2008-09 Horns Preseason#1?

M

MissouHorn

25+ Posts
This article from the Dallas Morning News made me feel alot better after Sunday's loss. The Horns could be truly stacked and loaded next season especially if DJ and Damion both return. With all of the other title contending teams losing their top players, there is no reason that the Horns shouldnt begin at the top to start the season. Go Horns!
The Link
 
If we can retain our players from this year plus the incoming players we will be LOADED!!!!!
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Still, you have to like our chances if everyone is back. UNC, KU, and Memphis all returned their most important pieces after losing in the Elite 8 last year....and all were able to take the next step this year.
 
Do you really think Hansbrough will stay? Seems like his stock has nowhere to go but down, particularly if they win it all this year.

USC will be really good next year, even if Mayo bolts -- and that's not as certain as it seemed earlier in the season.
 
Even if everyone comes back...we would still lose to another "memphis" type team. If we start the same five we have this year...we would still lose to a "memphis" type team next year.

Size matters, especially when the bigger guards on the other team are just as quick as our smallish guards.

Sure, Gary Johnson and Dexter Pittman and Alex Wangmene and Chint Champan will get better, but will they be better enough to supplant one of our starting five? who is going to supplant DJ and AJ and Justin? No one on the roster is better than they are at any guard spot, so they start next year.

Our starting five will not be the best team next year, due to lack of size.
 
I'm pretty exited to see what Balbay is going to bring to the table even though he won't play until later in the season. Also can't wait to get Matt Hill back on the court.

So I pose the question: Is Matt Hill with the fro better than Matt Hill sans fro? Regardless, he will still be Sideshow Bob to me.
 
Good lord, which team exactly do you think will be "like Memphis" next year? Teams like that aren't exactly scattered all over the country. In fact, this year there's only 1 and next year there won't be any.
 
So now we can't compete with teams that are taller on the perimeter than us?

Just about every team we played this year was taller at the 1 and 2, and sometimes all three positions.

The point being there is absolutely no other team out there with the size *and* athleticism/skill that Memphis has. There's simply no reason for a couple of posters on this thread to be worried about a "Memphis" next year. But I do agree we need to add a little more inside game next year in order to win it all.
 
If we played the way we did against Miami for the first 37 minutes and Memphis played the way they did against MSU then we could beat them- but if we play them 10 times I'm convinced they win 8 or so.

As to next year- if our perimiter guys all step up and really improve then Mason plays the 2, Damion plays the 3, Atchley the 4 and Dex the five, with DJ at the point when we are trying to go big. Or maybe Mason at the point with AJ at the 2 spelling DJ.

Point is- if we get good production we don't have to go 3 guards and don't have to play small, if it isn't warranted.
 
Teams like Memphis don't pop up every year. KU and Memphis will not be as good next season. UCLA and UNC will also most likely drop off due to early entries.
 
Rose is a different player right now that he was even a month ago. He has put them on a different level with or without FT shooting. If they hit their FTs, they blow out everyone and anyone. They have the best backcourt in the country and that usually counts for something come tourney time.
 
I also find it funny how being overmatched by Memphis (#1 in the country for 90% of the year and playing arguably their best ball of the year) means that we have serious deficincies and shouldn't even suit up a team if we're going to run out these same 5 scrubs next year.

And count me with UofT - Memphis is good, damn good, but I'd LOVE another crack at them. No way they hit all those mid-range jmpers again, and no way does DJ go 3-16. And just like UofT, I don't think that means we win 4/10 or even 3/10 necessarily, but Memphis ain't 18 points better than us by default.

I'll take our returning starting 5, plus a healthy Hill and GJ, and add Brown and Balbay. We'll go 2-deep at every position, and the bench goes 11 deep with folks that are either experienced in postseason play or a national top-100 type. If you can't get excited about that, I don't know what to tell you.

And Damion James has a chance to be the best player in the Big12 next year. He's that good, waiting to happen. He shoots it better than most 4's and tall 3's, and true 4's and 5's can't guard him off the bounce.
 
No one is saying Texas shouldn't suit up with a team like Memphis. A lot of us are saying Texas won't win very many times if they are primarily going to play with three small guards on the floor against a talented lineup that big.

Of course, if there are 6 guards to put in the mix next year, I suppose 40 minutes of full court pressure defense might work, but I haven't seen Texas use much full court pressure in recent years.
 
I think that Memphis has been under rated all year due to its confernce. Memphis has had one of the best seasons in college basketball history, if they go on to win the tourney they will be 39-1. I wish Texas had won, but I am proud of the guys and feel unlucky that we ended up matching up against Memphis. I think we would have beat any of the other teams in the Final Four.
I think that we match up better against the other 3 #1 seeds. I
 
We played UCLA, Kansas, and Memphis, 3 of the number one seeds. We went 2-2 against those teams. We can compete with anyone in the country this year. IF <-big if, we bring everyone back we are a better team next year. DJ, James, Mason will all be better players next year. We develop a front line with depth, we're a better team overall. And good enough to beat a team like Memphis.
 
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