Ranking The Best "13 Year Eras" In UK History
- Thread starter dlh331
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Dude, this is a crazy good post. Props for compiling.
#2 is actually more seasons under Tubby than under Rick. Speaks to just how good Rick was from 92-97.
Said it for years, in my lifetime the 2 best coaches I've ever seen were Pitino and Nick Saban.
Rick was my era as I was in middle school when he took over. The 90’s were a great time to be a UK fan.
You can’t count the 46 as a title game / championship. The NIT was not comparable to the NCAA that year. All the conference champions were in the NCAA except us. And teams like Muhlenburg rounded out the NIT field.
Ricks era is the best era outside of Rupp and it’s hard to believe anyone ever questioned that.
Again with Calipari’s era. It’s all top heavy. Numbers are what they are but if you apply context it’s not as dominant start to finish as the numbers suggest overall.
Can you imagine how many sleepless nights Pitino has had thinking about if he’d stayed at Kentucky and focused on being a great basketball coach instead of all the side distractions? The man would probably have 5 or 6 championships if not more and be revered.
Instead, he’s a living testament to bad choices.
Instead, he’s a living testament to bad choices.
Rupp’s last 20 seasons/21 years (1952-1972):
2 final 4s
1 runners-up
1 title (last 14 years with no title)
18-16 in NCAAT
I grew up worshiping Rupp, but I guess it was a good thing there was no internet back then…
2 final 4s
1 runners-up
1 title (last 14 years with no title)
18-16 in NCAAT
I grew up worshiping Rupp, but I guess it was a good thing there was no internet back then…
He also won 4 titles. And his last 3 seasons included the 1970 team.
Got to be plenty... had it all and at the perfect time in history. Coach K wouldn't of been able to hold Pitino's jock strap.
I don't have any memories of Rupp era, but the Hall era was very frustrating. Although I didn't think so at the time, looking back now, expectations were unfairly high in his early years.
Maybe with more age, I will look more fairly on his last 8 yrs too, but after the 1978 NCAA NT, expectations were not met at all. The early '80's were difficult, but the '84 FF debacle turned me completely sour on him.
The Pitino years were the best any fan could hope for, maybe partially because expectations were so low coming through probation, but a bunch of slow, undersized, dedicated Ky boys gave us tremendous hope and an insight into his coaching philosophy. The style of play alone was exciting enough to keep us hooked even if they lost, but once he had a little elite talent with 4 year guys coming back every year, we hoped the dream would never end as we held our breath every year while the NBA came calling on him.
Over the years, Pitino has lamented many times about leaving UK.
He thought he needed to win in the NBA to satisfy his ego and prove greatness, but I would bet that he now knows it is almost impossible to be the best at both.
After years of smh, I don't blame him now for chasing his ego- it was what made him great, but everyone except Pitino and the NBA execs chasing him knew he could never get Pros to buy into doing things his way and most people predicted his NBA failure.
I won't be surprised if he has Iona in the FF soon, but now that he has paid the price, had his ego adjusted, and financially secure, I would bet my house he would come back as the lowest paid HC in CBB now if UK offered!
For those of you who only know Tubby and Cal ball, take a couple of weekends and go through the 90's- there are plenty of games on YouTube. Go ahead and watch '98 too, then watch some in 2000 and notice the essential differences.
Then, try to understand why it is so hard to watch Cal ball, especially when we are losing!!
I agree he definitely could have been that guy for sure, but at the same time... whos to say he doenst end up like Cal has after Cal had that historic stretch on 2011-2015? I would defitnely say that RP having 5 or 6 championships at UK in the hypothetical 30 years of him being here would be very ver unlikely and would think him having around 3 or maybe 4 would be the better assessment.
Greeeeed. Greed is not always good. Greed and o Pride killed Rick Pitino a long time ago.
He be ahead of K on the all time greats list. I really believe that.
I do too. Pitino would have four or five rings if he stays at UK.
All has to be taken into context tho. I think Pitinio had an amazing rebuild, but Cal rebuilt it seemingly overnight which was amazing to see. Very top heavy, but outside of NIT and Covid year we have been good every year. Cal just has to get back to the FF and win one more and everything will be alright.
As beautiful as 2015 was a few times, (ucla, ku, wva), 1996 was like that level of destruction almost every game.
96,97,98 we played in 3 straight title games, if Rick didn't lose his nerve in 97 and plays Anderson we probably win 3 straight. Not sure we will ever see that again, certainly not with our current coach, the guy he was his first 5 years here is long GONE. Rick had the fire in the belly while he was here, as did Cal when he first came. Ego and hubris has brought them both down, we need to find another guy that has it.
97 is the first time "players first" burnt the program...
Pitino thinking he was bigger than UK was his undoing. That man was Jordan level in the 90s in this state. He may have been the top basketball figure over MJ to be honest.
I still want to know if the golf game with him Newton and Tubby happened. Been years ago, but I read on here (means it's the gospel right?) that RP wanted to come home but Tubby wouldn't leave and Newton (maybe Ivy or Barny by then) wouldn't pay the buyout.
I am in the camp that had RP never left here, we are title leader and he is considered the Saban-level GOAT
The Rupp years in that stretch were epic and I am sure those of you that can remember them had a fun childhood growing up with UK basketball (assuming we may have very few that were 18+ in 1948 posting here but if so, awesome).
UK really did have a great run from 1992 to 2004, and Tubby's sin was the Elite 8 failures. If he had just made even one more Final Four in 2003 or 2005 I think his tenure is remembered a little more fondly. Cal is in a similar fun now...he needed a big run last year to make up for the 2020-2021 disaster and for most of the season he had it...but then injuries and some choking against an inferior team ruined an otherwise fun season. There is no reason we should have not made at least the Sweet 16 this past season with that draw and honestly if healthy we probably make the Final Four to get the Duke rematch.
UK really did have a great run from 1992 to 2004, and Tubby's sin was the Elite 8 failures. If he had just made even one more Final Four in 2003 or 2005 I think his tenure is remembered a little more fondly. Cal is in a similar fun now...he needed a big run last year to make up for the 2020-2021 disaster and for most of the season he had it...but then injuries and some choking against an inferior team ruined an otherwise fun season. There is no reason we should have not made at least the Sweet 16 this past season with that draw and honestly if healthy we probably make the Final Four to get the Duke rematch.
Pitino probably wins another title, maybe two, if he sticks around. By the mid to late 2000’s most of BBN would have been ready to send him on his way as times would have changed and after a couple of years without a Final Four, he would have been on the hot seat. That is just the way it is at UK. Titles or bust. And it’s really hard to win a title, let alone win multiple titles. He might still be coaching UK right now, but I guarantee he would have as many or more people calling for his job right now. Just the way it works out at UK.
What might have been if the Sutton era would have went as planned?
Sutton had Kemp coming in and Chapman still around when the whole thing went to pot. He had Eric Manuel and Chris Mills. He had LeRon Ellis inside. That’s a killer core to a team. Then he had Sutton, Hanson, Miller, Pelphrey, Woods, Feldhaus, and Farmer on the bench. I’m probably forgetting someone else. Sutton would have had so much talent in 1989 and 1990, UK would have been the favorites, especially if Sutton could have kept Chapman all four years. Don’t forget Rex was just a Soph when he left, in an era when guys rarely left after their Junior years. Chapman, Mills, Manuel, Kemp, and Ellis could have been a deadly lineup for two seasons. At least one title, I would think, maybe back to back (UNLV might have given them a run for their money in 1990).
Downside would have been that Pitino never comes here. So no Mashburn. No ‘96 title, most likely. Sutton probably sticks around through the early 2000’s and grooms Sean to take over.
So the trade off would be no “Kentucky Shame” and probation, but no Pitino, but instead the Suttons for two or so decades, maybe more.
Still would have been fun to watch the team that Sutton had assembled before it all came crashing down.
Sutton had Kemp coming in and Chapman still around when the whole thing went to pot. He had Eric Manuel and Chris Mills. He had LeRon Ellis inside. That’s a killer core to a team. Then he had Sutton, Hanson, Miller, Pelphrey, Woods, Feldhaus, and Farmer on the bench. I’m probably forgetting someone else. Sutton would have had so much talent in 1989 and 1990, UK would have been the favorites, especially if Sutton could have kept Chapman all four years. Don’t forget Rex was just a Soph when he left, in an era when guys rarely left after their Junior years. Chapman, Mills, Manuel, Kemp, and Ellis could have been a deadly lineup for two seasons. At least one title, I would think, maybe back to back (UNLV might have given them a run for their money in 1990).
Downside would have been that Pitino never comes here. So no Mashburn. No ‘96 title, most likely. Sutton probably sticks around through the early 2000’s and grooms Sean to take over.
So the trade off would be no “Kentucky Shame” and probation, but no Pitino, but instead the Suttons for two or so decades, maybe more.
Still would have been fun to watch the team that Sutton had assembled before it all came crashing down.
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