Texas WBB 2024-2025 Season

Caution. Don’t go to ESPNW and look at WBB schedules for week of November 4-9. Several have commented on Horns late start of November 10. Until I actually saw how many games for other teams were scheduled on November 4…..and every night that week, I dismissed it. However, it does seem EVERYONE has played one or perhaps two games that week. Guess we’ll make it up, but being starved for a look at team it sure makes me sad.
 
After I posted that tweet by Danny Davis, I am even more upset because:

- the first date of team practice is determined based on the date of a team's first game; because we are starting 6 days later than most teams, we were not allowed to start team practice until 6 days later than most teams. Does it all balance out in the end? I'm not sure it does because the team we play on November 10 will already have played at least one game, and started their team practices earlier than our team.

- South Carolina played an exhibition at Memphis on October 15; it was streamed by ESPN+; and, there were fans in attendance; they played a second exhibition on October 28

- Texas played an exhibition/scrimmage against USC in Fort Worth on Sunday, October 20 and everything was kept secretive.

- Our first exhibition where fans can attend is October 31

Maybe I am just misunderstanding the timeline. It just seems we are very late to the party with everything.
 
After I posted that tweet by Danny Davis, I am even more upset because:

- the first date of team practice is determined based on the date of a team's first game; because we are starting 6 days later than most teams, we were not allowed to start team practice until 6 days later than most teams. Does it all balance out in the end? I'm not sure it does because the team we play on November 10 will already have played at least one game, and started their team practices earlier than our team.

- South Carolina played an exhibition at Memphis on October 15; it was streamed by ESPN+; and, there were fans in attendance; they played a second exhibition on October 28

- Texas played an exhibition/scrimmage against USC in Fort Worth on Sunday, October 20 and everything was kept secretive.

- Our first exhibition where fans can attend is October 31

Maybe I am just misunderstanding the timeline. It just seems we are very late to the party with everything.
Agreed... a little late to the party. It's kind of irritating for me.
 
Agreed... a little late to the party. It's kind of irritating for me.
It's only irritating to me because of an additional week's wait for Longhorn basketball. However, I don't think getting started a week late against the likes of Southeast Missouri is going to be detrimental. By the time UT plays the likes of Norte Dame, I think it will be better primed.
 
By the time we play our first game on November 10, several Top 25 teams will already have played their third game of the season.

When Vic mentioned a few weeks ago that one team refused to play Texas to open the season, and that team had early open dates, I was curious who he was talking about. I think that team was Baylor. Their fist game is not until Thursday, November 7, and it is against Incarnate Word. No reason why Texas and Baylor couldn't have played a game against each other on November 4th.
 
By the time we play our first game on November 10, several Top 25 teams will already have played their third game of the season.

When Vic mentioned a few weeks ago that one team refused to play Texas to open the season, and that team had early open dates, I was curious who he was talking about. I think that team was Baylor. Their fist game is not until Thursday, November 7, and it is against Incarnate Word. No reason why Texas and Baylor couldn't have played a game against each other on November 4th.
'Cause bailor's skeart.
 
Anyone here go to the scrimmage against UT-Tyler? I went to the first half and have mental notes, but if someone went to the whole game, I'll defer my recollections to them.
 
So, no one here to write up the game? First, it was sparse.

This was 2 minutes before tip-off
IMG_3398.jpeg
 
Starting 5 and short notes about them:

[I left after the first half, so no information about the second half]

Taylor Jones: Seemed to be all around the hoop. If there was a missed layup on either team, she seemed to be the other side of the rim for the rebound. And, with an offensive rebound, she did not dribble the ball first before putting it back in the hoop. When she was passed the ball under the hoop, and she brought the ball up through a sea of arms, she didn't have it taken out of her hands or knocked away like in the past. Basically, this was the best Taylor I've seen.

A-Mo: Not missed a step. Didn't get used too heavily after the first quarter. She was aggressively going to the basket and rebounded on both ends. I think Vic pulled her to not put too much stress on the knees and it was only an exhibition, after all.

Rori: Played well, but not to the high extreme of offensive and defense aggression we're used to. On a scale of 1-10, she played at the 6-7 range. I'm sure Vic doesn't want to lose her to an injury and didn't stress her too much. However, with the game neck and neck in the first 5 minutes, what broke it up was Rori successfully pulling up and shooting jumpers from the key.

Maddie: Played okay. It seemed she was so excited about playing someone other than her teammates that she was just a bit too aggressive on some shot selections and missed. She was hustling on defense, but it's not yet back to last year's form. But again, this was an exhibition game and not one against South Carolina or LSU, so not being at 10 isn't a criticism.

Lila Phelia: Now, this one was interesting. The first thing I thought was, "What skillz do you have that makes you more qualified than Shay Holle to be on the first team?" The funny thing is she wears these sports glasses that don't make her look dorky, but make her look....a bit dorky. The second thing I thought was, "Oh, she must be a tough baller. She's not wearing contacts because she's used to 'mixing it up' and needs to wear glasses. She was very aggressive back on defense. And when I was thinking, "Oh, she must be a defensive guard, which is why Vic took her" she was on her way to scoring her 4th point, only following Taylor's lead. I hate to say it, and maybe I shouldn't but....she could be shadow? The ghost? The fraternal twin of.......Celeste Taylor?
 
Second Team:

Jak: I remembered watching the first few minutes of her play and thinking, "Wow, she's reached her full potential" and in a good way, not sarcastically. She blocked two shots, she moved around with confidence and more importantly she passed and caught balls without fumbling. She's going to be a great sub during the season.

Kyla Oldacre: Interesting player. She's got the wide-shoulder body type of Khadi Faye, but slightly shorter. I type that, and then I happen to look at their heights. Khadi was 6'4" and Kyla is 6'6"? Whaaa? Anyway, she runs faster than Khadi and was more sure-handed mixed up with tangled arms underneath the goal. A good player to spell Taylor or A-Mo.

Jordan Lee & Justice Carlton: I group these two together because to be honest, I didn't see anything outstanding in the first half where I went, "Oh, I see!"

Bryanna Preston: BUT, I did see something with this gal. The moment she went in, she was handling point and she glided-ran effortlessly down the court. I went, "Wow! That must be the PG Vic was raving about" She is definitely a freshman, but she exuded confidence and she was fast. Body type and speed: Think Lashann Higgs + 20 lbs.

Shay Holle: Good ol' Shay. She was the leader of the pack yelling out assignments and pointing to who to cover on defense. Missed a few 3's, but early days.

In the first half: Graves, Boutilier, and Codio did not play.
 
Now THAT’S what we needed. From Racer. Appreciate taking time to provide your observations from scrimmage. I’ll be watching November 10…..critiquing your critique. Regarding Oldacre, the 6’-6” height has always been an exaggeration….but most players add 1-2” anyway. I’m encouraged that she might be serviceable as her previous experience left me underwhelmed. Interested in all but really Preston. Thanks again.
 
Although I don't disagree with anything in the posts above about our performance vs UTT, we have to remember this was UTT.

A better comparison was our play vs the men in the Orange/White scrimmage. The male practice squad is the equivalent of a Top 25 women's team. If they actually practiced together with a dedicated coaching staff they would be the equivalent of a Final Four women's team. Taller, quicker, with better basketball skills than UTT, although the UTT roster is a scrappy bunch that should do well in their conference.

I share the excitement about Bryanna. When we look back at it from the perspective of an entire season, I predict most will agree that Bryanna was the most impactful newcomer, including the transfers.

This is not something anyone could have envisioned, with the possible exception of the staff that recruited her.

Bryanna reminds me of the expression "speed kills." Frankly, our roster needs more of that to advance to the Final Four.
 
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