Former Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith is remembered fondly by fans as a great coach, and a great person. He coached in Lexington for ten seasons, won a national championship during his tenure, and won 263 total games.
On Friday, Smith showed up at a practice for the Kentucky basketball team, and spoke to Mark Pope’s roster. He told the team:
Trust each other, trust the system. The culture here at Kentucky is far bigger than anyone that’s ever played here, coached here.
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Smith’s relevance to this year’s Kentucky team is obvious. Pope would love nothing more than to copy the former coach’s feat of winning a title in his first season, something he told his squad.
We talk about banner behavior all the time. We talk about assignment No. 9. Coach is one of these guys who gets to walk in this room and he gets to point up there at this banner that he came in here and won with this team. It matters. It matters. And, coach did it in his first year. He just rolled in here and said, ‘You know what? I’m just going to hang one in my first year,’ which is what we’re trying to do, right boys?
Unlike Pope, Tubby did have the benefit of returning multiple players in his first season, but like the new Kentucky coach, he did have several veterans to work with.
Mark Pope has embraced Kentucky and its history. As a former player, he has a unique perspective. Bringing in Tubby Smith is not only another example of him respecting the past, but of finding ways to motive his team.