[El Scorcho]

Man, you're incredibly smart. I would love to know the sources that told you that.

No can do, pal. When you find quality information like that, you have to let your sources stay in the shadows. You know I'm going to be right to. Don't even act like you think I'm not.

[flameshaw]

I think Jeff Barber has his eye on someone and I'm willing to go so far as to say that it's not Randy Dunton OR Mel Hankinson.

Sounds like a Soxism to me. So obvious it can't be wrong. Kinda like "someone told me the sun is coming up tomorrow morning in the east, but don't tell anyone."

[thepostman]

Man, you're incredibly smart. I would love to know the sources that told you that.

No can do, pal. When you find quality information like that, you have to let your sources stay in the shadows. You know I'm going to be right to. Don't even act like you think I'm not.

come on man...just give us a hint...I am on the edge of my seat here!!!!!

With info like that, this source must be all knowing!!!

[Cider Jim]

El Scorcho, can we also rule out Jeff Meyer?

Also, since many think that Duckett is the front runner, does anyone know why he was fired from Fayetteville State, where he enjoyed so much success? http://www.onnidan.com/news/duckett.htm

[El Scorcho]

El Scorcho, can we also rule out Jeff Meyer?

My source can't confirm that one way or the other. All I can say is that JB has his eye on someone.

[SumItUp]

I'm new to this board and have tried to scan through some of the information tonight. I wondered if anyone had thought of John Pelphrey for the job. I do not know him directly, but through another LU grad heard a few years ago that he would welcome the opportunity to coach on the mountain. He is a solid God fearing Christian, was a star player at Kentucky, coached under Eddie Sutton and Billy Donovan, and is currently the head coach at University of South Alabama (D-1). I am sure that someone on this board is better than me at digging up the details on the guy.

[PeterParker]

Seems the internet rumor mill has him in the sights of the Blue Nation faithful; he seems to have a good bio...LU fans can hope right; well if the UK fans are so disillusioned with Tubby then maybe LU could make a run at either guy.





1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Pelphrey

John Pelphrey (born July 18, 1968 in Paintsville, Kentucky) is an American college basketball coach. He was a star college player at the University of Kentucky.

During his freshman year in 1988-89, the UK program was rocked by a major scandal. One player, Eric Manuel, was found by the NCAA to have received improper assistance on his college entrance exams. A second player, Chris Mills, received cash payments from a booster. The scandal led to the resignation of coach Eddie Sutton and athletic director Cliff Hagan, and led to major NCAA sanctions. Pelphrey and his fellow freshmen, Richie Farmer, Deron Feldhaus, and Sean Woods, stayed with the program despite the sanctions, and entered UK lore during their senior season in 1991-92.

That year, a relatively unheralded Kentucky team, in its first year after coming off NCAA probation, lost to Duke in the Elite Eight. This game is often considered one of the greatest in college basketball history, ending with the Blue Devils' Christian Laettner's buzzer beating jumper, which is arguably the most famous finish to a college game. The four seniors, as undisputed team leaders who showed their loyalty to UK during some of the program's darkest hours, would forever be known by Wildcats fans as "The Unforgettables."

After leaving Kentucky, Pelphrey spent a short time playing basketball overseas before joining his former coach Eddie Sutton's staff at Oklahoma State. Pelphrey then joined Billy Donovan's staff at Marshall, and followed him to Florida where he coached as an assistant for six seasons. He is now head coach at the University of South Alabama. In his first season there in 2002-03, Pelphrey led the Jaguars from a 8-20 record the year before to a 14-14 record. Now in his fourth season, Pelphrey has accumulated a 60-54 record at USA. In 2005-06 the Jaguars defeated Western Kentucky University in the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game, earning USA's first NCAA tournament bid since 1998.

2. http://nfl.aolsportsblog.com/2007/02/14 ... ead-coach/

Don't look now, but Kentucky fans are mad... and they aren't going to take it anymore. Reason: Kentucky's second straight loss down the stretch, this time to Tennessee.

Although earlier in the season some Kentucky fans were upset about my "Tubby Smith Hearing the Throbbing Beat of Tribal Drums Everywhere He Goes" piece, at least a few are starting to actually pound the kettle. They're tired of being average in Lexington.

Is Tubby legitimately on the hot seat? A reality check says no. Since 1997, Smith has done the following:


won a national championship in his first year (although 'Cat fans will be quick to tell you that he did it with Rick Pitino's players)
had six Sweet 16 finishes and three Elite 8 finishes
won five SEC championships and five SEC Tournament titles

led Kentucky to a perfect 16-0 conference record in 2003
won the Naismith College Coach of the Year award (2003)
won the Jim Phelan Coach of the Year award (2005)
built a 241-61 (.772) record at Kentucky
had 13 consecutive 20+ win seasons in 15 years as a head coach

That's an impressive resume no matter how you look at it... especially considering it is largely over the course of the last eight years.

But it's not enough for Kentucky fans.

(More after the jump.)


And to be fair to the Big Blue Nation, the trend hasn't been good; after Tubby's hot start, Kentucky has steadily cooled, especially since their standout 2003 season. Florida's emergence as the hottest team in college basketball in the 2006 tilt -- which has continued over to '07, where Florida has been #1 for the past 5 consecutive weeks in both AP and ESPN/USA Today polls -- hasn't helped matters, either. Being the 'cream of the crop' in the SEC is a minimum standard to which Big Blue Nation holds their program. No SEC team is deserving of the throne which was designed, crafted, and installed by the Kentucky basketball program.

In the '07 season, fans have come to realize that they're to expect more of the same, albeit this year's team is undeniably better than last year's, which featured a strange Rondo-Sparks dynamic which seemed to fundamentally alter the chemistry of the team in a negative way. Rumors persisted throughout the season that Rondo impregnated Sparks' girlfriend, a rumor that to the best of my knowledge remains unsubstantiated. But on many levels, last year's team was the worst under Tubby Smith in some time. Fans also seethe over the fact that Smith passed on Chris Lofton, an All-SEC and potentially All-American caliber player, as well as future NBA player Corey Brewer. Considering that senior Bobby Perry still starts for Kentucky, something is definitely below par with Kentucky's recruiting.

Which brings us to the issue at hand: if Kentucky were to replace Smith, who would they go after? With his team riding a 12-game winning streak, many eyes drift towards John Pelphrey of South Alabama.

Remember him? You'd better - Pelphrey was a star member of the "Unforgettables," the team who despite all the odds took Kentucky to the Elite 8 only to lose to Duke. The year was 1992. The Duke player who ended it all for the Wildcats was Christian Laettner, whose buzzer beater to win that game was perhaps the most famous play in college basketball history. Pelphrey then did time at Oklahoma State with Eddie Sutton, served as an assistant to Billy Donovan at Marshall, then followed him to Florida where he continued in that capacity for six seasons. In 2002, Pelphrey was hired as South Alabama's head coach. He immediately had an impact there, turning the Jaguars around from an 8-20 record the year before his arrival to a 14-14 record. South Alabama is currently 19-7 and hasn't lost a game since January 2nd, 2007.

That hasn't gone unnoticed by Kentucky fans.

Additional Reading:

3. http://www.usajaguars.com/ViewArticle.d ... EASON=2006


4. http://bamahoops.blogspot.com/2007/02/j ... phrey.html

5. http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/Statis ... _John.html

[olldflame]

I suspect his team's early departure from the conference tourney and subsequent relegation to an NIT bid may have cooled the "Blue Nation's" ardor for Pelfry a bit. It's really crazy to think that Tubby's job could be in jeopardy anyway. Based on his bio I think Pelfry may be a good fit for the "Red, White and Blue congregation". It would be hard to categorize his coming to LU as any more than a lateral move carreer-wise (at best), but if he is interested anyway, that would be an indication he may be a good fit. "Looking for a house with a swimming pool", to quote JB.

[Sly Fox]

Tubby got the kiss of death today from the AD. Anytime you receive a vot eof confidence it means there is a complete lack of it.

[PAmedic]

see: K. Karcher, circa 2005

[Rocketfan]

see: K. Karcher, circa 2005

Aren't you the one who always ask why do we open up old wounds? Haha.

[Hold My Own]

You gotta feel good about JB being on the road going to them rather then sitting back and seeing who's willing to come to us first...great things are to come...and very soon, I trust this man and the staff he surrounds himself with

[TallyW]

HMO... can you shed any more light on that... the fact that JB is 'on the road'. I like that as well... do we know where his travels have taken him? Do we have any clues as to the latest developments?

[Hold My Own]

He's got a few in his sights...and its quite clear "This is what big time programs do" they dont wait for those who may be interested in us they go to them and ignite that spark...this is a very good thing and we should be hearing something very soon...my guess is the next 10 days

[Sly Fox]

Its good to hear he is being proactive. Too often in the past we have been reactive and had limited options as a result. And no, I'm not speaking of anyone in particular ... just the way the department has operated in general over the years.

[hoopsmalone]

please come take coach tillete off of our hands at SU. I would rather watch the democratic national convention than another game featuring the princeton offense.

[olldflame]

Pelphrey's South Alabama team did a pretty good job hanging in against Syracuse at the Carrier dome last night; a tough draw to say the least. I liked the way his team played, but not the fact that he has 8 transfers on his roster (yes, you read it correctly, 8). I think it's OK to have the occasional transfer, especially coming from a school at a higher level, but I'm a believer in building a roster with high school recruits who are in your program for 4 years, or even 5. When was the last time LU had a voluntary redshirt (not medical as with Tyler or Lamont)? I believe the answer is "not since Jeff Meyer was our coach".

[buckets]

There are many coaches that can win games. but all coaches don't fit all situations. LU is a special job and should be led by a special coach. I am sure that Barber understands this and will find the right fit. Multiple transfers in or out, suspensions, and academic problems usually don't result in program building. It is time for LU to make a run.

[Sly Fox]

olldflame - For the record, practically no school redshirts players these days outside of medical issues unless the player simply isn't ready to contribute. I realize the WU faithful will jump on this comment. But they were in a very unusual situation this year. I'd be shocked to see them repeat this year's scenario anytime soon.

[olldflame]

olldflame - For the record, practically no school redshirts players these days outside of medical issues unless the player simply isn't ready to contribute. I realize the WU faithful will jump on this comment. But they were in a very unusual situation this year. I'd be shocked to see them repeat this year's scenario anytime soon.

I get that Sly, and the redshirt thing was really secondary. The main point I wanted to make is my belief that we should be bringing in primarily high school kids who will be around for 4 years of eligibility. I think if you do that, and then do a good job of "coaching up" their skills, helping them develop physically in the strength and conditioning program and retaining them in school and in the program, after a few years you will get a kid occasionally who has potential, but just isn't as good as the guys who have been around for 2 or 3 years. "Isn't ready to contribute" then takes on an entirely different meaning.

[buckets]

The luxury of redshirting players for reasons other than "medical" come as a result of balance in your recruiting classes. It is difficult to take a player as a Freshman and sit him when you don't have depth in your upper classes. Regardless of abilities, it takes players time to get to know the environment ie.. coaches, system, players, university....etc. in which they play. Taking multiple transfers with 1 or 2 years to play over the long haul leads to a disconnect between the team and the universities community.

[olldflame]

The luxury of redshirting players for reasons other than "medical" come as a result of balance in your recruiting classes. It is difficult to take a player as a Freshman and sit him when you don't have depth in your upper classes. Regardless of abilities, it takes players time to get to know the environment ie.. coaches, system, players, university....etc. in which they play. Taking multiple transfers with 1 or 2 years to play over the long haul leads to a disconnect between the team and the universities community.

Exactamente!!!


But even in our current situation you can look back (with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight of course ) and say there is at least 1 scholarship player who wasted a year of eligibility playing a few minutes here and there at "garbage time".

Well something tells me we are getting a little

[olldflame]

Well, Tommy Amaker is now officially available.

[LUconn]

Marshall to Michigan anyone? I think he'd hold out for something southern. Like USC

[Rocketfan]

Well, Tommy Amaker is now officially available.

Yup just say that and native of Falls Church, va.......