Longhorn Basketball...

[benefactor]

...is #1 in the nation after beating yet another top 10 team. James was in beast mode and the defensive pressure broke them.

:toast

[leemajors]

they put it on them in the last 5 mins, defense was amazing. i didn't know dogue could jam like that

[TFloss32]

They are going to be extremely difficult to beat because of their defensive intensity and the amount of points they are putting up. They come at you in waves because of their depth. Too bad Varez Ward isn't healthy (would be nice to have even more speed on the floor). The last five minutes of last night's game was a lot of fun to watch. Based on what I saw last night from Kansas, Texas is arguably the best team in the country. Definitely the best defensive team IMO.

[lebomb]

Texas is good. I have to admit. They deserve to be #1.

[mookie2001]

H E C K of a game, damion james shooting shots like sam cassell, jordan hamilton going to ol reliable, dogus balbay with the best game of his life

rick barnes is actually doing an admirable job dividing the minutes

[Whisky Dog]

I was thinking last week that we'd find out how good this team is by today. Beating 2 top 10 teams, the teams from last years championship game, in consecutive games by double digits is extremely impressive. This team is special and now they are starting to believe and really gel. Since KU hasn't played anyone yet I think UT is the #1 team but I hope KU is still voted #1 in the polls to keep UT grounded and feeling disrespected nationally. I think staying at 2 helps them keep their edge.

That 3 play sequence by Gary Johnson with about 4 minutes left was truly amazing and really broke MSUs back and put them away.

[Doug Collins]

Texas is scary good, glad the Big 12 teams are representing at the top. I'd really like to see Texas play Kentucky, probably the only team that could really match up with them.

They deserve to be #1.

[Ballcox]

I absolutely love the way this team is playing right now. It was also great to see J. Lucas get involved in the game and hit a key 3 pointer in addition to running the offense.

The scary part to me is that this team is nowhere near it's potential yet. We still waste offensive possessions, get sloppy with to's, etc. But the depth and defensive intensity has been there from the beginning of the season.

Add in some better decision making on offense and just running the offense more efficiently (something that should happen as the season progresses), and this team is going to be a beast come March.

[Spursfan092120]

Texas is scary good, glad the Big 12 teams are representing at the top. I'd really like to see Texas play Kentucky, probably the only team that could really match up with them.

They deserve to be #1.
The way Kentucky played against Long Beach State, I don't see how they'd match up well with Texas...good team, but it seems like they're just not quite ready.

[Goran Dragic]

The way Kentucky played against Long Beach State, I don't see how they'd match up well with Texas...good team, but it seems like they're just not quite ready.


Wtf do you mean they're not quite ready? They're 13-0 and only gonna get better as their 3 stud freshman get more and more experience. John Wall is by far better than anyone on Texas.

[Dr Cox]

i havnt seen a team that deep in a lonng time



still like kentucky to beat (UT or KANSAS) them both in a nutural site game

[Spursfan092120]

Wtf do you mean they're not quite ready? They're 13-0 and only gonna get better as their 3 stud freshman get more and more experience. John Wall is by far better than anyone on Texas.
One player does not a team make...Texas has looked more impressive than Kentucky this year..UK had some difficulty with Long Beach State today. Just sayin...I don't think they're up for Texas...I could be wrong, but I could be right.

[Whisky Dog]

Kentucky doesn't have the quality depth to hang with Texas and they haven't seen anything like the muscle, toughness, physicality, and pressure defense Texas would throw on them. Damion James is playing an all round game better than Wall although Wall has gotten the press and pub because he has to carry that team. Texas would win that game by double digits.

[Biggems]

Kansas should be #1 as long as they remain undefeated. Texas should remain #2 as long as they remain undefeated. Give the Horns a chip on their shoulder when the play Kansas. Maybe it will make them play with something to prove.

HOOK EM

[blkroadrunners]

They're playing great.

[Goran Dragic]

I don't think they're up for Texas


Yeah I know, it's like Texas is prob. gonna get the 1 seed, and Kentucky will get an 8 seed......oops

[tlongII]

Nice bump. :lol

[Amarelooms]

lol these clowns are one and done this year. Maybe next year you recruit people who can actually shoot instead of jump high :elephant

[Spursfan092120]

Yeah I know, it's like Texas is prob. gonna get the 1 seed, and Kentucky will get an 8 seed......oops
Are you still talking?

[Dr. Gonzo]

Are you still talking?

Lmao you got pwnd

[Whisky Dog]

Great bump. Team turned into epic shit and will probably get wasted by wake tonight. I'll still watch

[NFGIII]

Great bump. Team turned into epic shit and will probably get wasted by wake tonight. I'll still watch


Me too but this season has been an up and down one. Truly frustrating for longhorn fans. IMO Barnes has had an off year in coaching. And losing both your PGs didn't help either. James's last year is going to be wasted and they won't make it to the sweet 16. They have a chance against Wake tonight but if they win then it's Kentucky and that pretty much sends them home. I just don't see any kind of tuurnaround from them.

Too bad since they started the season so well. Now this team has to rely on freshman PGs who aren't making the right decisions. Really not their fault and next year we'll see just how good they can be but as of now...:depressed

[leemajors]

This is the stupidest offense I have ever seen.

[Spursfan092120]

Defense stepping it up a bit...good to see.

[Amarelooms]

Refs deciding this game....calling bullshit on one end and not the hacks on the other lol :elephant

[sa_kid20]

OMG he traveled haha.

[Spursfan092120]

Refs deciding this game....calling bullshit on one end and not the hacks on the other lol :elephant
Do you know how to NOT bitch?

[Spursfan092120]

Come on Damion

[Spursfan092120]

Defense is gonna have to do this..

[Spursfan092120]

Ot

[Amarelooms]

Do you know how to NOT bitch?

Shutup dummy...Im calling it just like it is :elephant

[Dr. Gonzo]

God I hate watching college basketball. The play is so sloppy. Usually they have great endings though so I guess it makes up for the shit play.

[Horry For 3!]

Fuck you Gary Johnson, you piece of shit!

[Pistons < Spurs]

:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

[Whisky Dog]

Texas has made so many mistakes but may pull it out. It's like the freshman haven't learned shit. The season ends appropriately. With a choke job. Fuck I hate this shit.

[Amarelooms]

lOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL at these sorry fucks. Why did the 90% FT shooter GIVE UP THE GOD DAMN BALL. FUCKIN RETARD :elephant

[Whisky Dog]

Fuck you Gary Johnson, you piece of shit!

He shouldn't have had the ball. JCovan fucked that up all kinds of sideways.

[Horry For 3!]

All he had to do is make just 1 free throw.

[Amarelooms]

He shouldn't have had the ball. JCovan fucked that up all kinds of sideways.

fuckin idiot...LOL at the Horns....horrible team. Good riddance....I hope Kentucky destroys Wake now :elephant

[Darthkiller]

rofl

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Thank you Wake Forest!


Other than the fact I was retarded and picked Georgetown to go to the final 4, solid 1st day. Gonna be 1st in my bracket only getting 13/16 right. Crazy day.

[PublicOption]

texas sucked anyway. losing 3 to baylor. as if they even belonged in the NCAA's

[Cant_Be_Faded]

The best thing to come out of this season is that the longhorn fan base is starting to rebel against the deformed aborted fetus of coaching that is Rick Barnes.

The saddest thing for me is that both Pop and Barnes are coaching the worst seasons of their careers at the same time :depressed

[NFGIII]

The OT period was an appropriate microcosm of the season. Start out great and then proceed to make one bad decision after another, allowing the other team to get back into the game and eventually winning it. I really didn't see much leadership out there on the court but I really never saw much leadership in the second half of the season either. The loss of Ward and Balbay at PG had a devastating effect on this team. And the seniors didn't step up either.

They gave this one away. They were outplayed for most of the game and were given several chances to win but failed. Missed FTs, Wake player walking with the ball on the out of bounds play to give them the chance to tie it in regulation- what a gift to Texas!, the charge on Brown, McFarland of Wake didn't even try to make play on the ball against James and that should have been a flagrant but wasn't IMHO. Even so it should have never come down to what it did. James shooting a 3 early in the shot clock, Brown giving up the ball to Johnson at the very end of OT when Wake was going to foul anyway and then Johnson's missed FTs.

As I was watching the end or the game I kept hearing Jim Valvano's famaous chant in my head - Foul the freshman - as NC State went on to win the NCAA championship against Houston. Though the freshman played very well for most of the game and were instrumental in giving Texas a chance to win they made the critical mistakes that lead to defeat. Hopefully Barnes can use this game to teach those guys some of the finer points of the game. If Texas had either one of the two injured PGs I think they would have pulled this one out.

Even if they had won this one Kentucky was most likely going to kill them anyway.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

ROFL @ horry for three showing up out of nowhere tonight

ROFL
i haven't seen him post in like five years

Mad props to J'covan, even though he made three crucial mistakes (free throws, the charge, giving hte ball to gary)

He is the most fearless longhorn I've ever seen, and he has mad potential at the college level. Don't see him as an NBA player but unless he PJTucker's us, he can wind up being one of the greatest Longhorns of all time.


Also, roflmFUCKINGao if bradley and hamilton leave for the nba

Bradley i can see in like one year
but Hamilton is not NBA ready in any way shape or form. He does not do anything at the NBA level and gets horrible lift on his jumper. Will die laughing if these two chodes leave Barnes as freshman and die laughing even harder at teams stupid enough to waste draft picks on these kids.


I think this team can be something if Barnes manages to keep a team together for longer than two years.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

The OT period was an appropriate microcosm of the season.

That is an incredible observation.

Very very true.

[NFGIII]

The best thing to come out of this season is that the longhorn fan base is starting to rebel against the deformed aborted fetus of coaching that is Rick Barnes.

The saddest thing for me is that both Pop and Barnes are coaching the worst seasons of their careers at the same time :depressed

Damn, I was thinking the very same thing the other day. Both coaches lose their starting PG and Barnes his backup. I even think I heard that Barnes even addmitted that this was one of the worst coaching jobs he has ever done. So at least he knows he is part of the problem. Pop on the other hand I think is still in denial.

[IronMexican]

God I hate watching college basketball. The play is so sloppy. Usually they have great endings though so I guess it makes up for the shit play.

:tu Play is just too sloppy. Good ending though. A lot of good endings today. Not a lot of good basketball though.

[Biggems]

Texas cant shoot free throws if their lives depended on it. BTW, why did Brown pass the ball away in the final seconds....either make them foul you or call a timeout. he is their best FT shooter and he tosses it away to someone who proceeds to brick 2 FTs....and they lose by 1.

Fuck Barnes as a coach. He is horrible. All that talent he recruits and yet they completely underachieve year after year.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Damn, I was thinking the very same thing the other day. Both coaches lose their starting PG and Barnes his backup. I even think I heard that Barnes even addmitted that this was one of the worst coaching jobs he has ever done. So at least he knows he is part of the problem. Pop on the other hand I think is still in denial.

Very true. Barnes did admit that i think for a given streak of games.

And also, as much as I hate Barnes for his stubborness, he did get bloaded right out of the gates by losing Varez Ward.

Call me a fucking homer, but Varez Ward was going to have a season that made J'Covan look like JD Lewis.

[Whisky Dog]

LMFAO if Bradley or especially Hamilton leave for the NBA now. They couldn't dominate mediocre competion and got flattened by the elite like KU. Hamilton is a 4 yr player to have a shot at the NBA better get a lot more disciplined. Bradley needs to grow a shit load too, probably two more seasons if he gets better.

Hamilton's not good enough right now to play in Greece rofl

[NFGIII]

Mad props to J'covan, even though he made three crucial mistakes (free throws, the charge, giving hte ball to gary)

He is the most fearless longhorn I've ever seen, and he has mad potential at the college level. Don't see him as an NBA player but unless he PJTucker's us, he can wind up being one of the greatest Longhorns of all time.

So true - that guy, if he stays, will be an absolute stud. Totally fearless and has a very soft touch on his shot. That 3 he made at the end of regulation was really sweet.




Also, roflmFUCKINGao if bradley and hamilton leave for the nba

Bradley i can see in like one year
but Hamilton is not NBA ready in any way shape or form. He does not do anything at the NBA level and gets horrible lift on his jumper. Will die laughing if these two chodes leave Barnes as freshman and die laughing even harder at teams stupid enough to waste draft picks on these kids.


I think this team can be something if Barnes manages to keep a team together for longer than two years.

Agreed - especially Hamilton. I can see Bradley in a couple of years being a decent NBA player but Hamilton is just so immature it's painful to watch him play at times. Tonight he did a great job but many a game he would just start jacking up 3s without any thought as to what was going on. No concept as to team play - just another guy looking only for his shot. And I think Hamilton will jump in another year regardless of if he is ready or not. That guy I believe thinks he is really good and will leave for the promised land only to get his ass busted.


As for this team being something in the next year or two I totally agree. There is a lot of talent on this team and with another year of recruiting and maturing they could be a force.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

LMFAO if Bradley or especially Hamilton leave for the NBA now. They couldn't dominate mediocre competion and got flattened by the elite like KU. Hamilton is a 4 yr player to have a shot at the NBA better get a lot more disciplined. Bradley needs to grow a shit load too, probably two more seasons if he gets better.

Bradley's not good enough right now to play in Greece rofl

The underground buzz in the longhorn community is that both Bradley and Hamilton have scout/agent assurances that they can get first round picked, and will leave us as freshman.

What is sad to me is that this is indicative of either the weakest draft in history or longhorn players being too stupid for their own good.

Bradley needs at least one more year. And that's being generous.
He is a point guard in the NBA. And he can't dribble at an NBA level, he cannot see the floor. But he does have NBA athleticism. However his range is not NBA 3 point range. He does have NBA perimeter defense. That's why I say at least one more year.

Hamilton needs at least two more years. He is not an NBA athlete. He gets no lift on his jumpers. He does not play defense. He can get his own shot but rarely sees his other teammates when he's doing his thing. He plays like he's Durant but does not have Durant's physical gifts.
If Hamilton was a Xavier Henry type of athlete, I would understand, but I honestly can see Hamilton being a complete flop in the NBA even after four years in college.


It makes it very difficult to be a college basketball fan if players like Bradley and Hamilton are going to leave as freshmen.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

There aren't too many NBA ready freshman this year. It won't stop them from going but guys like Avery Bradley and DeMarcus Cousins are gonna end up lost in the NBA if they leave this year. Other than J-Wall and Evan Turner I can't think of a stud freshman who is ready to leave.

[NFGIII]

And also, as much as I hate Barnes for his stubborness, he did get bloaded right out of the gates by losing Varez Ward.

Call me a fucking homer, but Varez Ward was going to have a season that made J'Covan look like JD Lewis.

I forget who the 'Horns were playing but I was watching the game where Ward got hurt. A freaking layup during warmups and he came down wrong, hurting himself. I didn't know it at the time but Ward's season ended in the pregame warmups! How on earth do you go through warmups only to get a season ending injury like that? Later when I found out what had really happened I was just stunned by that. I couldn't believe it. Totally freaking insane for thatto happen and it seems that was when the downward slide started and ended with this debacle.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I forget who the 'Horns were playing but I was watching the game where Ward got hurt. A freaking layup during warmups and he came down wrong, hurting himself. I didn't know it at the time but Ward's season ended in the pregame warmups! How on earth do you go through warmups only to get a season ending injury like that? Later when I found out what had really happened I was just stunned by that. I couldn't believe it. Totally freaking insane for thatto happen and it seems that was when the downward slide started and ended with this debacle.

Yeah he tore his quadriceps tendon. It was one of the freakiest sports injuries that could ever happen for a twentysomething and it was during a warmup. Saddest part is he will probably never be the same again. It's a very serious injury that normally happens to like 50 year olds.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

SURPRISE muthafuckas! Big Wake wat it do wat it do! Chokin ass longhorns hahahahahahahah! I'm bout to hit that hyrdo and get high as a motherfucker!

you kent kintrol what da longhorns do

dets krazy man

[NFGIII]

The underground buzz in the longhorn community is that both Bradley and Hamilton have scout/agent assurances that they can get first round picked, and will leave us as freshman.

What is sad to me is that this is indicative of either the weakest draft in history or longhorn players being too stupid for their own good.

Bradley needs at least one more year. And that's being generous.
He is a point guard in the NBA. And he can't dribble at an NBA level, he cannot see the floor. But he does have NBA athleticism. However his range is not NBA 3 point range. He does have NBA perimeter defense. That's why I say at least one more year.

Hamilton needs at least two more years. He is not an NBA athlete. He gets no lift on his jumpers. He does not play defense. He can get his own shot but rarely sees his other teammates when he's doing his thing. He plays like he's Durant but does not have Durant's physical gifts.
If Hamilton was a Xavier Henry type of athlete, I would understand, but I honestly can see Hamilton being a complete flop in the NBA even after four years in college.


It makes it very difficult to be a college basketball fan if players like Bradley and Hamilton are going to leave as freshmen.

Good observations and I really think Hamilton wont make it in the NBA. Too low of a BB IQ and not enough athletic ability to make up for that. As for Bradley he has a shot but needs more time at the college level to develop.

But your last statement is one of my pet peeves. It takes a lot of effort to find and then recruit these players into a program only to see them bolt after a year on campus. Then you have to start all over again. I hope the NBA rethinks their one and done rule and at least extend it to two years. I really don't think that will happen but to me it is omething that I think they need to consider.


Anyway I sometimes think about what would have happened if certain players hadn't had jumped before graduation. And the following team could have made a lot of noise in March if only....

PG - DJ Augustin
SG - Daniel Gibson
SF - Kevin Durant
C - LaMarcus Aldridge
PF - PJ Tucker

IIRC Gibson, Aldridge and Tucker would have all been seniors when both Durant and Augustin were freshman. Maybe not enough basketballs to go around but that would have been a team that I would have liked to see play together. :depressed

[Horry For 3!]

ROFL @ horry for three showing up out of nowhere tonight

ROFL
i haven't seen him post in like five years



I have been around and have made posts but I don't post as much as I used to.

[johngateswhiteley]

...can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually feel sorry for sip fan. That's one of the most pathetic seasons I've ever seen, and the worst (statistically speaking) I believe for a team that was ranked #1 that far into the season.

...craziness. but also kinda neat.

[Henke]

SURPRISE muthafuckas! Big Wake wat it do wat it do! Chokin ass longhorns hahahahahahahah! I'm bout to hit that hyrdo and get high as a motherfucker!

:lmao:lmao:lmao

J-Ho is one of the best trolls in ST.

[leemajors]

I don't see why any NBA team would want Hamilton.

[mookie2001]

At least we dont have to watch the big center and number 24 anymore

ever


The thing about barnes is he's a good recruiter, but he isn't good at coaching fundamentals, defense, offense, in the regular season or in the tournament he also can't can't handle anyone with a fragile ego or an emotional game, he also can't hold on to players if they have any pro prospects a all. He can't land a true PG since TJ, he can't get an athletic bigman since lamarcus and he can't even get size anymore. And our guys twat out as seniors, the big center, Conner atchley, boddicker, brad buckman, mason, mouton, it's like if anyone does make it to their 4th year they have to retire due to loss of skills

it's not just this year, it's year after year


And the most important fact, Baylor and aggy have good pg play and athletic bigman and we're the 3rd best cbball in the state

[elbamba]

No way Hamilton goes in the first round. He is not good enough. Bradley could go just for his defense. I do agree that both players would benefit greatly from another 1-2 years of college. Look at DJ, he was a solid college pg and he has had a terrible time getting into the lineup with the bobcats. He was ten times the talent of both of these players.

[elbamba]

I do feel bad for James. I would have liked to see him make a run in his last year. He will probably be a second rounder because he is so undersized for the NBA. I see him going the Tucker route.

Free throws killed the Longhorns all year long and last night was no different.

[ShoogarBear]

I am in NOLA for the tourney and got to see this first hand. Hadn't seen much of the Horns this year, but a couple of guys I was with follow them closely.

I was told that the Horns had problems running their offense because of losing their point guards, but nobody explained that they weren't even trying to run an offense.

Rick Barnes must be channeling the ghost of Guy V. Lewis. Good thing winning the championship isn't important to him. At least the Horns seemed to be giving an effort on offense. On defense, except for the end of regulation and the OT, they didn't give a shit at all. It seemed to surprise UT everytime Wake sent a cutter into the lane. There was one inbounds play where a guy run to the front of the rim and waited for the ball, in front of two defenders, who didn't react until after he caught the pass. ROFL.

I actually ended up rooting for UT because there was a douchebag from Wake in front of us complaining about the officiating the whole game (it sucked, but it wasn't biased). Also, UT is the only dschool that had a prayer of matching the number of the Big Blue Nation that's going to infest the arena tomorrow. Wake's only hope is if Smith seriously outplays Wall and if McFarland provokes Cousins into a fight.

[benefactor]

...is #1 in the nation after beating yet another top 10 team. James was in beast mode and the defensive pressure broke them.

:toast
:lmao........:depressed

[Harry Callahan]

Good observations and I really think Hamilton wont make it in the NBA. Too low of a BB IQ and not enough athletic ability to make up for that. As for Bradley he has a shot but needs more time at the college level to develop.

But your last statement is one of my pet peeves. It takes a lot of effort to find and then recruit these players into a program only to see them bolt after a year on campus. Then you have to start all over again. I hope the NBA rethinks their one and done rule and at least extend it to two years. I really don't think that will happen but to me it is omething that I think they need to consider.


Anyway I sometimes think about what would have happened if certain players hadn't had jumped before graduation. And the following team could have made a lot of noise in March if only....

PG - DJ Augustin
SG - Daniel Gibson
SF - Kevin Durant
C - LaMarcus Aldridge
PF - PJ Tucker

IIRC Gibson, Aldridge and Tucker would have all been seniors when both Durant and Augustin were freshman. Maybe not enough basketballs to go around but that would have been a team that I would have liked to see play together. :depressed

CJ Miles (who would have gone to Texas - he went straight to the NBA), is another guy who could have been excellent.

[Harry Callahan]

Bradley and Hamilton should be working on free thows and how to run an efficient college offense, not how high they would go (or in fact not go) in the NBA draft.

Those guys were above average college players, not elite college players like Kevin Durant was. The only guy that brought it every night for Texas and is a solid NBA prospect was James - he will play pretty well at the next level.