<a href='http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/writers/grant_wahl/12/17/mailbag/index.html' target='_blank'>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/writ...lbag/index.html</a>

"9. Tubby Smith (Kentucky). Much as Carmody perfected Carril's Princeton offense, Smith has taken the "ball-line" man-to-man D principles he learned under J.D. Barnett at Virginia Commonwealth from 1979 to '85 and transformed the Wildcats into the nation's nastiest team defense, two years running."

This was from Grant Wahl's mailbag.

I guess I'm one of the few posters that liked JD. I never knew any of the inside stuff that I wish I didn't know now, but that's the price of knowledge I guess. Our ideals get shattered and heros get torn down.

I always liked JD - if he had an offense to go along with his defense, TU basketball would be light years ahead of where it is now.

JD sure as heck ain't the first SOB who ever coached college basketball and won't be the last. My big problem with him was that he played boring basketball. He loved grinding out those 48-44 wins. Doesn't do much for attendance...