To repeat what you probably have already read directly below this post, Shagari is gone. There was hope (for Shagari at UK) in the form of this article from WKYT. In the article Tubby said “I haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk with him.”
Then only a day later the news comes that Shagari has asked for and been granted release from his scholarship.
And now for a little commentary about the changes this off-season:
When the season ended a lot of people were screaming for changes. Changes that some of those people wished would start at the top, with Mr. Orlando Smith. As I said somewhere back at the beginning of this site, that wasn’t going to happen this year. Tubby stated that there would be changes made, and with the exception of different assistant coaches (and that could still happen), the team will look markedly different next year. What is yet to be seen is if there will be enough talent on the floor to win games. Next year should be Tubby’s most difficult coaching job yet.
June 9th, 2006 at 7:40 am
This man should of been fired as of last year. He took over a team who won a NC and had back to back FF’s and a team who he won a NC with to not making it back to a FF and having 4-5 10 loss seasons. Next year UK will lose another 10 games FIRE HIS SORRY ASS!!
June 11th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
He did not take over a team that won a NC. If he had he would have had Walker Delk Anderson Mercer and company. As for winning a NC with someone elses team tell me why rick didnt win the year before with more talent then the team he left Tubby with. The problem isnt Tubby not getting players. The players don’t wanna play for a school where the fans wanna ship you out if you have one bad game. And believe me the fans are a big part of it. Also I hear get Billy Donavon who prior to this season had 5 straight first weekend exits. Some replacement right? Tom Crean’s name pops up. One FF and you hear nothing from him again. So I say quit the bitching and griping and let the man do his job. If you don’t like it fine there is always another school up I-64 that needs fans.
June 12th, 2006 at 4:39 pm
Way to tell ‘em John. These idiotic Tubby bashers can’t see through their blind predjudice long enough to get their facts straight. Tubby did not inherit a National Champion team, he got the left-over second stringers (albeit, great ones) after all the stars had left!
June 12th, 2006 at 10:49 pm
Amen Andy
June 14th, 2006 at 7:25 pm
Tubby Smith is a great classy man, and deservs more respect thene he gets. What gets me is if you really are a kentucky fan be a Kentucky fan support are team and dont bash theme. I love my wildcats not matter the season Im proud of theme and I stand behind theme. As for Tubby great basketball mind and just a great guy. That is only my oppinoun
GO BIG BLUE & GO TUBBY
July 18th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
Leftovers after the stars left, uh hello OT loss to Arizona in the Championship game the year before. Anyway you slice it or dice it, this was a National Championship caliber team Tubby inherited that played Pitino Ball!! Look at the contrast of styles of play since that 98 Championship team
July 19th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
And how many were starters the year before?
July 19th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
They were great athletes but ones that were role players until that season. Only one, Nazr Muhammad, made it to the NBA. Nobody were expecting them to go all the way at the start of the season and you’re a liar if you say you did. All of the talk at the start of the ‘97-’98 season was they would be good but not great. Uh , hello.The list of great players that graduated or left early after the OT loss to Arizona is a long one. Mercer, Anderson, Magloire, Padgett , Turner, Prickett all gone. Get your facts straight before you shoot your mouth off.
July 21st, 2006 at 8:25 am
Prickett? He was way gone already! Magloire, Turner, Padgett, Shepherd, Mohammed all members of the 98 Championship team so get your facts straight before spouting your mouth off ANDY! Mercer on your list was the only contributing player in the 97 OT loss to leave because the others returned and Anderson didn’t even play because of a knee injury
July 21st, 2006 at 8:35 am
Oh yeah, and as far as those making it to the NBA after that season, what about Scott Padgett and Michael Bradley, although Bradley did transfer to Nova and move to the NBA from there! The starting point gaurd in the OT 97 loss wasn’t even Wayne Turner, it was Anthony Epps!! Now getting back to the final four for Pitino in 97 was an accomplishment after loosing Walter McCarty, Tony Delk, Antoine Walker from the 96 squad, now thats an accomplishment!
July 31st, 2006 at 5:15 pm
BUT, back in the Pitino days, it didn’t matter who STARTED the game. If you weren’t playing well, your got pulled from the starting line up and someone else from the 10 player deep team came in. Is UK even 5 players deep this year?