A quick Barnes question

Call me a selfish ***, but I could give a **** about their dreams. I want a national championship and I want a coach that his priority is to give the fans a national championship. If he has any other priorities or even equal priorities, I think he is not the best coach for the program.
 
I think Coach Barnes comments sum up what has become one of the primary problems with NCAA basketball, at least in my opinion. The "one & done" rule has rendered a handful (or two) of programs into bastardized pro league developmental programs of sorts. It's not about just the University or school pride or getting the kids a degree, it is also about getting these particular kids into the NBA. And clearly, getting to the NBA is far more important to these particular kids that the school, the degree, or an NCAA championship.

I don't blame these particular kids. But frankly, I find myself becoming less and less interested in watching an NBA-developmental based UT basketball program. If I wanted to see the NBA, I would do so. But I am not. Just my two cents. I understand not everyone sees this the same way. I just find myself caring less and less about a program that is merely a "glancing blow" for some of the kids on their way to riches and fame (hopefully).
 
How many kids are going to want to play for a "selfish ***"? Think about it.

You think Calipari is raking in these classes by giving kids bad advice to stay and help him win a NC? Guess again.
 
I don't want these kids in the first place, so it should not be an issue unless you put yourself in their position. I feel no connection with a kid that has been here for one year and I feel no real affinity for him and do not consider them to be Texas Longhorns. With the constant turnover, Rick Barnes has made this program very difficult to root for.
 
Yeah, because it is possible to get 12 one and dones on the same team. That would be some stellar recruiting, for sure. You have to have guys to fill out the roster to play with the super stars that you recruit and leave after 1 (or 2) year(s).
 
My not considering them Longhorns is a fairly recent phenomenon/feeling. I feel like my school is being used like a cheap escort for these guys. Use us for a year or two and we'll see ya later (I know, I know, you are going to mention that these guys come back on campus in the summers, act as representatives of the university, etc., but they are not here when it counts). If CJ leaves along with the other 2, I may swear Barnes and this basketball program off until there are drastic changes.

At least you won't have to deal with my posts anymore if that happens...
 
I don't see myself "quitting" as a fan, but I have to be honest and admit that I find myself pretty disinterested in watching kids who are at UT as a quick springboard to the NBA. And that is a big part of where UT basketball is right now. Other people feel differently, and I understand that. I am not angry, just increasingly losing my passion. It's becoming like watching the NBA or the NFL in some respects. Blah.
 
Bob I'll offer that you have it correct, but have the scope off. Texas is indeed a Top 10 program, but I honestly do not think Barnes is even top 20 as coach. I will refer you to his NCAA record, but we both know that pretty well. Barnes' team will invarialy lose to a lower seeded team and can never pull an upset (although three years ago versus Duke was close). But it matters not, Rick Barnes, the Texas facilities, and 6th street will continue t get the kids here, and the team will likely win 20+ and finish top 4 in the league, play in the tournament. It's truly good enough for all those but us who follow basketball closely, or are in Vegas watching our Longhorns get run by an underdog team again and again. It's just what it is in my view. Barnes will never give up this gig, it's as no pressure D1 work as he can find. But I won't shed a tear when he decides to hang them up as either. To me he is a Calipari Light without the Worldwide Wes stuff and the academic fraud stuff. By which, I mean Barnes will just keep with the one and done kids, and I truly think that stuff hurts both the college game and the NBA game. I'm just not a fan. But he did get Jordan Hamlton to play defense. I bet that will be the last time anyone does that!
 
Bottom-line is that the last four years the trend is down. This program should be Sweet 16 year in and year out. I'm not worried about the NC. That's a rare year and I don't even consider it as a factor when judging Barnes.

I just read the updated top 25 on ESPN.com and my take away is that over and over the writer mentioned how each team lost so much talent (except North Carolina) yet they are all reloading. We have a huge problem brewing for next year and if the season goes as it appears it will then Barnes will have ANOTHER year of an early exit (assuming we even make the tournament). Then what will everyone say?

Something's not working...
 
The 1 & 2 and dones of both kids leaving early and our early exits from the tourny are really getting old. Esp the last three years when we have peaked in late Jan. early Feb and just slide downhill the rest of the year.

Michigan State 6 final fours in the last 11 years Izzo got to MSU just 2/3 years before Barnes got to TX. That is the kind of program we want.

We are a top program, but until we actually can get kids that will stick around for more than 1/2 years we're not going to be the next MSU, Duke, UNC, KU,etc.
 
I agree with Bob on the notion that Texas should be in the Sweet Sixteen year after year is preposterous. I do think Texas should find a way to step up in March a bit more, or at least have better voiced accountability when we fail to do so as in the past, well, honestly, 8 seasons (post TJ). We have lost to a lower seeded team every year but when we lost to Memphis and Duke in that span if memory serves....... but also we should keep in perspective that coaches like Tom Izzo, and now maybe Brad Stevens are not the norm. Most coaches do not find a way to peak in March year after year. However, if we could find a way to have, in sardonic example, Tom Penders, take over the reins on February 28th each year, guaranteed we would get farther. Penders could pull an upset in the NCAA tournament, and Rick Barnes simply cannot. Again, Barnes has only once, at Texas, beaten a higher seeded team in the Big Dance (Miss State in Dallas 2002). Barnes did a great job until mid-February this past season. But we did also fail to accomplish anything more meaningful then ending Kansas' home win streak. That was something for sure, but we left bigger fish on the table for sure as well. And that does seem to be a pattern for Barnes.Barnes has taken Texas as high as he can. And that level is high enough for Texas. There are multiple coaches who could take Texas higher, but does the Texas fanbase even care enough for it to matter? At least Golden and Bohls do look to be turning up the heat to perform on Barnes. But, for now, Barnes just laughs on the way to the bank and takes comfort he just needs to beat Oklahoma, Baylor, and aggy, and play in the NCAA tournament. By-the-way, for Texas' streak of NCAA tournament appearances to continue next year, Barnes will indeed need to earn his paycheck. Kabongo and Brown will need to be awesome. I am truly wondering about our team next year in wake of again emptying the cupboard prematurely (in Joseph's bizarre choice for certain).
 
Sweet 16 based upon the recruiting rankings is not preposterous. This means no NC's just Sweet 16's. Barnes is given a complete pass because there is no expectation of winning it all. Now you say Sweet 16 every year is also off the table. You have to have some sort of benchmark and in the end you leave us with mediocrity and yet he gets a raise and is in the top 10 for salary. So he's in top ten in salary and recruiting yet discussing Sweet 16 is considered preposterous. I totally disagree.

For instance you can say North Carolina doesn't make the Sweet 16 every year but they do drop a national championship in between. Same thing with Duke. Same thing with Michigan State... it's a matter of mega-trends and what happens in between and Texas is losing at this game.

So the analysis is no national championship is ok. Only one final four in the entire time is ok. No Sweet 16's in how many years is ok. The standard is very low considering the compensation and the resources available.

I think the cover for Barnes here is not looking at the downward trend of the last five years. Anything before that is moot. Now we have no front line for next year and this must be part of the analysis. You have to look at the recruiting style and admit we have a hole in it.
 
I think S16 as a goal is reasonable, but as an expectation is too much. What I was getting at was that Barnes is doing just about as well as anyone coaching today in terms of making S16s, so to require him to do that every year is unreasonable.

Personally, I thought either or both of the last two teams could have been EE teams. The way it worked out this year, they could have won it all. But a lot of teams could say that. None of the top eight seeds made the FF. Only three of the eight made the EE.

Because Barnes hasn't won a title, people are focusing on his tournament performance, when if he'd coached to expectations this year, he probably would have come out about where he did.

Actually, he has put together reasonable mixes of early entries and four-year guys the last couple of years. He's just botched them. But the trend of wins per season has increased since the FF, and he's gotten several high seeds since then, including this year. If he can't get back into the EE mix, at some point, he'll pay the price. We're not close to that time yet.
 
Penders did have the ability to get his kids to play loose in March. I really don't know what is required in that, although truthfully it could be that in Penders "system" there wasn't much restraint ever placed on the kids. I'm very hopeful that Barnes learned a vaulabe lesson this past tournament, as in the first half we were absoutely horrid, and in the sceond the skies lifted merely by letting JCovan go one-on-one. I think if Barnes had done similarly, use Gibson to dribbe drive one-on-one, in our EE game against LSU in 2006, Barnes would have at barest minimum, another FF to his credit. Barnes has shown the willingness to try and adapt to what his proven to work offensively. Mext year with Kabongo and JCovan as the main pieces, we might need to play like a Penders team to keep the string alive of making the Big Dance. That would be fun to watch, a fella can hope can't he? Barnes is a step better than Kelvin Sampson due to his better recruiting and his proven willingness to adapt offensive systems. But those two coaches are sort of similar in their focus on defense and rebounding.
 
I think he wants a winning percentage against higher seeds in the tourney to be higher than 10% and against lower seeds to be higher than 50%.
 
El Squared - sorry dude... I just noticed your post... I don't get it at all... I think Barnes is under-achieving yet there is an element around here that is apparently quite pleased. I just don't get it....
 
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