Memphis basketball falling apart..

[Louis_Skunt]

I've never seen so many transfer from a team without having a coaching change. They weren't good last year, but its not like they didn't win a few games.

Blood in the water, is something brewing in Memphis?

 

[Cardsstink]

They got sick of the ball line defense.

 

[HoptownCat93]

Because it was a toxic situation before with Pastner and Tubby is cleaning house. More power to him.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Because it was a toxic situation before with Pastner and Tubby is cleaning house. More power to him.

LOL Tubby is going to lose 20 games next year.

 

[stoneycat_20]

Tubby needs to retire.He was fired here, he was fired at Minny..Why would the idiot AD at Memphis hire him there..IDK

 

[3 fan]

Cause Tubby sucks?

 

[DanDrungus]

Tubby dislikes recruiting in general and is kind of a relic coach who will absolutely never be successful again in the climate that D-I cbb finds itself. That said, he is good at most everything else so it's a shame. He should enjoy retirement or take some low level team to a bunch of titles in their league.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Yeah, I'd say it's a combination of things. He's still dealing with a certain culture Pastner had created and he's still dealing with holdovers. Also, some may be realizing Tubby ball isn't as exciting or entertaining. There is a reason he has struggled to recruit everywhere he's been. Players don't want to play his style, which is more deliberate, more focused on defense, and employs an offense that isn't flashy at all.

Truth be told, and don't even start on me accusing me of being a Tubby basher because I love the guy and think he's a good man who loves his players and wants the best for them, BUT... he needs an assistant with a great offensive mind who he allows to run the offense without his micromanagement. That was a big issue when he was leaving UK. He wouldn't hire an elite offensive coach. But that's what he needs. If his teams continue running the same offense he's been running, players will leave and recruits just won't come. That's the long and short of it, in my opinion.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

Because it was a toxic situation before with Pastner and Tubby is cleaning house. More power to him.

He's cleaning house? You're telling me he's choosing to lose nearly every single game next year to rid himself of problems?

 

[spotter34]

Same thing happened at Minnesota and TTU (not to this degree). Tubby is going to do things his way come hell or high water. If Memphis gives him a little leeway he will get it back on track. The only thing is your team will be comprised of players who constantly have to overachieve. His teams play hard but they have to to have a chance, especially against good teams.

If given the chance I think Tubby can win there and make the tourney occasionally but Memphis fans will not recognize their program in a few years. Pastner at least kept getting pretty good talent in there, he just couldn't coach them. Tubby's roster year in and year out will have you pulling your hair out.

 

[DanHalen88]

Yeah, I'd say it's a combination of things. He's still dealing with a certain culture Pastner had created and he's still dealing with holdovers. Also, some may be realizing Tubby ball isn't as exciting or entertaining. There is a reason he has struggled to recruit everywhere he's been. Players don't want to play his style, which is more deliberate, more focused on defense, and employs an offense that isn't flashy at all.

Truth be told, and don't even start on me accusing me of being a Tubby basher because I love the guy and think he's a good man who loves his players and wants the best for them, BUT... he needs an assistant with a great offensive mind who he allows to run the offense without his micromanagement. That was a big issue when he was leaving UK. He wouldn't hire an elite offensive coach. But that's what he needs. If his teams continue running the same offense he's been running, players will leave and recruits just won't come. That's the long and short of it, in my opinion.

Well said. Great post

 

[Mike-D]

Why is everyone jumping ship in Memphis?

 

[kyups01]

Ummm gee, I don't know....maybe because Tubby Smith is a horrendous coach and recruiter?

 

[stoneycat_20]

There a few things he has to do if he wants to win and remain the coach..
1st fire one of his ast maybe Saul and hire a top-notch recruiter with strong AAU ties.He's recruiting guys with D2 offers
2nd change his style of play..Nowadays kids want to run..Ditch the plowhorse ball
3rd get his ass off the golf course and get to work...Needs better work ethic

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

Tubby needs to retire.He was fired here, he was fired at Minny..Why would the idiot AD at Memphis hire him there..IDK

He wasnt fired here. He left on his own, had his agent poking around in December looking for somewhere else.
He was asked to replace his assistants and he refused to do so. Didn't want to take food out of their mouths.

Right now he has been a wondering coaching gypsy.

As far as his players leaving...to be honest as much as I despise him I have to defend this. It could be he is simply running off guys who do not want to buy in on what he is wanting to do.
South Carolina had a lot of guys leave but look where they are now. Tubby isn't the same coach though.

 

[lennyd250cat]

Crawford can hoop. Cal needs to take a run at him.

 

[hawkin]

Who's coming out next?

 

[barryn2000]

It's complicated...

Oh wait....no it's not.

 

[morgousky]

Penny Hardaway was interested in the job but the Memphis brass wanted a stable hire. Well they got it, stable and steady pile of crap.

I'm friends with a former Memphis beat writer who's national now. We speak routinely and I'm going to contact him sometime this week and ask if his prediction is still that Tubby won't make it past 3 years.

The issue with Tubby is he's not interested in winning at a high level. He's interested in cashing checks and paying friends and family, not necessarily putting the programs in the best spot possible. Anyone familiar with Memphis recruiting knows you have to give in to the system of handlers or you won't get them. Tubby is, as of now, not really in on any top Memphis recruits over the next 4 years. For those that were holding out hope he's going to make it, you can stop now. That's ballgame in Mtown. You have to get city kids. Period.

Word is there's still one more to transfer. The roster is so bad they are expecting 7-10 wins which will be the worst season they've had in decades. Don't forget his loss last year which was the worst Memphis loss in 50+ years.

One of his issues already is the same issue he had in Kentucky, then Minnesota. Saul Smith. Which reverts back to my original point. He's not going to put your program first, his posse eats whether it hurts or not.

Tubby is garbage. He's got a reputation of a "good man" yet robs institutions knowing full well he's not going to put his best foot toward. He's a high school coach that only submits to the college game because Kentucky gave him a name and he uses it to get Rich.

Memphis has destroyed their program by hiring the guy. Any idiot that conintues to support this guy and pump his resume does so with agenda and motives only.

 

[morgousky]

He wasnt fired here. He left on his own, had his agent poking around in December looking for somewhere else.
He was asked to replace his assistants and he refused to do so. Didn't want to take food out of their mouths.

Right now he has been a wondering coaching gypsy.

As far as his players leaving...to be honest as much as I despise him I have to defend this. It could be he is simply running off guys who do not want to buy in on what he is wanting to do.
South Carolina had a lot of guys leave but look where they are now. Tubby isn't the same coach though.

Not the way it happened.

Nothing is wrong with M. Crawford. He wants to play in the NCAA tournament before he's done. He stuck it out with Memphis and earned that much. Tubby freakin Smith has himself to blame. If he had a semi competitive rosters Markel would have stayed.

The Lawson's were a deal that was made before Tubby arrived and he was well aware of it. He knew demoting their father would make them leave. But he just had to put his son on the staff and once again caused that entire situation to explode because of his crazy demands.

There is no excuse in Memphis having a roster of nobody's competing for last place in the AAC. Not even Pasnter was that bad.

Tubby is a waste and he's done. He couldn't even get along long enough to hold a decent team together for a few seasons. The man has a ridiculous mindset, and he knew EVERYTHING before taking the job. He created the mess, and in starting to believe he's just cashing checks until he's fired again. I don't think he wants to win at all.

 

[catzcan]

Tubby doing what Tubby does is what's wrong at Memphis just like Texas Tech, Minnesota and UK. The man is not a good coach and certainly not a good recruiter. How many Team Turmoils did we have? How many 10 loss seasons? Memphis is not interested in losing.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Ask Matthew Mitchell. He probably has some insight.

 

[stoneycat_20]

He wasnt fired here. He left on his own, had his agent poking around in December looking for somewhere else.
He was asked to replace his assistants and he refused to do so. Didn't want to take food out of their mouths.

Right now he has been a wondering coaching gypsy.

As far as his players leaving...to be honest as much as I despise him I have to defend this. It could be he is simply running off guys who do not want to buy in on what he is wanting to do.
South Carolina had a lot of guys leave but look where they are now. Tubby isn't the same coach though.

You can call his leaving what you want....He knew what was coming so he left..Tom Crean could have done the same, but he waited and got the ax..Tubby would have got it too

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

LOL Tubby is going to lose 20 games next year.

10 win Tubby

 

[AlphaKat]

While in Memphis during the tournament I was able to speak with a few memphis fans. They weren't very happy getting him to start with, but they were also happy to get rid of Pastner. Seems like Pastner was doing a better job though lol

 

[mktmaker]

according to cbssports' Gary Parrish

Pretty harsh.

How Tubby Smith made a gigantic mess of Memphis' program in just one year

Six of the Tigers' top eight players have announced they're transferring

by Gary Parris@GaryParrishCBS

A year ago this week, after paying Josh Pastner $1.25 million to (please) take the Georgia Tech job, Memphis offered Tubby Smith a five-year, $15.45 million contract to coach its men’s basketball team. He accepted. What Smith then inherited was a program featuring four former top-100 recruits (Dedric Lawson, K.J. Lawson, Markel Crawford, Nick Marshall) and another top-100 prospect (Charlie Moore) signed to a national letter of intent.

Not bad.

But it’s pretty bad now.

Marshall transferred to a junior college last offseason while Moore instead enrolled at California, where he averaged 12.2 points and 3.5 assists this season. Now Crawford and both Lawsons -- that’s the Tigers’ three leading scorers and rebounders -- have announced they’re also transferring, meaning there are six Memphis players who have said they’re transferring since the end of this season. Only two players (Jeremiah Martin and Jimario Rivers) are set to return. Which led Memphis athletic director Tom Bowen to release the following statement Tuesday morning:

“While student-athletes deciding to leave our university has been difficult to watch, it has not surprised us. Across the country, more than 700 Division I men’s basketball student-athletes transferred last year. That record number of transfers is expected to be eclipsed again this year as this trend continues to grow.”

Two problems here.

1. Smith said last week he was “surprised” by the Lawsons’ transfer. So Bowen’s statement totally contradicts Smith’s statement. How does he not realize that?

2. Though there are indeed roughly 700 Division I men’s basketball transfers each year, it’s important to remember there are 351 Division I men’s basketball programs. So that comes to an average of basically two transfers per school per year. Again, Memphis has six this year -- including its three best players. So what’s happening at Memphis isn’t merely a reflection of what’s happening around the country. To suggest otherwise is at best bad spin. At worst, it’s just a dumb lie.

more at link:

http://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...tic-mess-of-memphis-program-in-just-one-year/

 

[Wall2Boogie]

I'm sure you were just dying to get on here and post how tubby is ruining something else. I really don't get nor will I ever understand why so many people want to crap all over tubby every chance they get. He's been gone here for over ten years. Let it go. That said, this thread will make it 5 pages to keep kicking him around.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

I'm sure you were just dying to get on here and post how tubby is ruining something else. I really don't get nor will I ever understand why so many people want to crap all over tubby every chance they get. He's been gone here for over ten years. Let it go. That said, this thread will make it 5 pages to keep kicking him around.

One reason may be because there is an effort by a few to have his jersey hanging in Rupp Arena some day and Tubby has done nothing to deserve this. His career of jumping from school to school and screwing things up is his legacy. So any chance to show the real Tubby Smith is welcomed.

 

[qwesley]

Well, demoting Lawson and hiring your son is one of most idiotic coaching decisions in the history of college basketball. (fyi, Dave Bliss covering up murder will never be displaced).

 

[~Keyser Soze~]

We need a Memphis board on here.

 

[~Keyser Soze~]

We need a Memphis board.

 

[~Keyser Soze~]

Definitely need a Memphis board.

 

[~Keyser Soze~]

For the love of God, get us a Memphis board.

 

[~Keyser Soze~]

Memphis board now!

 

[EvilMD]

Maybe Pastner was cheating and Tubby refuses to break the rules.

That's what it looks like to me.

 

[Ineverplayedthegame]

Well, demoting Lawson and hiring your son is one of most idiotic coaching decisions in the history of college basketball. (fyi, Dave Bliss covering up murder will never be displaced).

Pretty much the same thing. Nepotism got Lawson his job and it cost him his job. The reality with the way the Memphis program works, if they wanted to hire a has-been, they should have hired someone like Nolan Richardson, Larry Eustachy, Kelvin Sampson, or Larry Brown who would have been much better equipped to deal with the sleaze that surrounds their program.

 

[DS849]

Tulsa 4 yrs, Ga 2 yrs,UK 10 yrs,Minny 6 yrs,Texas Tech 3 yrs Wish I owned his moving company. JS

 

[MWes11]

Will Memphis receive the same backlash from the pundits when they fire him like we did? I'll sit back and wait.

 

[wcc31]

Oh so now the college basketball writers who lauded the hire are realizing it was awful? We told you that last year. We told you that in 2007.

Piss off.

 

[Ben101er]

I'm sure you were just dying to get on here and post how tubby is ruining something else. I really don't get nor will I ever understand why so many people want to crap all over tubby every chance they get. He's been gone here for over ten years. Let it go. That said, this thread will make it 5 pages to keep kicking him around.

Memphis was a mess before Tubby got there. That's why Pastner was forced out.