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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 05-27-2011, 07:16 AM:

Tubby almost got him the same year he got Prince but Nowitzki was chosen to play in the Nike Hoop Summit and he scored 33 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 14 rebounds and 3 steals for the internationals and outplayed future US NBA stars Rashard Lewis and Al Harrington. That was the end of Kentucky and the beggining of the NBA.

A proud Wildcat alum from 2002, Tomlin was bouncing off the walls after news leaked out of Calipari's signing.

Actually, there may have been one Maverick who was more excited: Dirk Nowitzki.

"We're back baby,'' Nowitzki yelled in the locker room before the game against Minnesota. "Kentucky is back on the map.''

Kentucky, of course, was where Nowitzki was going to attend college had he not bypassed college to go straight from Germany to the NBA.

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Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 05-27-2011, 07:50 AM:

Man, just imagine having Prince, Bogans and Nowitzki on the same team...

The mind boggles... [Eek!]

That sounds like at least one more championship banner, if not more.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 05-27-2011, 08:11 AM:

Tubby's style of play can be questioned, but as a recruiter and bench he's above reproach.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 05-27-2011, 08:57 AM:

I don't think most people questioned him about going after top players. As you say his problem was his style of play caused him to lose most of the top guys.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 05-27-2011, 09:43 AM:

Bama that's a fair assesment however he did manage to send a "lot" of players into professional basketball.

Azubuike, Crawford, Daniels, Fitch, Hayes, Meeks, Morris, Prince, Rondo, and Patterson if your honest about it. They all made it to the NBA.

Barbour, Bradley, Camara, Carter, Cote, Edwards, Estill, Ramone Harris, Hawkins, Obrzut, Sparks and Stevenson to name some are now playing or have played professional basketball in other countries.

Posted by Atlanta Cat Fan (Member # 1746) on 05-27-2011, 05:03 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by catmandoo:
Bama that's a fair assesment however he did manage to send a "lot" of players into professional basketball.

Azubuike, Crawford, Daniels, Fitch, Hayes, Meeks, Morris, Prince, Rondo, and Patterson if your honest about it. They all made it to the NBA.

Barbour, Bradley, Camara, Carter, Cote, Edwards, Estill, Ramone Harris, Hawkins, Obrzut, Sparks and Stevenson to name some are now playing or have played professional basketball in other countries.

The hard thing for Tubby is from the perspective of future recruits how that worked out:

Azubuike - Good enough to average 14 ppg in back-to-back seasons the NBA but UNDRAFTED
Crawford - Top 15 and McDonald's All-American in HS - Second Round Pick #58 overall (2nd to last pick) and played 23 minutes over 2 games in the NBA
Daniels - UNDRAFTED, played 72 total minutes
Fitch - UNDRAFTED, played 18 total games
Hayes - Good enough to start 233 games and counting but UNDRAFTED
Meeks - Good enough to be starting SG on playoff team with .425 3pt % but Second Round Pick #42 overall
Morris - Top 10 HS player and McDonald's All-American UNDRAFTED
Prince - Good enough to be 4-time All-NBA defensive team and near All-Star, drafted #23 overall outside of lottery where deserved to be drafted
Rondo - 2-time All-Star and counting drafted #21 overall in a very weak draft
Bogans - Top 10 HS player and McDonald's All-American - Second Round Pick #43
Patterson - Played under Calipari before being drafted late in the lottery

You don't get a lot of mileage out of that kind of record.