Basketball Articles
2008 Texas Basketball Preview
Posted by Trips Right on November 5th, 2008 under Basketball
It’s that time again. The weather is changing, leaves are turning, and I’m only running my A/C during the day. Yep, it’s almost basketball season, and the 2008 Texas hoops squad is already mixing it up with some of the country’s elite programs with a scrimmage vs. Davidson earlier this week and an upcoming unofficial tussle with Gonzaga this weekend. Hopefully the coaches are getting some answers to the questions we’ll be discussing in this article.
After a pleasantly surprising 2007 season that ended with an Elite 8 loss to an NBA developmental team, this version of Texas roundball will have to figure out how to answer the bell after losing a superstar to the NBA. While the situation may be similar, the void that Kevin Durant created is entirely different than the void DJ Augustin leaves. I would even argue that DJ Augustin’s void will be more difficult to fill, but I’d also say the 2008 Texas team has more material and options to fill it with than last year’s group. The problem with the material is that it’s raw, inexperienced, and in some instances playing out of position. But we’ll get to that. On to the players.
Todd Wright is damn good with any material.
The Ones, Lead Guards, Point Guard by committee, etc….
Justin Mason. Early on, this team will go as Justin Mason goes. Until Dogus Balbay or Varez Ward grow up enough, the lead guard duties will be handed over to the third year starter, jack of all trades, hybrid guard. Unfortunately, Justin will find the ball handling duties much more difficult than his experience with the rock last year. During last year’s campaign, ball handling was a bit easier. With Augustin and Abrams on the floor, Justin would draw the opposition’s third best perimeter defender which was usually a slower wing forward. Mason’s ability to penetrate also benefitted from perimeter oriented personnel that could draw four’s and fives away from the bucket with Atchley and James roaming the arc. Well Yesterday’s Gone, Yesterday’s Gone. JM better be legit with the rock this year. And word on the street is that his ballhandling is much improved. The good news is that we heard the same perimeter improvement whispers about Damion James last year and those prognostications ended up being true.
Backup PG? I don’t know. It may be Dogus Balbay it may be Varez Ward. Balbay is most suited to play the 1, but it sounds like either his skills have been exagerrated or Varez Ward and Justin Mason are just War Daddies defensively because they’ve given him fits in practice. I’m guessing it’s a little bit of both. Perhaps it’s health as well.
They also say AJ Abrams is a candidate here, but I’m not buying. AJ has been as big as he is all his life. It’s not like he just discovered he was 5′11″. He’s had plenty of time to become a competent ball handler and it hasn’t happened. I doubt the light comes on in one summer. Which leads us to Varez Ward. He’s an intriguing athlete that will get all up in your shit defensively like a Freddie Williams or Ivan Wagner. With his raw skills however, you need a dynamic 2, 3, and 4 on the floor to pick up the offensive slack. I’m talking a 2 and a 3 that can handle and shoot it, and a 4 that’s a competent enough shooter that makes it punitive for zones. Texas, luckily, has that.
Conference Championship contender if…
Balbay can become the bonafide point guard he was touted to be. Keeping Mason off the ball where he’s able to stuff stat sheets and terrorize defensively is ideal for this team. Dogus taking the reins also means Texas would have another good passer on the floor to exploit mismatches the Horns should enjoy on the low block. It would also help if Ward was a capable backup to spell the Turk.
Bubble Team Blues if…
Barnes can’t find a legitimate option to run the show. If it’s point guard by committee and Texas has to resort to hodge podge of Mason, Balbay, and Ward, not only will the perimeter game suffer, but the bludgeoning affect that Texas’ bigs can have on opposing squads will suffer as well. A lack of reliable point guard play will also undermine Texas’ ability on the defensive end by giving up easy baskets off turnovers. Texas should be able to really guard people with this bunch, and unsteady guard play leading to runouts mitigates that advantage.
An intriguing option Barnes has if he can’t find his PG in a timely fashion will be deploying Mason and Abrams in the backcourt and having Damion James be his point forward. It would be a win/win for the program and the player. James should draw weaker perimeter defenders and also showcase his ball handling skills for the League.
Mase needs better ball handling. Yesterday’s gone.
The Two’s, Shooting Guards, Off Guards, etc.
AJ Abrams. returns his sharp shooting and newfound shot selection patience to the Texas attack after testing the NBA waters. AJ had a couple heat check type stinkers last year, but for the most part the senior guard was good about finding shots in rhythm and within the confines of the offense. I’m anxious to see if the rumors about his newfound handles are true, but as I typed before, I’m skeptical. It’s not like he’s been playing with his back to the basket for the last 10 years and the light just came on this summer. Speaking of size, it’s still a monumental problem for AJ, especially on the defensive end. He’ll also find the going much tougher now that DJ Augustin has taken his long range shooting and penetration threat to the NBA. AJ won’t get near as many help and recover looks as he got last year. Pray he can stay patient.
Varez Ward. If Texas can get the PG thing solved, Varez could be a valuable stopper against scoring 2’s and small 3’s. His athleticism and toughness are said to be off the charts. Offensively he’s limited, so you better have some shooters on the floor, or plan on running people out of their zone.
Conference Champ if…Abrams is more guard than gunslinger. Just like last year. He’ll need to be more dynamic offensively with penetration and passing. Otherwise, give me Mason at the two, and bring in AJ for deep heat off the bench.
Bubble team blues if…this position stays specialized in just shooting the rock. Without a bonafide point guard, the two will have to penetrate, pass, and help out getting the Horns into their stuff offensively.
The Threes, Small Forwards, Wing, Shooting Forwards, etc…
Damion James. He’s it. He’s the fulcrum. The catalyst. The glue. Insert your favorite sports cliche here. He has to be the do it all hero for this team to go where it wants to go. I want to see him handle and shoot it against mismatched forwards. Triple threat, shot fake, one dribble and rock the rim. Against smaller forwards, he needs to be the athletic glass cleaner on the boards. Keep him out of the paint and let him distribute to our talented bigs when he draws too much attention. He’s got to be dynamic and with an all around game. He’s in a contract year so I expect he will be.
Gary Johnson. I’d love to see him use his 15 foot-in game in the high post matched up with Chapman and Pittman on the low block. With James roaming the baseline, backside help wouldn’t be feasible and downright non-existent. I’m hoping Gary has worked on entering the basketball from the high post. His midrange game and quickness make him an ideal elbow player. Defensively, he’ll be a versatile stopper on big wings, and then flip the court and expose them in the high post.
Huck, which one’s Damion?
Conference Champ if…James moves one more rung up the ladder and becomes a super star in the mold of KD or DJ.
Bubble team blues…If James hasn’t found a legit handle and stays a hybrid 3/4. He needs to pick up DJ’s slack.
The Bigs…
Connor Atchley. This versatile 6′10″ F/C has the unique skillset in that he’s a hellacious interior defender but still has the shooting touch to pull interior defenders away from the basket offensively. This isn’t a novelty 3 point shooting big man like Brad Lohaus. Connor is actually one of the best defensive big men in the college game. It’s like having a true dual threat QB. And Atchley, believe it or not, will be this team’s best deterrent against zone. His ability to shoot it allows Texas to play Balbay or Ward and keep 3 legit deep threats on the floor. Outside of James, he’s probably the most indispensable player the Horns have.
Alexis Wangmene. Another big that gives the Horns some options off the bench for matchups defensively. Alexis also showed some offensive flashes in the tournament, showing nice touch around the rim. With athletic ability that’s off the charts, sky’s the limit for him. Alexis will be invaluable guarding athletic big forwards like Blake Griffin.
Dexter Pittman. If you’re familiar with last year’s write ups, you know I’ve been pimpin’ Big Dex’s superstar potential. Watching Kendrick Perkins develop over the last year leaves no doubt in my mind that Dex can be dominant at not only this level of basketball, but at the pro game as well. He’s got superior size to Kendrick, better feet, and softer hands. If Dex can continue to mold his body, he’ll be a better player than Kendrick. Point blank. In fact, I’ll call my shot. Pittman will be first team all conference if he averages over 20 minutes per game this year.
The Truth.
Clint Chapman. He’s probably the team’s best pure low block player in terms of total package. Clint has size, athletic ability, feet, and skill around the basket. He combines a variety of low post moves with a decent mid range game, and is certainly the most dynamic offensive player Texas has in the paint. If he’s gotten stronger, and you know he has with Todd Wright, he’s going to be stud. People underrate his ability to run the floor, and I think you’ll see him in the game when Texas decides to try to beat teams down the floor.
Conference Champ if…Connor Atchley continues to be a consistent threat from beyond the arc. If Pittman turns his 2007 flashes of dominance into night in and night out consistency. And if Chapman and Wangmene continue to improve.
Look for Barnes to mix and match Pittman, Chapman, and Wangmene’s 5 to Atchley’s and Johnson’s 4. Pittman is the hammer. Chapman/Wangmene the quickness mismatches.
Bubble team blues if…If Texas’ inability to handle pressure causes Barnes to use more 3 guard to compensate, which means sliding James to the 4 and Atchley to the 5. The 3 headed monster of Chapman, Pittman, and Wangmene need minutes to do what they do in order for this team to be its most effective.
Overall
This will be a fun team to watch as long as Longhorn fans can be patient for the development of the guard situation.
Much like last year this team can be a flexible one, with disparate lineups based on matchups. We could see athletes galore with a Mason, Ward, James, Johnson, Wangmene/Chapman lineup, that can get out and pressure teams defensively in an effort to outrun zones ala Vegas in the early 90’s. Or we might see a methodical half court hammer personnel group of Mason, Abrams, James, Atchley, and Pittman with a 4 out 1 in look, to spread out defenses and pound down low. The key is finding someone, if even a committee, to run the show. Like last year…it’ll be fun.
Here’s to a great season.
Thoughts.
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Hiphopopotamus wrote a new blog post: Midwest Region 1 minute ago
We’re the one seed of one seeds. At least in title. You can see my initial thoughts here, and they have been accompanied by some good comments below. Having now taken some time to digest – and also learn that the committee takes georgraphy into account prior to their own S-curve – I’ve
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Nate Heupel commented on the blog post As if we didn’t already like Traylon Shead enough… 4 minutes ago
Rick Perry is secretly thinking “Laugh now, shithead. I’m already making arrangements for you to be convicted of a crime you didn’t commit.”
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Texoz commented on the blog post A Wake Before The Funeral 10 minutes ago
Hey Damion, you also lost the Turkish Prison. No smack down defense for you now.
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BigBoss commented on the blog post Want to plant my feet on Rampart Street… 11 minutes ago
I agreed this is a great draw for us. Notre Dame, from what I can tell is a solid well coached squad and we will have a hard time beating them. Our fans, for the most part, are overlooking them because they were somewhat on the bubble, but look what they did in
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James commented on the blog post NFL Draft: A Mockery 1 hour, 50 minutes ago
Re: Claussen
Phil Rivers is a huge dickbag and he’s doing ok.
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whiskey commented on the blog post NFL Draft: A Mockery 2 hours, 52 minutes ago
Patrick, from a personality standpoint Clausen isn’t exactly likeable. I think the perception of him having leadership or other intangible issues is really tied to the fact that many people just don’t like the kid. The same discussion went on to some degree amongst the ND fan base his 1st two seasons.
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Nickel Rover wrote a new blog post: If we can stop Tim Duncan… 7 hours, 5 minutes ago
Basketball:
So Scipio did a great job on introducing us to our ACC counterpart and robbing me of an easy morning column. A great read though, it sounds like they are in Texas’ wheelhouse since it isn’t at Wake. You can see the whole bracket here.
Obviously Kentucky is the 2nd opponent and I don’t think there’s
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Sean commented on the blog post NFL Draft: A Mockery 7 hours, 25 minutes ago
Wait…. Taylor Mays is Jewish?
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Sailor Ripley commented on the blog post Want to plant my feet on Rampart Street… 7 hours, 59 minutes ago
but the pollsters have been far slower to hop on board.
Lazy humans and no brand to fall back on. I don’t think Duke is the third best team by any stretch but what are you going to do.
Tell your guys not to screw up my bracket.
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admin commented on the blog post Want to plant my feet on Rampart Street… 7 hours, 59 minutes ago
…but the pollsters have been far slower to hop on board.
Lazy humans and no brand to fall back on. I don’t think Duke is the third best team by any stretch but what are you going to do.
Tell your guys not to screw up my bracket.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });
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admin commented on the blog post Want to plant my feet on Rampart Street… 7 hours, 59 minutes ago
…but the pollsters have been far slower to hop on board.
Lazy humans and no brand recognition to fall back on. I don’t think Duke is the third best team by any stretch but what are you going to do.
Tell your guys not to screw up my bracket.
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Sailor Ripley commented on the blog post Castille Day 8 hours, 27 minutes ago
Weird. At least he didn’t steal any laptops or TVs. Or did he?
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Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post NFL Draft: A Mockery 8 hours, 42 minutes ago
Good catch, Primetime. I’m fairly certain he just confused Rolle with DRC. Or maybe he confused Antonio Cromartie with DRC.
Whiskey,
I realize your a ND fan, but what makes you so confident in Claussen? He had a very good season, but what about his leadership skills or lack thereof?
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Sailor Ripley commented on the blog post A Wake Before The Funeral 8 hours, 58 minutes ago
Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. I’d like us to get the win. I think.
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ursa major wrote a new blog post: Want to plant my feet on Rampart Street… 9 hours, 5 minutes ago
3 seed? New Orleans… to Houston?
As Dr. John so eloquently put it, we are going on down to New Orleans. (Yes, I realize that the song is going home to New Orleans…I don’t care.)
I was pretty nervous before the draw today. We’ve been undersold for about a month. The computers have had us in the
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whiskey commented on the blog post The week in news- Bowl Bust, Anti Piracy and Barnstorming FedEx 9 hours, 10 minutes ago
The Cotton Bowl is a really cool venue. It was a bummer watching them play that game at Jerry’s house this year. I hope the new game comes to fruition. Nice counter on Bosworth. I never personally cared for “The Boz” persona but in retrospect I’ll say that was really pretty
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Sailor Ripley commented on the blog post Evan Turner is the Best Player in the Country 9 hours, 17 minutes ago
Definitely taking him in my player draft. Awesome. Need to study the brackets a bit more but Lighty also impressed me today.
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Sean commented on the blog post NFL Draft: A Mockery 9 hours, 34 minutes ago
Rodgers-Cromartie is still on the Cardinals. He didn’t leave.
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Scipio Tex wrote a new blog post: A Wake Before The Funeral 9 hours, 38 minutes ago
What happens when a stoppable force meets a movable object?
We’ll find out on March 18th. Meet Wake Forest.
This game will be watching drunks trying to brawl. Neither belligerent will land a punch, and it will be viewed by both fanbases with equal measures of horror, embarassment, and amusement.
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skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post Texas Basketball is Dangerous 9 hours, 47 minutes ago
Some one sent this quote from the Dallas Mornong News to me.
“I’ve had teams in the past that were just where we are right now mentally. And we got it turned around. I had a team in the exact same situation, and we ended up going to the Sweet 16 and ended up losing -
I.M. Hipp commented on the blog post Castille Day 10 hours, 9 minutes ago
He really screwed himself. We probably would have won two more games with him. He was more worried about the “devil’s lettuce” than developing into a solid back. Pathetic.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post React-to-Ology: Early Look at the Madness 10 hours, 28 minutes ago
dick, thanks for the heads up on the east bracket. In my haste to get the post up I had a brain cramp on the bracket.
As for KU, when you compare their bracket to Syracuse you have to scratch your head. Even Self mentioned as much.
Scooby, you’re probably right about the 8/9.
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skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post Texas Basketball is Dangerous 10 hours, 36 minutes ago
I have been thinking that the team quit on Barnes some time during the last 14-15 games.
My brother in Michigan thought the the team fell apart after the 11-12th game of the season I think that it was atm @CC game.
I wonder if Barnes has health issues, he just looks bad on TV and -
dick commented on the blog post NCAA Basketball Tournament Lines 10 hours, 45 minutes ago
Marquette line really surprises me. I like Washington and normally I would be impressed with a conference tourney winner but that falls under the Pac 10 sucks rule to me. I would have liked to see Washington lined up against a different 6 seed.
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Farmer Ted commented on the blog post Quick Bracket Thoughts 10 hours, 46 minutes ago
Call me crazy but I would prefer to face OSU over any of the other three 2 seeds. They basically lost to Michigan (who truly sucks) on Friday, played Illinois even yesterday and beat an exhausted Minnesota team today. They aren’t exactly on fire. As for the other #2’s, I have no interest in playing
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Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Basketball is Dangerous 10 hours, 55 minutes ago
sky, it’s pretty crazy really. Barnes sounds like he’s mailing it in at this point.
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whiskey commented on the blog post NFL Draft: A Mockery 10 hours, 56 minutes ago
Good discussion. The perception of Clausen is interesting. He might surprise you. Tate is a player that will contribute wherever he ends up. He’s serious.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post Early NCAA Tournament Bets 10 hours, 59 minutes ago
Utah State can really shoot it. They’re the top 3 point shooting team in America. But they struggle against quicker athletes and can be banged inside. the big 12 isn’t getting a lot of credit so the line is short, imo
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skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post Texas Basketball is Dangerous 11 hours ago
Is it just me or is Damo sounding a lot like Ricky?
Are they just providing some giggles for the rest of the teams? Or do they think this shit will fly even with the blue hairs ?
Will rick ever live down the quotes that will be recorded in Scipio vast mental vaults -
Trips Right commented on the blog post NCAA Basketball Tournament Lines 11 hours, 9 minutes ago
I posted my picks, but as you stated Richmond looks like easy money.
I think Purdue is a shell and Siena is experienced, athletic and talented. Saints roll.
I’m fading Gonzaga and St Mary’s. Zero athletes on those clubs.
I”m also fading Michigan State with NMSU. They’ll be able to get shots against
Scipio Tex said:
November 5th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Awesome write up. The overlap of football and basketball is my favorite time of the sporting year.
A frontline of Damion James, Atchley and Pittman should be illegal on the boards.
Matt Hill?
Like you, I would love to see a more traditional big line-up. I think Damion James’ minutes at 3 will be more dependent on his defense more than anything.
Why doesn’t anyone full court pressure in college basketball anymore? We can play a legit 11. And we don’t have a true point, soooo…..
ATXHornsFan said:
November 5th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Great write up Trips, good analysis. This team really has the potential to do some special things, but they are going to have to gel quick and then the keys have to turn as you have laid them out. I am looking forward to a fun year with the Horns and hopefully a run in March. Hook Em.
absolut said:
November 5th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Full court pressure still works for the women at Canyon High
Vangeestdabeast said:
November 5th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I just love watching Gary Johnson spaz out every time he defends someone. Frankly I’m not sure how anyone keeps a straight face when he’s on the court.
Callkevin said:
November 5th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Enjoyed the write-up. No love for Hill or Harrison, huh? I hear you.
RansomStoddard said:
November 5th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
This may be the most fun Barnes has had in awhile. He can mix and match and play chess until the other team gets dizzy. Put me down for another Elite 8 prediction.
TG said:
November 5th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Like the versality of this team. Including Matt Hill, seems we finally have experienced bigs Barnes has been missing forever.
Nice use of Shooter.
dick said:
November 5th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Greatness. What do you think our defensive philosophy will emphasize? More man to man pressure due to having more depth finally? This team reminds me of the team that bludgeoned (to steal your word) the UNC team in the 2nd round. Just missing a PG then too (TJ would have been a Jr on that team). Whoa the similarities were more than I thought
Kafka said:
November 5th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
It is hard to believe that Mason has improved so much with his ball handling that he will be able to deal with the pressure of an excellent small, fast defender. Sure hope that is the case. Hope he can hit the wide open three reliably.
Damion as the point forward? He wasn’t that good at ball handling last year (nowhere close to being good enough to be the main ball handler). I hope he has improved a whole bunch in his ball handling. If so that would be an amazing solution to the problem of point guard. I expect a huge year out of Damion.
Connor is a great help defender but not as great as an on ball defender. There is no way he could defend somebody like Blake Griffin (just not strong enough) inside. I did see one NBA draft projection that lists him as a first round guy. Could that happen? Biggest problem for Connor is confidence. If he will have faith in himself and keep shooting, it will be huge for the horns.
I’m a huge fan of Dex and his hands (maybe the best hands in the world) but I read where Barnes thinks that Dex will only play in 4 minute stretches this year. That could still add up to 24 minutes (or more) in a game. Damion and Connor are both saying great things about Dex’s performance this year.
I agree with Scipio: play everybody and fast break and press.
Biggest challenge: running an offense without a dominating point guard. Barnes’ weak point as a coach is offensive scheming. This year is really going to be a challenge for him.
I agree that Barnes should be able to mix and match with great flexibility to create mismatches when possible and match up when necessary.
Orbeq said:
November 6th, 2008 at 4:28 am
Banes has said that Hill is good enough to be in the rotation. So, I think you have to assume that he will get as many minutes as Chapman and Wangmene.
Bartoncreek said:
November 6th, 2008 at 5:53 am
Two guard or three guard? That is the question. The only chance we have at being a legit Elite 8 and beyond team is if we play a two guard lineup.
It will take some growing pains and we might really struggle at times, but if we get frustrated with the ballhandling and move Mason to the 3 and DJ to the 4, we are screwed. We just have to make some combination of AJ, Mason, Balbay and Ward work at the 1-2.
As you know, Trips, I am a big believer in Mason. I think he can handle the point much better than anyone thinks. I just hope that we are patient with him there. He will make some mistakes and have some struggles. But, if he can work through it and become an above average college point, we could be the 2nd best team in the country come tourney time.
That’s my orange colored glasses view. But going back to that game vs. the NBA developmental squad, there were two guys that didn’t get overwhelmed in that game. It wasn’t DJ and AJ. It was Mason and DJ. I will definately take those two to battle with me anytime.
Great writeup as usual. I can’t wait for this season.
Bartoncreek said:
November 6th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Also, I was very impressed with Chapman’s skill set and potential last year. In visting with one of the Assistant Coaches a while back, I mentioned how highly I thought of Champman. He told me that Clint was an athletic freak. That he might be the most physically gifted player on this team. Interesting. We will see how that plays out over the next couple of years, but good to hear.
8straight said:
November 6th, 2008 at 6:49 am
Nice overview. It is great to be able to talk about rotating multiple big men.
Trips Right said:
November 6th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Scip, I’m from Mizzou on Hill. Alot of pups have bitten and he looked overwhelmed even when surrounded by talent like KD, James, and Augustin.
I don’t think teams press as much because of the personnel turnover in college basketball. Pressing teams like Tom Davis’ Iowa teams, Richardson’s 40 minutes of hell, Smith’s run and jump, were intricate and precise on their timing and trapping. It’s tough to do that with kids that are on your campus for all of 6 months. It’s also tougher nowadays because Forwards big and small can handle. Thank you Europe. Big lumbering pivot men are fewer and farther between. Power Forwards that can’t handle like Derrick Coleman and Jerome Lane have been replaced by guys like Blake Griffin and Damion James.
Trips Right said:
November 6th, 2008 at 7:38 am
ATX, it should be fun. There will be a bunch of moving parts and variables that will decide how successfull this team can be.
absolut, those chicks can shoot it.
Vang, Gary Johnson is old school. He needs to keep the nose mask. It should be his signature like Thomas Hill’s high top fade.
Kevin, I believe Hill and Harrison contribute fouls and nothing more. Hill is has been Kendrick Turnered.
Ransom, elite 8 is about right. There aren’t a whole lot of teams with more talent.
TG, no more volleyball on the defensive boards and lots of second chance points on the other end. Should be a welcomed change.
dick, more size on the perimeter should mean more M2M. I’d love to see some full and 3 quarter court pressure. Even if it’s just spurts. We have the depth.
Kafka, good to see you on these threads. I’m worried about JM having PG duties as well. We’ll see. As for Damion, I was skeptical about his face up game last year and was proven wrong. I’m hoping that his purported handling improvement is true like last year. I played ball with Damion’s high school coach, and it sounds like James has indeed improved his game to be the do everything wing. We’ll see. As for Connor, yes, he’s a great position defender. I love him paired with a physical brute like Pittman on both ends of the court. The compliment each other so well offensively and defensively. Should be fun.
Orbeq, we’ll see. Based on the last two years, though, I think that would be a mistake. Hope Matt proves me wrong.
BC, thanks for stopping in. Agreed on the personnel. Our frontcourt needs to win us ballgames and our backcourt needs to handle and shoot it well enough to allow our baseline players to dominate. Can they? We’ll see. On Chapman, I love him. If he’s added 10 pounds of muscle, then he’s going to be a handful.
8straight, yep. Hopefully we’ve been working on entering the post so they can do some damage.
Kafka said:
November 6th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Trips:
Connor is great but last year he had a couple of serious problems as a 1-1 power forward/center defender:
* had a very difficult time denying post position to big guys
* got lots of not smart fouls quickly which limited his playing time in quite a few games
Connor is fantastic at helping out from the weak side, blocking shots, and really runs and jumps well (i.e. great in a zone or press).
Maybe this year he is bigger and stronger and will be better at denying post position. That is hugely important if you play power forward or center. I hope he is better at avoiding unnecessary fouls, too.
From http://nbamock.com/atchley.html:
“Weaknesses: Atchley is a bit light to play C full time. At PF he does give a bit up defensively. He is a decent shot blocker, but his man on man defense needs a bit of work. Stronger players are able to push him around. A below average rebounder at the PF/C positions.”
4th and 5 said:
November 6th, 2008 at 8:13 am
What I love about Rick Barnes is that we’ll be learning a lot about the team quickly. If they play well, we could see them going against UNC at the Maui Invitational (and at least a good Notre Dame). The situation at point scares me a little in a match up with some great defenders… Like UCLA and Darren Collison. Regardless, I can’t wait and will be at that one going crazy.
It’s a great time for Longhorns. Hook ‘em.
Kafka said:
November 6th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Trips:
I forgot to mention: great review!
Barnes told Dex that he wanted Dex to be a bully in the paint like Dex was in high school.
This seems like bad advice to me. Dex’s problem (besides conditioning) is not that he is not aggressive enough. He has plenty of aggression but it is resulting in too may O fouls.
His problem is that his post moves are not polished enough for him to execute them rapidly and in balance. He also lacks a jump hook.
A guy that big around, with such great hands, should be shooting jump hooks. I’d like to see Dex really work on exploding to the middle and shooting the jump hook from there.
Once he can shoot a jump hook well, the next move to perfect is the drop step off the fake to the middle.
The third thing I’d like Dex to work on is to be able to shoot layups and short hooks with his left hand. It makes a huge difference when executing moves in the middle (very nice on an up and under or drop step, for example).
Lastly, I hope the horns work on getting the ball to Dex right in front of the hoop (i.e. where his defender is standing underneath the rim). It takes really precision timing on the passing (because of the 3 second rule) but Dex can get any position he wants so why not get the best possible position.
jc25 said:
November 6th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Is Verez Ward really this good? He was barely mentioned and hardly recruited, then Augustin jumped ship and Brown couldn’t get his grades in order, so Rick decided to take a flyer.
Now he’s potentially the backup one for a top 10 team that has no true point guard?
Did everyone just miss this guy during recruiting or what?
Shum Un said:
November 6th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Enjoyable read.
Last year RB said he wouldnt know about the 07-08 team until the end of February, but he lied. The Horns were what we thought they were from the other UT and UCLA to pretty much to Stanford. Memphis wrote their ticket to the final on the heads of our 5-10 guards.
This year, I think we really wont know what we are until the end of February. There are that many perumtations that RB has to go through to find efficiency on the offensive end without sacrificing the toughness on D he is looking for. I expect some disappointing losses early as we struggle with how to reliably score when the scorers aren’t hot.
Vasherized said:
November 6th, 2008 at 8:48 am
I had a chance to watch practice this week as a guest of an assistant coach.
Here’s what I was able to glimpse over the course of the grueling 3-hour practice Barnes put his team through.
The guys had just come off a three day break and coach Wright said this is typically their longest practice of the year.
Physically everyone in the gym look liked they lost weight, including Barnes. Starting to get that sinewy runner’s build from living on a treadmill.
Damion James – I couldn’t stop thinking how our Tight End problems would be solved instantly if this dude could put on some pads. He has one of those freakish Sergio Kindle builds that get EA Sports game developers really geeked out. He and AJ drained a lot of threes in half court drills and still attacks the rim with a vicious intent to separate it from the backboard. As Trips said, as Damion goes, so goes our season. I was talking with a Sixers scout that lives here in town this summer and they are enamored with “Mo Mo”, as the team calls him. If he’s available in the low to mid teens on their board he’s gone.
Justin Mason – All those clichés are true. Mason and Damion are the clear leaders of this team. If there was anybody that was spared from Barnes’ wrath (think Lou Holtz 25 years ago with less spit), it was Mase. Kid just gets it and makes very few mistakes with the ball. Still our best player at getting to the rim, which he did impressively in 5 on 5 towards the end of practice with some DJ-esque moves up, around and under the rim. He and Varez Ward look like physical clones and Wright said Varez is actually a bit more athletic. His ball handling will never be DJ’s but he uses his body very well in protecting the ball when driving to the basket. He has the best conditioning of any player on the team and he’ll want the ball when the game is on the line.
Varez Ward Ward is a fast twitch junkyard baller. He can jump out of the gym and will get all up in your shit on defense. Needs some improvement on his jump shot mechanics but looks to have a smooth free throw stroke – that alone might get him some PT given this team’s paltry average. Team FT misses during practice cost them 12 full court wind sprints at the end of the day (Dex actually beat out Lexi on the last one before keeling over and leaving a dent on the Dozier gym floor). Doesn’t look like Ward will see much time at PG, strictly playing at the 2 and still getting his feet wet. I see 6-8 minutes per game to spell Mason and harrass the opponents stud SG. Coaches love the kid. You will too.
Connor Atchley – Physically looks the same, still lean and surprisingly athletic for a kid that arrived as an all knees and elbows engineering geek from Clear Lake four years ago. Supremely smart help side defender as Trips mentioned. Because of our luxury of big men in all shapes and sizes, Connor can really frustrate another team by doing what he does best, stepping out for 3’s and crashing the boards for putbacks. The 6-foot sky hook was all net all day. Not a vocal leader but Hill and Chapman watch his every move – as they should. He could slip into the second round with a big year. Or he can go join Brad Buckman in Greece and rake in $1 million living on the beach with a coterie of oiled-up Aphrodites. Check out the big brain on Brad…
Dexter Pittman – Just an amazing accomplishment what he’s been able to do working with Todd Wright. He still runs like he’s pulling an oxcart but the big man covers some ground pretty quickly. Barnes had some select words for Dex throughout practice, particularly when he went for a layup under the basket in traffic instead of stepping out for his money five-foot hook shot. I still don’t think he’s capable of averaging more than 15-17 minutes per game. Dex gets winded pretty quickly but that’s still gonna happen when you’re carrying a “slim” 300. He cleaned the glass all day and seems to be relishing his newfound quickness in the paint. He’ll get more second chance points this year as his touch around the basket looks better. But Dex should just dunk anything within four feet of the rim.
Gary JohnsonG unit. mothafucka. Gary just wants it more than you do. Face it. Springman said they’ll line up Gary all over the place (3,4) to generate mismatches and bring some energy where needed. He skies on rebounds and is showing increased range all the way out to the 3-pt line. He drained a few nice looks in practice and seems to be playing at a very high confidence level. Street tough and proud of it. Gary will be on the court at the end of a lot of tight games this year.
Clint Chapman/Matt Hill
Hill is a bit of a question mark as he’s still recovering from injury but the fro is gone and he looks all business. He’s also taken to Wright’s conditioning regime better than Chapman who is still pretty gangly. He makes up for it with being one of the smartest players on the court, which is maybe why Barnes rides him a lot. Expectations are high as an Oregon teenager.
Dogus Balbay – The Doj (with a soft j). Let’s hope so. Another kid the coaches love because they can ride his ass and he just soaks it up. He had a bit of an off day and Barnes let him know he had to step it up. Given his integral role on the team, it’s no surprise Rick has most of his attention on gettin Doj up to speed. We certainly won’t lead the nation in turnover margin but kid will make you pay by knifing passes into the paint to our big men through tight seams. Looks to be a streaky shooter and his ppg will be scattershot until he can straighten out his mechanics. Shots seem to miss left or right more than distance being an issue. He’s got a good touch and is a ridiculous athlete. However, even after missing game one, AJ will be starting at PG until Doj is too good to keep off the court. That came as a bit of a surprise.
AJ – His handles have improved. He still needs to bait his defender with the crossover rather than just hope it rythmically lulls his defender to sleep. The coaches seem comfortable with AJ at the point and we’ll just have to see how that works out. We know what he brings from the table from the 2.
To summarisze: The look on Russ Springman’s face when I mentioned how many different matchup possibilities they can throw at another team is probably akin to the look Huck gets when the first Massey poll gets posted every year. “Just silly” are the words I thought I heard in between maniacal laughs. And it’s true – the first thing that caught my eye walking into the gym was the size and quality of our big men. And they all bring a little something different to the table.
Want to demoralize a team on the boards? Put in Atchley, Johnson, and Pittman. Baseline jumpers and shots from the elbow? Clint, make’em pay (he didn’t miss from there all day). Pure size? Hill, Pittman, Atchley – we’re bangin. Fast break? Damion, Gary, Atchley – ring it up.
We’ll see plenty of three-guard lineups against smaller teams since all of our guards except AJ are great on the ball defenders. Balbay can really get to the rim and his mistakes dishing the rock in mid-air and slinging one-armed passes across the court should fade as the season goes on. The hairy Turkish calves alone should get Dickie V jumping out of his seat. “Balbay’s got springs bay-bay!”
Should be a fun season. It is indeed a great time of year. Mark December 4th & 19th on your calendars – UCLA in Austin and Michigan State in Houston. Never a bad time to go to Hawaii either.
It’s Texas, OU and everyone else for the Big 12 title. I like our chances. If I missed anybody or you have any questions, fire away.
Bob in Houston said:
November 6th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Trips and Vasherized: Great stuff.
“I agree with Scipio: play everybody and fast break and press.”
Kafka, I have a friend who has been waiting for Barnes to press full court for about seven years. I don’t think it is going to happen, at least not like we think it should happen.
Horncasting said:
November 6th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Is Wangmene back on campus?
Vasherized said:
November 6th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Lexi is back in action and physically looks like a beast but mentally still hasn’t put it all together. Still very raw but should continue to improve and he gives Barnes another beastly presence in the paint along with Pittman. Coach was really working Lexi over trying to hold accountable for every positioning error. Barnes is obsessive about the little things playing defense; he’ll take your head off for being a foot out of position.
When the light finally turns on for Wangmene, look out. He’s an emotional player that needs a few good plays to generate some confidence and he can beat himself up over a few bad ones.
Harrison Smith looked very good as well, he’s got a nice stroke and was putting out max effort until he pulled up with cramps in both legs half way through practice.
One other thing I forgot to mention was great execution on the pick and roll in practice and setting effective screens. Our lateral quickness defending the perimiter also stood out. We still don’t have the length on the perimeter we’d like to have to play an effective zone but luckily there won’t be many second chance points scored against us this year. Our guards will force a lot of turnovers — quick minds and quick hands. Balbay can dunk the shit out of the ball too on a fast break.
Chris Ogden was very active in all facets of the practice. He’s also just a ridiculously large human being. Springman said he loves recruiting and his hard work has obviously already paid off on the recruiting trail. They’re really excited to see how the kids coming in next year will blend in. It really should be a perfect combo to make a deep run in the tournament if not cut down the nets.
All these kids are blue collar. None of them came from much money and they all want to make the league and hit it big like TJ, Aldridge, Gibson, and KD. The NBA wall in Denton Cooley is starting to look legit so they know if they bust their ass every day they have a shot at the league and if not can still make seven figures in Europe like Thomas, Tucker, and Buckman.
Sydmil is married with two kids. Now fluent in 14 languages.
Paulino still has some game.
xerxes said:
November 6th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
we seen three seasons of great basketball but the format has been 1 soloist and a backing band, this season is a team year with a cohesive team of talented players with a good mix of experience.
I am really looking forward to the defense this team will play.
Bob in Houston said:
November 6th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Vasherized, since you’ve gotten a look…
Not saying they would redshirt anyone, but if they did, who would you pick?
Vasherized said:
November 6th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Good question Bob. I don’t think anyone will redshirt but if I had to pick one it would be Matt Hill. He’s itching to play after sitting out last year from the injury so I really doubt that happens. I don’t see what you’d gain by redshirting Harrison Smith with the guards we have coming in the next two classes. He has two years of eligibility left and he’ll continue to be a role player off the bench. Ward pretty much took his job the moment he stepped on campus.
This team is a legit 12 deep and I think all will play. Trying to predict the allocation of minutes is as useless as a hat full of busted assholes (to quote an Aussie sitting at the bar next to me yesterday at Billy’s on Burnet.) Maybe that should be BC’s unofficial motto?
Welcome to Barking Carnival, where our mods are as useless as a …
Bob in Houston said:
November 6th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Unfortunately, Hill is not an option since he was injured last year…
Vasherized said:
November 6th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Wouldn’t that be considered a medical redshirt or is it different from football?
Bob in Houston said:
November 6th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
You get five years to play four. Whether just not playing or injured, if you miss a year, it counts as one of the five. (This is the rule in football as well.)
RolloTamasi said:
November 6th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Didn’t Bo Scaife stay here 6 years? Isn’t Shipley about to do the same?
Art Vandelay said:
November 7th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Trips hits a three with an assist from Vasherized. Have I mentioned how much I love this site?
What a perfect team if DJ had stayed. Without him Elite 8 will be a nice accomplishment.
Nice job guys.
Bob in Houston said:
November 7th, 2008 at 6:44 am
“Didn’t Bo Scaife stay here 6 years? Isn’t Shipley about to do the same?”
Yes, this is a special rule in case of injury that costs a player two years of the five. It’s not applicable until after the player finishes the five years — that is, it’s not automatic.
8straight said:
November 7th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Thanks Trips and Vash. Where do I send the check?
Vasherized said:
November 7th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Balbay will be balling by the time conference play rolls around. Mason is going to have a lot of 18/8/7/4 stat lines. Ward might not be a big threat from outside right now but he finds a way to score a lot like Mason. The two additions to the team this year are currently underrated IMO.
When you have big guys like James, Atchley, Chapman that can pull out and hit 3’s along with AJ/Mason, then have quality bigs that can clean up the glass … that’s pretty hard to game plan around.
Kafka said:
November 7th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Vasherized:
“I still don’t think Dexter’s capable of averaging more than 15-17 minutes per game. Dex gets winded pretty quickly but that’s still gonna happen when you’re carrying a “slim” 300.”
I don’t really understand what is happening with Dex’s conditioning. Back in October, 2006, Dex was at 310 pounds. By the end of his freshman season, he was at about the same weight he is at today.
Dex has been working on cardiovascular fitness for just under 2.5 years. How is it that he is still getting winded rapidly?
I can understand that his weight impacts his explosiveness and speed but he should have an amazing cardiovascular system by now.
RRR said:
November 7th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Great write-up Trips. Jealous as usual of the UT talent. Looking forward to seeing UT run more consistent offense rather than DJ’s ‘penetrate/jack3′ option set.
I can envision AJ’s playing time dropping significantly as the year progresses. He’s just not the same threat without DJ’s penetration and transition-passing skills.
Hopefully Mason develops as much floor leadership as ball-handling. There will be some tough road games that will require a string of quality possessions late. No time for indecisiveness after the pick and roll gets clogged up.
I can see this team dominating the Big XII simply because they can out-defend and out-rebound everyone in the conference, and it’s not even close.
If Barnes can find some late-game, clutch offensive sets, Final Four is a definite possibility, and anything can happen after that.
Vasherized said:
November 7th, 2008 at 9:14 am
kafka,
Until I see it happen I’m skeptical but we shouldn’t need Pittman for more than 20 minutes a game with the rotation we have.
Kafka said:
November 7th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Vasherized:
I believe what you wrote. Barnes has already said that he thought Dex was good for playing 4 minute stretches. You pretty much confirmed that with first hand observation.
What I don’t get is why Dex isn’t in amazing cardiovascular shape by now.
I’m also a little perplexed why a guy in his very early 20’s who is doing hours of intense cardio work every day would need to watch what he eats super carefully.
CallKevin said:
November 7th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Only a partial explanation, Kafka, but I believe Dex had a significant setback last season just before the games began–a foot injury, or something, that affected his ability to condition.