Tubby Needs to Put His Foot Down Next Season

[BlueRazor]

I will be the first person to say that I have been impressed with Randolph Morris' play since returning to the team this season and I think Joe Crawford stepped in big in several games but made poor decisions in others.

With that said, neither player is bigger than the program and Tubby allowing Crawford to return last season and Morris this past season sent the wrong message to this group of young men.

It told them that they were bigger than Kentucky basketball. That Tubby needed them more than they needed UK and the results were he struggled all year to get them to listen and play as a team.

Hopefully Tubby will send a different message next season.

[bleedbluelady]

BlueRazor wrote:
With that said, neither player is bigger than the program and Tubby allowing Crawford to return last season and Morris this past season sent the wrong message to this group of young men.



That's not the message I got and I don't think it's the message the players got.

[Stretch]

The messages I saw were:

1. The team is a family and wayward sons are always welcome to return home.

2. 18-19 year old kids often deserve second chances.

[KapitalCat]

The team wanted Joe back. The team understands how tough it can be playing at KY and they understood. The return of Morris and Crawford had nothing to do with this season. The lack of development of Woo/Shag, the inconsistent play of Sparks/Rondo, and Rekalin Sims injury really hurt....coupled with the departure of Kaz.

[RaleighCat]

Stretch wrote: The messages I saw were:

1. The team is a family and wayward sons are always welcome to return home.

2. 18-19 year old kids often deserve second chances.

I agree here. I've stated that the message was intended to future ultra-talented players. UK is a patient program. Tubby is an understanding coach. If we want to attract more McD's AA and impact frosh, we needed to bring Morris and Crawford back.

What's happened since is open to debate. How has Tubby delt with them- and how have the players responded. That's a tricky issue. Letting them back on the squad was the right call, however.

[Athens2005]

I probably don't know enough about the Crawford situation to comment. I would have had no problem if Tubby had told him to stay away; but, if he wanted to let him back, then that is his right. I never heard of any of the other players complaining.


The Morriss situation was different. RM operated within the rules (aside from a few minor violations which he apparently did not recognize as being violations).

He should have been allowed back because the NCAA says that he's allowed back.

He really did not abandon the team.

He tested the NBA waters during the off-season.

I think within that process, he made some immature decisions; however, I think it was awkward for him, and he learned from his mistakes.

When he came back, he was a true warrrior, and I can't wait to see him next season.

Let's hope that the officials treat him a little better, and that he learns to stay vertical on defense.

[Wildcat Larry]

If you see the wrong message being sent in either or both of these cases, then you've never had an 18 year old son. That's about the best way I can describe my disagreement with your theory on this.

[catfando]

I guess the moderators should tell those with differing opinions to stay away and don't come back too ?????.........I think these kids are told how good they are so much by recruiters, scouts, friends they start to believe it. And they fail to realize that they are just another student athelete trying to become as good as they think that they are.

[T75]

bleedbluelady wrote: BlueRazor wrote:
With that said, neither player is bigger than the program and Tubby allowing Crawford to return last season and Morris this past season sent the wrong message to this group of young men.



That's not the message I got and I don't think it's the message the players got.

We can't know what message who got, but we can know that the Cats waited until the final game of the season, with lots of media light shining on them before they played a full 40 minute game with any energy and effort. Patrick and Bobby may have been playing for the love of the game and the team, I don't know about the others.

What I DO know is that if the Cats had played all season with yesterday's effort by all, we wouldn't have lost 13 games---more like three, four.

I'm really disappointed at Tubby's finger-pointing yesterday and I think by the time a couple of days pass, he'll be calmed down and disappointed in himself. A winner does whatever it takes to win but doesn't keep on pointing out to the world at large how bad his supporting staff (coaches and players) are.

[DCWildcat]

Enough of this talk of "messages." I personally don't give a **** what kind of "message" it sends.

Kids. They make mistakes. They should be given forgiveness and room to grow.

When you start talking about disgracing the program and "sending messages," you're holding some ill-defined, ambiguous notion of "sending the proper message" over the kids' futures. This is their lives. And you have to be a cold-hearted bastard to care more about some message and the future success of a basketball program than a kid's future.

Or just be a sports writer.

[justford]

From the number of posts saying they should have been allowed back and for the reasons given,it would seemlike Calhoun made the right decision by letting Williams return to his team.;)

[BigBlue75]

bleedbluelady wrote: BlueRazor wrote:
With that said, neither player is bigger than the program and Tubby allowing Crawford to return last season and Morris this past season sent the wrong message to this group of young men.



That's not the message I got and I don't think it's the message the players got.
Ditto.

[Vetteman/UKfan]

I didn't see any problem with RM or JC this year. I tought Morris played with a lot more emotion than the year before and seemed to enjoy being here. Joe just had a bad year playing out of position but then again, Keelena had those games where he disappeared. Playing out of position will do that.Joe still appears to be struggling with his identity on this team but appears to do what Tubby wants.Move him to the 2G and he will play with a lot more confidence.

There's a lot of rumor and innuendo running rampant about the underlying problems Tubby has had to deal with this year. Sometimes that's a tough nut to crack but I give him and the staff credit for keeping them together.I'm not going to lay our loss on Joe. A couple of baskets made and a couple oflate key rebounds by anybody and we send UCONN home where they should be.

I think these kids gave us a solid year and its time to let them relax and get ready for next season. They should be solid contributors for us.

Oh one other thing. Tubby is not going to do anything to hurt or discredit a student/athlete. In both cases, he let the cards play out and both players returned grateful for another opportunity. I think that says a lot about our program and the man in charge of it.

[WildcatDan]

BlueRazor wrote: I will be the first person to say that I have been impressed with Randolph Morris' play since returning to the team this season and I think Joe Crawford stepped in big in several games but made poor decisions in others.

With that said, neither player is bigger than the program and Tubby allowing Crawford to return last season and Morris this past season sent the wrong message to this group of young men.

It told them that they were bigger than Kentucky basketball. That Tubby needed them more than they needed UK and the results were he struggled all year to get them to listen and play as a team.

Hopefully Tubby will send a different message next season.




Hmmm... I can't help but notice that the two who were allowed to came back never gave any other problems. We never heard anything negative in the media about them and not even any rumors that they were causing trouble or were unhappy or had bad attitudes towards Tubby or etc etc.

[Athens2005]

WildcatDan wrote: BlueRazor wrote: I will be the first person to say that I have been impressed with Randolph Morris' play since returning to the team this season and I think Joe Crawford stepped in big in several games but made poor decisions in others.

With that said, neither player is bigger than the program and Tubby allowing Crawford to return last season and Morris this past season sent the wrong message to this group of young men.

It told them that they were bigger than Kentucky basketball. That Tubby needed them more than they needed UK and the results were he struggled all year to get them to listen and play as a team.

Hopefully Tubby will send a different message next season.




Hmmm... I can't help but notice that the two who were allowed to came back never gave any other problems. We never heard anything negative in the media about them and not even any rumors that they were causing trouble or were unhappy or had bad attitudes towards Tubby or etc etc.


To be fair, I don't think the point is that RM & JC were problems after their returns.

I think the point that people are making is that certain members of the team may have received the wrong message - and thus their attitudes/performance may have been affected - by the fact that Tubby allowed these two guys back.

(That in mind, I don't have a problem with them being on the team, just trying to add some color to the conversation).

[I. Melvin]

Touche, mon ami.

Just a wee bit of difference between grand theft and trying to transfer and/or go to the NBA, however ...

If one of our guys had been fencing stolen laptops, I would want him off the team right now.

justford wrote: From the number of posts saying they should have been allowed back and for the reasons given,it would seemlike Calhoun made the right decision by letting Williams return to his team.;)

[Stucat]

I. Melvin wrote: Touche, mon ami.

Just a wee bit of difference between grand theft and trying to transfer and/or go to the NBA, however ...

If one of our guys had been fencing stolen laptops, I would want him off the team right now.

justford wrote: From the number of posts saying they should have been allowed back and for the reasons given,it would seemlike Calhoun made the right decision by letting Williams return to his team.;)
Just why is it that we never saw fit to discuss Marcus Williams, Jim Calhoun, or the UCONN basketball team until we had to play them in the NCAA tournament? That makes no sense to me. I personally feel like it is sour grapes on our part for losing. It sure as heck didn't seem to bother us before whether Marcus Williams played or not. :question

[Mark Blueblood]

Sorry BlueRazor, but I could not DISagree with you more.

[NotFrank]

Stucat wrote: I. Melvin wrote: Touche, mon ami.

Just a wee bit of difference between grand theft and trying to transfer and/or go to the NBA, however ...

If one of our guys had been fencing stolen laptops, I would want him off the team right now.

justford wrote: From the number of posts saying they should have been allowed back and for the reasons given,it would seemlike Calhoun made the right decision by letting Williams return to his team.;)It sure as heck didn't seem to bother us before whether Marcus Williams played or not. :question





If you go back and look, several here were shocked and appalled with that situation. The argument was the double standard that exists for some programs. If Williams had been at UK, the national media would have had us for lunch. Since Calhoun is a media darling, it kind of got brushed away. Guys like Cowherd, Wilbon, and even Doyel ripped UCONN and Calhoun for it. Most of the rest glossed over it. We suspended Camara for a year for the DUI and took his schollie. Williams crime was just as bad and he gets a semester and couldn't eat on campus...that seems fair.

[catsno1]

NotFrank wrote: Stucat wrote: I. Melvin wrote: Touche, mon ami.

Just a wee bit of difference between grand theft and trying to transfer and/or go to the NBA, however ...

If one of our guys had been fencing stolen laptops, I would want him off the team right now.

justford wrote: From the number of posts saying they should have been allowed back and for the reasons given,it would seemlike Calhoun made the right decision by letting Williams return to his team.;)It sure as heck didn't seem to bother us before whether Marcus Williams played or not. :question





If you go back and look, several here were shocked and appalled with that situation. The argument was the double standard that exists for some programs. If Williams had been at UK, the national media would have had us for lunch. Since Calhoun is a media darling, it kind of got brushed away. Guys like Cowherd, Wilbon, and even Doyel ripped UCONN and Calhoun for it. Most of the rest glossed over it. We suspended Camara for a year for the DUI and took his schollie. Williams crime was just as bad and he gets a semester and couldn't eat on campus...that seems fair.
I agree with you on this matter. I remember talking about this back when it happened.

[TOPCAT]

Blue Razor......Azibuike leaving unexpectedly and Morris only playing for half a year set the tone for this year.For half the year we had no inside presence thus the blowouts.With Kalenna and Randolf on the team a full yearwe would still be playing!year

[KY Native in IN]

IMO i think criminal behavior should be treated as criminal behavior! i agree "late era" teenagers need a little leverage...VERY LITTLE...they don't need the message that you can get a DUI and slip out of it like a wet fish....like it never happened. THAT sends the wrong message! these young players see all these thug rebel players and think there's no consequences to their actions...it's sad! it comes down to ethics and morals, i've seen local area coaches let players glide through wrong doing and criminal activity, just to not let the team suffer or lose momentum, etc. and i know a coach who caught their players in under age drinking activity and canned their asses and that particular team suffered that year because they were upperclassmen and "hot" athletes. it's a tough call, but life is full of 'em...and i think we have to remember is no matter how much we want the team to win and conquer, right is right! may be straying from the point...sorry...

but as far as the original post about Tubby...i think he learned alot this season...i think next season you will see a different situation altogether...with the exception of tourney play he has had a couple of great seasons back to back, and maybe he assumed this one would just be another one and i think this one got out of hand before it could be reined in...but i think he does have too much of a will to win to let a repeat of this season happen next year...i've said it before...next season we will see the kind of coach tubby really is! not a bash in the slightest, just an opinion, i don't think it was an absence of passion we were seeing, it was utter disgust in what was unfolding...i think we will see those changes he was talking about! ...maybe some obvious observations, but i really think things will be different next season, i really do! GO CATS!

[Athens2005]

NotFrank wrote: Stucat wrote: I. Melvin wrote: Touche, mon ami.

Just a wee bit of difference between grand theft and trying to transfer and/or go to the NBA, however ...

If one of our guys had been fencing stolen laptops, I would want him off the team right now.

justford wrote: From the number of posts saying they should have been allowed back and for the reasons given,it would seemlike Calhoun made the right decision by letting Williams return to his team.;)It sure as heck didn't seem to bother us before whether Marcus Williams played or not. :question





If you go back and look, several here were shocked and appalled with that situation. The argument was the double standard that exists for some programs. If Williams had been at UK, the national media would have had us for lunch. Since Calhoun is a media darling, it kind of got brushed away. Guys like Cowherd, Wilbon, and even Doyel ripped UCONN and Calhoun for it. Most of the rest glossed over it. We suspended Camara for a year for the DUI and took his schollie. Williams crime was just as bad and he gets a semester and couldn't eat on campus...that seems fair.



http://www.wildcatnation.net/forum/view_topic.php?id=8790&forum_id=2

[poodoo]

Oh one other thing. Tubby is not going to do anything to hurt or discredit a student/athlete. In both cases, he let the cards play out and both players returned grateful for another opportunity. I think that says a lot about our program and the man in charge of it. QUOTE by Vetteman

________

Well-said, Vetteman.

Too, FWIW, at the time Calhoun allowed Marcus Williams to return to the team, I had thought there is NO WAY that would have happened at Kentucky. Comparing Tubby's allowing Crawford and Morris back to that choice by Calhoun is comparing apples and oranges, as I see it.

[KY Native in IN]

poodoo wrote:
Oh one other thing. Tubby is not going to do anything to hurt or discredit a student/athlete. In both cases, he let the cards play out and both players returned grateful for another opportunity. I think that says a lot about our program and the man in charge of it. QUOTE by Vetteman

________

Well-said, Vetteman.

Too, FWIW, at the time Calhoun allowed Marcus Williams to return to the team, I had thought there is NO WAY that would have happened at Kentucky. Comparing Tubby's allowing Crawford and Morris back to that choice by Calhoun is comparing apples and oranges, as I see it.



exactly right, apples and oranges! i just wish azubuike had not cemented his situation...but that's life i guess...:shrug: