Abilene Christian game

He'll be back next year

Probably, but as I've posted before, only because there isn't a qualified candidate to replace him. Of course, that was not a requirement when Billie Powers hired Smart. If he has any integrity, he will work next year for free.
 
Nope.

I'm a loyal Longhorn and a Shaka loyalist. One bad game. We won the conference tournament! Big 12 Champions! Something Barnes never, ever did. He'll be back next year!

One bad game? Really? Pass me whatever you’re smoking.

We are all loyal Longhorns here. Don’t confuse blind loyalty to a coach as a requirement for loyalty to the school. And comparing the current coach to the previously fired coach isn’t a strong endorsement nor the correct measuring stick.
 
He has been here for 6 years.

He is what his record says he is, a bottom of the conference coach.

Look at the fundamentals missing from this team. No blocking out on defensive boards, horrible ball security and sloppy passing.

Oh well, the volleyball team is looking good.
 
Mona,

Think about it. Covid will be gone, the department has a deal with StubHub, which will allow Chris to put together enough tickets for Shaka, his coaches, and all the players to have good seats for those games.
 
We'll at least make it to the Round of 32 next year...

Weren’t you the guy preaching all over this board the past couple weeks that this year’s team was going to make a “deep run” in the NCAA tourney this year?! They definitely had the talent for it, until the “coaching” stepped in.

I like your enthusiasm, but maybe take it easy on the predictions, Nostradamus.
 
This team was heavy with talent. That team wasn't. And they won and yeah it came down to a last second weird foul and they had a bunch of prayers answered but this should have been 20+. Coleman and Ramey were terrible, so sick of losing with better players.
 
Well, CDC will have another serious program head coach decision to make on his young watch. Second one about 90 days from the last decision.

I’ll do it!! I’ll even wear my “Grim Reaper” outfit complete with scythe and skull mask. I’ll throw in having the song by Blue Oyster Cult “Don’t Fear the Reaper” playing for effect. And...No Charge! What time do I need to be there so I can be waiting in his office?
 
He could be back. That doesn't mean he should be.

This roster was the perfect roster for a tournament run. They had experienced guards. A PG who supposedly could run the show. Athletic front court.

Next year they won't be near as good. This was the high point at least for another 3-4 years. Not good enough.
And why this one hurts. People saying yippee we won the conference. Only because Baylor wasn't there. Anyone here think we beat Baylor? Wasn't going to happen.
 
I fully expect this loss to be equivalent to the loss to Kansas in football. It is so egregious that it demands action. Now I am not calling for anyone's job, but we remember what happened after that loss.
 
We need to put the Barnes comparisons to rest. Rick may not have won a conference tourney but he won THREE regular season conference championships. Thats something our current coach will NEVER do! One of the most talented teams in the history of the school had to go on a winning streak to end up 3rd and was gifted a championship berth because of covid.

This is exactly why I said in my mind there is an * next to that tourney. Who gives a **** about an NIT run. The guy can't get it done in the spotlight.
 
We'll at least make it to the Round of 32 next year...

I do not think you understand. You have no credible left. Your prediction of our DEEP tournament run and even at half time of this game were wrong. OK, he won a meaningless Big 12 championship was one more than Barnes, but Barnes did win Big Dance games. How many tourney games does Smart have after 6 years?

The look on Shanka's face when he realized he was going to lose to ACU was identical to the look on Strong's face when he realized he was going to lose to Kansas.

I do not see how CDC cannot replace Smart even if he has to hire a Middle school coach. The results would be the same this year.
 
Paste from an article I read this morning:

“The Wildcats, the Southland Conference champions, didn't beat the Big 12 tournament champion Longhorns with a hot-shooting offense, only going 3-for-18 from three-point range. But they took down Texas with hustle plays, out-rebounding the Longhorns 39-32 and forcing them into a season-high 23 turnovers. Abilene had 12 second-chance points, compared to zero for Texas.”

Weren’t hustle plays what Shaka was allegedly known for at VCU? Appears he forgot to dance with who brung ya. Like Strong, great guy and I’d like him as a friend or mentor to my kid (if I had one), but not a fit any longer for head basketball coach at Texas.
 
No excuses here...We were outplayed and out coached and ACU deserved to win.
Having said that, you gotta let that call go at the end.
The "shooter" hooked and pinned Jones arm down during rebound sequence and held him which gave Jones no recourse but to attempt to swipe with the off hand. It's like a CB and a WR jostling for a deep ball. If you call Jones swipe you call the hook and pin, so.....no call.

Having said this....plenty of other things to discuss in the loss and they earned the W...we did not.

For the record, Smart is not the right coach for UT in my opinion, but some of you guys are underestimating the difficulties ACU presents. They would have been a nightmare matchup for 80-85% of the teams.

Still....I'm not a fan of Shaka as the UT basketball coach.
 
Last edited:
Nope.

I'm a loyal Longhorn and a Shaka loyalist. One bad game. We won the conference tournament! Big 12 Champions! Something Barnes never, ever did. He'll be back next year!

Sorry Chop, but you are swimming in the wrong stream.
We are all UT loyalists on this thread. And 90% of us think that Shaka is a fine man. But the facts are, he has not performed to the standards that UT loyalists demand, and that UT basketball fans around the country deserve. Losing every game he's had here in March Madness; having a below average record in the B12 conference, losing repeatedly to far less talented teams, not being able to teach fundamentals to players who have been with him years.

This year he deserves credit for putting together a very talented team, winning a weakened B12 tourney. One capable of making a very deep run in the NCAA tourney. One you expected would make the Sweet 16 AT LEAST!

But no, his coaching flaws rose up and revealed themselves once more, as they always have here. He'll likely be retained one more year, for financial reasons and optics.

But next year will be his last and hopefully CDC will choose someone who can teach fundamentals, disciplined play, and one that will not be consistently outcoached, losing to inferior teams on college basketball's largest stage.
 
Just FYI,
7 years since the last Round of 32 appearance.
13 years since the last Sweet 16 appearance.
13 years since the last Elite 8 appearance.
18 years since the last Final Four appearance.
 
If you are right. He is gone at the end of next year. This year was a blip.
He will have very little returning experience and will have trouble recruiting without a longer-term under contract.

Indiana has an opening, maybe he will apply.
 
Not sure if this has been mentioned already but ACU shot under 30% from field and 17% from 3. Texas shot 45%/35%. There’s no way they should’ve lost that game. They looked slow and scared, and Matt Coleman played his worst game of the year: led in turnovers, shot like ****, and made the foul that lost the game (just our luck that a dude that shoots 58% at the line for the season knocks down both with less than 2 seconds left and down by 1. And the foul call shouldn’t have been made.)

I don’t put this on Shaka. The players lost this game. That said, this was the year to make a run. Coleman, Sims, and Kai are gone. I’d mention Brown except he did **** all since the start of the season. Also Hamm, who’s a good player off the bench, and Febres (I think). Maybe Andrew leaves but doubt it. He’ll be the only quality starter I can think of if he stays. Next season we’ll get to watch Ramey run the offense, shoot 20 times a game, and play street ball.
 
Back
Top