Pack Your Bags Shaka!

Rick Barnes' last 5 seasons:
28-8 (13-3) NCAA Round of 32
20-14 (9-9) NCAA Round of 64
16-18 (7-11) CBI Appearance
24-11 (11-7) NCAA Round of 32
20-14 (8-10) NCAA Round of 64

Shaka's first 5 seasons:
20-13 (11-7) NCAA Round of 64
11-22 (4-14)
19-15 (8-10) NCAA Round of 64
21-16 (8-10) NIT Champions
18-11 (8-8) TBD

(For comparison) Rick Barnes' first 5 seasons:
19-13 (13-3) NCAA Round of 64 (Big XII Champs)
24-9 (13-3) NCAA Round of 32
25-9 (12-4) NCAA Round of 64
22-12 (10-6) NCAA Sweet 16
26-7 (13-3) FINAL FOUR

We fired Rick Barnes (who dealt with a key injury his last season) for barely making the NCAA tournament and losing in the first round. He had a better previous 4 years with more NCAA tournament appearances and wins than Shaka has had. Unless Shaka somehow makes the Sweet 16, he should be fired at the end of this year. Right now, we still HAVE to win the last 2 to MAYBE be one of the last 4 in and need to additionally win at least 1 Big XII Tournament game to guarantee we get in. Needing to end the year on a 7 game win streak just to get in the NCAA tournament as a low seed is not where you want to be in year 5.

Last year, we had key players injured or sit out the NIT and we looked better. This year, with key players out, we are playing better. Either Shaka starts the wrong players (I have heard this over the past few years from people who are far more knowledgeable about basketball than I) or he completely fails to motivate our starters.

I give props for the Tech win in Lubbock. That was a genuinely great victory and helps legitimatize the streak. The rest of the win streak consisted of a win at home against 16-13 TCU (who is 1-8 on the road), @9-20 and last place Kansas State, and 19-10 WVU (3-8 on the road including a loss @ okie state)

Personally, I think history shows we are just on a hot streak that is the hallmark of street ball/run and shoot basketball and Shaka Smart's career.

Against TCU:
Texas shot 51% from the field.
Texas shot 60% from the 3 point line.
Texas show 69% from the free throw line.

Against Kansas State:
Texas shot 52% from the field.
Texas shot 42% from the 3 point line.
Texas show 76% from the free throw line.

Against West Virginia:
Texas shot 52% from the field.
Texas shot 41% from the 3 point line.
Texas show 70% from the free throw line.

Against Texas Tech:
Texas shot 52% from the field.
Texas shot 46% from the 3 point line.
Texas show 71% from the free throw line.

On average on the season Texas has averaged:
43% from the field.
34% from the 3 point line.
68% from the free throw line.

It would not surprise me for us to lay some turds in the last two games and in the Big 12 Tournament. History shows we are unfortunately overdue. I still predict we end up a #1 seed in the NIT.
 
What came up did come down.

Texas against Oklahoma:
Texas shot 33.9% from the field.
Texas shot 29.6% from the 3 point line.
Texas shot 100% from the free throw line.

However, Oklahoma "out sucked" us.

Oklahoma against Texas:
OU shot 28% from the field.
OU shot 10% from the 3 point line.
OU shot 72.4% from the free throw line including missing 3 critical free throws at the end to give us the game.

Since we have lowered the standards for Smart and just making the tournament is probably good enough for him, we will have to endure at least one more season of mediocre basketball.
 
If Smart is to be replaced, I would be bitterly disappointed in Chris if the new deal isn't already cut.

That said, I had already resigned myself that both BB coaches will return because the candidates willing to take the job, are just now finishing their junior high seasons.
 
The buyout was always going to be a big issue and there was a 50-50 chance Shaka came back just for that reason alone but this late season run much like last years has made the money decision an easy one. The fact that there are no immediate obvious replacements also plays a role.

All that said, lets marvel for a moment at what has happened since the Horns got destroyed by Iowa State and then trailed at the half against TCU. This has to be just about the most improbable five game win streak ever and the odds of an injury depleted Texas taking three straight over WVU, Tech and OU. with two of those on the road had to be astronomical. I just hope this team keeps living right and doesnt revert to the mean and just crap the bed against okie state.
 
Htown77 said:
Since we have lowered the standards for Smart and just making the tournament is probably good enough for him, we will have to endure at least one more season of mediocre basketball.
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This is the best mediocre basketball team since Abe Lemons. I'll take them in a heartbeat, especially since this is essentially just the Varsity practice squad with a couple of first string guards. Your loss for not enjoying the improbable absurdity of their success.

Hook 'Em! :bevo:
 
zuckercanyon said:
Shaka! Shaka! Shaka! Three more years! Three more years!
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That is what I am afraid of. You know Smart's agent is pounding CdC's desk saying "I told you so ... you had better add a couple of years to his contract or he is going to walk away". CdC's response to that should be - "the door is behind you; have Smart leave his office and car keys on what was his desk."
 
BurntOrangeLH said:
This is the best mediocre basketball team since Abe Lemons. I'll take them in a heartbeat, especially since this is essentially just the Varsity practice squad with a couple of first string guards. Your loss for not enjoying the improbable absurdity of their success.

Hook 'Em! :bevo:
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This post did not age well. Did you enjoy yesterday's game? I hope you attended!
 
Neat fact of the day. Shaka is Texas' 27th head coach and ranks 22nd in winning percent at .518. And we aren't even a basketball school. Isn't that neat?

Texas made the NCAA tourney 24 of the previous 27 years before Shaka's arrival.
 
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Neat fact of the day. In Shaka's five years his average recruiting ranking is 9th. Bill Self at Kansas you ask? 11th and we aren't even a basketball school. Isn't that neat?

It's called player development, that's why Kansas wins the Big XII every stinking year.
 
Vol Horn 4 Life said:
Neat fact of the day. Shaka is Texas' 27th head coach and ranks 22nd in winning percent at .518. And we aren't even a basketball school. Isn't that neat?

Texas made the NCAA tourney 24 of the previous 27 years before Shaka's arrival.
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Not sure why you didn’t go back to 1989 as we made the tournament from 89-91 too. Also didn’t make the tournament from 80-88
 
Omniscient.one said:
Not sure why you didn’t go back to 1989 as we made the tournament from 89-91 too. Also didn’t make the tournament from 80-88
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Because that's what I chose to post. And partially because it took us 27 years to miss three tourneys and if we lose to Tech it will take Shaka only five years to accomplish that.

Feel free to post your own facts instead of bitching about others. In another thread you complained about my lack of facts and here you're complaining about the facts I post.

What did you think about us having higher recruiting class average than Kansas since Shaka arrived? I'm guessing you'd say those rankings don't matter and are irrelevant.
 
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Vol Horn 4 Life said:
Because that's what I chose to post. And partially because it took us 27 years to miss three tourneys and if we lose to Tech it will take Shaka only five years to accomplish that.

Feel free to post your own facts instead of bitching about others. In another thread you complained about my lack of facts and here you're complaining about the facts I post.

What did you think about us having higher recruiting class average than Kansas since Shaka arrived? I'm guessing you'd say those rankings don't matter and are irrelevant.
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Not sure what recruiting service you’re referencing but the 247 composite B12 rankings for the two teams since 2015 have been:

2015: KU 1st, UT 2nd
2016: UT 1st, KU 2nd
2017: UT 1st, KU 2nd
2018: KU 1st, UT 2nd
2019: KU 1st, UT 3rd

EDIT: I see you averaged national class rankings, which using 247 is 11 for UT and 11.6 for KU. So while your numbers were wrong, you were correct using this as a metric. Of course there’s a lot of context, specifically in basketball, with class rankings given the number of roster spots available and the fact that rankings are aggregate values.
 
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Omniscient.one said:
Not sure what recruiting service you’re referencing but the 247 composite B12 rankings for the two teams since 2015 have been:

2015: KU 1st, UT 2nd
2016: UT 1st, KU 2nd
2017: UT 1st, KU 2nd
2018: KU 1st, UT 2nd
2019: KU 1st, UT 3rd

EDIT: I see you averaged national class rankings, which using 247 is 11 for UT and 11.6 for KU. So while your numbers were wrong, you were correct using this as a metric. Of course there’s a lot of context, specifically in basketball, with class rankings given the number of roster spots available and the fact that rankings are aggregate values.
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Lol, let's call the classes even. We have been seriously underwhelming with all the talent we get. Its pathetic and that's not hyperbole. With all that talent we can't even sniff the top 25 much less ever consider making a serious run at anything. Shaka needs to go away.
 
Can we fire him already, would give us something to talk about and with zero commits in 2 years he is burying us.
 
Omniscient.one said:
Not sure why you didn’t go back to 1989 as we made the tournament from 89-91 too. Also didn’t make the tournament from 80-88
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I don't know your age, but I was there during some of this tenure and I know who the coach was---that makes a hell of a difference, Kaiser Bob!!
 
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