Tubby Smith to Tech

[Max Power]

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9121347/texas-tech-red-raiders-reportedly-hires-tubby-smith

 

[bgrch1350]

Great Hire.

 

[bgrch1350]

Kind of funny that BCG replaced him at Kentucky and now Smith is replacing BCG at TT.

 

[KBaden145]

Not the direction I would have gone for there.

 

[colston15]

Any time you can hire a coach that's won a title it's a no-brainer. I'd say Kruger and Tubby are on the same level with Kruger obviously having a better job.

 

[MercedeSooner]

Any time you can hire a coach that's won a title it's a no-brainer. I'd say Kruger and Tubby are on the same level with Kruger obviously having a better job.

I'd disagree. Seems like Tubby has been coasting for a bit.

 

[tycat947]

He couldn't get a better job than Tech? That's kind of telling to me. He doesn't appear to be a super recruiter (I think Kentucky program did most of the recruiting while he was there) and I think that's probably the most important thing in the heIIhole known as Lubbock!

 

[colston15]

I'd disagree. Seems like Tubby has been coasting for a bit.

If he can get Tech in tournament, he'd join Kruger as the second guy to get five teams in.

Minnesota isn't a good job, IMO and he still got them in the NCAA's three times.

If I were at Tech, I'd be ecstatic.

 

[badger]

Any time you can hire a coach that's won a title it's a no-brainer. I'd say Kruger and Tubby are on the same level with Kruger obviously having a better job.

That's probably what they thought when they brought in other-Tubby.

"Winning all of the games in a season and winning the SEC is the same as winning a football title, right?"

 

[SoonerTraveler]

Second year in a row that a fired Big-10 coach takes over a Big-12 program.

 

[thebigabd]

This is without a doubt a home-run for Texas Tech.. not sure who Minnesota thinks they are, but he got them into the NCAA Tournament and cleaned up after Don Monson. By any measure of Minnesota basketball, he was a success.

Having Tubby Smith in the Big 12 is a plus for their program, and for this league.

 

[StatGeek]

This is without a doubt a home-run for Texas Tech.. not sure who Minnesota thinks they are, but he got them into the NCAA Tournament and cleaned up after Don Monson. By any measure of Minnesota basketball, he was a success.

Having Tubby Smith in the Big 12 is a plus for their program, and for this league.

agree 100%

 

[mict085]

Yeah, Minnesota is foolish for firing tubby. That said, tubby smith deserves better than Lubbock and the tech program.

 

[chuckb]

This is without a doubt a home-run for Texas Tech.. not sure who Minnesota thinks they are, but he got them into the NCAA Tournament and cleaned up after Don Monson. By any measure of Minnesota basketball, he was a success.

Having Tubby Smith in the Big 12 is a plus for their program, and for this league.

Agreed. Tech probably couldn't have realistically done better.

 

[KBaden145]

I wouldn't question whether they could get a better coach or not (I would lean to not). I question the fit.

 

[BigTime]

Great hire for Tech! Wow.

There are some really excellent coaches in our league from top to bottom...

 

[5hrenergy]

I think this is about the best Tech could shoot for and they got him. IMO very good hire for Tech. He will make them competitive and that's about all you can ask for at Texas Tech, right?

 

[badger]

Great hire for Tech! Wow.

There are some really excellent coaches in our league from top to bottom...

Should make for a fun Big 12 conference ad next season if they go the same route as this season

 

[AdaSooner]

This is without a doubt a home-run for Texas Tech.. not sure who Minnesota thinks they are, but he got them into the NCAA Tournament and cleaned up after Don Monson. By any measure of Minnesota basketball, he was a success.

Having Tubby Smith in the Big 12 is a plus for their program, and for this league.

That's how I see it, too, bigabd.

I also Tech is a good move for Tubby. I said last week that he can coach there five or more years, retire in Lubbock, and then run for mayor when he's through. It's the best of both worlds for everyone involved, except Minnesota. They made a mistake when they fired him. Chances are they'll go back to fighting for a place in the bottom half of the Big Ten, and playing for a birth in the NIT again.

 

[thebigabd]

1 National Championship
4 elite 8's
9 sweet 16's
20 or more victories in 19 seasons
17 NCAA Tournaments
511-226 overall records

22 seasons as a head coach.

The guy's record speaks for itself, and I think he can win down there. Bob Knight did, because Bob Knight is a phenomenal coach. So is Tubby Smith.

Tech has become transfer-U, but not in the good way like Iowa State. They stink because they have lost tons of transfers, and its hard to recover from something like that.

They have what seems to be an entire new rotation every year.

This year they started:

PG: Josh Gray- True Freshman
SG: Dusty Hannahs- True Freshman
SF: Jaye Crockett- Junior
PF: Jordan Tolbert- sophomore
C: Dejan Kravic- Junior, first year of American basketball (played in Canada)

Their bench was:
Trency Jackson- first year at Tech
Jamal Williams- first year at Tech
Daylen Robinson- first year at Tech
Kader Tabsoba- first year at Tech
Ty Nurse- second year at Tech
Todd Gotcher- first season at Tech (played a little as a freshman then got injured)

3 starters in their first year and pretty much the entire bench playing their first year. That's an impossible situation.