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Texas Longhorns Basketball – Notes from inside Denton Cooley Pavilion
Posted by Sailor Ripley on September 14th, 2009 under Basketball
The Crucible
Trips and Hank Dudek have been doing a great job discussing hoops and we’re all very excited about this season’s squad and their continued excellent analysis and coverage.
In an effort to augment some of what they’ve talked about, I wanted to pass along some paraphrased comments we’ve received from a few sources we’re very lucky to have. Folks who are close to the program and get to see some things first hand.
From Denton Cooley Pavilion…
- This isn’t really news but Avery Bradley has been the most impressive player. Gerry Hamilton might argue as he loves Jordan Hamilton like Trips loves the Juarez Donkey Show but our sources seem to feel if they were choosing first in a pick up game, Avery would get the nod. Obviously no knock on Hamilton as we are clearly moving into an embarrassment of riches sort of thing here. Otherworldly was another word used to describe him. Not TJ Ford quick but gets past people almost at will. Royal Ivey couldn’t stop him. Also has a huge vertical (…just seems to hang in the air…) and he will need to hit his free throws because he’ll be at the line a lot this year.
- Jordan Hamilton was very impressive. Didn’t look as big as he’s listed and didn’t look as big as Damion James (get more reps with Todd Wright). He’s a super-athletic player (deceptive leaper). Very quick release and accurate from 24 feet. Athletic enough and big enough to get a rebound and go the distance, though he’ll have some trouble grabbing the tough rebound in traffic (a la Damion). Did toss down a few dunks in traffic. Decent ball-handler but definitely needs to work on his off hand. Not necessarily one-and-done. Barnes thinks he has a ton of room to grow.
- Varez Ward is even quicker than he was last year, a serious athlete. Still not a threat from 15 feet out. Been working on the mid-range game. Also gets in the lane at will and must learn to finish at the goal. Free throws and distribution need to be his focus for improvement.
- 25 minutes a game max for Dexter Pittman is a real likelihood but he’s an absolute man when not being zoned.
- Matt Hill has shown continued improvement, finishing some contested shots at the goal.
- Clint Chapman is still showing flashes of potential but needs to get consistent, hasn’t been able to really get it all together.
- J’Covan Brown has blown everybody away. A true 6 assists a game PG. He has a remarkable floor sense. Knows where everybody is and sees all the angles. Perhaps more importantly, he seems to be a really good kid and is well-liked by his teammates. He’s hitting his classes and getting his shit done. Obviously the pressure gets ratcheted up in season but so far, so good. It’s debatable how much anybody can affect the NCAA Clearinghouse but DeLoss was personally monitoring this situation. J’Covan will be the pointguard.
- Lots of conjecture about DeLoss’ timetable for retirement and the possibility that Mack takes over. Suffice to say, Rick Barnes thinks this will be a net-positive as respects attendance as Mack might be just the guy who can sell the bifurcation of donation/ticketing for football and basketball.
Hope that was interesting. If you have any specific questions, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
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Activity
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 27 minutes ago
Virginia Tech not getting in is a joke.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 29 minutes ago
Baylor may be the best team in the South.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 32 minutes ago
Wow, louisville as a 9 will give Duke all they want in the second round.
The TAMU vs. UTAH state battle of the aggies might be played in the 40’s.
Siena will beat Purdue. Bank it. They probably win their next game.
Nova as a one seed an overseed.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 32 minutes ago
Wow, louisville as a 9 will give Duke all they want in the second round.
The TAMU vs. UTAH state battle of the aggies might be played in the 40’s.
Siena will beat Purdue. Bank it. They probably win their next game.
Nova as a two seed an overseed.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 34 minutes ago
The South, Duke will lose to AK Pine Bluff, mark it down. I kid.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 37 minutes ago
Don’t listen to Seth Davis, Texas is a shell and Wisconsin is over seeded as a four. Kentucky will run them out of he gym. Kentucky walks to elite 8 where WVU will have something for them.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 39 minutes ago
It won’t matter because Marquette will beat New Mexico in the second round game.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 40 minutes ago
West Virginia draws New Mexico as the 3. Kansas fans do triple face palm.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 40 minutes ago
Kentucky gets screwed by drawing WVU. The good news is the Cats got a pretty good top of the bracket draw.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 41 minutes ago
Texas gets a manageable first round game. UK will smoke us.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post Texas Basketball is Dangerous 42 minutes ago
We’re live blogging the selection show over here if you’re interested.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 46 minutes ago
The West is the weakest bracket. Perhaps the weakest I’ve seen in some time if Onuaku isn’t 100%
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 47 minutes ago
In the West, Syracuse has a walk to the sweet sixteen, but Butler can give them problems.
Syracuse gets KSU as their two so it looks like either Kentucky or Duke is stuck with WVU. Tough break. Pitt as a three is a joke. If I’m Self I’m really pissed now. KU
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HenryJames commented on the blog post As if we didn’t already like Traylon Shead enough… 50 minutes ago
What’s the background on this photo?
The AP captions reads
Cayuga’s Traylon Shead, a Texas recruit, flashes the ‘Hook ‘Em Horns’ sign to Gov. Rick Perry during the awards presentation after Cayuga beat Bronte 66-60 to win the Class A, Division 1 basketball championship. Perry went to Texas A&M.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post NFL Draft: A Mockery 54 minutes ago
Carlos Dunlap is going to be an incredible pro. If he goes to the Ravens that is going to suck for their opponents.
I can’t see McClain going that high. And I keep hearing that Claussen has dropped.
What are the chances of the Steelers drafting a QB early? They can’t feel
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 55 minutes ago
Georgetown as the 3 seed in the midwest make this a monster bracket.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 56 minutes ago
Ohio State vs. Kansas should be championship game, not an elite 8 game.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 56 minutes ago
Holy crap, KU got screwed by getting the toughest two seed. I’d be pissed if I was Self.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post NCAA Selection show open thread 57 minutes ago
Midwest 1 goes to Kansas, no surprise they deserve it. They’ll face Lehigh who happens to have a pretty athletic frontcourt for a 16.
Kansas got a tough breaking drawing Maryland on the four line. There was talk the terps could be a 3.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post As if we didn’t already like Traylon Shead enough… 59 minutes ago
That is really great. An auspicious beginning.
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Kevin Berger wrote a new blog post: NCAA Selection show open thread 1 hour, 2 minutes ago
Syracuse gets screwed by getting the fourth number one seed.
Midwest 1 goes to Kansas, no surprise they deserve it. They’ll face Lehigh who happens to have a pretty athletic frontcourt for a 16.
Kansas got a tough break drawing Maryland on the four line. There was talk the terps could be a 3.
Holy crap,
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Kevin Berger wrote a new blog post: Evan Turner is the Best Player in the Country 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
For my money the race for Player of the Year isn’t all that close. Sorry John Wall. My apologies Wes Johnson. Evan Turner is the most dynamic and talented player in the college game today. He’s built like a hybrid wing, handles like point guard, and shoots it like a sniper.
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Nate Heupel commented on the blog post Trey Metoyer to the Oklahoma Sooners 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
Ripley,
Agreed 100%. I meant only to observe that Metoyer wasn’t a guy like Stills (once recorded running a 4.36) who just really impresses you with his speed, too. That’s one of the reasons I think Stills ends up being the 4th WR in the rotation by conference play.
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Scipio Tex commented on the blog post Texas Basketball is Dangerous 1 hour, 35 minutes ago
We’re as dangerous as a switchblade comb.
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P.Drez wrote a new blog post: Can Anyone Stop This Guy? 1 hour, 41 minutes ago
With another two-goal effort following his midweek brace against Milan, Wayne Rooney is simply lighting up the English game, and as a result, Manchester United have never looked more dangerous than right now. Will anyone be able to stop, nay, contain this all-around phenom and derail United’s quest for more glory?
Enough to make any
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Luke commented on the blog post Another game vs. Kansas, another loss 1 hour, 48 minutes ago
Neon, you might be right about Kentucky, but I’m still worried about their athleticism and I’m not sure K-State has anyone to match up with Cousins inside. Plus, it’s KSU’s offense that has been struggling lately, so I would be afraid of getting into a high-scoring game, even if Kentucky isn’t great defensively. As for
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bigdukesix commented on the blog post As if we didn’t already like Traylon Shead enough… 1 hour, 51 minutes ago
The look on the face of the kid next to Shead is hilarious too.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post Basketball Bets 3/12 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
Wow, glad I let it ride.
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Nickel Rover commented on the blog post Damion…prepare for glory 2 hours, 1 minute ago
Well I won’t disagree that Syracuse plays a better zone than Baylor but I think the strengths of the Texas offense still give them some good answers for a zone. Syracuse invites teams to get the ball inside where James and Johnson are comfortable even if they are contesting it much better from there than
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Scipio Tex commented on the blog post As if we didn’t already like Traylon Shead enough… 2 hours, 10 minutes ago
The greatest recruit in the history of Texas football, IMO.
kafka said:
September 14th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Super interesting, Ripley.
A lot of stuff has been said about Dex’s improved conditioning but a max of 25 min/game sounds like he still has a ways to go (is that the case?)..
Hamilton is plenty big enough to play small forward.
Great news that J’Covan will be the point guard. It would have been easy for Barnes to screw up that decision (given all the returning point guards on the roster).
Wonderful to hear about Varez’s progress. Given that either Bradley or Brown will probably have the ball in their hands 95% of the time, it is good advice for Varez to focus on hitting free throws and ball handling. Varez, there is no disgrace in shooting a set shot from 3 point land. You will have plenty of time to get the shot off and it is much easier than a 3 point jump shot.
Really surprising that Matt Hill seems to be doing better than Chapman. Wonder if Barnes is trying to motivate Chapman (who appears to be more talented than Matt Hill).
It could be a real bummer if Mack retires (from a football perspective not a bball perspective). Here’s an idea, give away free tickets to the horns game to austin area college and high school students. Get the drum rockin. Way more important for the basketball program to create a great atmosphere at home games than the lost revenue.
How is Damion looking? Any improvement (in ball handling, for example)?
Vasherized said:
September 14th, 2009 at 8:19 am
Sailor just earned a one month extension on his temp contract.
Great stuff. The potential of the team is stratospheric.
Scipio Tex said:
September 14th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Thanks, man. A couple of thoughts:
Jordan Hamilton was very impressive. Didn’t look as big as he’s listed and didn’t look as big as Damion James (get more reps with Todd Wright).
I’ve heard exactly opposite of this. That Jordan was a legit 6-7 230.
Not that I care as he’s playing SF.
Athletic enough and big enough to get a rebound and go the distance, though he’ll have some trouble grabbing the tough rebound in traffic (a la Damion).
That’s an issue for Damion? I always thought he battled pretty well in there.
September 14th, 2009 at 11:32 am
“J’Covan Brown has blown everybody away. A true 6 assists a game PG. He has a remarkable floor sense. Knows where everybody is and sees all the angles. Perhaps more importantly, he seems to be a really good kid and is well-liked by his teammates. He’s hitting his classes and getting his shit done. Obviously the pressure gets ratcheted up in season but so far, so good. It’s debatable how much anybody can affect the NCAA Clearinghouse but DeLoss was personally monitoring this situation. J’Covan will be the pointguard.”
I just came…
Sailor Ripley said:
September 14th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Scip – One source looked at him and the quote was like he didn’t seem to be the 232 that he’s listed at. 232 can be thinly stretched across a 6-7 frame, I guess. I took it as more of a comment on weight than height. Perhaps we’ve all grown accustomed to the post-Todd Wright work. As you point out, if he’s on the perimeter a lot, not really and issue plus he’ll have match up advantages.
On the rebounding, that was sloppy grammar. The a la Damion was a reference to the grabbing a tough rebound in traffic. Clearly Damion is a beast rebounding in traffic. This isn’t Jordan’s forte. He can get a long or unchallenged rebound and go but in traffic, Damion still wins that.
dick said:
September 14th, 2009 at 11:43 am
yeah i think the original poster meant “though he’ll have some trouble grabbing the tough rebound in traffic (UNLIKE Damion).”
texoz said:
September 14th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
If Bradley and Brown are as good as we’re hearing, I have a few predictions.
1) We win it all.
2) One or both leave for NBA
3) Varez gets a lot of minutes next year, which is one of the reasons he probably stuck around. That, and playing in the NC.
God, I can’t wait for the season to start. As someone else mentioned, I really hope the UT sports goes all out to promote the upcoming season. If it was me, I would already be working an ad campaign. First game is two months away, Nov 15 vs UC Irvine. They should set a goal to fill the Drum even if they have to give tix away.
scagnetti said:
September 14th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Re: Avery
“…and he will need to hit his free throws because he’ll be at the line a lot this year.”
Is this a case of Avery being weak at the stripe – I hadn’t heard any FT info about him so far – AND/OR is this a function of him getting cheap fouls against weaker opponents?
panchoclaus said:
September 14th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I was wondering about that Damion comment given his propensity to rack up 20 boards on occasion… and tapping out ones he can’t pull down.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
Is this a case of Avery being weak at the stripe – I hadn’t heard any FT info about him so far – AND/OR is this a function of him getting cheap fouls against weaker opponents?
He is a decent free throw shooter, not his strong point. He was referring to it as Bradley will get fouled frequently.
hookemtms said:
September 15th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Has anyone seen or heard from Balbay this off season? I have not seen him in any of the open run videos and was wondering if he was out of the country over the summer? Just curious and really looking forward to the best season ever!
September 15th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Glad to hear J’Covan is meshing with the team and adding some positive energy to the overall team chemistry. I know it’s too early to tell how any of them will respond while in the heat of a game but this is still a good sign…..if they can pull it together and honor their individual roles, this team will be a VERY SERIOUS CONTENDER for the ultimate prize!
I’m from Tacoma , WA so trust me when I say…….we’re all countin’ down the days!
Bob in Houston said:
September 15th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
I ordered my copy of Blue Ribbon tonight. I’m really looking forward to this season…
gohornsgo90 said:
September 16th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Bob, I don’t know anything about Blue Ribbon. How is it different from Athlon/Lindy’s?
ipowers said:
September 20th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Was with Jordan, yesterday. Good kid. Doesn’t look 230 when u look at him and spend time around him, has a mature frame and has been listed in the 225-230 lbs. range for a while now, so it must be something to it. I’ve been telling Trips dumb ass that he isn’t one and done for months now but I was a crazy and a douche bag and all that type of shit, now somebody else who has actually seen him verifies what I’ve been saying all along.
Gene Lee said:
September 29th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
If Brown is as good as everyone reports, he and Bradley are the key players to a deep run in the playoffs. It comes down to guards. And we’ve got guards out the wazzuu! Having Dex inside for rebounds, scoring, blocking shots, setting screens, playing the inside-out game, etc., is all very important. But it can’t happen without the guards. Jai can help in situations; Balbay, well, he’s great on defense but a real liability after that. Maybe he can be our Bruce Bowen. Varez and Justin can both play some point, but they have some liabilities, too.
But, overall, depth and talent at guard will win playoff games. JMO.