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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 04-23-2008, 07:51 AM:

Jasper was the only player missing at the Catspy Awards last night. The entire team was there and Patterson got the for Male Rookie of the Year. It is not a good sign, that's for sure..

Link

Posted by Bluecat (Member # 516) on 04-23-2008, 08:10 AM:

IMO, sadly, as soon as the semester ends at UK,
Jasper will probably head off into the sunset.
The deal has probably already been made. little do we know about outside influences. Lon Kruger also got a prized Uk recruit last season when 7-0, Begas Hamga signed with UNLV. Jasper may have
met Hamga when he was in Lexington on his visit.
Just thoughts. In my forty-nne seasons as a UK fan it is always hard to lose a players. Jasper
does all the little things that help make a team a team. He will be missed, just as much or more than JC or RB in my opinion. He was called the "glue" to the team lat year. The team came together on the floor once Jasper was healthy enough to contribute. He played on one leg mostly
this year and did a remarkable job.

Derrick is a likeable kid and I'll really hate seeing him go if he infact does. Coach already has said as much in his last press conference.

Bottom line, if a kid is homesick or has other reasons to leave the program, you have no other option then to wish him the best and thank him for the time you had with him.

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 04-23-2008, 09:06 AM:

You will never convice me that Jasper is leaving UK because of being homesick. I think there is much more to this story than we will ever know.

Posted by RTeezy (Member # 2964) on 04-23-2008, 09:37 AM:

Jasper was at home with family. He arrived back this morning. I have a source that lives in the Lodge with the players. I believe he went home to discuss with family about leaving or staying.

Posted by handycat (Member # 2323) on 04-23-2008, 09:45 AM:

My best guess is this is Tubby's fault. I'm sure there are a lot here who will agree with me. Damn, he's still ruining this program.

Posted by bayer (Member # 462) on 04-23-2008, 10:28 AM:

quote:
My best guess is this is Tubby's fault.

I'm glad to admitted this is a guess, because there is no objective evidence that I know of which would suggest this, unless you are just being flip about this.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 04-23-2008, 10:29 AM:

If he just got back from Paso Robles and had a family discussion that may be why his mom hasn't answered my email. She may not have known which way he was going to go. If I don't hear something pretty soon I too would say he's gone. Sorry to see it but if it happens we will move on. That could give us McCoy and still leave room for Harrelson. And if Williams leaves that frees a spot for Sutton, Majok or the new serbian guy in the news. We could be a lot stronger come tournament time next year if all these things come about. There is some reason to be optimistic now, but it could all fall apart very easily as we have seen in the last 3-4 years.

[ 04-23-2008, 10:32 AM: Message edited by: Bama Cat ]

Posted by TampaKat (Member # 2109) on 04-23-2008, 10:50 AM:

Bayer: Handycat is Redbones brother, need I say more? That was a joke!!!

I want to see how all these positives about Jasper change once he leaves I have seen it a hundred times, he transfers and more than half of those who are singing the guy's praises will be bashing him for leaving, its the nature of the beast I guess.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 04-23-2008, 11:16 AM:

Had to be Tubby and the Legion thing, that was Tubby too. Well maybe i'm wrong it could have been Saul, no maybe it was Donna, well for sure it had to be a Smith.... [Wink]

Posted by DDS (Member # 2159) on 04-23-2008, 03:06 PM:

Assuming you guys are not being sarcastic about Tubby being at fault with jasper, WHY? Why would jasper's decision to leave, in any way be the result of something Tubby did. And likewise Legion. What could have happened with him that had any influence on Jasper?

Posted by bayer (Member # 462) on 04-23-2008, 03:22 PM:

DDS-I think you and I were thinking the same thing, but it appears from a post above, that was intended as a sarcastic or humorous remark. GOT ME. [Smile]

Posted by CatfanRick (Member # 126) on 04-23-2008, 03:45 PM:

Bill, you need to lighten up and just enjoy some of the humor around this place. Maybe you need to stay away from those political topics for a while, they have wormed their way in to your brain it seems... [Eek!]

redbone, it seems bayer needs a consult. His brane seems to be stuck in the serious mode all the time lately... [Wink]

While Jasper is a personal favorite of mine due to the way he played the game if he doesn't have it in him to be more aggressive on the offensive end and help more with the scoring then he is and will continue to be a soft spot in our offense. He has the entire time he has been at UK been very easily doubled with the ball far away from the basket and while this season may have been due to his knee last year was a carbon copy and it is also another part of his game which needs work.

One must wonder out loud if maybe Jasper wanted to rest the knee and redshirt this past season and come back strong next year and the coach and or players talked him out of it. We needed the body in the lineup in the most desperate of ways but useing him at less than 100% may have had an effect on his upcoming decision. Could be the knee was saying no and the other influences were leaving his head no choice but to say yes.

Either way I truly believe all the props the coach gave Derrick were honest by the coach and well earned by the player. Where ever he plays next season they will be getting an excellent person and a very good basketball player.

[ 04-23-2008, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: CatfanRick ]

Posted by bayer (Member # 462) on 04-23-2008, 06:49 PM:

Rick-Maybe you're right. Send redbone right over. [Big Grin]

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 04-23-2008, 07:26 PM:

Sit tight on the Jasper situation for a short while. I am expecting a call from California this evening. [Wink]

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 04-23-2008, 10:43 PM:

Sorry no phone call yet. Doesn't look like it will happen tonight. No ones home at the Jasper home. Stand by for update when I get it.

Posted by Jarcat (Member # 95) on 04-24-2008, 07:45 AM:

SCWC posted:

quote:
You will never convice me that Jasper is leaving UK because of being homesick. I think there is much more to this story than we will ever know.

I'm with you on this one, Ray. I person doesn't leave a program after two years because of homesickness. That usually occurs in the first few weeks of the freshman year and they get over it by the second semester.

Something about this just doesn't smell right. I have no idea what else it may be but I don't think we will ever know the real story.

Posted by mr_ukkid (Member # 2304) on 04-24-2008, 08:59 AM:

My personal opinion is that I don't want Jasper to go, however, if he is going I hope he don't drag it out. IF he wants to leave then leave and give us your scholly so that we can get another person in here before they sign with another college. I just hope he don't wait till the last minute to decide to transfer.

Posted by DDS (Member # 2159) on 04-24-2008, 10:02 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by Jarcat:
SCWC posted:

quote:
You will never convice me that Jasper is leaving UK because of being homesick. I think there is much more to this story than we will ever know.

I'm with you on this one, Ray. I person doesn't leave a program after two years because of homesickness. That usually occurs in the first few weeks of the freshman year and they get over it by the second semester.

Something about this just doesn't smell right. I have no idea what else it may be but I don't think we will ever know the real story.

Exactly Jarcat, and I am going to say despite the risk of inflaming everybody, a factor here just might be Billy. We lambasted Tubby for driving away an average of two players a year and now we see Legion and Jasper jumping ship. Is there any connection? I'm just asking.

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 04-24-2008, 10:53 AM:

Gillispie will never get the heat that Tubby did (does), regardless of what he does.

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 04-24-2008, 11:11 AM:

My position on the Jasper situation is simple - If you don't want to play for Ky (and the coach IS ky) pack your bags and leave.

Heck, there are several more quality players out there right now that are better shooters and overall better players than Jasper.

He is a nice kid, I suppose but Coach is looking at several HS and/JC (1st and 2nd yr) so our roster will be spread out in classes just fine.

If Jasper doesn't like Coach's style - it aint gonna change for him so 'get our of dodge' with my best wishes for a great career elsewhere! [Smile]

Posted by MountainMafia (Member # 2066) on 04-24-2008, 11:26 AM:

Don't be too sure about that, Norm. Most people are willing to give him a few years (3-5) to see what he can do......some are not. After that "grace period" expires, and that depends on each individuals forbearance, if things have not vastly improved I think BG will endure as much or more wrath than Tubby ever did.

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 04-24-2008, 11:41 AM:

quote:
We lambasted Tubby for driving away an average of two players a year

No need for exaggeration. IIRC, 13 players transferred or left the program during Tubby's tenure. That compares with 9 or 10 during Pitino's years (Again -- this is without research).

Even Hall had a number of players transfer. Heck, I transferred to a different college. I don't find this to be anything significant other than an indicator of an increasingly self-centered and 'mobile-minded' culture.

Posted by bigbluerev (Member # 1633) on 04-24-2008, 01:59 PM:

These players aren't "driven" away and they weren't under Tubby either. It is just a reality of the way things are. Every program experiences this. Duke just had a player transfer last month

Posted by bayer (Member # 462) on 04-24-2008, 02:48 PM:

quote:
My personal opinion is that I don't want Jasper to go, however, if he is going I hope he don't drag it out.

My belief is that if DJ is going to leave, Coach G already knows about it and he is pursuing contingency plans. DJ still has a few days of classes and then finals. There is no need for the Coach or DJ to announce anything until school is out as long as Coach knows the situation. Why run the risk of fellow students razzing him?

Posted by Atlanta Cat Fan (Member # 1746) on 04-24-2008, 04:04 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Old Norm:
Gillispie will never get the heat that Tubby did (does), regardless of what he does.

It is always more difficult to follow a legend and things couldn't have been more exciting or gone much better than they did during the Pitino era at UK. Heck, I don't think Pitino could have lived up to those expectations. So I agree with you in that respect, but I do think UK fans will generally be hard on any coach.

Posted by prophet (Member # 2089) on 04-24-2008, 04:43 PM:

quote:
Gillispie will never get the heat that Tubby did (does), regardless of what he does.

No appearance in The Final Four (and we won't have to wait a decade).

Multiple double-digit loss seasons.

Declining or unimproving talent level.

Repeated recruiting failures.

Failure to appear in pre- and post-season rankings.

Actual and perceived exclusion from elite level.

Should a multiple of these occur Gillispie will receive more heat than Smith ever did and one of the main reasons will be a lack of politically correct cover.

Posted by DDS (Member # 2159) on 04-24-2008, 08:41 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Tiptree:

quote:
We lambasted Tubby for driving away an average of two players a year
No need for exaggeration. IIRC, 13 players transferred or left the program during Tubby's tenure. That compares with 9 or 10 during Pitino's years (Again -- this is without research).

Even Hall had a number of players transfer. Heck, I transferred to a different college. I don't find this to be anything significant other than an indicator of an increasingly self-centered and 'mobile-minded' culture.

Players that jumped ship or were thrown overboard during Tubby’s tenure:

1)Myron Anthony
2)Ryan Hogan
3)Michael Bradley
4)Desmond Allison
5)Todd Tackett
6)Marvin Stone
7)Nate Night
8)Jason Parker
9)Cory Sears
10)Rashaad Carruth
11)Adam Chiles
12)Bernard Cote
13)Shagari Allene
14)Joe Crawford
15)Randolph Morris
16)Rekalin Sims
17)Adam Williams
18)Rajon Rondo

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 04-24-2008, 09:12 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Old Norm:
Gillispie will never get the heat that Tubby did (does), regardless of what he does.

R U kidding me?

I am a law abiding citizen, but if nobody is lookin, I'll have whatever it is that you are drinkin. BCG has to win this upcoming season, period and end of paragraph. And, to all of you BCG detrators, you might as well get over it, because he is going to win big.

Those of you who have idle time on your hands to fret over UK round ball might as well go to a UK baseball game or two and spring for a couple of home football game tickets as well. UK basketball is not the only game in town. UK is slowly building a fine athletic sports program. KY basketball will be back to its proper place, next season. In the mean time, enjoy the other sports that UK has to offer.

[ 04-24-2008, 09:12 PM: Message edited by: boomdaddy ]

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 04-24-2008, 10:03 PM:

I stand by what I said.

Posted by Banner8Cat (Member # 2824) on 04-24-2008, 10:35 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by Old Norm:
Gillispie will never get the heat that Tubby did (does), regardless of what he does.

Are you kidding me!? Thats Delusional thinking. I don't remember any one disliking Tubby in the beggining of his UK tenure. It wasn't until he ruined our program that people put him under fire. Hell, BCG has been under fire from SOME people since day one. He hasn't even been given a shot. He'll get completly blasted by all of the UK fan base if he Messes up as bad as the last coach.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 04-24-2008, 11:11 PM:

Norm, i am right behind you, any coach that comes in and wins the National Championship the first year and get's critizised for it for having the former coach's players just doesn't have a chance. He was doomed the day he signed his contract it was just a matter of time.

The one other thing that i can't understand is that the Tubby detractors kept harping on was style of play and how slow paced it was and the need to run and gun like Pitino did. Now coach G comes in and plays even a slower brand of basketball and all of a sudden it's a great way to play...Puzzling to say the least.

In my opinion it has and will continue to hurt recruiting for coach G as the way Tubby was treated is still realized by basketball fans and recruits all over the country. I just hope coach G can work through all this as he has his work cut out for him.

Posted by viperz (Member # 289) on 04-25-2008, 01:55 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by catmandoo:
The one other thing that i can't understand is that the Tubby detractors kept harping on was style of play and how slow paced it was and the need to run and gun like Pitino did. Now coach G comes in and plays even a slower brand of basketball and all of a sudden it's a great way to play...Puzzling to say the least.

How so? Tubby came into a great situation with a roster of guys that were used to running. He kept saying he was gonna pick up the tempo (EVERY year) and he never did.

Coach G came into the bare table scraps left after 9 years of mediocrity and you expect him to run and gun? Puzzling indeed.

Posted by Jarcat (Member # 95) on 04-25-2008, 07:56 AM:

quote:
Coach G came into the bare table scraps left after 9 years of mediocrity and you expect him to run and gun? Puzzling indeed.

OK, here we go again. I hate to bring this up and get it started all over. But to say that Tubby's tenure at UK was "mediocre" is just plain absurd.

I don't want to re-hash all the stats but 2 years as a #1 seed (one of them an overall #1), twice national COY, a 75+% winning percentage, an undefeated season in the SEC. Excuse me, but this doesn't sound like mediocrity to me.

Some people are so blinded by their hatred for a person that they refuse to acknowledge anything good about them.

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 04-25-2008, 08:24 AM:

Tubby averaged 26 wins per season over his ten year tenure at UK, with one National Championship. His record does not need to be defended. At least he always won 20 games, something our prior coach did not achieve this past season. He did not leave the program in shambles as some would want all to believe.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 04-25-2008, 08:53 AM:

Jarcat, you will never get the Tubby detractors to admit the accomplishments Tubby made, the hate for what ever the reason runs way to deep. Isn't it ironic that the non-Kentucky fans understand his accomplishments more than some of our own fans. It's sad to see even after he is gone they can't stop their venom.

I hope coach G never see's the wrath of those fans because it isn't pretty and it isn't right. All our coachs past and present need our support. We may disagree with some decisions but to trash them like what Tubby received and still does just isn't fair.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 04-25-2008, 09:35 AM:

Viprez posts: Tubby came into a great situation with a roster of guys that were used to running. He kept saying he was gonna pick up the tempo (EVERY year) and he never did.

This is not true, here is the players he inherited from coach P:

Sheppard, J
Mohammed, N
Padgett, S
Turner W,
Edwards, A
Evans, H
Magloire, J
Mills, C
Anthony, M
Masiello, S

Talented yes, up-tempo players no! You can make a case for Turner, Edwards possibly Shepard but Mohammed. Padgett, Magloire, Mills or Masiello forget it. If they played a upstyle game with that squad they would have never made it.

This was a very good team but i would bet you if they were compared to all the other teams that won the NCAA title they would not rank close to the the top. They were fun to watch as they were "very" well coached and played as a team but would have never won using a up-tempo style.

In my opinion in todays game coach G's and Tubby's style have a better chance of winning the NCAA championship than coach P's old style. I say coach P's old style becuse even he does not use that style any more.

Posted by ohiocat (Member # 2560) on 04-25-2008, 10:40 AM:

Will this pro/anti Tubby argument ever end?Geeze.I was hoping to get some updated info on the Jasper situation and here we go again.
Don't mean to sound oversimplistic but don't let the door hit your hiney on your way out DJ.He was a good player but nothing really special IMO.It's a loss but maybe not as big we make it out to be.I do wish him the best and am hoping his successor is better.

Posted by bayer (Member # 462) on 04-25-2008, 12:26 PM:

This argument on Coach Smith is just like the arguments about politics over in General Chat. There's good and bad on both sides. The truth lies somewhere in the middle. For all he did bad to the program (in the eyes of some), at least he was smart enough to recognize that his time had passed with the UK program and he chose to move on. If he truly wanted to, he could have probably stayed on for 2, maybe even 3 more years and then where would we be? (The answer is we don't know for sure, but we can all speculate.)

We all need to thank him for the job he did, wish him well on down the road of life and then we need to move on. We are not accomplishing anything by continuing to cuss and discuss Coach Smith, other than passing time until football season.

As for DJ, if he chooses to leave (and it appears he will), I would thank him for the two years he put in here, wish him well wherever he chooses to go and tell him he is always welcome here in Kentucky. He may end up somewhere else, but he will always be a Kentucky Wildcat.

[ 04-25-2008, 12:32 PM: Message edited by: bayer ]

Posted by MountainMafia (Member # 2066) on 04-25-2008, 03:24 PM:

cmd:

quote:
Talented yes, up-tempo players no!

Maybe so, but they were the highest scoring Ky team Tubby ever had.

Posted by viperz (Member # 289) on 04-26-2008, 09:00 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by Jarcat:
OK, here we go again. I hate to bring this up and get it started all over. But to say that Tubby's tenure at UK was "mediocre" is just plain absurd.

You can call overall #1 seeds great but I see second round losses to UAB as underwhelming.

Coach Smith did have some good years, but the last two years of his tenure were pathetic. 20-13, 20-12, unranked, not even making the Sweet 16. When Coach Smith got the program it was coming off of back to back Nat'l Title games. I'd call that slippage in ANY sane persons view.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 04-26-2008, 09:12 AM:

V, what would a sane man call 18-13?

[ 04-26-2008, 05:07 PM: Message edited by: catmandoo ]

Posted by prophet (Member # 2089) on 04-26-2008, 11:53 AM:

quote:
... what a sane man call 18-13?

Given the dearth of talent, injuries and new system: Remarkable!

Posted by DDS (Member # 2159) on 04-26-2008, 01:01 PM:

Remarkable??

Posted by MountainMafia (Member # 2066) on 04-26-2008, 03:03 PM:

When was the last time a coach won CO-COY honors with an 18-13 record? This was over five other coaches (Vandy, Fla, Miss, Miss. St, and Ark) that had better overall records than BG. Under the circumstances stated by prophet, if the 18-13 record wasn't remarkable it was, at the very least, impressive as hell to some folks.

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 04-26-2008, 04:24 PM:

As weak as the SEC was this past season and with the extremely weak non conference schedule at home, excluding North Carolina, we should have easily won 20 games. I am cutting our new coach all the slack he needs, I just hope he doesn't hang himself on that slack. I will state my early opinions and certainly hope his efforts over the next few years makes me eat every questionable thought I have about him.

I am truly disappointed with his early recruiting which was supposed to be his strength and he needs to play multiple defenses like all other successful teams do these days. I also felt he wasted a lot of valuable playing minutes on Mark Coury this past season that would have been useful in developing the skills of other more talented athletes.

[ 04-26-2008, 04:27 PM: Message edited by: SCWC ]

Posted by MountainMafia (Member # 2066) on 04-26-2008, 06:27 PM:

I just don't believe the SEC was all that down this year outside of Fla. Tenn, Miss St, and Miss were better this year; Vandy was about the same....win at home, lose everywhere else; I didn't see any improvement in Ark; LSU about the same; Auburn about the same; SC, Ga, and Ala down. Except for the SEC Champ I didn't see a an overwhelming shift one way or the other.

The SEC had some pretty solid OOC wins. Ark over Baylor, Fla over Ariz. St in the NIT on the road, Miss over Va Tech in the NIT on the road and over Clemson during the regular season, Tenn over Memphis and Xavier on the road. Miss St, like Ky, took it on the chin early but finished strong.

What hurt the perception of the SEC was the performance in the NCAA Tourney which was a direct result of the SEC Tourney. Ky went from a 7-9 seed to a 11 when they lost to Ga. Miss St went from a 4-5 seed to an 8 when they lost to Ga. Tenn, imo, lost a #1 seed when they lost to Ark. Had the SEC Tourney gone as expected and these three teams seeded higher in the NCAA's, especially Miss St, the SEC would have had a much better record, jmho.

[ 04-26-2008, 06:36 PM: Message edited by: MountainMafia ]