Basketball Articles
Texas Longhorns Basketball: If You’re Going to Worry, Worry About an Identity Crisis
Posted by Trips Right on October 7th, 2009 under Basketball
I’ve seen the chatter on the intertubes and the hand-wringing needs to be put to rest. The most puzzling consternation to me is the “We don’t have a true point guard, or we don’t have any shooters” nonsense floating around the various Longhorn sites that discuss basketball. So let’s squash that right here and right now like a crips and bloods summit.
Point guard is not a problem. Do we have a Magic Johnson, a John Stockton, or in College parlance, a Chris Corchiani? No. Why? Well, we don’t need one because we have three. Texas will deploy three very capable ballhandlers at three positions for virtually every minute of every game. It’s a luxury akin to having two vacation homes. If you have a cat that can smother my point guard, Balbay, Lucas, or Brown, no problem, Bradley is my ball handler. If you happen to be in the top 5% of college basketball and have two lock down on-ball defenders in your backcourt, sorry, I have a point forward in Jordan Hamilton. If you have 3 lock down defenders on the perimeter, you’re either lying or have an NBA franchise. Ball handling and distribution are not a problem on this squad so forget about that crap right now. Mock your friends if they bring it up. Think Texas Tech. It doesn’t matter how good your 2 cover corners are, because you better have at least 3 or 4.
As Pure a Shooter as You’ll Find
As for shooters. Pffff. We have them in spades. Are they one dimensional bombers from deep? No. They’re midrange wizards like Avery Bradley and J’Covan Brown, spot up marksmen like Jai Lucas, and “point-game shooters” like Jordan Hamilton who can fill it up from anywhere on the floor. I hope other teams zone us because they’ll give up so many possessions with their inability to clean the glass it’ll be sick.
Our worst shooting lineup will likely include Balbay, Ward, Hamilton, James, and Pittman. How will teams rebound against these five out of a zone without block out assignments and responsibilities? And I’m talking upper echelon squads. MSU won’t zone, ‘Nova can’t compete on the glass, and Kentucky is too undisciplined. Kansas and UNC are the only clubs that possess the athletes to turn us into a jump-shooting team while still having a fighting chance to rebound out of a zone. And I’m talking about Texas’ B team to make it fair. Sick.
So again, if you’re in between pick-up games and you’re arguing with your buddy about Texas basketball after calling “next”, mock him for going to the Texas can’t handle and Texas can’t shoot bit. Then flay him for calling 3 seconds or taking a charge a la Scipio when the action starts. Texas will be fine on these fronts. If you want to worry, fret about how Barnes will go about mixing and matching all of this talent. Worry about identity.
Hungry for Buckets
Offensive identity
The Skinny
Offensively, Barnes is who he is and luckily that style fits this team like a glowstick in HenryJames’ mouth. Barnes will run his random screen game with a side of screen/roll. Rick will throw in some situational sets based on time and score or to just get certain players involved. From an identity standpoint a team with this kind of talent has the perfect coach, outside of Paul Westhead.
What’s to like
Barnes will allow the players with NBA talent to make NBA plays and this freedom he grants to the players will be based on a meritocracy and not the rigid rules of traditionalist basketball. If you can go get buckets, go get buckets. If you can’t, stop shooting the f’n ball. There’s no time for nurturing on this club and Barnes is not a nurturer. Players will play. Role players will have a short leash regardless of classification.
A motion offense task master like Bob Knight or Tom Izzo would hamstring this group. Coaching purists like Dean Smith or Ben Howland would keep Bradley and Hamilton from being double digit guys in order to get Mason and Ward more run. The good news is our personnel and offensive philosophy are happily married. Coach Barnes finally has the personnel chips he can go all in with and not worry about hurting anyone’s feelings.
Identity Worries
Really, I’ve got one and I alluded to it when I mentioned using set plays to get certain players involved. My main concern is heaping point guard responsibilities on a true freshman who has little experience with a) being a distributor and b) being a team leader. Because the two go hand in hand. Texas’ most talented lineup includes J’Covan Brown running the show at the 1 and thankfully Brown has shown the ability and more importantly the willingness to be a big time distributor of the rock. If open runs with NBA players are any indication, J’Covan can blow by and dime with the best of ‘em. My main worry is about his cabeza and how his point guard play will shape this team’s offensive identity.
The Key to a National Championship?
Stats are misleading and in the case of a point guard, not all assists are created equal. My question is, how will J’Covan handle the stress of distributing the ball to a team with so much talent that it will almost always seem like there’s a shortage of shots to go around? Will he make a concerted effort to get Pittman involved so Texas can establish its interior dominance? How will Brown handle criticism from players that may be in a contract year and therefore need 10-15 looks a game? And how will the fiery frosh balance these issues with getting his own looks? It’s certainly concerning but at least Texas has fallback options like Balbay and Lucas to get Brown off the ball and simplify the game for the young man. While Texas has indeed found its point guard, it’ll be interesting to see how Brown handles the nuances of the position.
Defensive Identity
The Skinny
Texas has the requisite talent, and ability to rebound, to run any number of defensive looks at virtually any point of any game vs. any opponent. Traditional man or zone, zone trapping, full and half-court pressure. You name it, Texas has the perfect personnel and depth to execute.
What’s to like
Texas can play solid, garden variety, ball-you-man defense which should stifle offenses and create turnovers. They have elite on ball defenders to suffocate the dribble and athletic length on the wings to deny one pass away cutting off half the court and bogging down motion offenses. Ill advised passes likely turn into steals and dunks by Texas’ collection of praying mantises.
If you want to rest or protect players in foul trouble, or just counter bad shooting personnel, Texas has the ability to zone. The Length Texas can deploy can harass ball movement and stagnate offense. Texas’ athleticism allows the Horns to rebound and close out possessions without block-out assignments when zoning teams. The zone is certainly an arrow in Barnes quiver and he should use it strategically.
Foreshadowing?
If Texas wants to press and run to force pace and create extra possessions, they certainly can considering their depth. Pitino’s Kentucky teams excelled at throwing waves of bodies at you until you wore down. Richardson did the same at Arkansas with his 40 minutes of hell or as I like to call it, having a Margarita with Vasherized. Balbay, Bradley, James, and Hamilton are perfectly suited for this style. Add in some zone trapping pressure and you get the idea. Texas has a wealth of options on defense.
Why to worry
Really this thing can turn into a calf scramble if Barnes is not careful. If we’re pressing some, zoning some, and manning some in November and December. Fine. If we’re not playing simple solid man for the preponderance of games after January 1, it may cause a problem for a few reasons. First, this team is young, and I’d much rather them focus on being really good at one thing. Kentucky had their pressure, Vegas had the amoeba, Michigan State played solid man, and Syracuse zoned. That’s what they did and who they were. And these were experienced teams.
Secondly, I’d hate to see the Horns sap valuable energy from offensive stalwarts like Bradley or Hamilton by pressing for long stretches. Let’s press out of a time out or off a made free throw to steal a possession, but unless we’re bringing in waves off the bench to pressure, I’d just as soon see Hamilton and Bradley use energy defending the halfcourt.
Third, I don’t like zoning at all other than to steal minutes for Pittman. I think it bails out opponents with suspect ball-handlers or even good ball-handlers. It also is going to take away from Texas’ aggressiveness when Barnes should be stoking it.
The Maestro
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting the Horns could be the basketball version of Sybil, I’m really just picking nits because this team is special. I think if Barnes can keep it simple the 2010 Horns won’t have a thing to worry about including identity. Plus we’re playing Colorado this week, and our basketball team is special enough to remain in the foreground.
Your thoughts?
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Seeing Red commented on the blog post Lucky 10 minutes ago
Fantastic write-up. I always thought Marlon ran harder than people gave him credit for. His freshman year, it seemed like time & again he was grabbed as soon as he got the pitch or the handoff but managed to turn 3-5 yard losses into one yard gains.
He never had the breakaway speed or top-notch elusiveness
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 36 minutes ago
Marquette is so fun to watch.
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Kevin Berger commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 40 minutes ago
I picked murray state so utep could beat them in the second round. Looked good at half.
Fuck tony barbee. Mainly because skymonkey loves him.
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skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post Final Four Prediction 40 minutes ago
“I Cry like baby” When I think of Texas.
“The Letter” from fuck chalk says FF.
RIP“The country roads take me home” WVU points to FF.
“The blues” of Dukies. FF
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J Rog wrote a new blog post: A Magic Show in Orlando 45 minutes ago
As suspected a tough game in the second half of a back to back results in a loss for the Spurs. Might as well make it a law of physics.
The Spurs lost this one in spectacular fashion 110-84 in a game that honestly they barely showed up for. They looked tired and sluggish from the
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skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 59 minutes ago
Fuck the Dance, and Kevin Berger is a Bitch !
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Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 1 hour, 34 minutes ago
UTEP going down in flames. If Texas loses tonight, then someone will need to make sure Trips isn’t face down in a ditch somewhere….
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Seeing Red wrote a new blog post: How To Make Your Woman a Football Fan 2 hours, 8 minutes ago
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I.M. Hipp commented on the blog post Lucky 2 hours, 10 minutes ago
Pete is right about Marlon’s running style, Lucky needed to have the ball in space to be effective at all. I think he had a nice career overall though, keep in mind he did have those injury issues his senior year.
Good player who should have looked out for himself and left early.
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D W commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 3 hours, 42 minutes ago
Now Baylor talking trash to the #14 seed players. Seriously?
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 3 hours, 45 minutes ago
If Sam Houston State wins then Rick Barnes will have trick-fucked me in a completely unexpected way. I figured if Baylor beat us like a drum three time then should be able to ease past Sam Houston State. I did not know about the Rec Specs.
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gingerballs commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 3 hours, 48 minutes ago
Sam Houston attempting to one up Murray St.
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gingerballs commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 3 hours, 50 minutes ago
WOW, way to shit the bed Stallings….again
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Triston27 commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 3 hours, 52 minutes ago
Wow. Fortunately I had Vandy losing Saturday anyway.
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gingerballs commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 3 hours, 58 minutes ago
Murray….present!
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CloseToJumping commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 4 hours, 4 minutes ago
If Baylor fails, my grand scheme of Purdue playing for it all will immediately begin to take shape.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post Beat the Barkers NCAA Tourney Bracket 4 hours, 8 minutes ago
Freaking BYU.
Otherwise, I’m 2-1.
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CloseToJumping commented on the blog post Beat the Barkers NCAA Tourney Bracket 4 hours, 15 minutes ago
Yeah, that Purdue pick was awesome. It seems like I heard something about them having injuries, but it slipped my mind when making picks. I’ve literally not seen them play for one second this season. Not a highlight, nothing. Good work.
1-2 to start things off, I think it’s clear I’m going to own this thing.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 4 hours, 53 minutes ago
Man, Sam Houston State is playing Baylor perfectly. Rec Specs is running the paint. And I always love teams with short guys who jack threes.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 5 hours, 6 minutes ago
And they have a dude with rec specs.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 5 hours, 6 minutes ago
Sam Houston State with a triangle and two to stifle Baylor. I’m going to vomit
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 5 hours, 6 minutes ago
Sam Houston State is like Tom Penders’ wet dream.
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Art Vandelay commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 5 hours, 8 minutes ago
MMOD is beating me down with the Ivan brothers.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 5 hours, 8 minutes ago
ND proved that the old tried and true, anti-Duke theory about how teams that rely on unathletic white dudes who have to get to the foul line and/or make a alot of really ugly right-handed layups never win in the tourney.
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ghostofagroundgame commented on the blog post March Madness open thread 5 hours, 9 minutes ago
Man, I can’t believe that Florida game. Their team actually appears to be DUMBER than ours.
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Vasherized commented on the blog post March Madness Open thread 5 hours, 11 minutes ago
We need to send our guys to Baylor’s School of Hard Dunks.
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Triston27 commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day One 5 hours, 14 minutes ago
Dollar $igns!
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EggNog said:
October 7th, 2009 at 10:48 am
There aren’t enough basketballs to go around for all the offensive talent we have on hand. I had been thinking for quite sometime that would be our biggest problem, but looking at the real depth we have, anyone who becomes to “me” oriented will ride pine and we won’t look back.
Damion never stepped up to become our go-to guy last year, which was frustrating for the team we had. This year, being the 3rd or 4th banana on offense will put him in his comfort zone and he can destroy teams all year long. If anyone wants to gameplan to stop him, we still have 2 or 3 more deadly scorers on the floor.
This should be the best defensive squad Barnes has put out on the floor for us, which says a lot. This season can’t start soon enough.
nordberg said:
October 7th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I think we’ll have about seven guys averaging between 8 and 12 points per game. Hopefully everyone buys into this from the beginning.
And frankly, I’m concerned that we don’t have a true point guard, and that we don’t have any shooters. You know, ball handling, distribution, and shooting. Thoughts, Trips?
Vasherized said:
October 7th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Great write-up, Trips. I can tell you’re even more geeked out than usual for the start of hoop season and rightly so given the ingredients Barnes has to work with.
A few random thoughts:
Balbay is less of a liability now that we’ll have at least 3 other legit scoring threats when he’s on the floor. He can probably get by without attempting a jumper all season but without that pressure he’ll probably surprise us with a few 12-15 pt games. From what I’ve heard, he and Brown and Jai Lucas all get along great. How Brown would mesh these guys was a concern but it’s a tight, selfless unit. For now anyway …
Where does Justin Mason get his minutes?
Damion’s biggest enemy will continue to be Damion. With so many scoring threats he has to be smarter with shot selection than he was last year. But it’s also a contract year. Will he be cool with Hamilton or Bradley being the go-to guy at the end of a tight game?
Avery and Jordan are going to dominate the Big 12 from day 1 and content for all-conference honors. No other outcome is even conceivable given their tough mental fortitude, deep skill set, and willingness to rebound and play defense.
The only thing this team is missing is an enforcer like Kenny Vaccarro.
kafka said:
October 7th, 2009 at 11:32 am
As far as Barnes being the perfect coach to sort out the offence for the horns, I doubt it. A fancy engine is not necessarily the easiest to maintain. Barnes’ roll out the ball approach on O works when you have 1 or 2 guys dominating the offence but not so well when all 5 guys on the court are scorers and bound for the NBA. In the latter case you have to pay attention to match ups and ball distribution.
Any time you are starting 3 freshmen, there is a lot of potential for things to go south, especially early in the season. I’ll be happy if Barnes gets it straightened out by January or even February. The horns should progress pretty quickly because practices will be very competitive and intense.
There is a lot of potential for problems on this team. It will start two seniors who are NBA bound after this season. It will start 3 freshmen, two of whom may be NBA bound after this season. The seniors don’t get to shoot the ball (except for rebound put backs) unless the freshmen pass them the ball. Shot distribution is going to be an issue unless Barnes is smart enough to balance his shooters and role players and pays attention to shot distribution in his offensive strategy.
What is the motivation for Barnes to play anybody who is not an excellent defender, even at point guard? I’ll be watching Lucas to see how well he defends.
It would be thrilling to see the horns pressure full court a bunch (they have the talent to do so) but it probably won’t happen.
ctex80 said:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Basketball posts are like cowbell. More please.
whoopspat said:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Trips, is there a historical team (horns or non-horns) that reminds you of this team?
Bartoncreek said:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
I hope we didn’t break the coffee table in the game we played when that picture of Barnes was taken.
I, too, can’t get enough basketball talk this year. Last year I couldn’t get too little to be honest. Having been to damn near every game since the FEC opened as the “Super Drum”, I have never been this excited to see a team play as I am with this one. Last year felt like a Weltlich year compared to this one.
A relative who has just enough basketball knowledge to be dangerous was lamenting our PG problems for the coming season. Please leave the pussy rubbing to the women, they do it better than we do. Just sit back and enjoy the show. It is gonna be Megan Fox good.
Trips Right said:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
eggnog, I agree 100% on Damion. The beauty about him at the 4 spot is that he doesn’t need the ball to score. He can get put backs and trash buckets because he’s so much quicker and athletic than most 4’s. Plus, he’s a credible threat to knock down a three so defending 4’s will have to float with him around the arc and then find him and put a body on him as he’s breaking to the glass. Tough chore for a slow footed power forward. On par with eating soup with a fork if I can use a baseball analogy.
nord, I see what you did there. I suppose I was a bit contradicting in my point guard take. I guess I meant Brown has all the raw skill to be a good lead guard, but he’s going to have to manage some egos and emotions including his own. Shooters, meh. This team is going to get a lot of open looks based on synergy alone. Good looks make credible shooters good shooters and good shooters great shooters. Right now, our starting five will roll out a credible shooting 4, a good shooting two, a good shooting 1, and a great shooting 3. Plus an aircraft carrier to keep teams honest. This will be the best shooting team in the Barnes era. Book it.
Vash, thanks.
I agree completely on Balbay. His speed will be evident with a wide open floor.
As for Mason, I sell him on the stopper/hatchet man role unless he does a 180 offensively or Barnes makes him a third guard.
On James, he’ll be a double double guy that shoots 60% from the field on dunks and put backs. An NBA team will draft him thinking he’s Corliss Williamson when he’s really the college version of Charles Oakley in that he’s really limited offensively.
Bradley and Hamilton are sick. They are currently going toe-to-toe with established NBA players in open runs.
Kafka, I think we’re making the same point, but that real time creativity falls with the lead guard predominantly. It’s not like football where you huddle up before each shot and the coach has direct input on who gets the ball.
ctex, thanks, we’re trying. We’re making a concerted effort to be the best Texas Basketball site on the internet. Sailor has promised to pay us in table dances.
whoops, i dunno. From a depth standpoint, Kentucky early to mid 90’s. From a talent 1-5 standpoint, the Fab 5. But I would argue this starting 5 has more talent with a bench that could make it to the sweet 16. Some recent Kansas and UNC teams come to mind as well based on talent and depth.
HenryJames said:
October 7th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
I thought you would compare them to late ’80s UTEP.
RRR said:
October 7th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
They remind me late 90’s UConn teams. Good stuff, Trips.
Sailor Ripley said:
October 7th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Trips Right is the Kent Lockhart of Barking Carnival.
RRR said:
October 7th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Damn, Sailor. I had to youtube that video of that.
Trips Right said:
October 7th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Are you our Luster Goodwin or Juden Smith?
Scipio is Dave Fietl.
Vasherized is Soup Campbell.
HenryJames is Brandon Wolfram.
RRR said:
October 7th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Always hated Feitl’s nickname, the Cheese. Does that say something about Scipio?
The General said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
It’s no more than an ironic coincidence that Scipio goes by echeese on other forums.
HenryJames said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Ha.
Sailor Ripley said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Trips – I’m really hoping Mason is back. I think his confidence got obliterated last year when he was asked to be the 1. His jump shots were airborne apologies. It also seemed like he was banged up.
I want the cat who could roam the baseline in a 1 – 3 – 1 and jump up and two hand block centers trying to dunk. He was a scrapper and was super-athletic. Love what he brought in that role. Come back to us, Mace.
Trips Right said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Sailor, he must have been banged up because all of sudden he couldn’t stay in front of dribblers. If Mace is back, he’d be an integral part of the puzzle of wearing down the Jayhawks and pounding Sherron Collins with 3 or 4 rested defenders.
Sailor Ripley said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
If the egos are ok, fewer minutes will have a salubrious effect on all of these guys.
Vasherized said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
What does Mason provide that Varez Ward doesn’t already do better?
Mason took Varez under his wing and pupil quickly passed mentor, similar to what happened with tim and dedfischer.
Trips Right said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Sailor just likes to yell “Mace in yo’ face” when he’s going around the office acting like he’s D’ing guys up.
The General said:
October 7th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Varez has the athletic ability, want to, and inyourfaceosity skills necessary for great defense, but he isn’t always the smartest defender. Mason is a very smart team defender on the ball and off.
nordberg said:
October 7th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
We’re so deep, there are certain guys I keep forgetting are still on the team. Mason is one. Gary Johnson is another.
The General said:
October 7th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
There was a stretch last year that Gary Johnson was our best offensive player.
magnusbleuveigner said:
October 7th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I second the forgetting Gary Johnson. Gary is a starter on almost every other team in the nation. He’s going to abuse the other teams back-ups. Gritty garbage type guy. Holy shit this team is deeper than Belladonna.
Vasherized said:
October 7th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Sailor just likes to yell “Mace in yo’ face” when he’s going around the office acting like he’s D’ing guys up.
Define office.
Bartoncreek said:
October 7th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Hell, most teams would love to have Wangemene and Chapman as athletic bigs with upside. Damn, we are deep. GJ is going to have to improve quite a bit from where he finished up last year to get many minutes. I am hoping his play down the stretch was due to an injury.
As for Mason, I still love the guy. Him and Damion manned up for us against Memphis when everyone else laid down like OU football in a tough game. I will always respect him for that. I hope that he is able to find a niche on this team and contribute although I’m really not sure what or how that would be. But I am pulling for him harder than anybody.
Jigglebilly said:
October 7th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Who in the hell is this Justin Mason you speak of?
Sailor Ripley said:
October 7th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Vash – Right now I’m at West Coast Barking Carnival HQ. Part compound and part bunker. It’s a lot like the place Desmond lived in Lost.
Trips – Your next assignment from the editorial desk is the article:
Five Teams That Could Beat Texas Next Year And Why
Trips Right said:
October 7th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
You want me to expound on this, Mr. Koresh?
College Hoops National Championship Race
bigdukesix said:
October 7th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I’ve heard it said that Sailor Ripley is like David Koresh, minus all of the guns and pussy.
Great post Trips. You’ve got me excited about basketball season and I barely like the sport.
SkyMonkeyHorn said:
October 7th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Greatb reak down Trips , The only issue that I have is that you did not mention that Bradley,Hamilton, Brown have shown that they have the attitude that makes great players great teammates, They want to win every game all the time. They lead by demanding that other players play as hard as they do to win. Their attitude “swagger” can and does come out during the games that other players can see. They make other players believe that they are better players. They will get in each others face and challange others to be better defenders, I have seen this in Bradley and Hamilton. Brown is a question mark when things do not go well for him, Barnes and the players on the court with Brown will have to be aware of Brown starting to talk to the refs…
The Fab 5 comparison is good but I would take our starting lineup over the Fab 5 that were freshmen at UM.
I am still a fan of Balbay and what he brings to the team, If Barnes lets the team run more from a rebound/steal Dog will be very good.
If Barnes lets the team run more maybe 35-40% of the time we will see just how good this team will be in March when they become immortals for UT.
Dex will be touching the ball every time we are in the half court if I was RB, man Dex can be a long post all by himself.
Hint for you Trips when you get off the pole.
Oh! Someone wrote that AB, JH were running toe-to-toe with NBA players.. How are they doing like I don’t know the answer already as I have seen them a lot in open gyms.
Sailor Ripley said:
October 7th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Liquor and guns, the sign says quite plain.
Any excuse to bubble that post back up…
Yeah, Trips. How many teams are there that are a credible threat, if we play to our potential? Love to hear who they are and why and see how the prognostication goes come March.
Trips Right said:
October 7th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Will do. Big Kahuna. I’ll have something up this weekend.
bigduke, thanks. Stick around for a few months and you’ll really love basketball. Cutting down nets is fun.
sky, I love it when you drop by. You usually validate what I type with street cred. I love that our three best players have a deep competitive streak. Frontrunners, they’re not.
scagnetti said:
October 7th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Solid, glowstick quality work again, Trips…
this was addressed some in the piece, but our YOUTH is a concern to me. Will the three frosh and Lucas make good decisions?
Other than a handful of games before March, real adversity comes in the Tournament. How do you see them maturing and assessing themselves in order to excel come Madness time?
Trips Right said:
October 7th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
scag, your concern is certainly valid because it’s hard to tell until the lights come on. The good news is if you’ve been guarding TJ Ford and Kevin Durant all summer, there’s not a ton that can phase you. Still, these are 18 and 19 year old kids and there will be adversity in the form of poor shooting, poor decisions, turnovers, etc. That’s when you lean on your big hoss inside and let him do work. Much like a QB leaning on a running game. Dex is going to be a huge mismatch for every club Texas faces including Kansas. His presence makes the Horns special.
October 7th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
“Much like a QB leaning on a running game.”
Trips, I trust you aren’t referring to the Texas running game (prays to God).
This is the most excited I’ve ever been for any sports season in UT history (or any year for that matter). The football team is good, but the way this basketball team is put together it’s like they are on another level. When you watch a guy like Bradley play, you can feel the confidence oozing out of him. He and Hamilton have swagger for weeks.
I think a solid comparison that nobody’s made for this team is the 2001 Arizona team that lost to Duke in the NCAA final. They had a starting five that made you salivate–Arenas and Jefferson have done alright in the NBA, Gardner was the best PG in basketball for a few years, Woods was in the NBA for a while, and Wright was a beast inside. They also had Luke Walton off the bench, FWIW, who was an All American later in his career.
This is OUR year to cut down the nets at last, let’s go out there and crush every opponents hopes and dreams…
SkyMonkeyHorn said:
October 8th, 2009 at 7:00 am
“‘but our YOUTH is a concern to me”
We will be young age wise but lets see, Hamilton has been playing 25-30 some games during the summer AAU plus on weekends that I fly into LA I also drop in and send a couple of hours watching JH play against NBA player. I forget the NETS player that just gets in JB face and ass but JH just scores with jumper,dunks ,3’s etc.
The point that I want to make is that our young freshmen have a ton of playing time in their bag,when compared to others they are seasoned to higher degree then players from years past. They also have played with the best for everal summers . JH, AB, JB, will be fine what I worry about is RB getting into their heads and taking that sharp edge off even just a little. I worry about that aspect.
ransomstoddard said:
October 8th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Oh man, the only thing missing from that photo of Dexter is his Ipod of Sarah McClachlan’s greatest hits and his dog-eared copy of The Sonnets of Elizabeth and Robert Browning.
kafka said:
October 8th, 2009 at 7:52 am
Ransom,
If Dex is so soft, why was OU’s super star center Griffin afraid of Dex? Because Dex knocked him silly. Griffin was not the only guy Dex knocked hurt last year. Dex is a nice guy but he is physically dangerous in the lane.
Vasherized said:
October 8th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Preseason Big 12 team was just announced.
Damion James, F, Texas
Craig Brackins, F, Iowa State
Cole Aldrich, C, Kansas
Sherron Collins, G, Kansas
Willie Warren, G, Oklahoma
James Anderson, G/F, Oklahoma State
Avery Bradley was named pre-season freshman of the year.
Scipio Tex said:
October 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Kansas fans are reading this right now and shaking their head in wonder – who knew Texas fans could talk basketball with intensity in Week 6 of football season?
Sailor Ripley said:
October 8th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I’m just waiting for the Todd Reesing / Sherron Collins cage match.
Damion James as 1st Team All Conference is a lifetime achievement award I hope ends up receiving.
He’s going to benefit mightily from his teammates.
Trips Right said:
October 8th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
The Horns could hang with that all conference squad.
Vasherized said:
October 8th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
You’re crazy. Damion would go off against us.
Bob in Houston said:
October 8th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Not sure Damion is the best player on Texas’s team. I agree with SR… I’d be willing to bet he’s not all-conference first team at the end.
Huckleberry said:
October 8th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
5-on-6 is tough, but I agree.
Jack said:
October 9th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Depth Chart
PG Brown Lucas Balbay
SG Bradley Mason
SF James/Hamilton Williams
PF James/Hamilton Johnson Wagmene
C Pittman Chapman Wagmene
Only thing Barnes should worry about is getting everyone enough playing time
SkyMonkeyHorn said:
October 9th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
PG Brown, Balbay,Lucas
SG Bradley,Ward, Brown,Mason
SF Hamilton,Williams,Mason
PF James,Johnson,Chapman
C Pittman, Wagmene,Hill,Chapman
Unless Mason returns to his Soph. self he will see very few minutes. Barnes may give him some “senior minutes” but hope not.
I am waiting to see which big is going to step up to be the first big off the bench. Johnson,Chapman.Wagmene,Hill.
I betting its Chapman,maybe Wagmene,hell even Johnson should be better then last year.
gohornsgo90 said:
October 10th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
“Not sure Damion is the best player on Texas’s team. I agree with SR… I’d be willing to bet he’s not all-conference first team at the end.”
He could be our worst starter…now THAT is scary.
ipowers said:
October 12th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
I can’t believe that u people ask Trips opinion like he knows what he’s talking about. The key to this team will be Matt Hill, Clint Chapman, and Alexis Wangemene. Dexter Pittman is going to be in foul trouble, you can mark my words on that. If those bigs can contribute and give Barnes some quality minutes then they’ll be fine. Only time will tell. Hey Trips see u at practice this weekend, if they let ur punk ass in.