Kentucky hires Texas A&M coach Gillispie

[Guest]

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasket ... y/10112119


Bit of a stretch no?

[pup]

Thank god. I was worried Kentucky was going to become a power again.

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Thank god. I was worried Kentucky was going to become a power again.

I figured they'd have to settle for the third or fourth choice on their list. The job is not as attractive as it used to be. Donovan is wise for sticking with Florida. Gillespie probably would have had an easier time of it if he stuck it out at A&M.

[jdrake10]

Kentucky is still an elite program, let's not get silly. A&M does not have the potential of a Kentucky. I think Gillespie is a good hire. ESPN just showed his introduction and he got bombarded with questions about the pressure. His response was "bring it on, I live for it." Very much the right attitude. He is also a great recruiter. A great recruiter very close to Columbus, I am glad Matta has already got who he wants for the next couple of years

[pup]

Who has he recruited? A&M was a mostly upperclassmen team, and he has only been there 3 years. He was only at Tulsa for 2, so players he recruited there never did anything for him either.

3 years, tops at Kentucky, before they run him outta town.

[jdrake10]

Per ESPN, Gillespie as an assistant was the chief recruiter for Tulsa and Illinois and responsible for the success of those teams as much as Bill Self was. Maybe that is an exageration, but he did turn around UTEP in only 1 year and was very successful in his 3 years at A&M. A good recruiter at Kentucky, a school that sells itself anyway, is a good fit without a doubt. The SEC should be wide open next season.

[furls]

Kentucky is still an elite program, let's not get silly. A&M does not have the potential of a Kentucky. I think Gillespie is a good hire. ESPN just showed his introduction and he got bombarded with questions about the pressure. His response was "bring it on, I live for it." Very much the right attitude. He is also a great recruiter. A great recruiter very close to Columbus, I am glad Matta has already got who he wants for the next couple of years

Kentucky has not been an "Elite" program since Pitino left. Yep, Tubby won a title (with Pitino's guys) and had a couple of good years (in a decade), but there is a difference between being elite and having tradition. I know that Kentucky has tradition, but it is all history. In order for Gillispie to revive that program he is going to need to put together a couple of bad ass seasons.

Is there potential at KY? Sure, energetic fans, nice facilities, but this job is less like UNC when Williams took over and more like Saban taking over Alabama. KY and Alabama are programs that USED to be the flagships of their sports. Now the only thing that remains at both place is the pressure of the banners and hyper energetic fans (with expectations to match). Both jobs are not even the best within their conference (and arguably in their own states) and I am not sure what it will take for either of them to return to prominence. I will say that I think hiring Nick Saban did more for 'Bama than hiring Gillispie will do for KY.

It is no secret that KY wanted a big name, but they struck out on both Donovan and Barnes, and that says a lot about the job.

[jdrake10]

I don't agree that Alabama football = Kentucky Basketball. Maybe Indiana basketball. But that is just my gut talking so i looked up some stats.

Kentucky is the winningest program in college basketball and has 7 National Championships (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998) -- which is second only to UCLA's 11. They won twice in the last 11 years, I think that is pretty elite. Imagine what people must have thought in 1975 which was like 18 years.

Tubby Smith was successful there but Kentucky thinks of themselves as godlike. More stats; he won five SEC regular season championships (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005) and five SEC Tournament titles (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004), with six Sweet Sixteen finishes and four Elite Eight finishes (1998, 1999, 2003, 2005) in his nine seasons. It is a shame that they ran off a good coach. Too bad, but his defensive style of play did not fit there, especiallly after following Piino.

Kentucky will be fine without Donovan.

[furls]

Tubby Smith was successful there but Kentucky thinks of themselves as godlike

Exactly why that job sucks.

They won twice in the last 11 years, I think that is pretty elite.

It is pretty elite (ten years ago). 2X with Pitino's guys (who is now UK's prime recruiting rival), and not once in ten years.

Imagine what people must have thought in 1975 which was like 18 years.

That coupled with

7 National Championships (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998)

Exactly makes my point. Since I have been alive (31 years) KY has exactly three national titles. In nearly the same time frame Indiana has won the same number. From wikipedia:

As of 2006, the school has won five championships in men's basketball (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981 and 1987), the first two under coach Branch McCracken and three under Bob Knight.

he won five SEC regular season championships (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005) and five SEC Tournament titles (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004),

Someone has to win the conference and lets face it, the SEC is about the fourth or fifth best hoops conference in the NCAA. In most years, I would take the ACCs or Big Easts second or third place team over the SEC champ.

KY has pretty much dominated the SEC (with Florida), but lets face it, that is not really the same as dominating the Big East or ACC, but that brings us back to the original point, KY fans do not want to dominate the SEC. They want to dominate the nation with a program that is a "used to be," just like Alabama football.

[jdrake10]

You are just being silly. Kentucky basketball is still an elite program. It is nothing like Alabama football is today. Kentucky was pretty elite (10 years ago)? Are you serious? It is not easy to win a Nat Championship. 2 titles in the last 10 years is incredible. What is your point about Tubby winning with Pitino's kids? You act like Kentucky shouldn't count them because Pitino won them?

By your rational only Florida and UConn are elite basketball programs I guess since they have done better than 2 in 10 years. Who do you consider to be an elite program since Kentucky must not be?

[furls]

Kentucky basketball is still an elite program. It is nothing like Alabama football is today.

We obviously disagree on this one, but you should be able to see where I am coming from. I am saying that both programs have great tradition and not a ton of recent dominance. The only that really remains in both cases are the unrealistic expectations of the fans.

What is your point about Tubby winning with Pitino's kids? You act like Kentucky shouldn't count them because Pitino won them?

My point is that KY has not really been great recently since Pitino was affiliated with them. The year they were great without him, it was with the remnants he left behind. Tubby was not a great recruiter and the program has since fallen, quite a bit and in the mean time new power have emerged and the old top tier rivals remain. It will take quite a bit of work to blow the dust off of it.

Are you serious? It is not easy to win a Nat Championship. 2 titles in the last 10 years is incredible.

Look, you look at 2 titles in (1996, 1998) and see a great accomplishment. I see a great accomplishment (TEN YEARS AGO). The kids that Gillispie is going to be recruiting for 2008 would have been in kindegarten and second grade the last time KY was dominant. They will also be cognizant of the fact that this "elite" program was turned down by its first two choices for HC.

By your rational only Florida and UConn are elite basketball programs I guess since they have done better than 2 in 10 years.

My list: UNC, Duke, UCLA, UCONN, Florida.

KY has great tradition and history, but the program is nothing compared to what it used to be. Can it return to glory? Maybe, but I think it will be much harder now with relevant programs at Ohio State, WVU, Louisville, Memphis, and Tennessee. THere comes a point where you haven't won be great for so long that your recruits won't really care about your (ancient relative to their age) history. Obviously we disagree here, it is a qualitative, subjective matter.

[jdrake10]

You make some good arguments but you are right, we disagree overall.
Sorry but you have to remove UCLA from your list. Kentucky has won 2 titles since UCLA last won so they are not elite!

[furls]

It isnt just about winning titles and even you have to admit that the UCLA program is in better shape than KY right now.

[jdrake10]

Yes I agree UCLA is better off right now; just being a smart ass.