From: jb118@prism.gatech.EDU (Jeffrey N. Burch)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college
Subject: Re: Kentucky MASH'ed Louisville
Date: 15 Dec 92 15:20:21 GMT
Organization: Georgia Tech Research Institute -- EOL

In article <36.149.uupcb@tfd.gwinnett.com> gil.levitch@tfd.gwinnett.com (Gil Levitch) writes:
>
>I thought for awhile that you were NOT a typical UK fan, but Matt, you
>just put your foot in your mouth. <grin> I can talk this way because I
>am a UK Alumus, but I am also a U of L fan, and a BIG Denny Crum fan.
>What the good folks in Lexington can't see is that the University of
>Louisville doesn't regard basketball as life and death. Denny Crum has

There certainly is a difference of emphasis between the two coaches.
Whether this is unquestionably in Louisville's favor is hard to say.

When Thanksgiving rolled around a couple of weeks ago, Pitino said he 
was happy that the NCAA rule restricting practice time that week was
suspended (since school was out), and that the team could concentrate
on the most important things in life, "eating, sleeping, and playing
basketball."

>the security that few coaches enjoy anywhere. He wants to win just as
>much as Patino (OR any other coach), but if he doesn't the sun will rise
>tommorrow and it's just another day. He has no pressure at all from the
>University, just as his mentor John Wooden had none. As for the

Pressure is a function of environment, however - it works well some
places and poorly others.  UofL's team would probably fold if they had
the pressure that UK fans exert on the Wildcats, and the absence of
pressure which UofL faces would probably cause Kentucky to disintegrate.

>handshake, Patino *HATES* Crum, and I think Crum doesn't even think
>about Patino. Patino hasn't recruited successfully one player out of

I don't know about this - Pitino is annoyed at some of the tactics
used by Crum, but *HATE* is a pretty strong word.

>Louisville that he wanted, and that rankles him. Don't think for a
>moment that he wouldn't have taken Morton (as bad as Morton is playing),
>and the Osborn thing has really gotten to him. I had respect for Patino

No doubt this is true.

>until his book came out. The man doesn't have half the class that Crum
>has. As a Louisville fan I would like to see them win. BUT if they don't

I don't know about this.  Some of the recruiting ploys used by Crum in
recent years don't show an abundance of class.

>play. You may think he's behind the time. 90% of the Louisville fans are
>as happy as can be. The man has only taken his teams to the final four 6

This sure doesn't seem to be the case this season, based on news media
coverage I get in my trips to the Commonwealth.  No one is calling on
Crum to high-tail it, but there is a lot of unhappiness, according to
the fans I know.  People are remembering that most of his great 
achievements occurred some years ago.

>times and won 2 championships. When Patino can do as well with his
>flashy 3 point barrages I will bow to him.

Then give Pitino time to establish a track record.  His first two years
he couldn't go anywhere after the season, through no fault of his own.
His second year, he produced the best record in the conference, his 
third he won the newly formed Eastern SEC division, the SEC tournament
championship, and went 3-1 in the NCAA tournament.  Let's compare records
of Pitino and Crum after Rick has been coaching as long as he has.

>You better hope that Calbert Channey has a bad night because that's the
>only way UK is going to beat IU.

Just like Calbert Cheaney was the reason IU beat UK last year in Indiana.
*Except* that UK did in fact win 76-74.  Oops.  Bad example.

>Better to play intra-state rivals and keep the $$$$ in the state then
>play Middle Tenn. or Little Sisters of the Poor and allow that money to
>leave.

Better still to start playing tougher opponents outside your state to
experience different playing styles, crowd atmosphere, and refs.

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^  Dr. J(effrey Neil Burch)                 jb118@prism.gatech.edu    ^
^  Georgia Tech Research Institute                                    ^ 
^  Electro-Optics and Physicial Sciences Laboratory                   ^
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