Texas vs ND Halftime report
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GemStateJim
2,500+ Posts
Think we shot better from the stripe in the first half than Our Lady ...
GemStateJim
2,500+ Posts
Nevermind--it was a dead heat: Our Lady went 4 of 8, Texas 5 of 10.
Austintxusa
2,500+ Posts
43 - 40 them at half.
GemStateJim
2,500+ Posts
Admirable effort, especially at the finish, but terrible execution on both ends of the floor tonight. This team has lots of work to do.
That said, it was Our Lady's night. That ********, desperation 3-pointer Harangody threw up from just inside halfcourt to beat the shot clock pretty much sums up the match. Miss that, and it's Texas ball, down by three. Instead, it banks hard off the glass, rattles in and Notre Dame is up six.
Call me crazy, but it seems our starting lineup should be: Mason, Abrams, Johnson, Wangmene and Atchley. Mason runs the point ... with the condition that, if he doesn't play aggressive, he's out.
As evidence of what Mason can do when he applies himself, consider that amazing, second-half dribble-drive-dunk that almost woke the team up.
Almost.
Oh, and James needs to ride the pine awhile so he can figure out what sport he's playing. Don't let the double-double stat line fool you--he's absolutely lost out there right now.
Or maybe he's just sandbagging it so he can return to the Forty for his senior year.
Anyway, hats off to Our Lady. They've a roster full of sharpshooters and they execute on offense in a way that would make Jim Beilein jealous.
That said, it was Our Lady's night. That ********, desperation 3-pointer Harangody threw up from just inside halfcourt to beat the shot clock pretty much sums up the match. Miss that, and it's Texas ball, down by three. Instead, it banks hard off the glass, rattles in and Notre Dame is up six.
Call me crazy, but it seems our starting lineup should be: Mason, Abrams, Johnson, Wangmene and Atchley. Mason runs the point ... with the condition that, if he doesn't play aggressive, he's out.
As evidence of what Mason can do when he applies himself, consider that amazing, second-half dribble-drive-dunk that almost woke the team up.
Almost.
Oh, and James needs to ride the pine awhile so he can figure out what sport he's playing. Don't let the double-double stat line fool you--he's absolutely lost out there right now.
Or maybe he's just sandbagging it so he can return to the Forty for his senior year.
Anyway, hats off to Our Lady. They've a roster full of sharpshooters and they execute on offense in a way that would make Jim Beilein jealous.
GoHornsGo90
1,000+ Posts
I wish he'd just play well AND return next year...he's nowhere NEAR ready for the NBA. No handles, no consistent shot, no mental presence, a horrendous passer, and WAY too many idiotic TOs.
He'd look pretty damned good next year with Hamilton, Bradley, Williams, and {hopefully} J'Covan coming in! What a perimeter with J-Mase also coming back.
He'd look pretty damned good next year with Hamilton, Bradley, Williams, and {hopefully} J'Covan coming in! What a perimeter with J-Mase also coming back.
Mr. Longhorn
250+ Posts
AJ's idiotic shot selection? James, yes, but AJ has the green light from anywhere on the floor. He didnt take bad shots, he just wasn't hitting tonight. Its going to happen, but the thing is we dont have anyone who is stepping up right now who is hitting those much needed baskets....other than Mason tonight.
Young season, great game. This one could have gone the other way very easily. I really would have liked to see how we match up with the Tar Heels.
Young season, great game. This one could have gone the other way very easily. I really would have liked to see how we match up with the Tar Heels.
SyracuseHorn
500+ Posts
The Damion James experiment as a wing player may not last much longer.
Third Coast
10,000+ Posts
James situation is perplexing. It's almost seems like now that he doesn't have the constant post responsibilities he has bought into the hype of himself and thinks he can ad lib throughout the game. RB can't be pleased with that.
busterbrown16
1,000+ Posts
We do not have a go to player that can get a shot when we need it. Plenty of times we were down tonight by 6 or 8 and needed a shot to pull closer and we would miss it. ND often went down and did not capitalize, but that kills momentum when you get a stop and NEED a basket to keep momentum going. We do not have a player that can create a shot for himself or anyone else. Mason was the closest thing to that with his fake to the screener and dribble drive, but that is such a rare occurrence (even though it is just the second game). Someone needs to step up.
GJ shoot's that jump hook and post up turn around far too often to be shooting such a measley percentage from there. He needs to kill that shot cuz he doesnt make it with any consistency. I'd rather him just eat up the garbage and put back shots.
If Alexis Wangemene had any footwork down low he'd be an offensive juggernaut in the post. He has surprisingly good touch down there, but doesn't have any postup moves or any kind of continuity with his footwork.
If Alexis Wangemene had any footwork down low he'd be an offensive juggernaut in the post. He has surprisingly good touch down there, but doesn't have any postup moves or any kind of continuity with his footwork.
Some of this stuff isn't going to get solved until Hamilton and Bradley get on campus next year.
It's a fun team. They're going to get better throughout the year. Damion pissed me off. I felt like he was trying to impress NBA scouts. He still needs to go in this draft, because next year's is going to get a lot deeper.
I like many things that Abrams brings to this team. He's not an answer at point guard, but he's a weapon off the ball. However, the offense shouldn't flow through him. There needs to be another primary option --- even if it's a collective option, such as getting the ball into the post --- and then let Abrams score in the flow of the game. whereiend is right. Abrams is a heck of a lot better as a catch and shoot off a screen than off the dribble. And once again, his 2 point conversion rate is much much lower than his 3 point percentage --- AND he almost never gets to the free throw line. I doubt any of that changes.
Balbay needs to step up at some point. He's better than what he's showing. He's not TJ or DJ, but he can dribble penetrate, but for some reason he's playing very hesitantly --- much like Mason had been until he finally woke up in the 2nd half.
Chapman needs to start converting his opportunities. The coaching staff has liked what he's done in practice. He needs to do it during games.
I'm starting to wonder if Pittman's ceiling is much higher than what he's showing right now. It should be, but he too often loses his man on defense, putting teammates in bad spots. He picks up fouls too easily. He doesn't do a good enough job of consistently presenting himself when he's on the low blocks. He's got all kinds of potential as a low block scorer, and he's the best defender against a true low post scoring opponent, but someday he's going to need to put it together, and those somedays are sand grains dropping rapidly through an hour glass at this point.
Wangmene looks like he's earning more time to me. He's raw, but he's productive.
Gary Johnson is becoming the factor we thought he could be. Just relentless hustle on both ends of the floor, and an expanding repertoire on the offensive end with some power double drives.
Ward needs to slow it down some. He's playing anxious.
I still like the defense. I know Notre Dame was scorching hot, but Texas may not face a better shooting team all year. The problem was on the other end. Notre Dame sacrifices on the defensive end to put shooters on the floor. Texas wasn't able to punish them for that. Texas got plenty of favorable switches with Notre Dame's man to man, but weren't able to take advantage, not to mention just the favorable matches that were there each time down the court. That's the part of this UT team that needs to improve. Hopefully it will.
It's a fun team. They're going to get better throughout the year. Damion pissed me off. I felt like he was trying to impress NBA scouts. He still needs to go in this draft, because next year's is going to get a lot deeper.
I like many things that Abrams brings to this team. He's not an answer at point guard, but he's a weapon off the ball. However, the offense shouldn't flow through him. There needs to be another primary option --- even if it's a collective option, such as getting the ball into the post --- and then let Abrams score in the flow of the game. whereiend is right. Abrams is a heck of a lot better as a catch and shoot off a screen than off the dribble. And once again, his 2 point conversion rate is much much lower than his 3 point percentage --- AND he almost never gets to the free throw line. I doubt any of that changes.
Balbay needs to step up at some point. He's better than what he's showing. He's not TJ or DJ, but he can dribble penetrate, but for some reason he's playing very hesitantly --- much like Mason had been until he finally woke up in the 2nd half.
Chapman needs to start converting his opportunities. The coaching staff has liked what he's done in practice. He needs to do it during games.
I'm starting to wonder if Pittman's ceiling is much higher than what he's showing right now. It should be, but he too often loses his man on defense, putting teammates in bad spots. He picks up fouls too easily. He doesn't do a good enough job of consistently presenting himself when he's on the low blocks. He's got all kinds of potential as a low block scorer, and he's the best defender against a true low post scoring opponent, but someday he's going to need to put it together, and those somedays are sand grains dropping rapidly through an hour glass at this point.
Wangmene looks like he's earning more time to me. He's raw, but he's productive.
Gary Johnson is becoming the factor we thought he could be. Just relentless hustle on both ends of the floor, and an expanding repertoire on the offensive end with some power double drives.
Ward needs to slow it down some. He's playing anxious.
I still like the defense. I know Notre Dame was scorching hot, but Texas may not face a better shooting team all year. The problem was on the other end. Notre Dame sacrifices on the defensive end to put shooters on the floor. Texas wasn't able to punish them for that. Texas got plenty of favorable switches with Notre Dame's man to man, but weren't able to take advantage, not to mention just the favorable matches that were there each time down the court. That's the part of this UT team that needs to improve. Hopefully it will.
busterbrown16
1,000+ Posts
Abrams is not a "go to guy." He has difficulty creating his own shot. More of a catch and shoot guy.
busterbrown16
1,000+ Posts
Yeah, we definitely have different definitions. Abrams needs someone else to get him the ball in the right position in order to be effective. He is deadly if he is on and he gets the ball in the right place. I thought James would step up his game to be this guy this year, but that does not appear to be the case so far. Very poor shot selection by James. Definitely disappointing.
GemStateJim
2,500+ Posts
There are times when A.J. drives me nuts, but, honestly, who else is gonna step up and take those shots?
Too often, Atchley and Mason aren't aggressive enough. James probably shouldn't be jacking up long-range Js until he figures out how to pass the ball without turning it over. And his considerable hustle notwithstanding, we sure as hell don't want Johnson hoisting up another 3 as he did in the first half tonight.
A.J.'s only shots I'm not wild about are the ones he takes in transition when nobody else is set because his misses typically lead to fast-break opportunities for the opposition.
But that's A.J.; that's expected. What isn't is the performance of our other three veterans.
We need a helluva lot more than 7 points out of Atchley, we need Mason to realize his potential, and we need James to pull his head out. Only Mason will be around next year, so this is their time to shine. It's their team; they need to step up and lead.
NOTE: I'm not as displeased with tonight's performance as I probably sound. It was an entertaining effort versus a savvy opponent. I'm just disappointed with our veterans because they're better than what they've shown.
Too often, Atchley and Mason aren't aggressive enough. James probably shouldn't be jacking up long-range Js until he figures out how to pass the ball without turning it over. And his considerable hustle notwithstanding, we sure as hell don't want Johnson hoisting up another 3 as he did in the first half tonight.
A.J.'s only shots I'm not wild about are the ones he takes in transition when nobody else is set because his misses typically lead to fast-break opportunities for the opposition.
But that's A.J.; that's expected. What isn't is the performance of our other three veterans.
We need a helluva lot more than 7 points out of Atchley, we need Mason to realize his potential, and we need James to pull his head out. Only Mason will be around next year, so this is their time to shine. It's their team; they need to step up and lead.
NOTE: I'm not as displeased with tonight's performance as I probably sound. It was an entertaining effort versus a savvy opponent. I'm just disappointed with our veterans because they're better than what they've shown.
Although it happens every year, I'm not sure why there is so much hand wringing about the offense. Our offense always looks like crap early in the season. Rarely does a Rick Barnes team start to develop anything beyond a purely ugly offense until the Christmas break.
It's hardly worth worrying about at this point. If the offense doesn't turn around by mid-January, then you can start worrying/complaining.
And I would definitely call AJ a "go to guy." I don't care if he can create his own shot (actually, I do care, but that is a different issue), anyone who hits as many big threes at crucial times, especially at the end of games to get us back in them, is a go to guy.
It's hardly worth worrying about at this point. If the offense doesn't turn around by mid-January, then you can start worrying/complaining.
And I would definitely call AJ a "go to guy." I don't care if he can create his own shot (actually, I do care, but that is a different issue), anyone who hits as many big threes at crucial times, especially at the end of games to get us back in them, is a go to guy.
LazyEngineer
500+ Posts
I really thought the only player who played terrible tonight was D. James. That was just a pathetic display. He needs to be TAKING IT TO THE RACK!!!!!
Ward looked good to me in his limited minutes. His problem was the foul trouble. Same with Pittman. I think that gets worked out of them through the course of the year.
I'm not that impressed by Balbay. I would personally rather see Ward getting the minutes when we decide to go "small". I actually like the lineup of Ward at point, AJ at the 2, and Mason at the 3. Mason and Ward will both get all up in their opponent's jock defensively.
Come to think about it, Atchley had a pretty poor game as well. I expect a bit more out of him this year. He wasn't asserting himself. This team is lacking leadership - and Atchley may be the one to provide it. Either that or Mason.
Ward looked good to me in his limited minutes. His problem was the foul trouble. Same with Pittman. I think that gets worked out of them through the course of the year.
I'm not that impressed by Balbay. I would personally rather see Ward getting the minutes when we decide to go "small". I actually like the lineup of Ward at point, AJ at the 2, and Mason at the 3. Mason and Ward will both get all up in their opponent's jock defensively.
Come to think about it, Atchley had a pretty poor game as well. I expect a bit more out of him this year. He wasn't asserting himself. This team is lacking leadership - and Atchley may be the one to provide it. Either that or Mason.
In response to those criticizing AJ's shot selection, I was sitting 5 rows behind the UT bench today, and Barnes never once criticized it. In fact, at one point in the 1st half, he yelled at AJ for not shooting enough. Also, it was clear in the last few minutes of the game that Barnes was running plays to get AJ shots.
Having said that, we had a lot of success early inside, but seemed to go away from it after the 1st 15 minutes or so. I don't know if it was Pittman's foul trouble or something else, but we took a LOT more shots from the outside in the 2nd half.
All said, it's very early, and this team has tons of potential.
Having said that, we had a lot of success early inside, but seemed to go away from it after the 1st 15 minutes or so. I don't know if it was Pittman's foul trouble or something else, but we took a LOT more shots from the outside in the 2nd half.
All said, it's very early, and this team has tons of potential.
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