outlookdude
250+ Posts
Apologies in advance. This will get even more long-winded than usual. I’ll try to wrap of most of my end-of-season thoughts here.
If I had told you going in that Texas would take 18 more shots than WVU, have six more steals, seven fewer turnovers, and rebounds would be virtually even, all while AG had a double-double……well, at least I would have been pretty sure that was a win based on what I expected from WVU before the game.
The problem, of course, was that WVU shot 54.2% in the first half, including 50% of their 3-PT shots.
This last game did not frustrate me like some others have this season. Some previous losses were difficult to accept because Texas made too many mental mistakes, and turned the ball over too many times without any real defensive pressure. There were games in which open shots wouldn’t fall. I didn’t see much of that in the WVU game. For the most part I thought the players were working the game plan and making good decisions. Turnovers were limited and mostly forced by the defense. A lot of shots were missed, but they were pretty much all contested. To a large degree, and especially in the second half, I thought Texas did a good job of forcing WVU to a second or third option. Unfortunately WVU still knocked down some shots and the Texas rally fell short.
Texas is capable of beating WVU, and no one is satisfied with losing. But, WVU played a good game and looked stronger than a large number of teams that I saw with much better seeding. Congrats to them this time. We’ll just have to beat the hell out of them the next time around.
One final tip of the hat here to the seniors. I hope these young women don’t let the “We’re Texas” crowd keep them from recognizing what they accomplished in their careers. I know they all wanted to win more games. I know they didn’t want their season to be over. I know they are not satisfied. And, that is healthy. No one should ever be satisfied. But, all three made significant contributions to a D1 basketball program for four seasons. AT and Yvonne both scored over 1,000 points. AG was one of the best defensive posts in the history of the program, and set the all-time school record for blocked shots. They came into a program that was struggling and have had to fight and claw for everything they have achieved. They have been to the NCAA tournament four straight years without the benefit of automatic bids. Everyone would have preferred to win tournament games. But, the bid itself is an acknowledgment of their efforts and accomplishments. They have helped to construct a foundation that can be built upon. The personal expectations of athletes and (in particular) the expectations of Texas fans are always very, very high. But, there is a big difference between not reaching high expectations and failure. In no way have these seniors been a failure, and they should take pride in what they have accomplished. I have enjoyed watching them play, and will miss them in the future.
Even after all these years I’m still surprised at how closely sports mirror real life. Everyone grows up expecting to be the President, or a movie star, or something equally impressive and unlikely. Most of the time it doesn’t happen. That’s how life works. But, we don’t quit. It’s the being dissatisfied that drives us on. Of course the grass always looks greener over there. We are built to see it that way. If early man had been satisfied we would have never had fire or the wheel. It isn’t the accomplishment that is important nearly so much as it’s the quest to get there. The drive to never quit, and never be satisfied. That is the lesson in sports (at least one of them) and what I hope these seniors take with them. No one can take away what you accomplished, and no one can take away the lessons that you learned. Life in the “real world” is no different. Usually you want more and expect more of yourself than what happens. Other people both want more from you and will try to diminish your accomplishments. The trick to success is understanding that this is all normal and part of a healthy process. Hold your head up, be proud, and remember that when what you have done and accomplished is more important than what you haven’t, the game is over….and there is no fun in that.
In four years I never saw these seniors give up, no matter what obstacles were thrown at them. That tells me that they will do well for themselves going forward. They have been tested and know that they have the mental toughness to keep fighting.
So, where are we going forward?
In Chassidy we have one of the better shooting guards in the country. I have seen her continue to work to become a better and more complete player and have no reason to believe that she will stop. In the spirit of previous paragraphs, she strikes me as someone who is very dissatisfied, and will always want more, and to be better. She has scored over 1,000 points in two seasons. She is one of the best free throw shooters in the country. I expect her to put the energy and effort that allowed her to become great in some aspects of the game toward improving herself in the others, and ultimately become one of the best all-round players in the country.
I saw Cokie get better and better the entire season. In retrospect I think I probably expected too much from her this season. Coming off of a major surgery and a full season away from basketball I should have tempered those expectations a bit. However, I thought by the end of the season she was really starting to become the player I knew she could be. With a full off-season to build strength, and for conditioning, and to work on her game instead of rehabbing I look for her to be a star next season.
While everyone can play a part, I look for those two players as the ones who need to lead. They are the returning players with the most experience and success on the court. They need to take some ownership of the program and make their quest to accomplish more as a team next season. That starts with the offseason, which is probably the most important part of preparation.
Hopefully next season will bring a healthy return for Tiffany and Cassie. These are two huge pieces to the 2012-2013 team. If they are both healthy and have a strong off-season of preparation behind them Texas can have a very strong guard rotation. Chelsea will certainly also be a part of that rotation. But, Texas needs those top four to be available. Shanice, Brady, and a true freshman do not yet have the court experience to just assume they will be successful. Hopefully they have the drive to come in ready to compete for playing time. Hopefully they all make significant contributions. But we need Chassidy, Cassie, Tiffany, and Chelsea.
Cokie gives us a big body inside who has the ability to intimidate other teams. She just needs some time when she is healthy to work on her game. Nneka has shown the ability to become a very, very good basketball player. The biggest improvement is often between the freshman and sophomore seasons. She is my early guess for the player we will talk about next season as the most improved. I know we have a 6-7 recruit coming to Austin with a lot of high expectations. I hope she is an all-American as a freshman. But, I don’t think that is a realistic expectation. I expect her to play, and make contributions. I don’t think it is fair to someone who has never stepped on the court to think of them as some sort of star. Cokie and Nneka should be able to provide a strong inside game. I have seen some great flashes from Anne Marie, Ronisha, and Kayla. I still think they all can help this team and there should be some good competition for minutes. It’s sometimes hard to remember that Kayla is still the youngest player on the roster.
If the guards are healthy, and Empress is able to jump in and make a strong contribution one of the problems from the past season will be resolved. If Imani Stafford can come in and immediately add to the post rotation that could become a true strength. There is the possibility Texas could have a rotation of 10-11 players getting significant minutes. Of course, there are some ifs there, and we still need to catch a break with injuries. But there is the potential for a very athletic team, that can really run and jump, and play some intimidating defense.
Before people start yelling at me for being satisfied, a sunshine-pumper, and ignoring years of continual mediocrity (which of course will follow regardless) let me also say for the record….
I’m not satisfied. In fact I never will be. The day Texas WBB next wins a national championship will be the day that I start wanting two in a row. No matter how much I may wax philosophical the reality is that this is Texas and more than one-and-done in the NCAA tournament is expected. Players and coaches have to use this as a positive. If you are competitive, if you want to test yourself and see how much you can accomplish, you don’t want to be surrounded by people who are easily satisfied. (Which is different from acknowledging accomplishments.)
I thought going into this season that it would be important that Coach G prove something. I thought she would finally have a healthy, talented team of her own recruits, with plenty of depth and experience. It didn’t work out that way, with players dropping like flies before the season even started. You can hate talking about injuries as you evaluate the season if you want. But, there is simply no way to claim that injuries to the extent suffered by this team had no impact. There is simply no way to argue that injuries to that extent could have been completely overcome.
In the end all you can do is try to evaluate what was accomplished by this staff given the hand they were dealt. AG was a senior and generally pretty strong inside. Post was the place where the team actually had a little depth. But, the depth behind that one senior had very little playing experience. Cokie played as a freshman and then sat out a full season. Annie Marie was a sophomore. Kayla was a very young sophomore with even less playing experience. Nneka, and Ro were freshmen. At guard there were two seniors, plus two sophomores who played significant minutes as freshmen. But, after those four there was no one available. Cokie was not 100% and missed a few games. Chelsea missed significant time with injuries, leaving them with no guards on the bench. AM missed the NCAA tournament……make of those circumstances and the results what you will.
I don’t think you can ever say a season is “make-or-break.” I think you have to wait until it is over and then look back at what happened and try to come up with some fair evaluation. Clearly I think next season is important for this program. But, it is not necessarily make-or-break. There are too many questions yet to be answered, and too many surprises (hopefully some good) waiting.
Also for the record, I don’t care how much money the coach makes. The job is the job, and it pays what it pays. I’m not going to question one of the most financially successful college sports programs in the country over something that, in the grand scheme of things, is trivial. I’ll stick to watching the games. My expectation is that a coach making $5K will be held to the same standards as a coach making $5M. The job is the job, and the pay doesn’t matter to me.
Again, just to be on the record…….I know there are people on this board who think there should be a coaching change. I am not one of them. I have said before that I will support the program regardless of who is the coach. That is not going to change. But, I think a change now would be a mistake. I am not alone. There are a few like me who post on this board, many more who read this board without posting, and more still who have never heard of hornfans. We all understand that complainers make the most noise. It is the way of the world. I’m fine with that. I respect the opinions of others. I just wanted to be on record as quietly saying that while I have no special loyalty to Coach G, wouldn’t cry if she left, and would support the program regardless, I also feel better about the direction of the program now than I did at the start of the season and I think a change anytime soon would be a mistake.
Now, or in a few days anyway, is the time for the team to come together and focus on their goals for the next season. The issue that has plagued this team, whatever the cause, is consistency. Consistency is a habit. It is a function of how you run your life. Consistency starts, has to start, in the off-season. There is no time to relax and think that the next season is still eight months away. It is time to think that the next season is ONLY eight months away. Get ready to go after your goals. Not because “We’re Texas”, not for any Internet posters, not for the coaches, or your families. Do it for yourself. Do it for your teammates. Opportunities are waiting. Make the most of every one, starting now. Don’t let disappointed fans make you believe you deserve anything less.
Texas Fight!
If I had told you going in that Texas would take 18 more shots than WVU, have six more steals, seven fewer turnovers, and rebounds would be virtually even, all while AG had a double-double……well, at least I would have been pretty sure that was a win based on what I expected from WVU before the game.
The problem, of course, was that WVU shot 54.2% in the first half, including 50% of their 3-PT shots.
This last game did not frustrate me like some others have this season. Some previous losses were difficult to accept because Texas made too many mental mistakes, and turned the ball over too many times without any real defensive pressure. There were games in which open shots wouldn’t fall. I didn’t see much of that in the WVU game. For the most part I thought the players were working the game plan and making good decisions. Turnovers were limited and mostly forced by the defense. A lot of shots were missed, but they were pretty much all contested. To a large degree, and especially in the second half, I thought Texas did a good job of forcing WVU to a second or third option. Unfortunately WVU still knocked down some shots and the Texas rally fell short.
Texas is capable of beating WVU, and no one is satisfied with losing. But, WVU played a good game and looked stronger than a large number of teams that I saw with much better seeding. Congrats to them this time. We’ll just have to beat the hell out of them the next time around.
One final tip of the hat here to the seniors. I hope these young women don’t let the “We’re Texas” crowd keep them from recognizing what they accomplished in their careers. I know they all wanted to win more games. I know they didn’t want their season to be over. I know they are not satisfied. And, that is healthy. No one should ever be satisfied. But, all three made significant contributions to a D1 basketball program for four seasons. AT and Yvonne both scored over 1,000 points. AG was one of the best defensive posts in the history of the program, and set the all-time school record for blocked shots. They came into a program that was struggling and have had to fight and claw for everything they have achieved. They have been to the NCAA tournament four straight years without the benefit of automatic bids. Everyone would have preferred to win tournament games. But, the bid itself is an acknowledgment of their efforts and accomplishments. They have helped to construct a foundation that can be built upon. The personal expectations of athletes and (in particular) the expectations of Texas fans are always very, very high. But, there is a big difference between not reaching high expectations and failure. In no way have these seniors been a failure, and they should take pride in what they have accomplished. I have enjoyed watching them play, and will miss them in the future.
Even after all these years I’m still surprised at how closely sports mirror real life. Everyone grows up expecting to be the President, or a movie star, or something equally impressive and unlikely. Most of the time it doesn’t happen. That’s how life works. But, we don’t quit. It’s the being dissatisfied that drives us on. Of course the grass always looks greener over there. We are built to see it that way. If early man had been satisfied we would have never had fire or the wheel. It isn’t the accomplishment that is important nearly so much as it’s the quest to get there. The drive to never quit, and never be satisfied. That is the lesson in sports (at least one of them) and what I hope these seniors take with them. No one can take away what you accomplished, and no one can take away the lessons that you learned. Life in the “real world” is no different. Usually you want more and expect more of yourself than what happens. Other people both want more from you and will try to diminish your accomplishments. The trick to success is understanding that this is all normal and part of a healthy process. Hold your head up, be proud, and remember that when what you have done and accomplished is more important than what you haven’t, the game is over….and there is no fun in that.
In four years I never saw these seniors give up, no matter what obstacles were thrown at them. That tells me that they will do well for themselves going forward. They have been tested and know that they have the mental toughness to keep fighting.
So, where are we going forward?
In Chassidy we have one of the better shooting guards in the country. I have seen her continue to work to become a better and more complete player and have no reason to believe that she will stop. In the spirit of previous paragraphs, she strikes me as someone who is very dissatisfied, and will always want more, and to be better. She has scored over 1,000 points in two seasons. She is one of the best free throw shooters in the country. I expect her to put the energy and effort that allowed her to become great in some aspects of the game toward improving herself in the others, and ultimately become one of the best all-round players in the country.
I saw Cokie get better and better the entire season. In retrospect I think I probably expected too much from her this season. Coming off of a major surgery and a full season away from basketball I should have tempered those expectations a bit. However, I thought by the end of the season she was really starting to become the player I knew she could be. With a full off-season to build strength, and for conditioning, and to work on her game instead of rehabbing I look for her to be a star next season.
While everyone can play a part, I look for those two players as the ones who need to lead. They are the returning players with the most experience and success on the court. They need to take some ownership of the program and make their quest to accomplish more as a team next season. That starts with the offseason, which is probably the most important part of preparation.
Hopefully next season will bring a healthy return for Tiffany and Cassie. These are two huge pieces to the 2012-2013 team. If they are both healthy and have a strong off-season of preparation behind them Texas can have a very strong guard rotation. Chelsea will certainly also be a part of that rotation. But, Texas needs those top four to be available. Shanice, Brady, and a true freshman do not yet have the court experience to just assume they will be successful. Hopefully they have the drive to come in ready to compete for playing time. Hopefully they all make significant contributions. But we need Chassidy, Cassie, Tiffany, and Chelsea.
Cokie gives us a big body inside who has the ability to intimidate other teams. She just needs some time when she is healthy to work on her game. Nneka has shown the ability to become a very, very good basketball player. The biggest improvement is often between the freshman and sophomore seasons. She is my early guess for the player we will talk about next season as the most improved. I know we have a 6-7 recruit coming to Austin with a lot of high expectations. I hope she is an all-American as a freshman. But, I don’t think that is a realistic expectation. I expect her to play, and make contributions. I don’t think it is fair to someone who has never stepped on the court to think of them as some sort of star. Cokie and Nneka should be able to provide a strong inside game. I have seen some great flashes from Anne Marie, Ronisha, and Kayla. I still think they all can help this team and there should be some good competition for minutes. It’s sometimes hard to remember that Kayla is still the youngest player on the roster.
If the guards are healthy, and Empress is able to jump in and make a strong contribution one of the problems from the past season will be resolved. If Imani Stafford can come in and immediately add to the post rotation that could become a true strength. There is the possibility Texas could have a rotation of 10-11 players getting significant minutes. Of course, there are some ifs there, and we still need to catch a break with injuries. But there is the potential for a very athletic team, that can really run and jump, and play some intimidating defense.
Before people start yelling at me for being satisfied, a sunshine-pumper, and ignoring years of continual mediocrity (which of course will follow regardless) let me also say for the record….
I’m not satisfied. In fact I never will be. The day Texas WBB next wins a national championship will be the day that I start wanting two in a row. No matter how much I may wax philosophical the reality is that this is Texas and more than one-and-done in the NCAA tournament is expected. Players and coaches have to use this as a positive. If you are competitive, if you want to test yourself and see how much you can accomplish, you don’t want to be surrounded by people who are easily satisfied. (Which is different from acknowledging accomplishments.)
I thought going into this season that it would be important that Coach G prove something. I thought she would finally have a healthy, talented team of her own recruits, with plenty of depth and experience. It didn’t work out that way, with players dropping like flies before the season even started. You can hate talking about injuries as you evaluate the season if you want. But, there is simply no way to claim that injuries to the extent suffered by this team had no impact. There is simply no way to argue that injuries to that extent could have been completely overcome.
In the end all you can do is try to evaluate what was accomplished by this staff given the hand they were dealt. AG was a senior and generally pretty strong inside. Post was the place where the team actually had a little depth. But, the depth behind that one senior had very little playing experience. Cokie played as a freshman and then sat out a full season. Annie Marie was a sophomore. Kayla was a very young sophomore with even less playing experience. Nneka, and Ro were freshmen. At guard there were two seniors, plus two sophomores who played significant minutes as freshmen. But, after those four there was no one available. Cokie was not 100% and missed a few games. Chelsea missed significant time with injuries, leaving them with no guards on the bench. AM missed the NCAA tournament……make of those circumstances and the results what you will.
I don’t think you can ever say a season is “make-or-break.” I think you have to wait until it is over and then look back at what happened and try to come up with some fair evaluation. Clearly I think next season is important for this program. But, it is not necessarily make-or-break. There are too many questions yet to be answered, and too many surprises (hopefully some good) waiting.
Also for the record, I don’t care how much money the coach makes. The job is the job, and it pays what it pays. I’m not going to question one of the most financially successful college sports programs in the country over something that, in the grand scheme of things, is trivial. I’ll stick to watching the games. My expectation is that a coach making $5K will be held to the same standards as a coach making $5M. The job is the job, and the pay doesn’t matter to me.
Again, just to be on the record…….I know there are people on this board who think there should be a coaching change. I am not one of them. I have said before that I will support the program regardless of who is the coach. That is not going to change. But, I think a change now would be a mistake. I am not alone. There are a few like me who post on this board, many more who read this board without posting, and more still who have never heard of hornfans. We all understand that complainers make the most noise. It is the way of the world. I’m fine with that. I respect the opinions of others. I just wanted to be on record as quietly saying that while I have no special loyalty to Coach G, wouldn’t cry if she left, and would support the program regardless, I also feel better about the direction of the program now than I did at the start of the season and I think a change anytime soon would be a mistake.
Now, or in a few days anyway, is the time for the team to come together and focus on their goals for the next season. The issue that has plagued this team, whatever the cause, is consistency. Consistency is a habit. It is a function of how you run your life. Consistency starts, has to start, in the off-season. There is no time to relax and think that the next season is still eight months away. It is time to think that the next season is ONLY eight months away. Get ready to go after your goals. Not because “We’re Texas”, not for any Internet posters, not for the coaches, or your families. Do it for yourself. Do it for your teammates. Opportunities are waiting. Make the most of every one, starting now. Don’t let disappointed fans make you believe you deserve anything less.
Texas Fight!
