OT: Memphis Might Fire Tubby Smith for Penny Hardaway? (Update: Tubby out, Penny hired)

That’s really heart breaking news because at least in my eyes Tubby is such a likable guy, but perhaps his best days are behind him. I thought the Tigers played hard at the end of the season for him, especially against us.
Hardaway is probably in bed with the AAU recruiting pimps and can probably deliver the goods…unfortunately, that is what college hoops has been coming to for years now…

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I find it hilarious that they are about to hire a guy that was in a movie where he was taking money to play college basketball. Also seems like a strange move considering the current climate in the NCAA.

Tubby got a raw deal. Was told to keep the Lawson’s dad, kept him, didn’t want him around anymore and all his players left. All the fans ended up blaming Tubby instead of the obvious issues with the program before he arrived. Tubby got them to 20 wins with a remade roster, and the fans don’t care. Entitled bunch.

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https://twitter.com/mgiannotto/status/973964947054002177

With Tubby Smith out at Memphis, hiring Penny Hardaway would likely be a costly mistake

In theory, Hardaway would bring all that East High talent to the university less than two miles away. That would be a start to rebuilding a program that has plummeted to its lowest point since the late 1990s. Sustaining it beyond the next couple of recruiting classes would be the hard part.

Currently, Hardaway is not exactly being forced to outscheme the competition, not the way a Memphis coach might need to against, say, Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall and Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin. Maybe he could do that if the need arises, but Memphis would be entering into this agreement with zero idea about Hardaway’s true coaching chops.

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Memphis is really going to do it.

This is a very bold, yet strange move. It instantly turns to a stupid move if they let Penny bring in Larry Brown, as rumored. The ability to bring in talent gets you nowhere if you can’t coach up that talent. See UT (although I really did expect a better product from Shaka Smart).

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I hope that this hire works out better for Memphis than hiring Clyde worked out for us!

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Over/Under on when they go on probation?

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I would go 60 days into the season except that the NCAA doesn’t move that fast.

Brown can usually get 2 years before the rats start coming out of the woodwork…then he moves on !

If he comes on board, I feel sure this will be his last stop.

i seen a crystal ball on 247 predicting Memphis to get the number 1 ranked guy in 2019.

I don’t hope it works out at all.

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I hope it works out well enough that we sweep them but they’re still good enough to help our RPI.

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This could go really good or really bad for Memphis. How will it work out if NBA changes rules and his recruits all bypass Memphis straight for NBA or NBA minor league play…

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https://twitter.com/TalkBackLive/status/975127946066382849

They are all in on Memphis area.
Larry Brown- an ass but huge winner & Penny needs X & Os guy.

Miller-long time NBA player & many good years on Grizzles.

Madlock- Ole Miss Asst / Auburn Asst & acting Ole Miss HC later this year.
Good player at Memphis. A Memphis native & HS All American.

Faragi Phillips- very successful Memphis HS coach at Mitchell (2 straight state titles) then Whitehaven who just lost to Penny in TN state championship game. Played at Miss Valley.

Of note:
Alex Lomax pictured above-4 star Wichita recruit, 3 time TN Mr Basketball /3 time state champion sometimes lives w/Penny.
Cant see him in Wichita now.

This team is loaded:

Pennys son Jayden is a senior this year at IMG-FL.
More of a walk on type since Penny gets him free tuition.

How the hell does Larry Brown get to keep coaching and CKS had a 5 year show cause?

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https://twitter.com/GaryParrishCBS/status/976131995381223429?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fs9e.github.io%2Fiframe%2Ftwitter.min.html%23976131995381223429

Nice turn out.
Click here for Penny Hardaway Introductory Press Conference

“it’s not about the money”

“Obviously, we take commitments to the Shocker program very seriously, but this is a very unique situation where a young man’s mentor and coach since the 5th grade has become a Division I head coach,” Marshall said. “Allowing him out of his NLI without any penalty is the right thing to do.”

There are skeptics, even Hardaway knows, who insist it’s insane to turn a high-major program over to somebody who has never coached college basketball at any level. Because for every Fred Hoiberg who succeeded without any prior college-coaching experience, there’s a Clyde Drexler or Isaiah Thomas who floundered. The track record of doing something like this is not great or even good. Again, everybody acknowledges as much.

But this is still Memphis’ best move.

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Why throw Clyde under the bus?

In the words of Doc Holiday, “Now I really hate him.”

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