN, Vitale, and most well known sports "journalists" have perpetuated this myth that K is how everyone else should do it on CBB. He is pompous, arrogant and fake. I have zero respect for him, that school, and that program and anyone who supports them in any way. They are the epitome of hypocrisy.

 

[jameslee32]

Rupp was late to fully integrate the game is the bottom-line. Hall embraced it but UCLA already had about 9 titles by then although the Wizard's tenure was during my childhood.

 

[Gromcat]

I’m ecstatic we’ll never have to see K on the sidelines after this year. Too bad they have so many alumni in the media, the NBA, and NCAA. They’ll continue to try to prop up Dook.

It’s smart. I wish UK would start putting our alumni in positions of power. No idea why we never have. We’d be have prevented a lot of bullshit like Higgins the Rooferee and the near-death penalty. And we wonder why UK is treated like the ugly step-child of college basketball.

My father always told me Kentucky doesn’t kiss the ring we take the ring.

They’ve hated us for years.

 

[Gromcat]

Rupp was late to fully integrate the game is the bottom-line. Hall embraced it but UCLA already had about 9 titles by then although the Wizard's tenure was during my childhood.

Not enough black guys on the basketball court?

 

[PhattyJ4UK]

We crapped the bed with the best team by far twice right before Duke.

That's what sucks the most.. tho we would most assuredly have had to overcome a unc elite 8(think it was the Higgins) type whistle where even the acc Homer's couldn't deny it.

 

[jameslee32]

Not enough black guys on the basketball court?

Rupp was the king of the fast break but the next step in this evolution was to go all in with integration. The SEC made that hard.

 

[jrpross]

The biggest difference to me is that K looks more like a rat and Wooden more like a mouse. They’re really just 2 entirely different rodents.

 

[yoshukai]

I hate both. Wooden would not have done shit without Sam Gilbert's money. Then he lied to the ncaa by saying he did not know who Gilbert was, even though he rode to the away games on the team plane. Even after all this came out the ncaa did nothing to ucla and let them keep all those national titles. That was the biggest farse in ncaa history, even worse than the north carolina academic scandal. Everyone that knows anything about basketball knows what a slymeball duke's coach is. He sucks so bad that I refuse to even write his name, however you spell it.

The NCAA sure punished the hell out UNLV for Sam Gilbert and his money though didn’t they .

 

[dcw62]

The 75 loss to UCLA was as bad as the 92 loss to Duke.I despise each of those programs with equal passion.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

UCLA bought all their titles. Outside of their 12 year dynasty they are a garbage program with a garbage history and only a handful of final fours and one title. If Dook did such a thing, which I suspect, we won’t know for a few years.

Did you know that before Gilbert's money that Wooden and ucla lost to the University of Evansville when they were a division 2 program.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

The biggest difference to me is that K looks more like a rat and Wooden more like a mouse. They’re really just 2 entirely different rodents.

They both look like cheaters to me.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

Not enough black guys on the basketball court?

When Rupp's Runts beat duke in the first game of the 66 final 4, did you know duke didn't have any black players on their team either. You never hear about that do you ?

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

Glad to see your post. I’ve found that if you’re older and a Mantle fan in baseball you’ve got the ingredients for perfect outcomes in opinions 😃

No disrespect to Stan (couldn’t get by without throwing that in).

I’ve always wondered if that’s why Rupp doesn’t get discussed much these days by the National media. Hell we hear more about Dean Smith than Rupp and he didn’t come close to the guy in hardware or promoting the game as we play it today. Maybe Wooden winning to that level in the end hurt his legacy more than we realize.

I was a Mickey Mantle fan as well as Joe Pepitone fan. That means that I am a very old man. That were the days man. No bills, didn't have to work, no worries what so ever.
, just played baseball and basketball all day long when I wasn't in school, and listening to Cawood calling Kentucky calling games on the radio. I even turned the sound down on the tv, and listened to Cawood, instead of listening to Joe Dean yelling string music. Those days were a long time ago.

 

[lhub]

That '75 loss was so painful. I also always resented Wooden for that retirement announcement. Alcindor and Walton (each played 4 years I think) are why they will be hard to catch for NCAA ch wins. Walton used to Joke that he took a pay cut when he went pro

 

[NKYWildcat]

The current Duke situation seems worse because of more media and the fawning over the self centered Coach K.

 

[Smashcat]

Think it's gotta be Coach K/Duke by a landslide. Coverage of sport/media is so much more intense

This!

 

[KENTUCKY_FLYER]

Truth is they were both great coaches and good men. We hate them because some years they equaled UK and some years they were better than UK. Were chasing one with 10 titles and ones chasing us with 5 titles. These guys are no different than Rupp or Cal, except that three of them could coach and one can't. The one that cant coach is one hell of a recruiter, but he's like having Megan Fox for a girl friend and never being able to get it up.

 

[Catluv]

Lol, yeah I edited it. Dang Wal Mart lol

Walmart would be to cheap to give up any money!! Lol

 

[yes_takeaside]

That '75 loss was so painful. I also always resented Wooden for that retirement announcement. Alcindor and Walton (each played 4 years I think) are why they will be hard to catch for NCAA ch wins. Walton used to Joke that he took a pay cut when he went pro

No they only played 3 years each.

As for 75, UL had UCLA on the ropes in the semis. They had a 2 point lead and the ball inside the last minute with no shot clock. Denny Crum had inserted a seldom used sub because he knew UCLA had to foul. Not sure but thinking his name was Terry Howard. Kid had not missed a FT all year, something like 27-27. Sure enough UCLA fouled him, gonna say with less than 20 seconds to go. He makes the FT and UCLA is eliminated. But he missed and Bruins tied it with a bucket with 5 seconds left and won in overtime.

BTW, that UCLA team lost by 20 in their last regular season game.

 

[starchief5]

The Wooden Era in basketball was pretty much like Nick Saban and Alabama football now. Championships were theirs to lose.

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

K should have had 10 titles with the talent he's had getting at least 3 top 15 players every year for the last 25 years. K has had players funneled his way too, not just by one man but by shoe companies and others over a longer period.

Well when you think about it he could've got a school to atleast 10 or at 11.

It would be impossible for a single coach to do that this day in age. But let's say K came here after Joe b and then proceeded to win the 5 he has. That would add to the 5 we already had.

But yes, K has had teams that underchived themselves. That 99 team was stacked, the zion team was stacked..many others too.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost]

which did you hate more as a UK fan. That’s what the poll is about. Good info though.

Definitely Wooden cheated more than K did, mean nasty guy to his players the rudest coach to officials I 3ver saw. UCLA boosters I mean huge money guys funneled huge sums to players, media NCAA looked the other way. I hated that guy growing up

 

[bluefaithful]

If you have not seen the 75 team play, you are missing a very good Kentucky team. I think it was Joe B Hall best coaching job. Just impressive!! They came to play ball and they did.

 

[Ripcord65]

I didn't dislike Coach Wooden, and I don't dislike Coach K. I will never get over Laettner stomping Aminu Timberlake in the stomach with Aminu lying on his back ... and my despite of Laettner has made it impossible for me to feel anything other than unkindly toward Duke. I admire and appreciate people who enjoy long-term success in any endeavor, and those two certainly fit that bill. And as an aside ... the last time I bet on any sports event was when I lost $100 on the 'Cats in the '75 Finals.

Best to all.

 

[Topps Cat]

During the old days, there were only 25 teams in the tournament and there byes. UCLA had little competition out West since most of the good teams were East of Mississippi. They always got a bye and and the easy bracket. Don't think Wooden would have done as well in today's 64 team field.

Also, though, during those times, a team had to win their conference to get a NCAA bid. Second place finishes meant nothing . Every conference game was important, unlike now when some teams are brought along slowly and play for March. Back then, a team better be ready to go on December 1. Of course, freshmen were not eligible and sophomores were equivalent to todays freshmen. Starting line-ups were mostly juniors and seniors who were battled tested.

 

[Johnfarrel]

Also, though, during those times, a team had to win their conference to get a NCAA bid. Second place finishes meant nothing . Every conference game was important, unlike now when some teams are brought along slowly and play for March. Back then, a team better be ready to go on December 1. Of course, freshmen were not eligible and sophomores were equivalent to todays freshmen. Starting line-ups were mostly juniors and seniors who were battled tested.

That's true. I believe there were freshmen teams that played against other freshen teams.

 

[Blue63Madison]

I met Wooden about 25 years ago, in his seats at Pauley Pavilion. It was still 30 minutes or so before tipoff, so he invited me to sit and talk. To this day, he’s still the kindest and most gracious celebrity I’ve ever met. He got a kick out of me being from Kentucky and being a huge UK fan. I was only 12 in 1975, so I couldn’t say a lot about that, other than I definitely remembered it. I got a Wooden plaque and he personally autographed it for me. Even included my name on it. I still have it.

I have never had any ill feelings towards Wooden, even before I met him. I know Sam Gilbert was supposedly taking care of players once they got to UCLA, but Wooden recruited them, taught them, and coached them up. And they played a pretty style of basketball. If we’re going to accuse UCLA of cheating, we have to acknowledge the fact UK wasn’t exactly clean during the 70’s (and 80’s) either.

As for K, what he’s done at Duke is incredible. I don’t hate him, because Duke isn’t a rival of ours, but he definitely comes across as an insufferable prick. Just like his mentor, Bobby Knight. I doubt anyone, other than Duke fans, will miss him.

 

[Blue63Madison]

During the old days, there were only 25 teams in the tournament and there byes. UCLA had little competition out West since most of the good teams were East of Mississippi. They always got a bye and and the easy bracket. Don't think Wooden would have done as well in today's 64 team field.

This is a myth. UCLA had to beat some pretty good PAC 8 teams several different years. Look up the AP rankings. Then compare it to the SEC at the time.

 

[blackcat714]

Wooden since he won twice as many as K.The 75 final and the 92 Laettner shot were the two worse looses i can recall for the two coachs.

 

[docholiday51]

Sam Gilbert notwithstanding, UCLA was on another level for about 10 years. There was UCLA....................................... every other college team,sure Elvin Hayes and Houston won a game only to be destroyed in the NCAAT. It was like the Globetrotters vs the Generals. We won't see the like again or at least I hope not. There was really no use in playing those years, in the end UCLA was going to win.