(03-25-2017 08:11 PM)Ttaylor Wrote:  

(03-25-2017 04:56 PM)G-Man Wrote:  

(03-25-2017 01:22 PM)Ttaylor Wrote:  I just wonder what you're going to say once Tubby starts winning? This program is downtrodden and has to be rebuilt. It's going to take a little time. Patience.

I'd be more surprised if Tubby started recruiting at a winning level, than I'd be surprised if he started winning at a tolerable level. But he'll never get to an Elite Eight. He's been a pretty good floor coach, over the years, given mediocre talent. His nickname is ten-loss Tubby and there's a reason for the nickname.

And it means he will never rebuild Memphis.

The knock on Tubby isn't that he can't win with good talent. It's that he won't (as opposed to can't) recruit great talent. He COULD recruit great talent. But he won't. To Tubby, recruiting is "beneath" him.

The only exception was the one great recruiting class he had at Kentucky two or three years in, but that class was made up of guys who kept getting into trouble off the court. They underperformed as a result.

It is no secret that Tubby hates the hassles of recruiting. Most coaches like the challenge of competing for top talent. Tubby sees it as a chore, something to disdain (appealing to young kids' egos) and delegates it.

And once in a while, when he does somehow manage to land a high four star or five star recruit, there's a more than likely chance the kid will have questionable character issues, and will either transfer or get booted-off the team within a couple of years because he'll clash with Tubby (or the law).

Tubby can win big only when he inherits great talent. If Memphis had great talent when he got here, he'd have done a great job his first year, because he's always done great coaching with great talent.

But then he'd have done what he always does, and recruit only mediocre talent going forward, and the program won't ever reach great heights again, under him.

Obviously, Pastner didn't leave Memphis with great talent, so the one chance to see Tubby reach greatness at Memphis never even happened. And it won't happen now.

It's precisely because he'll only recruit to a mediocre level, that he'll never make it past a sweet sixteen at Memphis or anywhere else. He's NEVER made it past the sweet sixteen anywhere, when he's played with only his own players, that have been recruited solely by him/his staff. Never. Not once. Don't take my word for it. Check his track record and you'll see what I'm saying is the truth.

Wow! If Tubby hates recruiting so much, why didn't he hire a top notch recruiter instead of the scrubs he has on staff currently? I don't believe Pooh Williams or Joe Esposito are great or even decent recruiters. I truly believe the guy can flat out coach but you need talent to coach ( i.e. John Calipari). Great informational post!

No offense, but you're kinda making my point. A great recruiter isn't just a great recruiter himself; he hires great assistant recruiters. That's because a great recruiter surrounds himself with other great recruiters. Look at how Calipari recruited (still recruits). He's hustling for players, and his staff has a great reputation. Who was Pastner before he was coach at Memphis? A great recruiter for Cal. Tubby isn't a full of energy type of guy. He relies on others to recruit great players. But then he doesn't hire great recruiters, either. You just pointed out that his staff ain't so hot when it comes to recruiting, right? Since Tubby's not going to put a lot of personal effort into recruiting great players, how is Memphis going to get them?