ESPN running "Best of College Basketball"

[CheesePie 238]

16 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

if we hadn't lost a bunch of sophomores from the year before we might have run the table. potential roster for the 2006-07 Longhorns:

 

DJ Augustin

Boobie Gibson

Kevin Durant

PJ Tucker 

LaMarcus Aldridge

 

bench:

AJ Abrams

Damion James

Justin Mason

Connor Atchley 

 

damn.

5 legit NBA players in the starting lineup. With the best shooter in Texas history coming off the bench. Man... what could have been 

[SwanderedTalent 5761]

16 hours ago, ztejas said:

Just from watching this game - if there was anything wrong with KD that season - it's that he was too unselfish. He should have had 30 shots a game. I'm going crazy over here saying to myself HOLY SHIT JUST KEEP THE BALL AND SHOOT IT! FUCK YOUR TEAMMATES!

I don't think coaches understood efficiency the same way back then. A lot of the hoary Norman Dale shit turns out not to apply to a generational talent like KD-- while I grew up with, love, and applaud the sentiment of five players on the floor functioning as one single unit, team team team, no one more important than the other, if the team's total offensive efficiency is X and the individual players is X+1, then you should feed the individual player unless and until that spread converges. 

I don't even particularly like watching the Houston Rockets brand of basketball vis a vis James Harden, but on balance it's a smarter way to play than "make sure Kevin Durant doesn't take some arbitrary number that feels like 'too many shots'". 

[SwanderedTalent 5761]

16 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

Man I love KD's passion and enthusiasm, which seems like too mike a word to even describe it.

OK, you're gonna have to translate that for the olds here, like me.

[Goo Punch 4275]

14 minutes ago, SwanderedTalent said:

OK, you're gonna have to translate that for the olds here, like me.

ok yeah that was supposed to say "mild". even i was just sitting here like 

[Goo Punch 4275]

watching this 2007 Texas team all these years after-the-fact, and several things stick out-

1)As ztejas mentioned, KD is such an unselfish player. I am so impressed watching him now through the eyes of an adult/coach as opposed to watching him through the eyes of a young-ish fan. Real sequence from the TTU game: He runs his ass off without the ball on offense, gets it, scores at will, then goes down on D and goes beastmode for a rebound, then hands the ball off to DJ and runs over to set a screen for AJ. Then we get a foul, and he's the guy getting everyone together in the huddle and leading the talk, giving out the instructions. I'm falling in love with KD all over again. Truly, truly one-of-a-kind.

2)We are so small. We start three guards (one who's 6'2" and two more who are sub-6 ft) and two forwards. We have zero big men. Even our tall guys (James, KD, Atchley) are forwards who spend plenty of time on the perimeter. KD is the *only* reason this team didn't just get bullied and dominated by bigger teams. Shouts out to Damion James for the amazing, bulldog-like work he put in, but you could replace KD with fucking Greg Oden and teams would have had a better time stopping us. KD opened up the floor for everyone else with all of the attention he demanded. 

3)I'm actually quite impressed with the job that Rick Barnes did with this team, particularly with how he set Texas up for success the following year. In 2007 he had to replace all five starters from the Elite 8 team from the year before, and he had to start four freshmen and a midget sophomore. But here's where I really think he did a great job: he treated KD like everyone else (to a certain degree- more so than any other coach would have), and that's what was ultimately best for Texas. This team did *not* just give KD the ball and get out of the way, this was a *TEAM*, and while KD was/played the role of its best player, AJ, and DJ, and Damion, and even Connor and Mason were heavily involved, and looking back at it now there is no way Texas goes right back to the Elite 8 the next year without that being the case. This team was not a one-man show, it was a real-deal team, and looking back at that all of these years later I can really appreciate that now. No chance we're back in the Elite 8 under a coach who didn't run things that way. None. 

 

All in all 2007 was never one of our best teams, but they were damn sure full of heart and fun to watch, and man, KD; what can you say? Watching him play over again all of these years later he's somehow even more impressive to me than he was the first time around. Really good memories. 🤘🏼 

[Goo Punch 4275]

welp, whatever goodwill ESPN earned with these classic games has quickly and summarily been spent. they just released a hilariously awful 64 person bracket to see who the "best college basketball player of all time." not only does this bracket feature both men and women, but the seeding date a joke. For example Anthony Davis is a 4 seed, while Kevin Durant is a 10 seed. Huh?! Oh and apparently Trae Young is one of the all time college greats, as he is included in the field of 64 (again, men and women), as a 13 seed. okie silly dilly dokie o.

Edited March 20, 2020 by Goo Punch

[SwanderedTalent 5761]

10 hours ago, Goo Punch said:

not only does this bracket feature both men and women

Great. Let's line them up and let them play 1x1. I wonder how it would turn out.