End of Tech game: here we go again!

[orangecat1]

timeouts, again, I don't get it. Barnes was forced to call a timeout with less than a minute left in regulation, because a player was trapped and the team was lost on offense. 7 seconds left in the shot clock.

Okay, even though this is a little late for my taste(I would have preferred a TO with about 10+ seconds left in the shot clock), at least he called the TO, set a play, it went to Chapman, he scored, yea, all is right with the world,

BUT, then Rick immediately after the score called ANOTHER TO!???

What are he and Billy G. all of a sudden best friends and he wants to give Billy a chance to set up his offense?

If Rick hadn't called a TO, Billy would have called his last TO on offense, because even a casual observer like me could see, that team was in dire need of leadership on offense. Billy's team needed a 2 pointer to tie.

Okay, but let's look at the results of the 2nd TO, we left a scorer wide open in the paint to score the tying bucket.

If Billy G. had called his last TO on offense, we would have had 2 TOs left, and the ball, with a tie game, we could have showed one offense to inbound, and either run a play or called our 2nd TO. We would have had total control in the last few seconds.

I'm pretty sure this thought has crossed Rick's mind, but if we weren't totally on the bubble, I would like to see a game with no TOs called at all.

If you don't trust the players to listen, and they evidently pick and choose, just let it go, put the onus on the players, don't call any timeouts.

 

[Horns11]

I think he's basically done "out-thinking" himself for the season. He's chalked this one up to a young, hard-of-hearing team and is hoping that enough of them stick around for next year so that he can get back to business. And that Ridley shows up.

 

[SectionThree]

Horns11, I agree. This team has not matured at all and Rick knows he has done whatever
he could. J'Covan is a good player but not a "leader" --- just an upperclassman. Lexi and
Chapman are sometimes effective but often furniture. Unless/until we get some bigger
players next year and these guys finally grow up, we won't have much of a team. Can't win 'em all.
NIT gives some additional practice, but that is about all.

 

[LikeMike]

This is the dumbest group of basketball players I've seen at UT.

They can be counted on to turn the ball over in a pinch or make some other stupid mistake at just the right time!

 

[Horn69]

You can call the players dumb if you want to...but the coach is responsible for what happens on the floor. When he sits passively on the bench, that is NOT providing the leadership that these kids need. He needs to be actively coaching on an "in-game" basis, and I don't think he's doing that.

Hook'em!!!

 

[Dewbrewer]

I'm not sure what Barnes was supposed to do anyway. The team had a horrible day. I am not sure why they did not want to beat the living crud out of Tech, but I guess they took it for granted after getting up by 10. The box and 1 has been bothering our offense, they they went triangle and two. Again confusing us. Also, J'Covan Brown had one of the worst days of his career. But if you have noticed, teams are now fouling him about 200 times a game and the refs are only going to call about 10 of them, no matter what. Reminds me of Arkansas in the early 90s. I think if Barnes had gone completely crazy on the sidelines we would have lost. I can't believe how cool he stayed.

Don't get me wrong, I think Barnes deserves criticism on many occasions.

Now as for our chances of getting in the NCAA tourney, I think we are still in the group of the last 4 in. But who knows if we beat OU. Much less win a game in the big 12 tourney. One game at a time as Barnes keeps saying. Hook 'em no matter what!!

 

[Horn69]

Barnes is paid handsomely. If teams are consistenly playing box+1 then he needs to have a scheme to handle it. Being dumbfounded and not knowing what to do is NOT acceptable. Just b/c Brown has an off-day doesn't mean there's not other players able to answer offensively. It was a W so you give them credit. But, this team is showing no promise whatsoever of being NCAA worthy.

Hook'em!!!

 

[ViperHorn]

Well the good news is no one should even be thinking about leaving early.

 

[Joe2005]

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[l00p]

Solid post, Joe. Yes, partly because I agree but I had not really thought about that either. It is thrown out how none of these guys should even consider trying to go but it hit home with your post. That is likely what Rick is trying to build.

There is a lot of talent and promise from this team. Rick has work to do and so do the players. Will the players put it in? Can Rick get it out of them? Here is where it all lays out.

 

[Horn69]

I"m pretty sure all these freshmen came in as highly touted recruits, even if not one-and-doners. Speaking of one-and-doners I"m still scratching my head as to how Avery Bradley is playing better for the Celtics than he did for the Longhorns.

Hook'em!!!

 

[orangecat1]

is Bradley getting better coaching in Boston? I'm starting to think it's not just Rick, it's the entire staff. This staff lost a ton of talent when Haith,etc. went on to bigger and better things. Maybe Rick needs to get a consultant, kind of of like Mack got a consultant, and get some help.

 

[VYFan]

I'll sign on to Joe's post; we have some ideal quality people for staying a few years and gelling. I actually see a lot of good on this team although it's mostly on the defensive end. Basically, we are in a 'down" year, and we caught 7 top ten games on our schedule. We played almost all those 7games down to the wire (losing them all, but right in the games to the end) and then went 18-4 in the rest of our games. For a down year, that's not all that bad.

 

[Joe2005]

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[Horn69]

And that takes into account he hadn't played much. The last 2 games he's been starting while Rando was out. He went 11-20 from the field with 6 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals. Pretty damn good.

Hook'em!!

 

[Statalyzer]

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[Rex Kramer]

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[Rex Kramer]

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[old65horn]

didn't realize our opponets were consustently playing a box and one against us. Who were all the other teams?

 

[busterbrown16]

I agree with Joe's post above and that is part of the reason I have not been patrolling the board this year. I was one of the biggest opponents of the one (or two)-and-dones that Rick has consistently brought on the past 9 years or so. Whether it was a purposeful change in philosophy or just what we happened to get, it does not look like we have any of those on the current roster. (Side note: I still think that it was anticipated Myck Kabongo was going to be a one and done but he certainly has not lived up to the hype). As such, I will continue to give this team the benefit of the doubt until we get to halfway through next year and I do not see some steady improvement.

With that said, even if we look at this team as a bunch of freshmen that is not supposed to be setting the world on fire, I am still a little concerned that I have seen very little improvement from the beginning of the year until now and they are making the same mistakes. I know that is a broad statement and there are some exceptions, but I think it is generally the case with this team (that there has been very little improvement).

I hate to say it but I am sort of jumping on the NIT bandwagon so these kids can get some more PT than a first round exit in the NCAA tournament. If they were further along (like they should be) I woud say differently, but they really just need more time.

 

[Dewbrewer]

Someone can correct me but I think in 3 of the last 5 games, the opposition has thrown a box and one at us. And yes, we should be able to do more against it. And the foul by Brown with less than 30 seconds to go was in excusable. Not sure what he was thinking. Wow I hope the guys can play better on Wednesday.