Bleeding stopped?

L

Longhorn01

500+ Posts
With Pittman showing up again? With Hamilton playing better overall? with Mason doing a decent job running the point? with Brown doing a decent job of running the point?

Perhaps, maybe, possibly, this lineup gels?
 
With this schizophrenic team, IDK. I can hope. In basketball, team chemistry is huge and I still haven't seen it really come together for this team. They would be scary good if it happened.
 
Big12 Conference
NCAA tourney teams: KU, KSt, MO, UT, aTm, BU, OKSt
others: TT, Neb, ISU, CU, OU

Against the NCAA tourney teams in the Conference, we are 1-3 on the road and 2-2 at home. If OKSt slips up and doesn't make the tourney, those records go to 0-3 and 1-2. If we lose to aTm & BU and beat OU at home, those records go to 1-5 and 2-2 (assuming OKSt still qualifies).

Bottom line, we're not near as good of a team as we think we are. We beat a vastly over-rated UNC team, were fortunate to catch Pitt early in the season and are just one of 7 teams that has beaten Michigan State. I'm not saying we're not talented - we have as much talent as any team in the country. Its about time this team start to live up to expectations and tomorrow would be a damn fine time to start. But I wouldn't consider the bleeding stopped until we can beat a legitimate team on the road (no offense, OKSt).
 
Based on what we have seen the last two days, I am somewhat hopeful but still quite dubious about whether a complete turnaround has been or will be accomplished.

In response to your comments/questions in order:

Texas went up against the smallest team in the conference Wednesday, and that team was made even smaller by the absence of Matt Pilgrim. Even with that advantage and OSU trying to play two stringbean freshman who had combined for 57 minutes all year, Jared Shaw (who hadn't played in 11 games and fouled out in 7 minutes) and Torin Walker (he of 19 minutes pt before Wednesday), Pittman managed only 5/1 at the half. I'm not ready to declare Pittman is ready to roll against bigger lineups just yet.

Hamilton played much better overall against OSU. HIs shot selection against Tech was pretty awful, but I was highly heartened by his movement on defense with just a couple of notable lapses. When he overplayed Gulley and let him get by for the layup, I wasn't bothered, but when he let that guy run right past him on the break late in the game, I was. Alexis Wangmene is the only guy on Texas about whom I would not say I'd rather see him make the extra effort on defense.

I'm not particularly happy with any of the point guard options and don't expect to be. Mason won't be much of an improvement over Balbay as someone the defense will have to play honestly on the perimeter rather than play off to prevent penetration or entry passes. What little is gained by his ability to occasionally hit an outside shot (compared to Balbay never being able to) is tempered by his lesser skill at dribbling, driving, and passing.

I don't know if Brown is doing a decent job running the point. His turnovers are down from earlier in the year, which is nice, but his shooting has been awful since the A&M game, under 30% from the field and under 25% from 3 point range. If you are specifically referring to Texas's last two games being wins, Brown had 5 unproductive minutes against Tech, and 16 minutes against OSU in which he went 0-6, missed a couple of free throws, had more turnovers than assists, and can only be complimented for moving his feet better on defense than he has nearly all year.

Maybe the lineup can gel, but Texas might simply have benefitted from getting a weak opponent on the road (and barely surviving) and a medium strength opponent weakened by injury at home.

I want this team to do well, and I do think Hamilton has shown some very good development recently. Brown has seemed to play better offensively against the better competition, and Johnson was extremely good against A&M in Austin, so there is reason for optimism. I just have doubts about Pittman's outing against OSU being a sign of a resurrection. I hope he causes me to put those doubts aside.
 
Yes, a more than just a slim chance, although Texas hasn't won in College Station since the Aggies went 0-16 in conference in 03-04, and Texas hasn't come closer than 15 in any of the last three games there.
 
They've handled Ok State twice, the first time with Hamilton going off and the second time with Pittman rejoining the land of the living. Whether Pittman can keep Bryan Davis out of his head remains to be seen, but if he can stay in the game for meaningful stretches, they have a decent shot.

They can't let the Aggies dominate the first half like they did in Austin, that's for sure.
 
do you think we should sneak in and water down the court?
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Any optimism for Saturday stems from Hamilton's growing confidence and understanding of what Barnes wants from him. All the other players are exactly the same as they have been. On any given night, James, Johnson or Bradley can have a big game. We know what to expect from Mason. My frustration with the team has eased lately because Hamilton finally looks like a decent college player. Anything Pittman or Brown adds is gravy because I have zero expectations on them other than Brown's free throws. I think we will pull off a hard fought win on Saturday.
 
I agree with all the posters who say wait until the a&m game. If we win, it would be huge and I would feel better about the rest of the season.
 
Aggie Davis has pwned Pittman in every matchup. Pittman simply cannot match him. He will not be a factor today.

Hamilton, Bradley, Johnson, and James will all have to play well for us to win. On the road against a motivated, quality opponent? I'm not sure this team is able to do it. Here's to exceeding expectations.
cheernana.gif
 
That's a pretty grand conclusion to make when Davis and Pittman have really only gone against each other in two games. Before the game in College Station last year, Pittman pretty much didn't play, except when he played 14 minutes in a game as a sophmore, but A&M had Jordan and Elonu for Pittman to match with then.

In Austin this year, Pittman was nowhere on offense and had 6 blocks. Davis was fed the ball a lot, finished with 17 points and 4 blocks, but fouled out. In College Station last year, they played nearly even. Edge to Davis, but not the sort of thing that makes me conclude Davis always has and always will destroy Pittman.
 
the game today was absolutely depressing. With the JB injury as well, I feel like we've hit a new low. Maybe we can still pull something together...(Gulp)
 
4 years of med school and 3 years of residency have taught me: one way or another all bleeding stops.
 
Wish I could say this was "merely a flesh wound", but I think this one is fatal until next year. We gotta find a point guard out of this train wreck.
 
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