Most Wednesdays, former lowly KFAN intern turned public relations flack PJS brings 10,000 Takes' loyal following insightful (we tell him that to keep him writing for free) thoughts on Golden Gophers sports. PJS blogs on all things Gophers at Paging Jim Shikenjanski, where he gushes over Tubby Smith and savages Tim Brewster. He blogs from his home in Northern Virginia, where he is mocked for his Minnesota accent.
Tubby Smith Is A Busy Man
Last week, in his role as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Smith, along with the group's Board of Directors released a statement that read in part: "strongly opposes 10th-grade students and younger from making commitments to collegiate institutions for the purpose of playing men's basketball."
Guess who had been racking up verbal commitments from youngsters? That's right, Tubby's successor at Kentucky Billy Gillispie. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Tubby and Gillispie talked privately before the decision was leveled. Publicly Gillispie, or the Coaching Pedophile as some are calling him, is saying he doesn't feel singled out. Gillispie has to say that, but you have to believe that somewhere, even if Tubby won't talk about it at parties, he took some joy in being the coaching fraternity's elder statesman and watching as his actions put Gillispie in a negative light.
That's not all Tubby has been up to. I assume everyone knows at this point Tubby is bringing in a top-20 recruiting class to The Barn this fall. This week he is hosting some 160 high school players from around the country, including Rivals 4-star point guard Johnnie Lacy, he of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While Lacy has always been more inclined to attend Marquette than Bo Ryan's UW, wouldn't it be nice if the Gophers under Tubby's tutelage can turn the tables on the Badger State?
After winning 20 games with a team that Dan Monson couldn't coach through a tough AAU schedule, Tubby landed 4-star big man Ralph Sampson III, 4-star shooting guard Devoe Joseph, big man Colton Iverson who Florida was after, among others, the JUCO player of the year in Devron Bostick and a JUCO freshman in Paul Carter.
Tubby didn't get every player he was after. No coach does. But for the first time since the days of Clem Haskins, the Gophers have a top-notch class coming to The Barn.
Tubby's been busy on a number of fronts. And it's enjoyable watching each development.
5 comments:
Sorry, but you are absolutely wrong in our former Coach Smith taking "joy" in this decision.
Tubby is a man of absolute character and he loved UK, as he has even said publicly that he will eventually retire to this state when the time comes.
Your post is so so wrong. Evidently you have no knowledge of the other coaches that have done the same for years.
But with Coach G, it was the parents that contacted him, not the player.
WRONG!!!!!!!!!! What a stupid piece of crap article. You obviously know NOTHING about Tubby Smith, Billy Gillispie and ESPECIALLY UK BASKETBALL. Do yourself a favor - stop worrying about UK and stop sweatin' Coach Gillispie. We will have another banner flying high in the Rupp Arena rafters before you know it and then you can all kiss "Coach Pedaphile's" A**!!!!!!!!!!
Multiple anons, you both missed the point.
Tubby Smith has never resorted (at least that I know of) to recruiting 8th graders. Billy G has. So, Tubby Smith doesn't have to intend anything. He has been gracious publcly as he ought to be.
But the obvious comparison is there.
On one hand Tubby Smith is a coach of stature who, along with NABC, is putting an end to a troubling practice. It just so happens that Gillispie is the person most known to employ said practice.
Tubby is a class act. Billy G on the other hand? Perhaps he can order more of his players to block a free throw in an NCAA Tournament game.
Now you did it PJS. Pissing off the Kentucky fans is never a good idea.
PJS, good work!
Only thing better than P-ing off UK fans is P-ing ON them!
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