Status for Johnson?

[texashorn]

Any one know how Johnson is coming along? Is he expected to play at all?

 

[Myrrhman]

DMN says doubtful. DMN

 

[SL Xpress]

I watched the shootarounds.

I'll be shocked if he plays at all this weekend.

Which is too bad, because Texas could use him against Miami's athleticism. I'm not saying it means anything, but in terms of "off the bus" looks, Miami is the team that looks like the #2 seed, with Texas as the #7. They are athletic and explosive off the floor.

Still, I've watched them a few times this year. If they get hot from three, they're extremely dangerous, but I don't think they've developed their post entry game any better than Texas has. I just wish we'd have Johnson to match up with them better.

That's assuming Texas beats the piss out of Peay, which is not something I'm taking for granted just yet.

 

[Bob in Houston]

This team doesn't really pound people. I'm not expecting it tomorrow but I'm hoping to be surprised.

 

[Truck's Son]

I'm shocked there isn't more talk about this. This is an enormous development and could put our post season hopes in serious jeapordy, depending on how long he's out and how much the injury continues to nag him. How many 8-man teams make a deep run in the tourney?

It's hard to win tournaments when roughly 25% of your scholarship players aren't able to play b/c of injury and an additional two never see the court due to ineffectiveness.

 

[SL Xpress]

Well, you have different expectations than me, Truck's Son.

If we make it to the Sweet 16, it's all gravy from there on out as far as I'm concerned. I wanted to see improvement over last year, and I have.

You're right. If Gary Johnson is out it severely impacts this team's ability to make a run to the Elite Eight/Final Four/National championship game.

I will say that if Barnes had done a better job of developing Wangmene and Chapman over the course of the year, the criticality of Johnson's injury wouldn't be quite so drastic.

But hey! This gives those two and Pittman a chance to show what they can do. Texas had Deginald Erskin suddenly make an impact late in the season in the year Texas lost in the Sweet 16 to Oregon, and Craig Winder made his only real contributions to the program in his two years once the conference tournament started last year, so a step up in performance this late in the season isn't entirely unprecedented. I just don't think it's a completely realistic expectation.

Just make it down to Houston. Please. Then let's see who they'll face in the Sweet 16 round. At that point, anything can happen, including Gary Johnson possibly recovering at a rate I'm not anticipating having watched him today.