For Rick Pitino and Billy Gillispie, the hoops season is off to an eventful start

Mark Story

Fast-break points from the Bedford Falls bridge:

21. Rick Pitino. Pitino, the former Kentucky and Louisville head man, stands 6-3 in his first season coaching St. John’s after an 86-80 loss to Boston College on Sunday.

20. An up-and-down start. St. John’s is 2-2 vs. Power Six conference foes (the football Power Five plus the Big East). St. John’s has wins over Utah (Pac-12) and West Virginia (Big 12) and losses to Michigan (Big Ten) and Boston College (ACC).

19. Not yet a patented Pitino turnaround. Through nine games last season under deposed head man Mike Anderson, St. John’s was 8-1. That was part of an 11-1 start, but it gave way to a 7-14 finish that led to Anderson’s ouster and Pitino’s hiring.

In his first season as St. John’s head man, ex-Kentucky and Louisville coach Rick Pitino has the Red Storm off to a 6-3 start. Last season, under deposed coach Mike Anderson, St. John’s was 8-1 after nine games.
In his first season as St. John’s head man, ex-Kentucky and Louisville coach Rick Pitino has the Red Storm off to a 6-3 start. Last season, under deposed coach Mike Anderson, St. John’s was 8-1 after nine games.

18. Billy Gillispie. The other former UK head man who is still an active NCAA Division I men’s hoops coach has been away from his Tarleton State team since it was announced Nov. 19 that Gillipsie was taking a leave due to “medical circumstances.”

17. “I don’t feel bad.” Gillispie told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News that “I don’t feel bad. … I will not be on the sideline short-term, but by not allowing the situation to worsen, I should be back on the bench doing what I love the most in a timely fashion.”

16. History of health issues. In 2012, Gillispie was hospitalized with heart attack symptoms and high-blood pressure. Four years later, Gillispie announced his retirement, temporarily as it turned out, from coaching due to high blood pressure-related issues. In 2018, Gillispie underwent a kidney transplant.

15. Team thriving. When Gillispie went on leave, Tarleton State stood 2-2. The Texans are now 7-2 after winning five straight games with assistant Joseph Jones filling in for Billy G.

Tarleton State coach Billy Gillispie, shown in December 2022, has been away from his team since Nov. 19 due to “medical circumstances.” Since Gillipsie has been away, the Texans have gone 5-0.
Tarleton State coach Billy Gillispie, shown in December 2022, has been away from his team since Nov. 19 due to “medical circumstances.” Since Gillipsie has been away, the Texans have gone 5-0.

14. Ex-UK players turned coaches. With one shining exception, it has not been a stellar start to the 2023-24 season for former Kentucky Wildcats men’s hoopsters who now serve as NCAA Division I head coaches.

13. Travis Ford. After the former Kentucky point guard saw his Saint Louis team start the season 4-0, the Billikens have gone 2-5 since, including an ugly 101-62 loss at Southern Illinois.

12. John Pelphrey. Last season, the ex-UK forward had Tennessee Tech within an OVC Tournament championship game overtime period of making the Golden Eagles’ first NCAA tourney trip since 1963. This year, Pelphrey has seen his team start 3-7 — with two of the wins over Kentucky small college foes Midway (82-70) and Alice Lloyd (108-82).

11. Dwight Perry. In his first season as the full-time Wofford head coach, the former Kentucky walk-on has the Terriers (5-5) on a three-game winning streak after starting the year 2-5.

Wofford College head men’s basketball coach Dwight Perry came to the University of Kentucky as a men’s hoops walk-on in 2006 with the idea of going into college coaching. The first cousin of former UK forward Bobby Perry, Dwight Perry has also worked as an aide to the men’s basketball programs at Stanford and VCU and as an assistant at Furman.
Wofford College head men’s basketball coach Dwight Perry came to the University of Kentucky as a men’s hoops walk-on in 2006 with the idea of going into college coaching. The first cousin of former UK forward Bobby Perry, Dwight Perry has also worked as an aide to the men’s basketball programs at Stanford and VCU and as an assistant at Furman.

10. Mark Pope. The big man on UK’s 1996 NCAA title team has coached BYU to an 8-1 start. Before losing 73-69 Saturday at archrival Utah, Pope’s Cougars had risen to No. 14 in the AP Top 25.

9. Mark Stoops. If not for the Kentucky football coach and his team’s 38-31 upset of then-No. 9 (AP) Louisville in the regular-season finale, UK would be getting shut out by U of L so far this school year in head-to-head sports showdowns between the Wildcats and the Cardinals.

Kentucky rush end/outside linebacker J.J. Weaver (13) celebrates with the Governor’s Cup trophy after the Wildcats upset Louisville 38-31 in the regular-season finale.
Kentucky rush end/outside linebacker J.J. Weaver (13) celebrates with the Governor’s Cup trophy after the Wildcats upset Louisville 38-31 in the regular-season finale.

8. Men’s soccer. The No. 7 Cardinals beat the No. 19 Wildcats 4-2 on Sept. 5. The Cards’ win snapped a three-game win streak in the series by the Cats.

7. Women’s volleyball. No. 2 U of L swept No. 21 UK 3-0 on Sept. 13. It was the third straight win for Dani Busboom Kelly’s Cardinals over Craig Skinner’s Wildcats.

6. Women’s basketball. On Sunday, Jeff Walz coached the No. 18 Cardinals to a 73-61 victory over Kyra Elzy’s visiting Wildcats. It was the seventh straight win for Louisville over Kentucky.

5. Maddie Scherr. In her first game back for UK after sitting out two games while in concussion protocol, the ex-Ryle High School star had 22 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and a block against U of L. In two contests against Louisville since Scherr transferred to UK from Oregon, the guard has averaged averaged 20.0 points a game.

4. NCAA men’s hoops NET rankings. Through Sunday’s games, the NET rankings for the Kentucky teams in NCAA Division I men’s basketball were: 39. Kentucky; 128. Morehead State; 169. Western Kentucky; 197. Northern Kentucky; 225. Murray State; 244. Bellarmine; 275. Louisville; 293. Eastern Kentucky.

3. NCAA women’s hoops NET rankings: Through Sunday’s games, the NET rankings of the Kentucky teams in NCAA Division I women’s basketball were: 20. Louisville; 111. Murray State; 136. Western Kentucky; 178. Eastern Kentucky; 203. Morehead State; 217. Kentucky; 283. Northern Kentucky; 301. Bellarmine.

2. Dubious distinction I. Among power conference men’s basketball teams, only Vanderbilt (No. 279) ranks lower in the NET rankings than Louisville.

1. Dubious distinction II. Among power conference women’s basketball teams, only Northwestern (No. 268) and Xavier (No. 326) rank lower in the NET rankings than Kentucky.

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