Mike DeCourcy on Tubby

Donate To GopherHole







"Smith also has been ripped for not meeting expectations in terms of promoting the Minnesota program, recruiting big-name talent and not coaching dynamic offensive teams. Which is to say, he has operated precisely as he did at Kentucky."

For doing that, he has quite the resume.
 

Well for once, FOT is right is on this one. DeCourcy was about as anti-Tubby as they come when he was at UK. Tubby must've stole his lunch money or something. He wrote the nastiest, harshest things about Tubby. I thought he was over the top. I guess he's been biding his time waiting for something negative to happen at the U, then chime in.
 

KyGopherfan said:
Well for once, FOT is right is on this one. DeCourcy was about as anti-Tubby as they come when he was at UK. Tubby must've stole his lunch money or something. He wrote the nastiest, harshest things about Tubby. I thought he was over the top. I guess he's been biding his time waiting for something negative to happen at the U, then chime in.
Click to expand...

In the last 10 years at UK, Tubby coached 7 of them. 100% his own recruits on each team. Those 7 teams averaged 75 PPG.

The past 3 years, UK averaged 74 PPG.

DeCourcy didn't seem to notice.
 



DeCourcey is a really good basketball writer and has his finger on the pulse of most everything. That said, he is a Tubby hater, for whatever reason.

Right after the Big Ten Tourney, after we lost to OSU, he was going on and on how the Gophers did not deserve a bid (which is fine, there was an argument to be made for that), but the kicker was he was arguing for the inclusion of Illinois. Well, by almost any standard possible, Minnesota deserved a bid over Illinois. There was hardly a criteria that Illinois bettered Minnesota in. Yet, here was DeCourcey, a plugged in basketball guy, spouting off how Tubby's team did not deserve a bid and how Illinois did.
 

Have to admit to being surprised by the reaction to that item.
I kind of thought I was defending Tubby. I like him a lot and think he's a terrific coach. I think his results at the U have been fine -- two NCAA appearances in three years? That's pretty good for a team that had been there only once since '99. I just don't understand why anyone would have thought he'd start bringing in big-time recruits from outside the state when recruiting was not the strongest part of his game at UK, or that he'd suddenly be cranking out fastbreak teams when people in Kentucky complained about that nearly his entire tenure.
Tubby is a great defensive coach. In my estimation, his most important recruiting objective was to defend the state, and he's done that. I think he's been really good for Minnesota.
 

Tsnmike said:
Have to admit to being surprised by the reaction to that item.
I kind of thought I was defending Tubby. I like him a lot and think he's a terrific coach. I think his results at the U have been fine -- two NCAA appearances in three years? That's pretty good for a team that had been there only once since '99. I just don't understand why anyone would have thought he'd start bringing in big-time recruits from outside the state when recruiting was not the strongest part of his game at UK, or that he'd suddenly be cranking out fastbreak teams when people in Kentucky complained about that nearly his entire tenure.
Tubby is a great defensive coach. In my estimation, his most important recruiting objective was to defend the state, and he's done that. I think he's been really good for Minnesota.
Click to expand...

Well, I have to confess, whoever you are, I'm smiling.
 

Tsnmike said:
Have to admit to being surprised by the reaction to that item.
I kind of thought I was defending Tubby. I like him a lot and think he's a terrific coach. I think his results at the U have been fine -- two NCAA appearances in three years? That's pretty good for a team that had been there only once since '99. I just don't understand why anyone would have thought he'd start bringing in big-time recruits from outside the state when recruiting was not the strongest part of his game at UK, or that he'd suddenly be cranking out fastbreak teams when people in Kentucky complained about that nearly his entire tenure.
Tubby is a great defensive coach. In my estimation, his most important recruiting objective was to defend the state, and he's done that. I think he's been really good for Minnesota.
Click to expand...

And yet, his teams (10 years worth) averaged a higher PPG than his replacements have in 3 years.
 



Tsnmike said:
Have to admit to being surprised by the reaction to that item.
I kind of thought I was defending Tubby. I like him a lot and think he's a terrific coach. I think his results at the U have been fine -- two NCAA appearances in three years? That's pretty good for a team that had been there only once since '99. I just don't understand why anyone would have thought he'd start bringing in big-time recruits from outside the state when recruiting was not the strongest part of his game at UK, or that he'd suddenly be cranking out fastbreak teams when people in Kentucky complained about that nearly his entire tenure.
Tubby is a great defensive coach. In my estimation, his most important recruiting objective was to defend the state, and he's done that. I think he's been really good for Minnesota.
Click to expand...

Big-time recruits from out-of-state?

Tayshaun Prince. Keith Bogans. Marvin Stone. Jason Parker. Cliff Hawkins. Rashaad Carruth. Chuck Hayes. Kelenna Azubuike. Joe Crawford. Randoph Morris. Jodie Meeks.

None from KY. All were HS All-Americans from out-of-state.
 

Tsnmike said:
Have to admit to being surprised by the reaction to that item.
I kind of thought I was defending Tubby. I like him a lot and think he's a terrific coach. I think his results at the U have been fine -- two NCAA appearances in three years? That's pretty good for a team that had been there only once since '99. I just don't understand why anyone would have thought he'd start bringing in big-time recruits from outside the state when recruiting was not the strongest part of his game at UK, or that he'd suddenly be cranking out fastbreak teams when people in Kentucky complained about that nearly his entire tenure.
Tubby is a great defensive coach. In my estimation, his most important recruiting objective was to defend the state, and he's done that. I think he's been really good for Minnesota.
Click to expand...

Mike - thanks for checking in. As I mentioned in my post earlier in this thread, I think you're very plugged in and a fine basketball writer. I do find that you are a little hard on Tubby at times, but I understand there are times where there are things there to be critical of.

But, I do take issue with your writeup in the linked blog entry. You wrote:

"Smith also has been ripped for not meeting expectations in terms of promoting the Minnesota program, recruiting big-name talent and not coaching dynamic offensive teams."

I just find the entire premise wrong. First of all, Tubby hasn't "been ripped for not meeting expectations" by very many. Sure, he takes a few shots from the occasional naysayer (and some of it justified), but the general feeling in Minnesota is one of "we're lucky to have him and we hope he stays here a long time." Not a lot of ripping going on. The latest stuff has people concerned, but I think Tubby has probably been given a pass on much of it, and certainly no mainstream ripping happening from the fanbase.

As to Tubby not recruiting big time players from out of state, I'm not sure he's failed in that regard. He has two 4* recruits from out of state who he beat out major programs for (Ralph Sampson III and Devoe Joseph). He not only went of out state but out of country for Joseph. His 2008 recruiting class was made up of NO Minnesotans and was a concensus Top 20 class. He has recruited a handful of other out of staters who were 3* guys who had big time offers (Colton Iverson chose MN over Florida; Justin Cobbs chose MN over IA and Cal; and Maurice Walker chose MN over Pitt). His recruiting has been unreal when compared to his predessesor, who was literally trying to beat out the UW-Green Bay's, Colorado State's, and Toledo's of the world to assemble a roster.

Again, I enjoy your work and almost always trust what you write. I just find you a little "anti-Tubby" too much when writing about him. Certainly, Tubby isn't perfect, but he has been incredibly consistent over the years.

Thanks for checking in with us here -- I think that is incredibly cool that you've done that. And, keep up the good work, and take it easy on our guy:)
 

Friend Of Tubby said:
Big-time recruits from out-of-state?

Tayshaun Prince. Keith Bogans. Marvin Stone. Jason Parker. Cliff Hawkins. Rashaad Carruth. Chuck Hayes. Kelenna Azubuike. Joe Crawford. Randoph Morris. Jodie Meeks.

None from KY. All were HS All-Americans from out-of-state.
Click to expand...


Wow, I am not sure how many of the people on this board would know who these recruits were. They were so much fun to watch. We'll have this type players in Minnesota once we start winning. Top players like to play for big-time coaches and programs. We are getting there.

Go Gophers
 

>>We are getting there.<<

Could you explain how you came to that conclusion? Aren't we a shade or two above mediocre every season?
 

Gopher4Life said:
>>We are getting there.<<

Could you explain how you came to that conclusion? Aren't we a shade or two above mediocre every season?
Click to expand...

One way to stop being mediocre is to stay positive and support your team if you are a fan 4 life.
 

Gopher4Life said:
>>We are getting there.<<

Could you explain how you came to that conclusion? Aren't we a shade or two above mediocre every season?
Click to expand...

Well, this could explain it:

2007: 9-22 record (sans big name coach)
2008: NIT (with big name coach)
2009: NCAA (with big name coach)
2010: NCAA (w/ program's first BTT tourney title game appearance)

There have no doubt been hiccups along the way, but I don't see how it is a huge stretch to suggest "we're getting there." There is progress.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom