Untitled Document

CONCERNED FANS FOR

BASKETBALL

TUBBY SMITH HAS NOT RESPECTED
UK'S BASKETBALL TRADITIONS

My Complaint About Tubby Smith:

Many fans have complained about the disrespect players have shown Tubby and the UK uniform. We have complained about players arguing with Tubby during games, players going on strike, players in less than top shape, and people giving less than 100 % effort. In my opinion, respect and dedication start at the top and Tubby Smith has not given the UK tradition the proper respect.

The Case for Tubby's Disrespect Of UK 's honored tradition:

Tubby started our relationship with a lie. He misrepresented his intentions about the style of basketball he would play. Even when the skill level, depth, and size of his players would have dictated him to play the promised style, he did not play that style. He disrespected our program by placing his personal interests ahead of the team when he coached the Olympic team instead of staying home and taking care of business. In retrospect, even Tubby has admitted it was a mistake.

He did not respect our honored tradition by bringing his son in and allowing him to start. Arguments can go back and forth that he was all we had at the time or that we could have signed someone else if Saul was not here. The Sporting News recently pointed out Tubby's lack of success at signing point guards. Either way, it helped cause a divided fan base and a perception of nepotism. By all accounts, Saul was a great guy and he certainly put out a lot of effort. The trouble was that he played hard at less than SEC starter quality. In his junior year, of all SEC players to attempt 50 or more field goals, Saul was 105 out 108 in field goal percentage. Among those who took more than 20 three-point attempts, he rated 67 out of 74. Saul showed some improvement his senior year. Among those who attempted 50 or more field goals, he rated 87th out of 107. Of those who attempted 20 or more threes, he was 39th of 72. Among starting point guards in his senior year (Saul played more minutes than many of them), Saul was 6th of 12 in assists, he was 11th of 12 in rebounding, and 8th of 12 in free throw percentage. These stats do not measure up to the expectations that many UK fans have for UK 's starting point guard. In some eyes, Tubby took advantage of his position for the pleasure of coaching his son.

By allowing players (both on and off the court) to disrespect him and the UK uniform, he lowered the perceived value of our tradition. This indicates his perception of the value of our tradition is of less value than whatever issues he has had with various players or interests. The good of the program has not always come first. There comes a point when the sacrifice should have been Tubby's personal sacrifice instead of the teams. Very few schools match our tradition (none in my book; therefore, our standards are higher. What is good enough at most schools is not good enough at UK . UK is the Mecca of basketball and deserves respect beyond all other schools.

Submitted by Larry Butler

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