The Strait Pinkie Squad discusses last night’s big win and much more.

Bobby E: Billy G was hammered no question last night.

Wink: Yeah, Billy G was drunk but his arrogance is what kills me. He refuses to switch defenses despite his personnel. If he switches defenses in the South Carolina game it could have been a different outcome and i was so sick and tired of seeing Stevenson guard Calathes in the first half that I was throwing stuff. Why the refusal to play any type of zone? With their length it would cause problems. And I am so sick and tired of hearing people say that Ramon Harris is our best defender. What, just because he is 6’5 and looks athletic and can’t do anything else, we present him with the best defender tag. He is not a great defender and he has no skill-set. He has no reason to see the court. The man would have to defend like Scottie Pippen to see the court for me. Did I mention that the country is vastly regarding Billy G as an a$$hole after his two performances with Jeanine Edwards.

Guy Smiley: Apparently he coaches better drunk because they did some stuff with subs and gameplan that they should have been doing for 2 months.

Wink: This is why he did the stuff with subs that he hasn’t been doing. Because there was no way he could have taken Galloway out of the game. Galloway has shown flashes in transition all year but he is obviously not disciplined enough to play for Gillispie. Yesterday, the man came in and made two good plays to start the game and got the crowd fired up and the team going. Then he threw the ball away, trying to get it to Meeks on the baseline. Normally, he would have been yanked but Gillispie had no choice. Then after getting killed on switches all game he switched to a smaller lineup simply because Patterson got hurt. So those two things were out of his control. Third, there is no rule that says your starting five has to start the second half. How does Razor get the start over Galloway after half? I am not questioning Liggins lack of PT because Galloway was bringing the team energy, Porter was knocking down shots and Meeks is a beast.

Rolf: Is Wink hammered? Plus, did anyone see the little dance Billy G did after the Meeks shot went down? It was pretty hilarious.

Bobby E: Naw, pretty much everything he said was correct. I mean even Bobby Knight, who would never ever ever ever ever zone anybody eventually gave in and occasionally deployed a zone. But, Wink should be a sideline reporter because he obviously thinks he knows more than Billy G does.

Guy Smiley: Like it or not (and I’m not sure if I like it or not), Gillispie is about philosophy and he doesn’t care about being understood. We’ll see if he can last at UK with that combination. To him a zone is weakness and a bailout. Unfortunately the personnel of this team would benefit from a zone quite a bit, but it doesn’t fit with what Gillispie is trying to create.

Regarding the subs, I think there is a lot of stuff about Galloway that we aren’t privy to (grades/going to class) that has affected his usage quite a bit. UK did use the small lineup against State last week, so saying that was out of his control is not totally accurate.

The same starters first and second half goes back to philosophy again. I think he believes that you earn the right to start and the second half is included in that.

Harris should not be on the floor for more than 5-8 minutes at the most, and I think his role will decrease.

Gillispie is still relatively inexperienced as a coach. He hasn’t been a head coach for THAT long and unfortunately UK is not the best place to be inexperienced. He’s got a lot to learn I think some of his quirks will be ironed out over the years. I could still go both ways on him, but with such a huge lack of talent left by Tubby Smith, he deserves some time. Tubby really left us without a program. I don’t want to jump on Tubby, but he mailed it in the second he signed Rajon Rondo.

Speaking of sideline reporters, I can’t wait for round 3 of Gillispie vs. Edwards next week. Also, I got a close up view of Jeannine, she’s sneaky hot.

Bobby E: I would do her…. why not *shrug*

Rolf: Hold on here a second Smiley, I agree with everything up until your
statement “Tubby really left us without a program”

Lack of Kentucky level talent? Yes. Lack of quality talent? Probably. But, without a program? No way. You have the Craft Center, Rupp Arena, and the fanbase, all very important aspects of the program that Billy G had walking in the door. Don’t make me tell you again.

Guy Smiley: OK, I admit misuse of the word “program”…substitute “team”. UK fans, UK money, Rupp, and the Craft Center aren’t going anywhere.

Wink: Bobby E’s mom could coach UK into the ground and they would still have a program…she would be most hilarious coach ever.

Bobby E: Aaah…. good ol’ Tubby. Mr. Sweet Sixteen. It’s like watchin’ that one movie i never saw but is really popular over and over and over and over again….

Rolf: The movie’s okay, not as good as everyone wants us to believe.

Wink: The goal of a coach should be to do anything in your power to give your team its best opportunity to win. I don’t care if you view the zone as a weakness or a bailout. If it gives your team a better chance to win you better install it. If not, go coach in the NBA in 1999 and tell Jim Boeheim that his 750 wins are all for naught. I don’t get any coach who doesn’t adjust his style to his personnel. To me, it’s all about hardheadedness and selfishness.

In regards to smaller lineup I am not talking about Miss St, I am referring to the Florida game and he did not install the smaller lineup until Patterson was forced out. That is all I am saying. You have been killed by switches the entire game and Harrellson and Stevenson spent the majority of their time defensively 30 feet from the basket guarding Calathes because of this. If this continues to happen you have to adjust. Calathes was only reason they were in game. Find a way to contain him no matter what. Go small, get in zone. JUST TRY SOMETHING!

That is a stupid philosophy and I’d love to see what Harris does in practice to earn the start. If I hear how great of a defender he is again I am gonna blow puke chunks all over my keyboard.

If he is inexperienced as you say he is then please explain to me why he is so stuck in his ways. Those two don’t mix.

In regards to Tubby. Last years senior class should have been Morris, Bradley, Crawford and Rondo….that sucks??? Yeah his senior class that is graduating this year is deplorable. Good God it is Jared Carter. Somebody please tell me why North Carolina recruited him out of state. His junior class of Meeks, Jasper and Stevenson is not bad. Yeah, Stevenson wasn’t his first want, as there were more big men that were desired. I’m not counting Porter or Harris and I am so glad Harris played as soon as he got on campus because if he didn’t he would only be sophomore. His sophomore class is basically A.J. Stewart but he was in on Patterson and I also don’t buy the fact that Patterson wouldn’t have came to UK if Tubby was still here. Yeah, I think Tubby did take a hit with guys like Sheray Thomas and then a bunch of local guys who didn’t pan out like Brandon Stockton and Josh Carrier. But, remember fans were begging for more local kids. The ultimate search for a big man (Shegari, Woo) hurt him too.

But, my main Tubby point is Tubby is class. All class. Gillispie is reflective of a jackass. I would rather have someone represent the UK program with class and go to the tournament every year. I mean the man had two bad years in a row where he played himself to an 8,9 seed and couldn’t get out of second round. In ’05, if they get a defensive rebound in OT against Michigan State they go to the Final Four. In ’04, they entered the tourney as #1 overall seed and ran into an unorthodox buzzsaw in UAB. In ’03, if Bogans doesn’t get hurt they maybe go to Final Four. But, Wade was a beast so maybe not. In ’02, they lost to eventual National Champs in Sweet 16. Does that really suck?

Bobby E: Completely classless shot at a coach who went to the Association TWICE and told Jim Boeheim to shove it by takin’ FOUR squads to the Final Four and denyin’ him a ring in 96. (At least i think this was a shot at Slick Rick Pinino)

The Greek is really good.

I like the philosophy of rewarding your players for doing the right things behind the scenes that no one else sees.

This one is directed at you Guy so I’ll let him handle it.

Woo is the only thing that kept him around for as long as he did.

In ’05 if Chuck is in the game they get a rebound, glad he was saved up. In ’04… a buzzsaw?? really?? In ’03 read your 2nd paragraph and substitute Wade for Calathes, in ’02, in ’01, in ’00, in ’99, in ’05, in ’06 in ’07 blah blah blah. if if if.

Guy Smiley: Hardheadedness is a pretty clear symptom of lack of experience, and I agree he’s hardheaded at this point. He’s got his coaching ideals and he just doesn’t want to deviate from them at any cost. Man to man played well is the best defense, and he believes that. Experience will teach him the value of flexibility. I think he does have a solid foundation to be a terrific coach.

On to Tubby (and by the way, I apologize for bringing up Tubby), his class in ’04 was great, what I said was that he mailed it in afterwards. I think giving Morakinyo Williams a scholarship is the definition of mailing it in as a coach. I mean, can you imagine someone telling you that while Shagari and Woo were at UK that there were be not one but two big guys who were WAY worse than those guys in the next few years?

Those four are phenomenal building blocks for a team, and you have to build around them. Plus, you can’t expect that kind of class to stick around for 4 years. Tubby was great at UK until 05-06. If I could go back, I would hire Tubby again. It was time to go and Tubby would tell you that too. Tubby developed the mentality of going all in on recruits and when you do that, you are left with scraps when plan A falls through. That’s exactly what happened. UK has had too many players over the past few years with a fatal flaw, and Gillispie is getting killed by that.

Recruiting these days is a 5 year proposition, and that’s why Gillispie has had to go after the Galloways and Harrellsons of the world. They have skills, but would they be at UK if Gillispie had had five years to build a class? I don’t think so.

Your complaints about class are valid. Tubby is tough to beat in that department, but like I said, it was time to go for Tubby and it was time for UK to move on. I don’t think you can dispute that Gillispie deeply cares about his players as people, and I think that’s something to build on.

Wink: I am not making excuses for Woo and Shegari but teams take chances on big guys all of the time and they do not always pan out. Thabeet wasn’t that highly recuited at UConn. Still, good God are they both horrible but I love Woo.

Guy Smiley: Woo and Shagari are not terrible mistakes, although both of them in one class is questionable at best. Jared Carter and Mike Williams are terrible mistakes. As a recruiter, you have to be to good at administering an “eye test”, and Jared Carter and Williams disastrously fail the eye test. My hostility toward Mike Williams is without bounds. The man is the worst player including walkons to ever play at UK and if I ever see him it’s going to be hard to not give him a swift kick in the balls.

I shudder to think what this exchange would have looked like had Calathes not choked and the Gators had won in OT.

Wink: To Bobby E, YOU ARE AN IDIOT. WHY WOULD I TAKE A SHOT AT RICK PITINO? I hate when people run their mouth and have no clue what they are talking about. I said go coach in the NBA in 1999 because they restricted zone defenses. Simply put. Pitino went to the Celtics in 1997 you idiot.

No one said he wasn’t but everything runs through him just like everything runs through Meeks and Patterson. Find a way to stop it. Teams have done that against the cats.

Produce on the court. Your walk-ons work their ass off in practice. Play them. Dumb point I know but I am just dumbfounded by Harris’ minutes.

Pass

I love Woo as a human. Just as a human.

Not even worth rebuttal.

To Guy Smiley, It was time for Tubby to go because our fans can be too demanding sometimes, they are so spoiled and he was sick of dealing with it. I honestly believe it was his choice to leave and he wasn’t forced out. I second guessed Gillispie’s hiring from the beginning but I have continually hoped for him to be right fit. A season and a half in and I am becoming less and less optimistic that it is the case. When you are a head coach you can’t go burning bridges and pissing everyone off who works with you because you want to do everything your way. That is the reflection I get from Gillispie from everyone who has had any type of association with him.

I don’t even have much to judge on Mike Williams because I never saw him play but I agree I am not sure how you pluck him from England. And when talking about eye tests in regards to big men I like to simply look at the way they run up and down the floor. Shegari couldn’t do it. Woo could but he wasn’t even an inside presence. Out of high school I would have said Carter would have been better than both so that alone may prove that all my arguments are for naught cuz I know nothing about basketball.

Bobby E: To Wink, Yeah I’m an idiot. Well aware of when he went to Celts but with your editing skills I thought maybe it was a typo and then I went on to ASSume for some reason due to link w/ JimBo, hence, making an ASS outta myself.

No, no one said he wasn’t. He got his, his team lost. Whats the prob?

As we all is. Lest we remember the Coury Flurry.

Pass back.

Anyone who doesn’t should be castrated.

Love the not even worth rebuttal argument. So its not even worth tellin’ Tubby to find a way to contain Wade no matter what when by the same logic you are mad at Billy for not findin a way to defend Calathes? And again why try something when he got his but you still won. And not worth a rebuttal as to why the Chuckster was on the end of the bench in ’05 is because there ain’t no rebuttal on earth that would begin to defend it. And the others we all know if ifs and buts were candy and nuts.

Everyone is flipping out on Billy C. Yeah he’s a jackass, yeah he’s a drunk. You see what he did at UTEP? You see what he did at TAMU? And the man went 12-4 in conf, coach of the year last year, and is now 17–7, 6-3. Instead of clownin’ his success, we should be BUYIN HIM A DRINK!!!!!!!

Wink: Dont assume shiat no more.

Okay, don’t find a way to defend Calathes and hope to rely on an off-balance push shot by Meeks to win the game in Gainesville. You won so who cares. Right?

He was a walk on don’t count. Plus Gillispie was the one who was so adamant on playing his Napoleon arse.

You cut and I’ll hit you.

remember we hung out with him at osheas and then I saw that Greta chick and refused to walk up to her cuz i had on Jordan mesh shorts and i was’nt hammered.

I’m a life full of ifs and I loves some chicks butts, love me some candy but not too fond of nuts.

Bottom line if he wasn’t such a jackass I would probably let everything slide. But to me character has just as much to do with it as success on the court.

Bobby E: Pretty sure shiat always comes from the assume.

Exactly. Or if the offbalance push doesn’t go, head to overtime and get smoked by 11.

Um, neither Coury nor Harris should ever start ever. No matter if they hit up the practice scrimmage for 116 points.

I’M OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, she was hot. And how’d you get in wif mesh shorts when you cant even wear jacket into 4th street in february?

I wish you’d eat a pecan.

Which is why you still yearn for Bruce Coslet’s return to the Bengals.

Wink: Yep it do

How is that an exactly?

Complete 100% agreeage…oh but remember Harris is great defender…dammit somebody at work really just said to me that Harris is great defensively. I am about to explode

No look…Oh yeah, easy bucket.

It’s a weird life.

I’m allergic and like it wasn’t a good rhyme.

Not true…and I apologize that I care about the way people treat others (yeah that sounded kinda gay, not gonna lie).

Bobby E: Billy G cares about his guys, just not some douche (literal) sideline reporter who asks questions like “how is meeks getting so open?” or in the football arena “do think this is something you’d want to get back to? The Super Bowl?”

Wink: Yeah, the questions are stupid but it is part of it these days. College basketball head coaches get paid millions and part of their responsibilities is to talk to the media.

Bobby E: Not at halftime in the middle of the game it ain’t. Nobody cares what they say cuz everybody knows it is pointless. A waste of time. Next we’re gonna have Tony Siragusa roamin’ the bench poppin’ off random questions after timeouts before the action resumes.