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When Tubby Smith was informed that Rick Pitino wanted to speak with him prior to the finale of the SEC regular season in Gainesville, Florida he probably was unaware of the bombshell the Little Emperor was about to unload on him.� When Rick began inquiring about the possibility that he might take the Loserville position, one might have expected that Tubby would have cringed in fear and perhaps implored Benedict to coach elsewhere.�
"Coach, I'll support whatever decision you make."
What's that?� How could Tubby support a decision which would result in the Shadow ending up in Loserville?
"I think it would be good in many ways.� It would certainly benefit me personally."
Tubby, are you thinking clearly?� Don't you know if Rick goes to Loserville that the comparisons between the two of you will grow louder?� Aren't you aware that the first time you lose a recruit to Ricky that UK fans will be outraged?� And do you dare risk losing to Lil' Ricky -- especially against Lil' Ricky and the Loserville Cards?
To understand Tubby's sentiments, you must first realize that Tubby is not and has never been in Pitino's inner circle of former assistant coaches and friends.� Not because Pitino has not extended the opportunity for Tubby to become one of his "zombies", but because Tubby has refused to do the prerequisite kissing of the Emperor's rear end.
Tubby Smith is a down to earth sort of guy.� Pitino's flashy and fast-talking personality isn't appealing to people like Smith who can see through the front to the heart of the matter.� Case in point, as the newly ordained coach of the Celtics, Pitino invited all of his former assistants, including Tubby, to Boston for a basketball family reunion.� Many of Rick's most prominent assistants including Billy Donovan, Ralph Willard, and Herb Sendek accepted Pitino's invitation.� But Tubby RSVP'ed that he would be too busy recruiting to attend the festivities.
Pitino has often stated that he keeps in regular contact with his former assistants.� Pitino and Billy Donovan have a particularly close relationship -- recently speaking to one another as often as once a week.� Prior to Tubby's encounter with Pitino in Gainesville in February, Smith and Pitino had only spoken once since Rick had departed Lexington for Boston.� To say that Tubby keeps his distance from Rick is an understatement.
To further complicate matters, Tubby was hired largely because of his perceived status as a Pitino disciple.� The problem for Tubby, from a public relations standpoint, has been that the only thing Pitino and he have in common is that Tubby coached at UK for two years under Benedict Rick.� The similarities between the two men stop right there.� Not only is Tubby a more honest and straightforward individual than is Rick, Tubby doesn't even like the style of play which Rick employs.� This has been most disheartening to fans who had warmed up to full court trapping and pressing basketball under Pitino.� While Tubby likes to press, he does so strategically, and has called the style of play employed by Pitino "mindless" and "too risky".�
However, UK fans are slowly but surely realizing that Tubby-Ball doesn't equal the "Four Corners" offense.� Like Pitino, Tubby gives his players the green light to shoot the three, and will run the fast break and get out in transition at every opportunity.� Unlike Pitino, Tubby would rather create turnovers in the half-court with aggressive on the ball defense and he refuses to press when it results in giving up multiple easy baskets.�
UK fans have learned that Tubby's ability to adjust to the opposition and changing game situations, rather than utilizing Pitino's philosophy of pressing at all costs, is a coaching asset.� For example, a Tubby Smith coached team would have never lost to Kansas 150-95 as did one of Pitino's early UK teams.� Pitino's refusal to call off the presses in that game and to adjust to the opposition resulted in one of the most lopsided losses in UK history.
However, the Shadow of Pitino has loomed large over the state of Kentucky.� Even in the wake of bringing home the school's seventh National Championship in 1998, and winning three SEC Championships, Tubby could not escape the Shadow.� Ordaining his son "the point guard of the future" combined with a very disappointing outing in the 2000 NCAA Tournament, had UK fans up in arms earlier this season.� At 3-5, it looked as if Tubby might be in over his head.� However, Tubby began to sway public opinion by closing the regular season winning 17 of the last 21 games and then by rolling into Nashville and demolishing the opposition to claim the school's twenty-second SEC Tournament Championship.� And what Tubby knew then as a result of his conversation with Pitino in Gainesville, that many UK fans did not, was that Rick Pitino was about to initiate a courtship with the University of Loserville which would vastly alter the perception of Smith and Pitino throughout Kentucky.
Now if you believe the statements of Benedict Rick and Loserville AD Tommy Jurich that only "20%" or a "small minority" of UK fans will have negative feelings towards Rick if and when he takes the Loserville job, then you probably believe that Rick's love affair with the Cards is a bad thing for Tubby Smith.� But Tommy's and Ricky's belief that a large majority of UK fans, who dominate the population of Kentucky as a whole, will forgive Pitino for "sleeping with the enemy" is the result of delusional thinking.� When Tubby says Rick's move to Loserville will "benefit him personally" he demonstrates that he has a better understanding of the situation in the state of Kentucky after his four year tenure at UK than Rick gained during his entire eight years in Kentucky.
What Tubby knows is that Rick's act of treachery will serve as a unifying force for UK fans.� Rick Pitino will become the enemy, and nothing perpetuates solidarity like a common foe.� UK fans will pull together once and for all behind the leader of the UK program, Tubby Smith.� Certainly, the comparisons between the two men will continue if Rick goes to Loserville.� Only now, Tubby will have the advantage of the solid support of a majority of the Commonwealth while Ricky will discover, as did Denny before him, what it is like to face its wrath.�
To say that there are no potential pitfalls for Tubby Smith resulting from this situation with Pitino and Loserville would be inaccurate.� Tubby understands that even had this situation with Pitino not occured, UK is UK and the fans and administration expect a bottom line of wins and championships.� If UK were to fall on hard times, and if Pitino were to have success in Loserville, the old comparisons might be reborn.� But to the extent that the added pressure presents a challenge for Tubby, there is every reason to believe he will succeed.�
Ultimately Tubby understands that if Pitino returns to the Commonwealth to coach Loserville, that the Shadow which will be cast will be Tubby's own.� And this time, Benedict Rick will find himself in the shade of the Empire and its leader to the east. (3/13/01)
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