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College Basketball: Preview of Texas @ Oklahoma State

Posted by Trips Right on February 28th, 2009 under Basketball

Sorry about not writing up the Texas Tech game. Watching the game I felt like I was being water boarded by some scientists from the RAND Corporation. And then, to make matters worse, I was watching the game in a Tulsa sports bar with a Marquette fan from Milwaukee who blamed me for jinxing Dominic James’ broken foot. To top it all off, there was a carny style impish looking female with freakishly big arms who kept interrupting by challenging me to “arm wrassel”. Negative ghostrider. The pattern is full. “But I worked really hard on these guns.” To which I replied, “Why?” It was Oklahoma after all. Why should I be surprised?

Ironically the boys travel to Stillwater to face a Cowboy squad with its collective backs against the wall. Win and OSU is likely in the tourney, lose, and OSU would have to beat KSU and Oklahoma to get in. This a big one so Texas better lace ‘em up tight. Here are the keys to the ballgame for Texas.

Keep Byron Eaton In Front
Eaton really won’t hunt his perimeter jumpshot, instead Byron will probe and prod a defense looking for penetration oppurtunities that allow him to kick to OSU’s terrific collection of perimeter shooters. If teams don’t help to cut off Eaton’s dribble penetration, however, he’s looking to take his football body right to the chest of shotblocking centers and forwards to draw fouls and free throws. Eaton has shot an astounding 215 foul shots which is about a hundred more than anyone else on the team. Dogus Balbay has to keep Byron in front by turning him. If Byron can get a shoulder past you it’s over for even the strongest on ball defenders. Make him crossover or reverse pivot with the basketball and you can keep BE out of the lane. I would also give him a cushion until he knocks down a couple J’s.

Make Terrel Harris and Byron Eaton Jumpshooters
You’re going to have to give to get against the Cowboys because they roll out 4 pretty good perimeter scorers. Terrel Harris hitting 3’s for the Cowboys, however, is fool’s gold. Ditto for Eaton. You’ll have to overshow and hedge to Obi Muonelo and James Anderson but you’re doing the Cowboys a favor when you waste energy and scarce perimeter help resources by chasing Harris and Eaton off their jumpshots. Texas is better served by going under ball screens involving Eaton and Harris, and enticing jumpers when this pair is coming off of down screens or baseline screens. If you over commit to their jumpers, you open things up for the Cowboys’ two deadly shooters.

Chase Obi Muenelo Off His Jumper
Obi doesn’t like to put the ball on the deck and go to the hole, so it would be a good idea for Texas to jump on his shooting arm on the catch and force Muenelo to try to do damage on the dribble. If he’s allowed to get into a catch and shoot rhythm, Texas is going to have a nightmarish time slowing down OSU’s best player. James Anderson.

Guarding James Anderson
Texas doesn’t have a player on the roster that can slow down the talented 6-6 guard. If I was Barnes I’d consider all out denial with either Justin Mason and Varez Ward in a an effort to make Anderson work to find offense. James was a ridiculous 12-16 from the field last time out against the Horns, and if he’s able to duplicate that performance today, Texas likely loses.

Patience
OSU is going to speed up the game with 4 and sometimes 5 perimeter players on the floor so Texas has to be careful not to get into a running game for the sake of running. If Texas has numbers on the break then punishing the Cowboys in transition is in order. If Texas has 3 on 3 or worse, Dogus needs to find shots for players in the secondary break or run offense. OSU makes a ton of easy looks available for opposing teams that simply run offense, so Texas has to do a good job of being patient, moving the basketball, making extra passes, and not bailing out the Cowboys with bad shots early in the shot clock.

Pittman and the Lilliputians
If Texas wants to get Pittman involved against OSU’s 4 guard look, it’s going to have surround the big man with quickness and ballhandlers to maximize the ability to control tempo. Abrams, Balbay, Mason, and James/Ward give the Horns the ballhandlers and quickness needed to keep OSU from dictating game speed. This also allows Texas to use Abrams on the strongside and then take advantage of an OSU overplay by quickly reversing the basketball for an easy entry to Dex on the weak block. OSU has zero answer for Pittman in this game. Dex needs 20 minutes today.

Texas better bring it, because OSU is going to be sky high knowing what’s on the line. It’ll take a hellacious effort for the Horns to win, because this is a horrible spot for Texas.

Thoughts?

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24 Responses

  1. Nero said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 8:19 am

    Did you drink any ORION beer in Tulsa? It’s Japanese and amazing, and I’m pretty sure it is only available on the west coast and oddly, Oklahoma, here in the US. You sure can’t find it in Texas.

  2. Bob in Houston said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    I agree, tough spot.

    But to a certain extent, I think the attitude of this team has turned a bit. They know that it’s not going to be as bad as it was. They can play loose. Can you imagine the “Here we go again” thoughts had they not beaten OU? Tech, like everyone else, it seems, was hitting threes whenever needed. But they kept poise and turned it around.

    As far as that goes, Tech is giving OU fits right now.

    What am I sowing here? If they play a decent game, I think they have a decent chance to win.

  3. Scipio Tex said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 3:03 pm

    I have this penciled in as a loss and I hope to be surprised.

    Thanks for the breakdown. Has Eaton improved on defense at all this year? Everytime I watched him, his effort level is shit on that end if he doesn’t get an immediate steal.

  4. absolut said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:05 pm

    Talladega Nights is just coming on TBS if you are interested in watching funnier car wrecks and guys who score. We are offensive-to watch……..

  5. kchorn said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:05 pm

    “Watching the game I felt like I was being water boarded by some scientists from the RAND Corporation.”

    Seeing what’s going on today, I imagine the scientists this time will be from Yoyodyne or Weyland-Yutani.

  6. Facebook User said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    If they play a decent game…

    Our offense is just a train wreck.

    When was the last time Damion hit a jump shot? Or Mason?

    Dex is a weapon when he’s not being guarded by his own man and Balbay’s man.

    Trips – Please write up next year’s team. It’s my understanding we have some guys who can score.

    And we’re big but we’re slow off the floor. Chapman, Atchley, Dex are all getting schooled by quicker guys who are better leapers. Often when they have position.

    Man, this is depressing.

  7. Callkevin said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    18 points in the first half with 29 seconds to go.

  8. absolut said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:15 pm

    We need Harrison Smith to come off the bench and spark us to a 20 point loss.

  9. absolut said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:18 pm

    I also see dead people. Can’t believe I called the Smith substitute. Actually think he is a pretty damn good player compared to some of his other team members. A 3 from Smith. Shit.

  10. Gavin31 said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:30 pm

    Texas might be one of the dumbest teams I have seen in a long time. They get close and then turn the ball over or foul. Also, can James or the Turk make a freaking layup?

  11. Gavin31 said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

    How is Chapman allowed to play for a Division 1A school? Sit the white kids at the end of the bench.

  12. DirkNash said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    Why can’t Damian James make a layup? Can’t do that in the NBA.

  13. Gavin31 said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 4:57 pm

    Why are they playing up so close on them? STOP FOULING! That’s how they lost to Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas St.

  14. RansomStoddard said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 5:06 pm

    So our offense has deteriorated to where we rely on Harrison Smith shooting threes to score. Pathetic

  15. Servant Girl Annihilator said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 5:09 pm

    Holy crap. I feel like it’s f’ing Groundhog Day wathing the Horns lose another game with AJ Abrams running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

    Are we really that uncreative on offense?

  16. RansomStoddard said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 5:09 pm

    And we get beat by 9 by a team that is likely NIT bound. About right.

  17. Facebook User said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 5:13 pm

    And we get beat by 9 by a team that is likely NIT bound.

    Maybe we’ll beat them in the re-match!

  18. Bob in Houston said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 6:05 pm

    Did I say “decent” game? Of course I meant “dreadful.” And they still had a chance to win. (shakes head)

  19. ATXHornsFan said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    well that sucked. Nice rally, but turnovers and inability to execute doomed us.

    On a happier note, it was a great day at the Disch. Great pitching from Taylor Jungman in the 1st game and Cole Green in the 2nd, with Wood closing both.

  20. no shit said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 8:41 pm

    “Are we really that uncreative on offense?”

    no, Barnes is that bad on offense and always has been when not assisted up by an all-american/all-world point guard. sounds like another certain coach on campus, different sport…

    they didn’t even compete tonight, no hussle for loose balls, etc…Our offense is very big 10ish; we were lucky to have 18 in the first half. awful.

    Bob, you still think “we’ll compete” against Kansas? ha.

  21. longhornmatt said:

    February 28th, 2009 at 8:55 pm

    “Dex is a weapon when he’s not being guarded by his own man and Balbay’s man.”

    The solution to this is so simple. Put Abrams and Dex/Damion on one side and clear everyone else out. Pass to Abrams on the wing, and let him enter the ball into the post. We did it twice tonight, and we got the ball into Pittman both times. He had a three point play on one of them, and he missed a good look at a hook shot on the other.

    But no we can’t do this, because then AJ wouldn’t be able to mindlessly run around screens for 35 seconds – never actually getting open, of course, because he refuses to curl cut into the middle or do anything else to counter the defender from trailing him over the top of the screen. No, we certainly can’t sacrifice that part of our offense to actually get the ball inside.

  22. beowulf said:

    March 1st, 2009 at 4:40 am

    Barnes is still in the Top 10 Best Coaches on Campus. Around 6th or 7th now.

    Give him a break.

  23. Bob in Houston said:

    March 1st, 2009 at 10:01 am

    Yeah… Kansas is good, but not special.

  24. no shit said:

    March 1st, 2009 at 10:09 am

    Barnes is still my favorite coach on the 40 acres.

    kansas is down this year but osu is not even close to “good”; at least not kicking our ass double digits good. ya know? frustrating.

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  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   49 minutes ago

    Nordberg,

    Ironic indeed……teachable moment, I guess….

    NY Horn,

    I hope your drunk, because Izzo ain’t coming to Texas……Why don’t we just get Coach K. I mean Coach G came from Duke, they have to be dying to get out of Durham….

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   53 minutes ago

    Egg, that’s fine, but at what point do you blame Barnes? Seriously, man. You’ve thrown players under the bus left and right, but at a certain point, doesn’t the buck stop somewhere. I know you’re more of an NBA guy so it begins and ends with players there, but we need fucking

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   53 minutes ago

    Egg, that’s fine, but at what point do you blame Barnes? Seriously, man. You’ve thrown players under the bus left and right, but at a certain point, doesn’t the buck stop somewhere. I know you’re more of an NBA guy so it begins and ends with players there, but we need fucking

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   55 minutes ago

    Trips,

    I hear ya. I’m frustrated as well. I guess I just don’t prescribe to such a black and white characterization of the situation. I do know that no matter what happened in the huddle, JCB made a dumb play. If Rick didn’t explain or remind him of the situation, then I

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 2 minutes ago

    Pat, know I don’t, but I’ve had coaches draw up plays to free up the best foul shooter and then tell that guy they’d put their foot up his ass if they passed the ball. It’s funny, but as a fans of football we nitpick blitz pickup and shit like that. Shit that’s

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 2 minutes ago

    Pat, you know I don’t, but I’ve had coaches draw up plays to free up the best foul shooter and then tell that guy they’d put their foot up his ass if they passed the ball. It’s funny, but as a fans of football we nitpick blitz pickup and shit like that. Shit

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 2 minutes ago

    Pat, you know I don’t, but I’ve had coaches draw up plays to free up the best foul shooter and then tell that guy they’d put their foot up his ass if they passed the ball. It’s funny, but as fans of football we nitpick blitz pickup and shit like that. Shit that’s

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 5 minutes ago

    Shitty season…..Rick needs to hire some offensive help and someone needs to say it to him. Deloss?

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 7 minutes ago

    Trips,

    Do you know that he didn’t? JCB has made bad decision all season, why would this be any different. Barnes coached a shitastic game, but on the teams I was the best FT shooter, I never game up the ball unless it was an uncontested layup…..It’s not hard and it doesn’t take a

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 7 minutes ago

    mcpayne, yes, you don’t leave that shit to chance. You don’t let your guys break the huddle or dead ball not knowing precisely what’s expected from them. Barnes doesn’t get 2 mil for coaching PE where he’s hoping the right guy gets fouled.

  • uthookem commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 9 minutes ago

    mpayne, I’d agree with you if J’Covan had been playing all season and had been in situations to make that decision. Like, you know, against Baylor, when he played all of 3 fucking minutes thanks to rick.

    So yes, it is rick’s fault.

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 9 minutes ago

    With 15 seconds left, out of a dead ball, most coaches would make it perfectly clear who they wanted to be fouled.

  • uthookem commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 12 minutes ago

    Stupid decisions by Brown are one of the reasons he sat on the bench for most of the season…lack of coaching maybe, or just a lack of basketball IQ?

    Oh well, if Brown doesn’t go off in the 2nd half, we aren’t even playing in OT. Too bad he didn’t get much of a chance

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 13 minutes ago

    Pat, if you were making 2 million a year, would you leave that up to chance?

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 13 minutes ago

    Actually, if your a PG and the best FT shooter on the team and played basketball your entire life, you’d pretty much know not to give up the ball if you had any brains…..Such a dumb play…..

  • D W commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 15 minutes ago

    Oh, and a stupid decision by Brown in giving up the ball to Johnson.

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 15 minutes ago

    Be nice if we’d coached our 90 percent foul shooter not to give the ball up.

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 15 minutes ago

    Ransom,

    1 for 2, that was not shitty defense……

  • Mister Mike commented on the blog post State of the Union – NU Basketball, Part 1 (or Why We Are Where We Are)   1 hour, 15 minutes ago

    Well if you had read it all the way, you would’ve noticed this little tidbit:

    In the second part I’ll do my best to give an outline of what exactly is wrong with the program, what we can do to fix it, and then what will probably happen TO fix it.

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    SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: ””, url: ”” });

  • uthookem commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 15 minutes ago

    The line kills us, as it should have.

    Fuck Rick Barnes, as this was the worst coaching I have seen in all my years of watching UT sports.

    This saved us from Kentucky, but I feel bad for Damo, he was a hell of a Longhorn.

    Hook ‘em!

    And FUCK RICK BARNES!

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 15 minutes ago

    Feel bad for Damion…..Dexter and Mason, not so much….

  • D W commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 15 minutes ago

    So the season ends with missed free throws and shitty defense by Bradley. Pretty fitting.

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 16 minutes ago

    Yup……We knew that FTs would get us….

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 17 minutes ago

    F’n Gary’s been awful tonight….

  • uthookem commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 17 minutes ago

    GJ at the line…big heart needed!

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 18 minutes ago

    Why does Brown give it up there?

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 18 minutes ago

    Bilas explaining why we’re not a smart team…Oh good, I want Gary at the line…

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 18 minutes ago

    The good news is that now I know to fill out the census, so i’m not going to jail…not for that anyway.

  • Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 20 minutes ago

    Holy shit

  • Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread   1 hour, 20 minutes ago

    F’n A…..WTF….