Right. Because you don’t understand basketball I’m not a real UK fan?
But that’s ok, once the personal attacks start I know you have nothing else.
Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Tubby, Calipari. Give each coach equal talent over 10 years. which coach has the most success to least success
- Thread starter TopCatCal
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But that’s ok, once the personal attacks start I know you have nothing else.
Plus there ends up being a lot of history revision.
Absolutely. People also compare the best of the former coaches against the worst of the current one.
I honestly don't think any other coach could have handled all the personalities and drama of the freshmen teams we had under cal early on. Not to mention they couldn't recruit them anyways, which is back to the dumb fantasy part of it all.
I was mostly responding to that utter nonsense bs you said about Tubby. If you think that what you said is true, you have no credibility m
of the coaches you listed only one won a championship without a roster full of NBA talent
97 Arizona was a much better team than 98 Utah. Also, Arizona, UNC and a couple of other really good teams went down before UK had to play them.
That's a good point. 96 was loaded and had like 5 first round picks.
Tubby had 3 nba first picks.
Hall had only 2 first round picks.
Rupp had a lot of nba guys as well.
The thing people don't bring up is all these coaches had their best players more than one season and all only managed to win just a title except the legend n Rupp.
1. Tubby
2. Pitino
3. Rupp
4. Joe B
5. Sutton
6. BCG
7. No Coach
8. Cal
2. Pitino
3. Rupp
4. Joe B
5. Sutton
6. BCG
7. No Coach
8. Cal
I remember my first UK basketball game with my parents and other family members. (I come from a long line of UK supporters and graduates.) It was spring of 1966 and I was 7 years old. I got to see Coach Rupp in action. After that 1st game, I was hooked. So thanks to Coach Rupp for instilling that great love of all things UK, especially baaketball.
Are you kidding. Joe B brought in6 5-stars regularly? His best recruiting classes were in 1971 when he had Flynn, Connor and Grevey, all 5-stars, 1974 when he brought in Robey, Givens, Lee and Phillips. Of those 4, I think only Robey was considered a 5-star. Then there was 1979 when he brought in Bowie, Minniefield and Hord, all 5 stars. Name me 1 year when Joe B ever brought in 6 5-star recruits. In 1983 he brought in Walker, Bennett, Master and possibly Dicky Beal, but that's 4 recruits and I'm not at all certain that all 4 were 5-stars. Even Rupp, after his great run from 1948-51 when he possibly did have 6 on the roster, never brought in 6 5-stars in one year, but I might be wrong. In 1967 he brought in Casey, Pratt, Issel and maybe Argento and Talent, but I'm not sure that Pratt, Argento and Talent were 5-star recruits. What is more, I can't recall Joe ever having 6 5-star recruits on the team at one time. If I'm wrong, please correct me.
In 1985, he had 8 McDonald’s All Americans.. 7 in 1984. 7 in 1983. 6 in 1982. 6 in 1981. For clarification, those were total number on the roster. I like Joe B, but he had a TON of talent during his time at UK.
If Hall had 8 in 1985, 7 in 84, and 6 in 81 and 82, then that doesn't speak well of Hall because I can only recall one year when Cal had as many as 6, and that was 2014. Hall coached 13 years will that kind of talent and went to 3 FFs: 1975, 1978 and 1984. Cal went to 4 in his first 6 years, and each coach won 1 title. Yet just about everyone has Cal in last place, even behind Sutton. Personally, I think Pitino did the most with the talent he had and we were close to being a dynasty when he left. Hall, Cal and even Rupp should have won more than they did, but NCs are hard to win and we all know the best team doesn't always win. UCLA won 8 titles between 1964 and 1972, all years when Rupp was still coaching. Sure, UCLA and Wooden cheated with Sammy Gilbert's help, but UK never even played UCLA during any of those years. We lost to the likes of Ohio St, Marquette, Jacksonville, Western Kentucky, Florida St, Mid Tennessee and there was another horrid NCAA loss to another mid-major in either 80 or 81. I think the game had really passed Rupp by a few years before he retired. I too liked Joe but I agree, he definitely wasted a lot of talent.
Thanks for setting the record straight about the number of MD AAs during the Joe B Era. I really didn't recall UK having that many and I was attending UK from 1970-74. I began following them in 1966, the year of Rupp's Runts.
I think this is probably accurate provided Rupp adjusted to modern rules and strategies. Every other one is closer to a more modern style within the 3 point system.
I think you nailed it on the head, except I think Tubby might out coach Sutton, Tubby's problem was he hated recruiting.
Say you are Cal hater or have only followed UK basketball for last 3 years without saying you are Cal hater or have only followed UK basketball for last 3 years
Yeah…I’m a little young to really remember the Joe B years. I was 9 when he retired. He was a heck of a recruiter but had a number of disappointing seasons. His 1985 roster that you talk about had the following McDonald All American’s:
Kenny Walker
Ed Davender
Winston Bennett
Brett Bearup
James Blackmon
Roger Harden
Richard Madison
Cedric Jenkins
Its just impossible to compare eras. Today's players would not put up with Rupp, which isn't a knock on Rupp just a statement about the difference in how things are now days. The fact we're giving him these players in this hypothetical is the first problem. In Rupp's day HE decided if you were going to come play for him. Now we have multi-million-dollar coaches begging high school kids to consider their school. That alone would have driven Rupp crazy.
So the question really is who was the best "in game" coach. Rupp benefitted from a lack of emphasis on BB in the SEC but proved his chops on a national level thru the 50's. Then the game past him by a bit.
Pitino & Tubby were both excellent in game, obviously Pitino being the better recruiter.
Sutton a drunk and cheater so I have little more to add there.
Hall is interesting in that he had the hardest job of all, following a legend, breaking color barriers, playing zone. One could argue he was the most flexible of all these coaches, but those of us old enough remember jokes about not letting guards shoot or plodding offenses.
So guess what .... we've been pretty damn lucky to have a number of great coaches here the last nearly hundred years. They were all stubborn and a bit set on their own style, which worked at least most of the time.
Pitino and Hall were the only two that left of their own choosing and their own time. Rupp and Smith were "allowed to resign". Sutton and Billy Clyde fired and I think you could argue alcohol a factor in both.
That leaves Cal. Checks all the same boxes. Has had great success. Stubborn. What remains is how he'll exit. Will he pick it or will he stay longer than he should? Cal's own words were "10 years is about as long as anybody can do this". Barnhart changed that with a contract nobody could turn down. But nothing lasts forever. And I hope we turn the narrative around and find lightning in a bottle again. If not, Cal will be like Tubby and Rupp and pushed out.
So the question really is who was the best "in game" coach. Rupp benefitted from a lack of emphasis on BB in the SEC but proved his chops on a national level thru the 50's. Then the game past him by a bit.
Pitino & Tubby were both excellent in game, obviously Pitino being the better recruiter.
Sutton a drunk and cheater so I have little more to add there.
Hall is interesting in that he had the hardest job of all, following a legend, breaking color barriers, playing zone. One could argue he was the most flexible of all these coaches, but those of us old enough remember jokes about not letting guards shoot or plodding offenses.
So guess what .... we've been pretty damn lucky to have a number of great coaches here the last nearly hundred years. They were all stubborn and a bit set on their own style, which worked at least most of the time.
Pitino and Hall were the only two that left of their own choosing and their own time. Rupp and Smith were "allowed to resign". Sutton and Billy Clyde fired and I think you could argue alcohol a factor in both.
That leaves Cal. Checks all the same boxes. Has had great success. Stubborn. What remains is how he'll exit. Will he pick it or will he stay longer than he should? Cal's own words were "10 years is about as long as anybody can do this". Barnhart changed that with a contract nobody could turn down. But nothing lasts forever. And I hope we turn the narrative around and find lightning in a bottle again. If not, Cal will be like Tubby and Rupp and pushed out.
I can’t comment on rupp because basketball today is not what it was when he was owning cbb. It’s almost a different sport. I know this though. Pitino is the best coach in my lifetime of getting the most out of the least. The guy develops players like no one else. Then tubby is the best in game coach we’ve had in my lifetime. So these two guys will come out on top with equal talent imo. We know cal needs insane talent and luck to win.
So here’s my list based off coaches in my lifetime
Pitino
Tubby
joe B
Sutton
Bcg
Cal
So here’s my list based off coaches in my lifetime
Pitino
Tubby
joe B
Sutton
Bcg
Cal
Rupp built the program...4 titles; but was sliding at the end.
Hall maintained it in the late 70s, won a title, played for another but began to slide in the 80s. 9% in 84.....we all know.
Sutton.....we all know. 86 Ricky Blanton....is he still at LSU??
Pitino took the program when it was at an all time low and built it into the Roman Empire of college basketball. In my lifetime the 92-97 years were the most fun to watch. The 93 team just destroyed teams. 96...the greatest team ever; 97 is a basket or FT or two away from back to back. Program was at an all time high when he left. UKregained the all time win lead under his watch.
Tubby took the program at an all time high and slowly began a slide with a couple of possible years at greatness. Left the program on low side.
BCG....we all know.
Cal took the program when it was at a low and for six years began to build a juggernaut. The last four years though the program is sliding downhill.....all time lead lost....loss to St. Peters in 1st round...blown opportunities when the seas parted for chances at the F4. What does this season hold for UK? Time will tell.
But he couldn’t beat UConn, Wisconsin, St Peters, Evansville, or K state: You should never post again.
With equal talent, I’d say:
Pitino
Rupp
Hall
Cal
Sutton
Rupp was the best till right after the Texas Western Game. Then health issues made him fall way off and he did not know when to quit.
RUPP
Pitino
Tubby Hall and Cal after that. The rest does not matter.
RUPP
Pitino
Tubby Hall and Cal after that. The rest does not matter.
I see your perspective but the exercise is to see how everyone ranks UK’s coaches in terms of their ability to actually coach. I think the topic is highly relevant and not as antagonistic as you’re making it out to be.
It’d be like saying, if all plumbers in the state of Kentucky had the same tools from the same manufacturer who would be your top 10 plumbers in terms of their ability to spot and stop a leak?
Recruiting is a very important aspect of the job. But as we’ve seen over the past several years it doesn’t matter who you have if you can’t get the best out of them.
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All that matters is the results in college....
I get it however... elite players today don't want to work as hard as Pitino makes his players play. But how you not gonna reference how elite UK was during Pitino when he got elite players?
There had to be some mis-ratings on the 84-85 listing as that team went 18-11. I know some were freshmen....but 18-11 with those Mds?
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