Maybe we aren't just that good

It's happening

I'm just hoping we peak at the end of the season and make a run in the tournament. But that's some pretty poor basketball we are playing right now.
 
It looks like Barnes has decided to go with Balbay as the #1 PG and that could really benefit the team down the line.
 
Sometimes, some years, you're just not that good......and that's Texas basketball this year. I can understand not being great, but when we don't even try and give it our all 100% of the time, that's when I have a problem. Props to Barnes for sitting Justin and Damion. Damion got the message and apparently Justin did not. You can chalk up Damion bolting for the NBA after this season the way it's going down. Oh well, here's to 2009 and our #1 recruiting class incoming.
 
yeah we're just not that good. don't over-analyze it.
zzz.gif
 
There are no McDonalds All-Americans on this team. Barnes hasn't recruited much talent the past two years.

Also, I think the motivational tactic with the starters backfired tonight. Oklahoma should never be outrecruiting and outcoaching us. Ever. in any sport.....

But I'm sure Rick knows what he's doing. After all, he's led us to so many conference championships and he resurrected us to the horrible days of Tom Penders where the team never won any games!
 
what is there to analyze?

We couldn't make an entry pass with TJ Ford, Gibson or Augusin here.

11 turnovers in the first half and the same stupid off balance shots don't seem to be going anywhere.

Now, we have no choice and no point guard.

Everything has been said over and over.


This is a top 20 team that will be lucky to get to the sweet 16.

Not bad, but not one of our better teams.
 
I think Barnes knew exactly what he was doing - rival Top 10 team on national tv in a game we're not expected to win - these guys found out who the boss is if they didn't already know. I think tonight will be the lowpoint of the season and you'll look back and go that is when this team started growing up. I hope. I'm not in to "waiting to next year" - on January 12!

Hook'em!!!
texasflag.gif
 
Yes, I believe the more unbiased of the fanbase figured the OP's sentiments out a long time ago...Thank God for the recruiting juggernaut that hoops recruiting has become. Depending on who stays and goes the next few years, we are looking as potentially the greatest and most talented perimeter in the history of college basketball.

Lucas, Hamilton, Bradley, Williams, Brown (possibly, but doubtful), Bejarano, Thompson, and now Kabongo? Are you serious? That talent is sickening and just plain unfair.
 
for those of you thinking we won't have a pg... didn't Jai Lucas son of John Lucas announce he was transferring to Texas from Florida????
 
This team will have to win with defense since offense is lacking big time. Some nights they look like a top 25 team and some nights they don't. I cannot see this team winning the Big 12 this year and they need better guards in the future.
 
so would I.

This team just doesn't seem as good as the ones we have gotten used to.

Hell, Florida won two NC's and then went to the NIT.

You can't be a top 5 team every year.

I am VERY happy with where Rick has this program and am not giving up on anything, but our short comings our chronic and clear.
 
Jamaebarrow come on. "The horrible days of Tom Penders where the team never won any games?"I think maybe you are talking about Bob Weltlich in that thought. Penders, while never getting the program to the level attained by Barnes, did get us to an Elite 8 with the BMW crew and a Sweet Sixteen with Reggie Freeman, and seemingly won a first round game in the NCAA tournament (many years as a 9 seed or lower) every year. Penders also guided us to huge homecourt wins over North Carolina and Arkansas when both were ranked top 3. No doubt Penders went out as a drunk fool, who maybe broke the law but Penders put UT hoops back on the map, and he did that when Texas was in the backwaters of the old SWC. Don't hate on the guy at this point. He did a lot for us. And Penders sure as heck did win a lot of games-no doubt about that.
 
I'm not sure...But I think Jamaebarrow was being sarcastic about Tom Penders and was actually slighting Barnes program. If that's true then his comments are even more insane then criticizing Penders.

And as for this team....We are lucky to be able to say this team is disappointing us. It shows how far the program has come. In my predictions I felt this team would exit in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament and feel no differently about that prediction right now. While we'd like every year to be a Sweet 16 year....That doesnt happen, just look at the company Texas is in when it comes to Sweet 16's in a given period recently.
 
They lost to a top-10 team on the road by double digits. This is hardly a basketball felony. I had the game marked down as a loss in July. There must be a dozen similar Texas home wins over the years, where they looked great and the road team got hammered.

It was a lot more important for OU to win than it was that Texas lost.

They're only about halfway through the season. It could be that Ken Pomeroy is right and they might only get to 10 league wins. I think they'll do better than that but I'm not too concerned about it either way right now. Save for Abrams, Atchley and (probably) James, this is about experience and improvement toward next year.

Balbay made a jumper and did the penetration and had the activity that we'd heard about. There's a good thing.
 
Last night's game was pretty sorry. But the Sooners are strong. Griffin is a beast and Willie Warren is pretty darn Joe Dumars-esque. How did Barnes miss on that kid? Anyway, maybe there will be a ray of sunshine inside the rain cloud. Barnes generally adapts and makes changes to the gameplan as results merit. In this case, I think the AJ Abrams pinball offense with the kid running ragged to-and-frow might have seen it's last gasp. After AJ's 5 of 27 or whatever, I think Barnes will slow things down and start focussing on defense, rebounding, effort, and pounding the ball inside to big Dex and Gary Johnson. I think the other option will be Damion James at the elbow. But AJ is too darn slight to handle running across the lane on a zig zag for 40 minutes and then jacking up quick hitters. Barnes sure as hell knows more than we do, and I know he must see the current game plan is broken. I am pretty certain changes are coming. Balbay showed some real athleticism last night. I believe Barnes will have that kid split time with Mason. Can Balbay make a free throw? That would be bonus. I still think Texas gets a tie for 2nd in the Big 12 and a 4-6 seed in the Big Dance. That isn't too shabby in a rebuilding year. Jai Lucas will improve this team immensely next December! We just lined up a nice succesion of stud point guards. This team just needs to keep the NCAA tournament string alive and 10 wins in the Big 12 should get that done. I don't see the wheels completely falling off. Barnes was still calling time out with 32 seconds left. He has some fight in him yet.
hookem.gif
 
The good:
Gary Johnson - plays like the reincarnation of PJ Tucker. The guy has earned a starting job.
AJ - despite his shooting slump, he's still our best scoring threat. I never fault the guy for his effort. If anything, he needs more rest.
Pittman - Not sure anybody can match up with his physical size. While his fouls and missed shots can be infuriating, we've got to use this guy as much as we can.

The bad:
Damion James. Coming of a great last year, he was touted as a potential lottery pick. But, he's too inconsistent. At times, he can be a beast. Other times ...????
Justin Mason - Also inconsistent. He's done a reasonable job a Assist to Turnover ratio, but still doesn't penetrate/attack the basket like we need him to.

The ugly:
Connor - And, I don't mean his tongue. Not sure what has happened since last year. Not only has he not played at near the level as last year, the team needs his senior leadership.
 
On the good side, I was encouraged by the play of Harrison Smith last night. Yes, it was in a bad situation where it might have seemed as though Barnes had no one else left to turn to since he was sending messages to others, but I thought he looked more engaged than I have seen in his previous minutes for this team. Of course, that could be because we don't see him very much. Nonetheless, perhaps his extended minutes tonight will pay dividends down the road this season.

But the OP's original point may be correct; perhaps the team is not "that good." I'm still holding out hope, though, that this is just a case of Texas losing to a good team on their floor and nothing else. Time will tell.
 
What's the difference between f-ing good and just good. And where does finger lickin' good fit into the equation?
 
Other than a lead guard and one more shooter they are missing intensity, focus, and heart.

We've won without lead guards and without great shooters before by playing defense, rebounding and getting to every loose ball and beating up the other team. Ivey, Mouton, Thomas Boddicker senior year after TJ left had less talent and no dynamic point guard but they would have kicked this teams *** imo.

This group is more talented but it just lacks the tenacity and ferociousness that has been a Barnes trademark since he got here. That Durant group didn't have too terribly much of the above but they had at least 2 NBA lottery picks on that team. But, they went out in the 2nd round which is what looks like this team has in store for it.

The only thing I keep telling myself is that Barnes teams almost always improve so perhaps better days will be ahead.

And to all the noobs sticking up for Penders I'm about a million percent sure that the poster was elevating Penders and taking a shot at Barnes, sarcastically, which is just plain silly.

To each his own I suppose, and Rick Barnes has his warts, but there is absolutely nobody in College Hoops we could get that would do a better job then Rick. There might be a couple better coaches, but you aren't going to get K away from Duke or Williams away from NC or Donnovan away from Florida to go to UT so you are just going to have to deal with having the best we can get, which about 98.7% of programs in the country would kill for.
 
Not good lately, but possible solutions:

Balby starts at point.
James back to four.. has very little open floor ball skills.
Make johnson pass the ball and drive... sit him down when he takes the shot every time.
 
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