Bitter Fan Base

MobiusHorn

MobiusHorn

100+ Posts
I agree that Hamilton leaving early (agent) and Thompson and Joseph declaring for draft (no agent) sucks. Thompson is likely gone, agent or not. But, Joseph is a good chance to return for one more unless he's convinced he's a higher pick than he actually is.

But all of you guys/gals ragging on these kids chances in the NBA is just demonstrating your burnt orange bitterness at them leaving. You don't know how ultimately their NBA fortunes will evolve. I am upset at their leaving/declaring as well, but I understand why. Money plus an NBA dream coupled with an inflated ego that is inherent with most college NBA talents equals leave as soon as you think you can be drafted. Get over it.

I'm just waiting for that group of kids that wants to stick together for enough time to make a difference. It will happen and I'm looking forward to that group.

Hook'em.
 
One reason why I don't follow Men's BB. The best players leave after their freshman season for $$$.

Best of luck to these men in their pursuit of their dreams.

hookem.gif
 
I have no problem whatsoever with a kid chasing a dream, especially if that dream comes with a really nice paycheck. What I do have a problem with is a recruiting style that continues to surround 1 and done superstars with barely competent scrubs.

The result is the same year after year, an early flame-out in the tournament that does nothing to entice a player to stick around for another shot at a title. The players know that Rick is not going to make a deep tourney run unless the planets magically align just right. There's no incentive to return for another year to risk injury and bad stats just to watch the second weekend of Madness from your couch.

The 2003 Final Four team was a second year superstar and 4 really good role players who had been in the program for three years. There has not been a team since then that came close to that makeup. I don't have the answers as to what needs to change, but something does. And soon.

The pathetic response the fans gave to this team this year is directly related to the continued let down year after year. We like to talk about how the program is joining the elites with all the Mickey D AAs that parade through the 40 acres, but the truth is that the program has been treading water for almost a decade. The big time recruits may come here now, but they don't stay. And they don't do much when they are here. I will continue to watch Texas BB til the day I die, but I'm finally starting to see the Rick Barnes era for what it is.

Average.
 
I like Tristan Thompson, i really do, but right now only as a college player. If i had one of the top 30 picks in the nba draft, im not sure i would spend it on TT just because its just to dam painful watching him shoot freethrows and its embaressing in the nba if you shoot below 50% from the charity stripe!
 
So it looks like we will have a team made up of 5 guards next year, well isn't that just great. Why can't the administration see the writing on the wall and get a young guy in here to replace Barnes?
 
In the Rick Barnes era there have only 3 one-and-done players. So you can hardly say he has overemphasized recruiting that type of talent.

Perhaps the problem may actually be that we're not recruiting enough guys with that kind of talent. I just fail to see how Texas is worse off by having had Kevin Durant here for one year. As for Bradley and Thompson, I'm not sure that anyone, including Barnes, could have anticipated that they would leave after one year.
 
What georgecostanza said. The young man just isn't ready for the NBA. Issue is Joseph is even less ready. Who is getting in these guys heads?
 
Doesn't matter if you're not ready if you're still the best available. The NBA has far more leniency in training and development programs than the NCAA. When you can be paid to basically do the same thing (hone your skills), then why not make the jump? It's not like the majority of basketball players are Dr. Richard Waltons in training.

Everyone who is saying that TT doesn't have what it takes doesn't watch much NBA. He's basically par for the course among backup forwards and role players. Superstar? He probably wouldn't get to that point in the NBA even if he stayed at Texas for 4 years. But well-paid player? Sure.
 
There's what? 75 power forwards on active rosters in the NBA? And you can honestly say that the FT percentage and "lack" of height (if you can call it that) is going to keep him out?

I'm not saying he's going to be an All Star. But I am saying he's better than guys like Brandon Bass and Jordan Hill, especially with the footwork and movement without the ball in his hands. And that's the kind of stuff he can work on.

Elton Brand was considered a "project" too because of his height, and he turned out ok. TT can make a name for himself on the offensive boards and putbacks, which are vital to an offense trying to play decent halfcourt sets. Working on FTs in a college uniform doesn't make him that much more desirable.
 
Barnes just hasn't been able to get many guys to stay. So many have left early and I would say too early based on their draft position and need for development at the time.
 
Kentucky has had 8 one and dones now in 2 years. Eight.
It's the system, and the game itself, not Rick Barnes. It's the pro game taking freshmen out of college. I'll rag on that system and quit patronizing the game, which I have, but not rag on the players for participating in it.
It's hard to turn down big dollars, but those dollars would be there in two or three years after these guys attended a few classes and matured a little.
 
Hard to rag on Barnes about players leaving early. Players leaving early is a reflection of the the quality of players not Barnes.

BTW, how can you ***** about Barnes recruiting quality players? "Dammit Rick, start recruiting worse players, will ya." Yeah, sure. That's something the fan base wants to say.

I think that we need a core group of NBA "ready" who want to stay to bring a championship to the University. Or, be lucky to have a mix of young NBA "ready" with others that are good enough to win it all.
 
I probably sound the most bitter in my posts so I'll respond. I don't wish badly on these guys. I wish them the best of luck in the pursuit of their dreams. However, I would rather they not come to my university if they are only going to use my basketball program for a year and then move on.

I do find it funny that the 3 guys that declared could basically do nothing against Arizona and became non-factors in the 2nd half. They had to sit and watch J'Covan Brown carry them to an almost victory. Not sure if that says more about the 3 players leaving, J'Covan Brown, or Rick Barnes's coaching abilities.

Hmmmmmm.........
 
Those are some stellar stats there, Bob. I am not even sure I remember Cory Joseph playing in that game he was so non-existent. And Jordan went 7-18shooting to get those points. And I don't need to get into how big a non-factor TT was in that game.

But go ahead and poo-poo what Brown did. Picking out one play at the end of the game (on which he got fouled) when the guy basically carried a completely lost Texas team to an almost victory.
 
Back to the OP:
"I'm just waiting for that group of kids that wants to stick together for enough time to make a difference."

That's the thing... I don't think you need a "core" group of guys to stick around for years in order to play well. I think you can use one-and-dones in combination with many other coaching factors to get to the Final Four and possibly win it all.

Basketball is so much different than other sports, namely football, in the regard that getting a unit to "gel" in football isn't the same as 5 individuals playing on a floor in basketball. If a guy misses a shot in basketball, it just goes to the next possession and everyone gets over it (unless he misses 16 like AJ Abrams). If a guy misses a block in football, it could change the course of an entire game.

Sure, having a rapport with your teammates helps. The chemistry level was the big obvious difference between 2010 and 2011 for Texas. But I think the coaching part of the game shouldn't matter whether you have one-and-dones or not. We should be able to win with what we got, and hopefully some of the coaching issues will be addressed now that Lanier will be involved.
 
Buster,

I really don't know how many times it needs to be reiterated (but if you're bitter about it, it won't get through). No one expected TT to be a one and done. The fact that a number of lottery picks this year decided to not come out made the financials much better for TT this particular year.

If you don't get (or refuse to accept) that a kid is going to be swayed by a multi-million dollar/year guaranteed contract when he probably thought he was 2nd round material this year, what can we say? The college game is a business however much you choose to ignore that fact.
 
Kyle Singler was the No. 2 guy in the country when he came out of HS. Not a one and done (same for McRoberts).

As someone noted earlier, TT has a lot of work to do on some fundamentals. I expected him to be a 2 year guy. He's no Kyrie Irving.

There are a lot of top 10 guys who you know for sure due to their size or skillset (normally centers, PGs) will be in college for one year. Not too many 6'8" tweeners. But I guess it's a healthy attitude to assume that every top 15 guy will leave after a year--cushions the disappointment (for some folks....)
 
I think you have to anticipate that the prep school kids will be one and done if its at all an option. If you're moving away from home at 16 or 17 from Canada to Nevada to play for a basketball factory that is very loosely affiliated to a high school, your priorities are clear. I'm not knocking those priorities, but why would anyone believe that TT was not NBA bound as soon as possible? If they are willing to give up the high school experience, why wouldn't you expect them to give up the college experience??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top