In the comments for webby’s pictorial summation of inbounds violation, there was somebody rattling about how we got 20 wins on “cupcakes” in our non-conference schedule. That’s absurd thinking. When I wrote my Safety Dance article, I mentioned that our RPI and strength of schedule was at the top of the rankings, despite our losses. I didn’t mention our non-conference schedule, because, honestly, I thought we Kentuckian “all-knowing basketball fans” understood that the RPI factors a strong non-conference schedule as a benefit.
But since there are evidently Kentucky fans who have lost their grip on the game, let me quote JL Blue from his latest column:
To wit, among the UK non-conference opponents who either made the field, finished atop their conference’s regular season or competed in the conference finals are:
* Miami (OH) - Regular season #2 MAC, NCAA Tourney as Conf. tourney champ
* UMass - Regular season champ (tie), at-large possible
* EKU - NCAA Tourney as OVC champ
* Santa Clara - WCC #2, lost to Gonzaga in conf. finals
* College of Charleston - Lost to Winthrop in conf. finals
* Houston - Lost to Memphis in conf. finals
* Miss. Valley State - Lost to Jackson St. in conf. finalsTake a look. EVERY SINGLE non-major conference, non-conference foe either played for a chance to make the NCAA Tourney or made the NCAA Tourney.
There are no deserts on this tray. So please, when you rattle off reasons about why Ten Loss Tubby should be fired, leave the “20 wins because of cupcakes in 2006-07″ lie out of it. I think you have plenty of other reasons and excuses to use.
March 11th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Nice point. And I always wondered if you have the same 70’s porno mustache as the real Martinez?
March 11th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Yeah, Gimel the Fake One!
About time someone actually LOOKED at the so-called cupcakes on the Cats’ schedule, and paid attention to FACTS and letting them fall where they may, instead of grasping at straws in a dishonest, desperate, disgusting and disloyal dirt-digging ongoing diatribe against one of the business’s best coaches.
Don’t you idiots get it - the Strength of Schedule rating is for real, and not too hard to understand if you try.
Tubby Smith isn’t scheduling cupcakes - he and the rest of the brain trust in Memorial set these dates years ago to try to test the mettle of Rondo, Crawford, Morris and Bradley in preparation for what should have been a great senior year coming up … and it might still be, if Carter gets healthy, the frosh continue to grow (look at Meeks, who is again proof that “Tubby can’t recruit”) and a few new guys get in on the act. Good riddance, Rondo.
Get lives, whiners. Learn some math.
March 11th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
TUBBY FIRSTS & WORSTS
*Tied the school record for consecutive years ( not appearing in the Final Four.
*First coach to have 2 consecutive 10+ loss seasons.
*First coach to have 3 consecutive 10+ loss seasons.
*First coach to have 5 10+ loss seasons.
*First coach to have 5 10+ loss seasons in 8 years.
*Most Double Digit loss seasons of any UK coach
*First time losing four straight to an SEC opponent since 1980.
*First time losing five straight to an SEC opponent since 1977.
*First time ever losing six straight to an SEC opponent.
*Most Home losses than any UK coach
*Worst record at Rupp in (10-5 in 2005-06) in UK history (except 8-6 in 1988-89).
*First season sweep by Vandy in 32 years.
*First time since 1974 losing 4 straight to Vandy and only the second time in UK history.
*First loss to Ole Miss in Lexington since 1927.
*First (and only) coach to have 4 SEC losses in one year in Rupp Arena.
*Most losses over a two year period (outside of probation) in UK history
*Worst home loss since 1992 (105-88 to Arkansas).
*Worst loss to Indiana ever (26 points)
*Worst Senior Day loss since 1919.
*First third place SEC finish since expansion.
*First fourth place SEC finish since expansion.
*Worst Average Points Scored Per Game since the 3 point shot was introduced.
*First time going an entire regular season without beating a ranked opponent since 1974.
*First and Second time UK played on the opening day of the SEC Tournament since the league split into divisional play (1992).
*First loss in 19 semifinal appearances since the SEC revived its tournament in 1979.
*Eliminated in the second round of the NCAA tournament two of the last three years.
*First coach never to have either an athletic or academic All-American.
*Worst number of weeks having a team ranked #1 (1).
*First time (except probation) UK finished back to back seasons unranked since 1959-1961 (46 years).
*47% of players do not see their Senior year at UK.
*Fewest NBA draft picks of any coach with at least 5 years (only 2 1st rounders in 10 years)
Yeah.. now I can see why people support Ten Loss
March 11th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Thanks for posting all of those Frank.
TruBlu Reality Chekker: Seriously dude, you need to stop blindly defending Tubby and take an objective view of things. Our program has slipped! We are not a major player in Division I ball anymore. And please stop calling the rest of us idiots and whiners. You lose serious credibility when you resort to those types of statements.
I do agree that strength of schedule is important. But don’t forget that it helps our number that we played Florida twice, UCLA early, Memphis, etc. We played some really strong teams…..and failed to beat any of them. You guys are trying to say that our non-conference schedule was not full of cupcakes, and you may be correct, but what were our key wins this year? Tennessee without Lofton?
March 11th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
I do not think cupcakes would even show up to the game. When you are truly outclassed what is the point of competition ? To label these teams cupcakes is harsh words. How many cupcakes were smashed by twenty points plus? With the large number of basketball fans today the preseason schedules should be longer. This gives all the programs time to adjust the bench, and the game time experience these young athletes deserve. By the way can I have a scoop of ice cream with that ?
March 11th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
I have one thing to say.
Does anybody think UK would be the number college basketball team in wins if Tubby stays at Uk for 25 years?
He’s got to go.
March 13th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Dang Frank you put a lot of work into that research. You really need a woman.
March 13th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
I agree Kentucky is unacceptably down the past two seasons. It must be corrected. However, I think a lot of the Tubby criticism is unfair. No fair analysis can deny that he has one of the best records in the country over the years. In fact, there are only three schools that have won more NCAA tourney games than UK in Tubby’s first 9 seasons, and none of the three are any good this year. (Stop, think about it….the best of the best still have down years.) The reason Kentucky fans are unhappy with Tubby is that he is not “better than good.” Kentucky fans, me included, want Kentucky to be on top of the world, where they should be.
Now, a second point. If you want to compare Tubby to the Pitino era, Tubby doesn’t stand a chance. The Pitino era was awesome. But it is also the past. The question now is about the future — can we get a coach who will do a better job in the future than Tubby. I want to do better. But can anybody make a solid case that we can hire a particular coach and feel secure than he can do something like Pitino did?
How many Tubby bashers would be willing to guarantee with $5000 of their own cash that a Billy Donovon at UK will win over 80% of his games the first 5 years?
March 15th, 2007 at 1:50 am
for some reason, i seem to think that cupcakes even make the NCAA tourney. Maybe that’s why a 16 seed has NEVER beaten a number 1 seed? Hmmm. They may not be the worst in the nation, but by cupcake, people mean no the normal powerhouses, N.C., Duke, UK (except the past 10 years). Not saying they’re all cupcakes, but cupcake from an SEC point of view and a smaller conference would be different, no? And cupcake from a UK, Duke, or UNC fan would be different than cupcake from an EKU perspective, right? So when we say cupcake we dont mean a team no better than a good high school team, we mean no challenge. Oh, thats right, its a challenge if we beat them by 25, like Florida did everyone this year. And Florida, btw didn’t play alot of noncupcake teams either. Hell, they’re probably calling UK cupcakes now. Well, there was that one game at Rupp that Tubby threw away. You know, the one were we couldn’t hit a damn 3 for anything? That just makes it more exhilerating for the other team.
I really think Tubby has a stash of marijuana he gives them in the locker room at half time. That explains why Morris’ eyes are rolled back into his head and they dont get down the court in the second half.
Or we could look at the logical explanation and say its because he doesn’t condition them like Pitino or *cough*Bobby Knight*cough* would.