Texas' current lineup?

Texas.PancakeMan

Texas.PancakeMan

100+ Posts
First off, I'm new at these boards, but have been lurking around them for awhile. I'm a current student at UT, and loving every bit of it.
hookem.gif


On a separate note.. I haven't been able to keep up with much of anything recently. I was wondering how our current starting lineup will be looking this next season? Also, do we have any big-name recruits coming in at all? I've heard J'Covan brown is a pretty beasty street-baller, but do you guys see him getting much playing-time?

And lastly, have any of our players undergone noticeable improvements since the season ended? I'm in belief that James will be our big star as of next year, as he seems to have improved QUITE a bit as of last season, and only has room for more improvements. I also predict Johnson, due to his character, to be VERY much improved, given he isn't being held back by any health issues.

Anyone have any say on this? thanks, and Hook'm!
 
many on this board would like to see a bigger lineup, but after hearing all the hype about Balbay I'm starting to expect it will look like this:

Balbay
Abrams
Mason
James
Atchley

If Balbay isn't quite ready (or is hampered by the suspensions) I think James would play SF and Johnson would start next to Atchley. I think anyone expecting Abrams to come off the bench is being a little delusional, even though he does have a good skill set for that role.

Most people think Brown will be a great combo guard 6th man for us, although I haven't seen him play myself.

I agree that James should be a star and contend for first team all american. I could also see Johnson going an efficient 10/8 or so, he just needs to get better about playing within himself like James, Mason, and Atchley do.
 
Starters don't matter. Matchups do.

"Pro" Style, with a 12345 sort of lineup:
Balbay
Abrams
Mason
James
Atchley

Small:
Balbay
Abrams
Mason
Johnson
James

Big:
Mason
Abrams
James
Atchley
Pittman

X-factors:
Whether Brown plays this year (or any).
Which guard spot Brown will play at any given moment.
Is Matt Hill healthy? He'd probably take some of Atchley's minutes.
Whether Abrams/Mason can play point with an offset matchup lineup.
How many minutes our bench can handle with efficiency from Wangmene et al.
 
Our opening day starting lineup will probably look like this:

Mason
Abrams
James
Johnson
Atchley

Once Balbay returns from suspension:

Balbay
Abrams
Mason
James
Atchley

If we go Big:

Balbay
Mason
James
Atchley
Pittman

If we go Small:

Balbay
Abrams
Mason
James
Johnson
 
Texas will have 6 guards, but only 2 with any experience in NCAA games. Texas will have 7 forwards/centers, all of whom have played in games before.

Unless Johnson develops medical complications, I just don't see this team playing a predominantly 3 guard lineup. I just don't.

How that will translate to roles and playing time among the guards, I don't know, but Johnson should spend a lot more time on the floor next year.
 
If Balbay is as good as you guys say that have seen him, and big Dex can play 15-18 minutes a game! People better hang to their asses because we know what the others can do!
 
I see no reason for Balbay to start - no matter how good he is. I think it would affect the chemistry. Besides, starting doesn't matter. If Balbay is as good as advertised, he can easily get 20+ minutes off the bench. He could sub for any player on the court. If Barnes wants to run, sub in for Johnson and go "small". If Barnes wants to go "big", sub in Balbay for Abrams. If James or Atchley pick up too many fouls, sub in Balbay and go small. He gives Barnes tons of options in that regard.

Abrams, Mason, and Balbay could be used much like Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, and Sherron Collins of KU. They averaged 30, 27, and 24 minutes respectively and were used in a variety of sets. If we need to throw J'Covan Brown into the mix for 10-15 minutes per game, so be it.
 
I don't have any doubt Balbay will be one of the starters, assuming he's healthy. He's the best point guard on the team, and a heck of a defender.
 
I'm expecting Wangmane to dominate this year.

James and Atchley should be even more improved this year and I am expecting big things.

Also I heard on radio interview that AJ wants to try and play point some to improve his pro potential.
 
What's the benefit to playing Johnson more than Balbay when we're losing our main PG from the mix? Especially considering Johnson's D was shaky at best in his return to the court.

Abrams isn't going to be the PG of this team, and Mason doesn't have the speed or handles to cut it in a two-guard lineup. Barnes NEVER shies from the three-guard set, and I don't see how that's going to change this year unless Pittman, Hill, Wangmene, and Chapman turned into the Detroit Pistons over the summer.
 
Horns11

My respons would be that first and foremost Barnes values defense and by all accounts Balbay can play some D. Not to mention he's the only pure PG we have. He may not be there at the beginning of the season but Barnes is going to have to make a tough choice and bring an established starter off the bench. He's capable of changing his patterns. Defensively: Balbay, Mason, James, Johnson, and Conor makes me drool.

If James truly has slimmed down as has been reported and can guard the 3 we are going to be very tough to score on. As others said it probably won't really matter who starts because we have tons of depth and flexibility and some potential offensive fire power we can bring in with AJ and Brown (should he qualify).
 
Gary Johnson is better than who? Klotz? Boddicker? Maybe if you're considering we didn't have the depth from 05-07 in the front court, then sure, he's better than an invisible player. But until he actually does something on the court, I don't know how anyone would consider him a "starter," or even a top-5 player on the team.

And yes, Mouton was a guard. A poor handling guard, but a guard at that. Then there was the Gibson-Paulino-Taylor/Harris lineups the next year, and that's 3 guards as well.
 
The Gary Johnson comparison was to the options Texas had in 2006-07 after Durant and James in the frontcourt. Gary Johnson is far better than what Atchley offered as a sophmore or what Pittman and Hill offered as freshmen.

OK, call Mouton a guard if you want, but you mislead if you say the Mouton teams featured a 3 guard offense, when two of the guards were 6'4" and one couldn't handle the ball.

I expect Balbay will play a lot. I expect Abrams and Mason will play a lot. I just don't expect 28 minutes of 3 guard sets every game.
 
You need a true point guard on the court at all times. Only Balbay fits that description. As much as I love them, Mason and Abrams are not true point gaurds. Abrams is an undersized shooting guard and Mason is an undersized do-everything guy. Neither has the necessary ball handling skills required at this level. We'll have a small package with all three of these guys on the court, and a big package with only two of them... in either case, Balbay will be on the court.

In reply to:
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But we don't usually have a "sixth man" in the NBA sense of the term. We have lineups that serve to match up against whatever the other team throws at us, and traditionally that's a huge part of Barnes's college approach to the game.

The way Mason played towards the end of the season, I'd be VERY surprised if he came off the bench. I wouldn't be surprised if he was limited to 25 minutes. If anything, it'll be the big men who start on the bench and come in to provide valuable minutes in place of Atchley. You gotta feel for Hill, Wangmene, and Chapman, because the spots on the floor just aren't there in the style we've played for the last 7 or so seasons.

As for "developing" the big men, that's what the offseason is for. I remember rehearsing for the talent show in Rec Sports Center for something ungodly like 9 hours one day, and Klotz was working with Barnes when we showed up and still working with him one-on-one when we left. We can't rely on game situations to get the big guys some play, because those situations are few and far between (see the Stanford game).

On the other edge of the sword, you have some question marks over the positioning and playing time for Balbay, Brown, and possibly Ward. I know that people want to see all the 4-stars out there, but in a real sense, Barnes generally doesn't go that way.
 
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