Its early--- Tubby vs Pitino

[millions2spare]

It is early but based on my observations so far this is what I see:

1) Game WATCHABILITY- Plus one for Pitino
Pitino ball will be a lot more entertaining! The style of play is a lot more fan friendly. Might provide some heart attack moments however, with poor shot selection or if we are having a cold nite from 3 pt range. Overall, the entertainment value will be high for the Williams and TV crowd.


2) Player motivation- Plus one for Pitino
The players seem to be having more fun. The team seems to play more loose and at ease. They are not looking at the bench and the players seem to be allowed to make a mistake without worrying about getting pulled or yelled at. I think Pitino believes in the right mix of positive motivation to get the best out of his team.

3) Game Coaching--Neutral

Pitino seems to be a very good coach. The team plays good fundamentals, boxes out on the glass, and plays solid defense even given the shortcomings of the front line. They do not protect the rim as well as Tubby's teams did. This appears to be due to lack of personnel/depth vs system.
Pitino seems to be able to make adjustments based on foul trouble, game conditions, player Performance, etc. Some would argue that Tubby also made adjustments. I think Pitino will grow in this area and get even more creative as a necessity when we get into the Big ten schedule. For example, shifting into the zone last night was not rocket science, but Pitino's timing of the move was perfect. He does not have the experience Tubby did head coaching in big games, in real hostile environments, etc but his ability to get creative and to optimize the use of the talent he has will be interesting to watch develop. I grade this a neutral at this point. Tubby did win a national title as is still regarded as a very good basketball coach.

4) Player Development--Plus one for Pitino

Can Pitino's players improve and play better as a team in February and March. This will be the the determining factor of the Pitino era. Pitino may not be able to recruit many 4 and 5 star players to the U of M. His father does not typically for Louisville either. However, Pitino can recruit 3 star type players that fit his system. Will he and his staff be able to develop them as their careers progress, especially in year 2 and 3? I think he can based on what I see so far in OTTO, Elliot, and (yet to play) Moe walker. The early indications are that Pitino can create an environment where players actually want to get better, get in top physical condition and become the best they can be. How could the Tubby regime ever let Mo walker get 60 lbs over-weight?

5) Intangibles--plus one for Pitino

Enthusiasm, youth, assistant coaches, and the use of advanced Basketball Analytics from APBRmetricians to analyze players, substitutions, and in preparation for opponents will make a big difference. My view is Tubby and his coaching team were stuck in the 80's. Do you think we will see many hockey like line changes this year?

Conclusion: We should all be very enthusiastic about the future of Gopher Basketball program. Starting in 2015 we should expect deeper tournament runs and a lot of success, Go Gophers!

 

[The-Real-Truth]

It is early but based on my observations so far this is what I see:

1) Game WATCHABILITY- Plus one for Pitino
Pitino ball will be a lot more entertaining! The style of play is a lot more fan friendly. Might provide some heart attack moments however, with poor shot selection or if we are having a cold nite from 3 pt range. Overall, the entertainment value will be high for the Williams and TV crowd.


2) Player motivation- Plus one for Pitino
The players seem to be having more fun. The team seems to play more loose and at ease. They are not looking at the bench and the players seem to be allowed to make a mistake without worrying about getting pulled or yelled at. I think Pitino believes in the right mix of positive motivation to get the best out of his team.

3) Game Coaching--Neutral

Pitino seems to be a very good coach. The team plays good fundamentals, boxes out on the glass, and plays solid defense even given the shortcomings of the front line. They do not protect the rim as well as Tubby's teams did. This appears to be due to lack of personnel/depth vs system.
Pitino seems to be able to make adjustments based on foul trouble, game conditions, player Performance, etc. Some would argue that Tubby also made adjustments. I think Pitino will grow in this area and get even more creative as a necessity when we get into the Big ten schedule. For example, shifting into the zone last night was not rocket science, but Pitino's timing of the move was perfect. He does not have the experience Tubby did head coaching in big games, in real hostile environments, etc but his ability to get creative and to optimize the use of the talent he has will be interesting to watch develop. I grade this a neutral at this point. Tubby did win a national title as is still regarded as a very good basketball coach.

4) Player Development--Plus one for Pitino

Can Pitino's players improve and play better as a team in February and March. This will be the the determining factor of the Pitino era. Pitino may not be able to recruit many 4 and 5 star players to the U of M. His father does not typically for Louisville either. However, Pitino can recruit 3 star type players that fit his system. Will he and his staff be able to develop them as their careers progress, especially in year 2 and 3? I think he can based on what I see so far in OTTO, Elliot, and (yet to play) Moe walker. The early indications are that Pitino can create an environment where players actually want to get better, get in top physical condition and become the best they can be. How could the Tubby regime ever let Mo walker get 60 lbs over-weight?

5) Intangibles--plus one for Pitino

Enthusiasm, youth, assistant coaches, and the use of advanced Basketball Analytics from APBRmetricians to analyze players, substitutions, and in preparation for opponents will make a big difference. My view is Tubby and his coaching team were stuck in the 80's. Do you think we will see many hockey like line changes this year?

Conclusion: We should all be very enthusiastic about the future of Gopher Basketball program. Starting in 2015 we should expect deeper tournament runs and a lot of success, Go Gophers!

Not a very smart post. You will get so much love from classless people like Tiny, Jamlo, bca1, mettown.... It has only been 3 games and you make such a conclusion? Are you trying to convince yourself that the future will be bright? As many of us have said, coaching change will not do anything to this program. Here are a few reason that your post is not very good:

Richard is having the same problem as Tubby did to bring good players. Actually Tubby did better in the same time frame.

Richard won't be able to press becasue he doesn't have the players to do it. Tubby had the same problem. One thing that you kids don't know is the fact that Tubby, Rick and BD have the same style of defense. That's why when Rick and BD play Tubby's teams they have problems.

Tubby has been the COY 3 times in his era of coaching.

I like to see coaches like K, Self, Rick, BD, Calamari.... take teams with little talent and perform like Tubby does. He has balls as well as good coaching skills.

Go Gophers

 

[coolhandgopher]

Not a very smart post. You will get so much love from classless people like Tiny, Jamlo, bca1, mettown.... It has only been 3 games and you make such a conclusion? Are you trying to convince yourself that the future will be bright? As many of us have said, coaching change will not do anything to this program. Here are a few reason that your post is not very good:

Richard is having the same problem as Tubby did to bring good players. Actually Tubby did better in the same time frame.

Richard won't be able to press becasue he doesn't have the players to do it. Tubby had the same problem. One thing that you kids don't know is the fact that Tubby, Rick and BD have the same style of defense. That's why when Rick and BD play Tubby's teams they have problems.

Tubby has been the COY 3 times in his era of coaching.

I like to see coaches like K, Self, Rick, BD, Calamari.... take teams with little talent and perform like Tubby does. He has balls as well as good coaching skills.

Go Gophers

Real Truth, it's time for you to move your act on down the road to Lubbock. From the beginning, you've made it expressly clear that you are a Tubby fan, not a Gophers fan-this is a Gophers board and while Millions post may be premature, it speaks of hope, optimism, and anticipation, something that all Gopher fans, fans of the actually program, should be able to enjoy.

And just as it's laughable to compare Pitino to Tubby three games into his Gopher career, it's laughable to say that Richard P's having trouble bringing in good players-both are incredibly premature statements.

In one paragraph you're talking about Tubby getting better talent than Pitino, three paragraphs later, you state that Tubby's teams have little talent; you do realize that Tubby coached for 11 years at Kentucky, one of the premier college b.b. programs in the nation and a magnet for elite recruits, don't you? You do realize that when Coach K, Donovan, and Self (at Illinois) took over their respective programs, they needed to be revitalized, don't you? You do realize that head coaches actually bring the talent onto campus, so when Calipari wins a national title at Kentucky three years into his tenure at UK-it doesn't really matter if Tubby's a better X's & O's man, it's about the results on the court, not some unprovable bar room statement that Tubby is a better coach but with lesser talent? Talent the head coach is responsible for putting onto the roster?

Finally, Tubby's COY 3 times statement needs to be addressed-in perusing his Wikipedia entry, Tubby was awarded two COY awards by two different organizations in 2003 and again in 2005 by another organization. So, technically, three time winner, but twice within one year should be noted. It should be especially noted that the last award was in 2005, which as any Gophers fan knows is before he became the U of M head coach and is therefore irrelevant to the conversation about his tenure at the "U". I'd also like to point out that of the awards he's won, the James Naismith Award in 2003 is probably the most prestigious; from 2000-10, here are the other coaches who won that award: Rod Barnes, Ben Howland, Phil Martelli, Bruce Webber, Jay Wright, Tony Bennett, John Calipari, Jamie Dixon, and Jim Boeheim. It's not a rubber stamp of coaching greatness nor a guarantee of a lifetime contract.

 

[jamalo]

Not a very smart post. You will get so much love from classless people like Tiny, Jamlo, bca1, mettown.... It has only been 3 games and you make such a conclusion? Are you trying to convince yourself that the future will be bright? As many of us have said, coaching change will not do anything to this program. Here are a few reason that your post is not very good:

Richard is having the same problem as Tubby did to bring good players. Actually Tubby did better in the same time frame.

Richard won't be able to press becasue he doesn't have the players to do it. Tubby had the same problem. One thing that you kids don't know is the fact that Tubby, Rick and BD have the same style of defense. That's why when Rick and BD play Tubby's teams they have problems.

Tubby has been the COY 3 times in his era of coaching.

I like to see coaches like K, Self, Rick, BD, Calamari.... take teams with little talent and perform like Tubby does. He has balls as well as good coaching skills.

Go Gophers

I miss the Tubby stare after a player tried to get creative!!!!

 

[Hats Off To Thee!]

It is early but based on my observations so far this is what I see:

1) Game WATCHABILITY- Plus one for Pitino
Pitino ball will be a lot more entertaining! The style of play is a lot more fan friendly. Might provide some heart attack moments however, with poor shot selection or if we are having a cold nite from 3 pt range. Overall, the entertainment value will be high for the Williams and TV crowd.


2) Player motivation- Plus one for Pitino
The players seem to be having more fun. The team seems to play more loose and at ease. They are not looking at the bench and the players seem to be allowed to make a mistake without worrying about getting pulled or yelled at. I think Pitino believes in the right mix of positive motivation to get the best out of his team.

3) Game Coaching--Neutral

Pitino seems to be a very good coach. The team plays good fundamentals, boxes out on the glass, and plays solid defense even given the shortcomings of the front line. They do not protect the rim as well as Tubby's teams did. This appears to be due to lack of personnel/depth vs system.
Pitino seems to be able to make adjustments based on foul trouble, game conditions, player Performance, etc. Some would argue that Tubby also made adjustments. I think Pitino will grow in this area and get even more creative as a necessity when we get into the Big ten schedule. For example, shifting into the zone last night was not rocket science, but Pitino's timing of the move was perfect. He does not have the experience Tubby did head coaching in big games, in real hostile environments, etc but his ability to get creative and to optimize the use of the talent he has will be interesting to watch develop. I grade this a neutral at this point. Tubby did win a national title as is still regarded as a very good basketball coach.

4) Player Development--Plus one for Pitino

Can Pitino's players improve and play better as a team in February and March. This will be the the determining factor of the Pitino era. Pitino may not be able to recruit many 4 and 5 star players to the U of M. His father does not typically for Louisville either. However, Pitino can recruit 3 star type players that fit his system. Will he and his staff be able to develop them as their careers progress, especially in year 2 and 3? I think he can based on what I see so far in OTTO, Elliot, and (yet to play) Moe walker. The early indications are that Pitino can create an environment where players actually want to get better, get in top physical condition and become the best they can be. How could the Tubby regime ever let Mo walker get 60 lbs over-weight?

5) Intangibles--plus one for Pitino

Enthusiasm, youth, assistant coaches, and the use of advanced Basketball Analytics from APBRmetricians to analyze players, substitutions, and in preparation for opponents will make a big difference. My view is Tubby and his coaching team were stuck in the 80's. Do you think we will see many hockey like line changes this year?

Conclusion: We should all be very enthusiastic about the future of Gopher Basketball program. Starting in 2015 we should expect deeper tournament runs and a lot of success, Go Gophers!

 

[GophersOnTheRise]

Real Truth, it's time for you to move your act on down the road to Lubbock. From the beginning, you've made it expressly clear that you are a Tubby fan, not a Gophers fan-this is a Gophers board and while Millions post may be premature, it speaks of hope, optimism, and anticipation, something that all Gopher fans, fans of the actually program, should be able to enjoy.

And just as it's laughable to compare Pitino to Tubby three games into his Gopher career, it's laughable to say that Richard P's having trouble bringing in good players-both are incredibly premature statements.

In one paragraph you're talking about Tubby getting better talent than Pitino, three paragraphs later, you state that Tubby's teams have little talent; you do realize that Tubby coached for 11 years at Kentucky, one of the premier college b.b. programs in the nation and a magnet for elite recruits, don't you? You do realize that when Coach K, Donovan, and Self (at Illinois) took over their respective programs, they needed to be revitalized, don't you? You do realize that head coaches actually bring the talent onto campus, so when Calipari wins a national title at Kentucky three years into his tenure at UK-it doesn't really matter if Tubby's a better X's & O's man, it's about the results on the court, not some unprovable bar room statement that Tubby is a better coach but with lesser talent? Talent the head coach is responsible for putting onto the roster?

Finally, Tubby's COY 3 times statement needs to be addressed-in perusing his Wikipedia entry, Tubby was awarded two COY awards by two different organizations in 2003 and again in 2005 by another organization. So, technically, three time winner, but twice within one year should be noted. It should be especially noted that the last award was in 2005, which as any Gophers fan knows is before he became the U of M head coach and is therefore irrelevant to the conversation about his tenure at the "U". I'd also like to point out that of the awards he's won, the James Naismith Award in 2003 is probably the most prestigious; from 2000-10, here are the other coaches who won that award: Rod Barnes, Ben Howland, Phil Martelli, Bruce Webber, Jay Wright, Tony Bennett, John Calipari, Jamie Dixon, and Jim Boeheim. It's not a rubber stamp of coaching greatness nor a guarantee of a lifetime contract.

Has The-Real-Truth ever had a post that didn't involve some sort of contradiction? I don't believe I've ever seen one. Pretty impressive.

 

[GophersOnTheRise]

Not a very smart post. You will get so much love from classless people like Tiny, Jamlo, bca1, mettown.... It has only been 3 games and you make such a conclusion? Are you trying to convince yourself that the future will be bright? As many of us have said, coaching change will not do anything to this program. Here are a few reason that your post is not very good:

Richard is having the same problem as Tubby did to bring good players. Actually Tubby did better in the same time frame.

Richard won't be able to press becasue he doesn't have the players to do it. Tubby had the same problem. One thing that you kids don't know is the fact that Tubby, Rick and BD have the same style of defense. That's why when Rick and BD play Tubby's teams they have problems.

Tubby has been the COY 3 times in his era of coaching.

I like to see coaches like K, Self, Rick, BD, Calamari.... take teams with little talent and perform like Tubby does. He has balls as well as good coaching skills.

Go Gophers

How many hours per day do you spend searching message boards to see if someone has said something about Tubby? You're truly obsessed. Your posts might be bearable if you didn't contradict yourself in each and every single one of them. I'm surprised you haven't been banned yet (give it time, it will happen).

 

[Bad Gopher]

I miss the Tubby stare after a player tried to get creative!!!!

My favorite is last year when he screamed at Andre Hollins on the sideline for trying to singlehandedly bring the Gophers back into the game with heroic shooting and on-court leadership.

 

[Dr.Don]

I remember when it was never wise to start pissing contests with immeasurable topics such as the OP.

 

[Johnnyboy18]

Can't really compare three games to six years.

 

[howieramone]

Can't really compare three games to six years.

I think millions2spare was just out for a Sunday troll.

 

[Dr.Don]

I think millions2spare was just out for a Sunday troll.

Howie, it is not limited to Sundays.

 

[jamalo]

It may be trolling by him, but I still miss the days of the Tubby Stare, the Tubby nap, Saul (in general) and Joe Esposito tweeting random BS

 

[WanderingGopher]

Tubby got fired. Obviously the people in charge at the U feel there's reason to believe Pitino can do better. That's why they fired Tubby and hired Pitino. I'm behind them, and behind Pitino. If we're not seeing improvement in a few years, I may rethink that. I believed in Tubby for 3 or 4 years as well. I don't think he has the will or ability to "do it" any more though, to scratch and claw and drag another program up the ladder. He'd probably be fine at a program that's already at the top, basically runs itself, self recruits, etc., but then again so would a whole lot of people. We need someone not only smart, but HUNGRY, to bring us to the top. I think Pitino can do it.

 

[MinneStoa]

Tubby got fired. Obviously the people in charge at the U feel there's reason to believe Pitino can do better. That's why they fired Tubby and hired Pitino. I'm behind them, and behind Pitino. If we're not seeing improvement in a few years, I may rethink that. I believed in Tubby for 3 or 4 years as well. I don't think he has the will or ability to "do it" any more though, to scratch and claw and drag another program up the ladder. He'd probably be fine at a program that's already at the top, basically runs itself, self recruits, etc., but then again so would a whole lot of people. We need someone not only smart, but HUNGRY, to bring us to the top. I think Pitino can do it.

Fantastic post

 

[station19]

It's early - so far:

Pitino:
Hasn't openly complained about lack of practice facility.
Hasn't thrown any players under the bus.
Hasn't been dumbfounded by a zone defense.
Hasn't mumbled his way through a press conference or post-game show.

 

[Johnnyboy18]

It's early - so far:

Pitino:
Hasn't openly complained about lack of practice facility.
Hasn't thrown any players under the bus.
Hasn't been dumbfounded by a zone defense.
Hasn't mumbled his way through a press conference or post-game show.

Read the blogs lol.

 

[howeda7]

millions2spare

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Excellent post! Glad to see this is still working.

 

[woozee]

Tubby was a terrible game time coach. He couldn't draw inbounds plays (several times) and when ever in pressure he would draw up THE most one dimensional play that relied on a kid pulling off some brilliant shot.

Pitino looks a lot more involved in game time schemes and coming up with some unique stuff.

 

[Bad Gopher]

Tubby was a terrible game time coach. He couldn't draw inbounds plays (several times) and when ever in pressure he would draw up THE most one dimensional play that relied on a kid pulling off some brilliant shot.

Pitino looks a lot more involved in game time schemes and coming up with some unique stuff.

Or maybe he and his crack staff devised brilliant set plays out of timeouts and one or more of his under-the-bus-bound players screwed them up. One way or another, one thing that jumps out at a person so far this season is the offensive success rate coming out of timeouts. Invariably this team has scored in those situations, usually on some nifty-looking play.

 

[woozee]

Or maybe he and his crack staff devised brilliant set plays out of timeouts and one or more of his under-the-bus-bound players screwed them up. One way or another, one thing that jumps out at a person so far this season is the offensive success rate coming out of timeouts. Invariably this team has scored in those situations, usually on some nifty-looking play.

Well said sir.

 

[GopherinPhilly]

Read the blogs lol.

Difference between honest evaluation and blaming a player or players for a loss...or 10 losses in 11 games to end season after season.

I don't miss Tubby and it ain't because I love Pitino, it's because Tubby sucked giant donkey dongs as a Coach for us. Players left mid-season to get away from the guy. Couldn't keep his talent on the roster year after year because he was so heavy handed in his style.

 

[LesBolstad]

I miss the Tubby line change after taking a 14-6 lead; and our third line turning it into a 22-18 deficit.

 

[millions2spare]

I am happy to create a little conversation about the differences. Yes it is early. However, this is sort of like dating a hot girl. I can tell within 15 minutes after one date if it will work out or not. Three games under Pitino is my 15 minutes and all need to know that this program will really start to rock in 2015. If Tubby was still here, there is no way most of us would have this type of optimism. I wish Tubby the best and I am so happy he will have similar success in Lubock. We have a young hungry coach and staff who are committed to winning. With hard work, being creative, and optimizing the talent they have, this staff will make their own luck and bring Minnesota hoops back to the days of regular tournament appearances and maybe even a final four that will count in the record books...

 

[dpodoll68]

The Minnesota basketball fanbase's obsession with Tubby Smith is classless and sad. Guy brings us results we haven't seen in 23 years, and the response is to pink-slip him and piss on the ashes of his Gopher resumé for perpetuity.

I wish Tubby the best

Bullsh1t.

bring Minnesota hoops back to the days of regular tournament appearances

When was that, exactly? Oh, that's right - Tubby Smith took the team to 3 NCAA Tournament appearances in 5 years, something achieved by no other Gophers coach ever. If Tubby Smith "sucked giant donkey dongs as a Coach for us", how would you characterize the tenures of his predecessors?

 

[tinyarch]

TRT, you've heard about people who make assumptions...haven't you? Also, your characterizations are purely conjecture and laced with emotion.

Where I agree with you is that we only have three games to look at and those games are against inferior teams in comparison with the B1G teams we'll play later.

What I'll say is that this current team isn't really built for the style that Pitino wants to play. It will take a few recruiting classes before he has a team that is purely what he's looking for. In the meantime, it is very possible that Pitino is trying to use a square peg and put it in a circular hole. My conjecture is that this current team will likely really struggle in the B1G. The predictions of finishing between 9 and 12 are legitimate predictions.

My disappointments with the Tubster landed on the offensive side of the court. I've always admired his defensive coaching and team toughness. I would have been fine with the Tubster if he'd have been able/willing to give an assistant the full reins on the offensive end, however. His inability to adjust and to get ball movement have become legendary over the years.

What I'm waiting to see is if Pitino can teach these current Gophers how to covet each possession and avoid costly turnovers and poor shot selection. I am hopeful that he'll get these kids to do this, but I also think he'll have to shorten his bench and the Hollin's kids are going to have to play most of game. Are both of them physically able to handle the pace and the pounding that the B1G will take out of them? I tend to doubt it. This is especially true for Austin as he'll be asked to play outside of his natural position and the interior pounding he'll take is going to be pretty intense.

This may very well be a tough season when it comes to wins vs losses. However, I think that this team will be better by the time we get to B1G tournament time than it presently is. That will be a significant difference from the past five years where Tubby's teams limped into post-season play.

I gave Tubby about three years to show us what he could do. I started out optimistic and finished knowing that Tubby needed to go somewhere else. I am starting out giving Pitino the same rope. We'll see how he does. At present, the team looks like it's more relaxed and having more fun playing a GAME called basketball. That is nice to see as these same kids seemed so tense under Tubby. We'll see if the joy continues or if the wear and tear of the B1G brings out the uglier side of the honeymoon season.

Tubby needed to go. We'll see what the future brings...

Not a very smart post. You will get so much love from classless people like Tiny, Jamlo, bca1, mettown.... It has only been 3 games and you make such a conclusion? Are you trying to convince yourself that the future will be bright? As many of us have said, coaching change will not do anything to this program. Here are a few reason that your post is not very good:

Richard is having the same problem as Tubby did to bring good players. Actually Tubby did better in the same time frame.

Richard won't be able to press becasue he doesn't have the players to do it. Tubby had the same problem. One thing that you kids don't know is the fact that Tubby, Rick and BD have the same style of defense. That's why when Rick and BD play Tubby's teams they have problems.

Tubby has been the COY 3 times in his era of coaching.

I like to see coaches like K, Self, Rick, BD, Calamari.... take teams with little talent and perform like Tubby does. He has balls as well as good coaching skills.

Go Gophers

 

[jmag21]

I loved Tubby, and I thought he did a great job for us, and was sabotaged by just plain bad luck often. The main differences I've seen between Pitino and Tubby are that Pitino has far more energy, and his team is more flexible in terms of sets, plays, and game styles. I like that. On the other hand, Tubby had more gravitas, and I think he had a greater store of respect from the parents and families of recruits, as witnessed by the fact that he had some great recruiting classes here (that didn't end up working out, for the ill luck reasons I mentioned earlier). Basically, Tubby was a legend, and we were lucky that he was able to build our program up after Monson dug us out of the Clem hole. Now, Richard's our coach, and I'm very much liking what we're seeing from him so far. Hopefully, he'll be able to carve out a career here that rivals what his dad and Tubby and Gillespie have crafted for themselves. But I see no reason why loving Pitino means diminishing what Tubby accomplished.

 

[Slim Tubby]

I loved Tubby, and I thought he did a great job for us, and was sabotaged by just plain bad luck often. The main differences I've seen between Pitino and Tubby are that Pitino has far more energy, and his team is more flexible in terms of sets, plays, and game styles. I like that. On the other hand, Tubby had more gravitas, and I think he had a greater store of respect from the parents and families of recruits, as witnessed by the fact that he had some great recruiting classes here (that didn't end up working out, for the ill luck reasons I mentioned earlier). Basically, Tubby was a legend, and we were lucky that he was able to build our program up after Monson dug us out of the Clem hole. Now, Richard's our coach, and I'm very much liking what we're seeing from him so far. Hopefully, he'll be able to carve out a career here that rivals what his dad and Tubby and Gillespie have crafted for themselves. But I see no reason why loving Pitino means diminishing what Tubby accomplished.

I couldn't agree more with Tiny and jmag's posts. I loved Tubby and he did great things here but I do also think it was best for the program to start fresh and Richie will hopefully be he right choice. I hope Tubby succeeds at Texas Tech.....one of the classiest human beings on the planet along with his wife Donna.

 

[The-Real-Truth]

I loved Tubby, and I thought he did a great job for us, and was sabotaged by just plain bad luck often. The main differences I've seen between Pitino and Tubby are that Pitino has far more energy, and his team is more flexible in terms of sets, plays, and game styles. I like that. On the other hand, Tubby had more gravitas, and I think he had a greater store of respect from the parents and families of recruits, as witnessed by the fact that he had some great recruiting classes here (that didn't end up working out, for the ill luck reasons I mentioned earlier). Basically, Tubby was a legend, and we were lucky that he was able to build our program up after Monson dug us out of the Clem hole. Now, Richard's our coach, and I'm very much liking what we're seeing from him so far. Hopefully, he'll be able to carve out a career here that rivals what his dad and Tubby and Gillespie have crafted for themselves. But I see no reason why loving Pitino means diminishing what Tubby accomplished.

A very nice post. I do agree that Tubby should retire soon. However, I think he had a better chance of landing the big3 than Richard did. I think getting him out of here was a mistake and this program will pay for it when both Richard and NT are gone. Some unrealistic expectations were made here since last season. We all see that Richard is not able to recruit here. Therefore, we have to look for a real solution. This is what some of us have been saying. NT kept getting hate emails from a so-called fans like Tiny all the time so he was forced to make such a move. No, I am not in-love with Tubby. Like many of you, I have my opinion. You may not like it but only time can tell who is right. I love the Gophers and I hope they win big soon.

Go Gophers

 

[coolhandgopher]

A very nice post. I do agree that Tubby should retire soon. However, I think he had a better chance of landing the big3 than Richard did. I think getting him out of here was a mistake and this program will pay for it when both Richard and NT are gone. Some unrealistic expectations were made here since last season. We all see that Richard is not able to recruit here. Therefore, we have to look for a real solution. This is what some of us have been saying. NT kept getting hate emails from a so-called fans like Tiny all the time so he was forced to make such a move. No, I am not in-love with Tubby. Like many of you, I have my opinion. You may not like it but only time can tell who is right. I love the Gophers and I hope they win big soon.

Go Gophers

The most asinine thing I've ever read on Gopher Hole, which is a considerable statement. Un-flipping-believable.