Is TT the best shot blocker in school history?

G

GemStateJim

2,500+ Posts
I've been wanting to ask this for a couple of weeks now but have procrastinated because I don't wish to seem revisionist at the expense of former Longhorns.

After the Kansas game, however, I can stifle the question no longer--is Tristan Thompson the best shot blocker to ever wear a Texas uniform?

I'm inclined to say yes, but that response is qualified with the admission that I didn't start watching UT men's hoops until 1986 (John Brownlee's senior season). I didn't see LaSalle Thompson and all those who preceded him.

But I have seen Guillermo "Panama" Myers, Albert Burditt, Chris Mihm, Chris Owens, Brad Buckman, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant and Connor Atchley, and none of them have impressed me the way Tristan has.

It's not just the number of his blocks (he already has 42 on the year), it's the manner in which they are made. Tristan's timing and anticipation are impeccable.

What do y'all think?
 
Never saw Lasalle either so hard to compare.

I started closely watching Horn hoops in 1990 when I transferred to Texas and went to school at same time as and saw just about every home game Albert Burditt played in. For that reason I tend to lean toward Burditt. I always thought he would have been huge under someone other than Penders who seemed to think defense was a second thought to shooting as often as you could. As it was Burditt was a monster blocking shots. Think what he could have been under Barnes in terms of a defensive monster.

That said Tristan is pretty frickin impressive.
hookem.gif
 
Burditt would be No.2 on my personal list, F-Dub. Glad someone else remembers him fondly; I wondered if perhaps I was merely being a homer for a hometown product.
 
Chris Mihm ranks first on UT's all-time blocks list (264)


Most career blocked shots (i think this is as of 2005)
Rk. Name (Years) Blocks
1. Chris Mihm (1998-2000) 264
2. Albert Burditt (1991-94) 236
3. Chris Owens (2000-02) 159
4. LaSalle Thompson (1980-82) 145
5. Brad Buckman (2003- ) 113
6. Jason Klotz (2001-05) 103
The Link
 
I remember watching Thompson when he was a freshman. I've watch a lot of basketball since then and the memory is hazy. I do remember watching guys try to shove him in their first year on campus and it reminded me of watching Kurt Rambis push, flail and bounce off Moses Malone who without a change in facial expression or body position would absorb it for a few seconds, then jump up grab a rebound and score.
Thompson was a man among boys in the old Southwest Conference.
 
Buckman finished with 166. He got more blocks per minute during the 05-06 season than Aldridge.

Mihm is by far the best shot blocker Texas ever had. If you projected Thompson's current pace through the number of games Mihm played, he'd still be 50 short of Mihm's total.

Minutes played per block

Mihm 10.8
Tristan 13.7
Owens 14.0
Buckman 16.2
LaSalle 21.5

LaSalle Thompson was not a very accomplished shot blocker. He really wasn't that tall. He was thick and used his size to great advantage in holding position on defense, but he really didn't alter that many shots. Only 145 blocks in over 3100 minutes played.

Edit: I'd guess Burditt would come in around 12-15 minutes. He averaged 2.1 blocks a game for his career, but I can't find any stats on his minutes per game.
 
Since I earlier referred to Panama, I thought I should share a clip for those who are unfamiliar with his legacy. He probably doesn't belong among the list of "all-time great shotblockers" as he's really known for just one rejection, "The Block Heard 'Round the World."

The Link

For the record, Gene "Combover" Keady was not very gracious in his postgame comments about what replays proved was a clean and legitimate block. Oh, well.
 
GSJ
TT may not make it to the top of the list since he is probably one and done ( and that is ok)
but I think this point of yours is the important one
"It's not just the number of his blocks (he already has 42 on the year), it's the manner in which they are made. Tristan's timing and anticipation are impeccable."

Exactly, his sense of his body and where it is and where it needs to be not only to block shots but to make incredible shots and that is so impressive. He is a Freshman.
 
I don't know how or why, but the Horns message boards seem to have forgotten the dominance that was Chris Mihm. Maybe because his pro career kind of floundered at times.

I think it was the 2000 home game against KU when we finally beat them in Big XII play and he had some obscene number of blocks, like 9. His length could also contend regular jumpers from 7-10 feet, not just layups underneath.

Those blocks alone were pretty much enough to make him a 1st team All American (although it was a pretty weak year). Only 3 guys from that draft class have made an NBA All Star Game.
 
My enduring memory fairly or not of Chris Mihm is that LSU player dunking over him in the second round of NCAA's in 2000.
 
Stromile Swift dunked on a lot of players that year. Mihm was definitely a good shot blocker, but he never played with enough aggression and got a lot from just being the size he was. If he had played with a bad attitude, then we would definitely not have lost to LSU that year.

My vote goes to Burditt as well. He used to slap **** all over the floor & had some serious 'hops' for a fellow with good size.
hookem.gif
 
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