Concerned Fans Press Release #1

CONCERNED FANS FOR

BASKETBALL

Press Release

Concerned Fans For UK Basketball

March 6, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On Sunday, March 5, 2007 , the University of Kentucky Men 's Basketball Team ended its 2006-07 regular season against the Florida Gators with a loss. Not only does this loss end Kentucky's season with double digit losses for the 5 th time in the last 8 years, Sunday's loss is the sixth straight to Florida, a new Kentucky record for consecutive losses to any SEC opponent. Kentucky finishes the season at 20-10, 9-7 in the SEC, and Kentucky finished this season with 7 losses in their last 12 games.

Last year, Tubby Smith's defenders said that Tubby Smith's record of accomplishment at UK over 9 years had “earned” Tubby the right to “one more year to ‘right the ship'.” Concerned Fans disagreed, but Tubby and his defenders got their “one more year” amid promises and heightened expectations of a team free of turmoil, no worse that 2 nd place in the SEC East and the first round bye it carries, and a legitimate run at the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Tubby Smith himself vowed that UK would not have another year like 2006 in which the Cats finished 22-13 with an early exit from the NCAA tournament. Tubby Smith himself declared that Kentucky was "the team to beat in the SEC" in 2007.

So how has this year stacked up against these expectations and promises of a “righted ship”? The answer emerges from a review of Tubby's record.

Tubby's Record

· Tubby has never recruited, signed, and coached his own chosen player in a final four.

· Tubby still holds the record for consecutive seasons as UK coach without a final four, 8 and counting. 2006-07 should be the 9th year in this ongoing streak.

· Tubby Smith coached Kentucky teams have lost 10+ games five times in the last 8 years. In addition, the 1999 season produced 9 losses.

· Of the 37 players that Tubby Smith recruited and signed to play for Kentucky in his first 9 years, 17 have left early, and only one of the 17 managed to move into the NBA upon the early exit. Four others have tried to flee, but failed. Will there be others to flee following this season?

· UK basketball players have a 23% graduation rate in 4 years, and 33% after 6 years, beginning with 99/00 season! This is well below the overall graduation rate for all student athletes at UK for all sports programs, and is under ½ of the average for basketball programs in D1.

· Tubby's recruiting is ineffective, and leaves UK scrambling for the leftovers, rather than competing at the table for the prime dishes. This year's recruiting successes only include another 7-foot project and a role-playing forward.

· During Tubby's ten years as UK head coach, pace has steadily declined. This year's 79.7 possessions per game is the lowest of the Tubby Smith Era, and the lowest at UK since 1987.

· During Tubby's ten years as UK coach, the average margin of victory has steadily declined. Since the 1990-91 season, Kentucky 's average margin has been below 7 points per game 3 times, 2000, 2006, and 2007.

· Last year, Tubby placed UK basketball in position to compete with the middle of the pack in the SEC and to get a hoped for at-large NCAA bid with an eight seed. This year Kentucky finishes as the 4th seed from the SEC East in the SEC Tournament.

On June 7, 2006 , Concerned Fans emerged to engage the debate about why Tubby Smith is not the right coach for the UK program. To read the original Press Release that included the many reasons Concerned Fans reached that conclusion, use this link:

http://bigbluefans4uk.com/Original_Documents/Ad%20Copy%2004%20with%20PR.htm

Has this “one more year” changed or improved upon a single fact or statistical measure that we identified last June? Concerned Fans say emphatically that this “one more year” has NOT improved anything. Now the cry is rising again that Tubby deserves "one more year.”

Tubby and his defenders have had their "one more year" and it was simply more of the same. A record of 20-10, 9-7 in SEC, with a 4th place finish in the SEC East, playing on Thursday in the SEC tournament for only the second time since expansion, and last year was the first time ever. In addition, as a follow-up to last year's #8 seed, many backetologists place this Tubby Smith UK team on the NCAA bubble primarily on the basis of a 5-7 record over the last 12 games.

Concerned Fans are ready willing and able to provide additional statistical information that demonstrates why it is time for Kentucky to change its course.

For further information about this Press Release, please contact our designated spokesman:

Richard Cheeks
Nicholasville, Kentucky

ConcernedFans4UK@alltel.net

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