Texas basketball 2020-21: Not even Shaka can fuck this up...right?

[cafe society 2878]

On 1/3/2021 at 12:01 AM, orangecat92 said:

I went back and realized I was on page one of this madness. You can thank me now, because I have not watched one second of this incredible season.  I read about the Kansas game on the Herm fired thread, and understand Shaka is channeling his inner Samson.  What is happening? Did Shaka learn how to coach all of a sudden, or was it a slow process? Have we beaten any other really good teams, or is KU overrated?  

I will almost certainly keep my streak of not watching the team going, so you are all welcome.  

 

I would have given you the Thank You rep bump had that remained available.

[VaLonghorn99 341]

Horns off to the best start in recent memory with the elusive win against KU and the usual against UNC  I saw the KU game and am grateful for the experience watching the Horns make those 3's! This team feels special. Best of luck to the Horns rest of the way. We break the tourney first round curse this year with a much much better seed. \m/

[LTtxfan 49378]

 

[jimmyjazz 46295]

To me it feels unlikely that Kai won't climb those draft boards over the remainder of the season.  He's not a classic big, he's a hyperathletic tall guy who can shoot.  The point about his FT % is well taken, though.  Still, he seems tailor made to be a forward in the NBA.  I think Sims has less upside.  He is what he is.

[conVINCEd 21473]

32 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

To me it feels unlikely that Kai won't climb those draft boards over the remainder of the season.  He's not a classic big, he's a hyperathletic tall guy who can shoot.  The point about his FT % is well taken, though.  Still, he seems tailor made to be a forward in the NBA.  I think Sims has less upside.  He is what he is.

Just wait until Jay Bilas starts talking about his length.  Skyrocketing up the draft boards.  He looked like the Greek Freak the other day on one of his drives.  2 steps to get to the rim from the 3-point line, arms looked like an octopus.  And he can shoot a little bit.  High ceiling, and the NBA likes to take guys with high ceilings a little earlier than they should.

[Cairn Horn88 8287]

3 hours ago, cafe society said:

I would have given you the Thank You rep bump had that remained available.

You do realize that if you become a Certifiably Surly, TREE FIDDY member, you can rep till the cows (Horns) come home?  

[orangecat92 306]

5 hours ago, cafe society said:

I would have given you the Thank You rep bump had that remained available.

And I am thinking about breaking my streak, if YouTube folks are showing the next game.  Strange, I accidentally found YouTube was showing some football games live, but all of a sudden espn must have found out and blocked the games.  

[Bitterwhiteguy 153]

19 hours ago, HookEm said:

I’ll try to make this my last post about next year…

We as fans chronically underrate players ability to improve and adjust to changing roles.  Ramey's main role on this team is to be a score first gunner. But even in that role, he has still averaged 3.4 assists per game this year.  That is more than many of our guards through the years including: Corey Joseph (3.0 max), Javan Felix (2.2 as SR), Kenton Paulino (3.0 max), AJ Abrams (3.0 max). I realize some of these comps are shooting guards, but they also had to step in and run the point at parts of their career. 

If we look at someone like Royal Ivey, his main role during his first 3 years was as defensive stopper from the SG position.  His junior year, he averaged 1.6 assists per game. After TJ Ford left, he moved to point guard and proceeded to lead us to a 3-seed / Sweet 16 – averaging 4.3 assists along the way.

You mention Ramey being a step down from Coleman and that is probably true.  But not everyone on this board was super impressed with Coleman, bemoaning his lack of development, poor shooting and turnovers as recently as a couple of months ago.  So let’s compare junior Matt Coleman with junior Courtney Ramey:

• M. Coleman – 12.2 PTS (44.1% FG), 3.4 AST, 2.3 TO, 1.3 STL
• C. Ramey – 13.7 PTS (43.8% FG), 3.4 AST, 2.6 TO, 1.1 STL

Pretty similar. Coleman was a better defender and a little more careful with the ball.  Ramey was a better scorer.  I am pretty confident that when Ramey is given the keys he will be fine, especially with all the experience around him.

Regarding Kai Jones, maybe he will go pro – but he isn’t going to go above Greg Brown.  I hope he will wait until he is a lottery pick and I don’t think that is going to happen this year.  Here is where they are both ranked by a few sites.  Greg Brown is pretty much a consensus lottery pick.  Kai Jones is a fringe 1st rounder (for now).

Kai Jones

• NBADraft.net – 2021 NA, 2022 #30
• NBADraftRoom – 2021 NA, 2022 #18
• HoopsHype – 2021 #67
• Sports Illustrated – 2021 #25
• Tankathon – 2021 #30
• SportsNaut – 2021 NA
• SBNation – 2021 #25

Greg Brown

• NBADraft.net – 2021 #7
• NBADraftRoom – 2021 #11
• HoopsHype – 2021 #14
• Sports Illustrated – 2021 #18
• Tankathon – 2021 #17
• SportsNaut – 2021 #10
• SBNation – 2021 #16

Finally, I am unclear on the 5^th year COVID eligibility rule. Perhaps someone who knows definitively can clarify.  As I read it, ALL players will have the ability to PLAY a 5^th year.  Similar to Sam Ehlinger in football being able to play a 5^th year if he wants one. 

If that is the case, it is possible that Jericho Sims and Royce Hamm will return for a 5th year instead of going to Europe or the G-League.  I suppose it is even possible that Matt Coleman would run it back.  Any of those happening would greatly benefit our team next year. I could easily see Hamm giving it a shot as he might even be a starter if Kai Jones indeed goes pro.

Players get a 5th year if they stay with the same team, lose the 'free' year if they transfer. Also, teams will have to be back to 13 scholarship players in the '22-'23 season, so if someone other than a senior takes advantage of this free year it effectively removes an available scholarship from that class. So somebody like Febres (a senior) could take advantage without screwing with future available scholarships, but if, for example Gerald Liddell (or pick another non-senior) took it, then he's added a year to the end of his scholarship and it makes the '22 recruiting class 1 person smaller.

I would personally love for Coleman to come back, if we're talking about wishes. 

[MuellerHorn 4381]

Yeah, I know I'm going to get taken down with the ship a bit, but I agree with @shadow_operative's criticism of the article he posted.

Just because, we, as fans, seemingly have a season that will end well, doesn't mean Shaka (overall) has the program is in good shape - especially compared to Barnes' tenure. A 25-point win at the Phog is definitely something to revel in, but I think he's correct about next year's team. I don't think that all of Ramey, Jones, and Jones return, and none of the freshmen next year will be super impactful.

[BigOrange1 6476]

looks like we're the 4th #1 seed in the latest bracketology: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

[Js1 85633]

10 minutes ago, BigOrange1 said:

looks like we're the 4th #1 seed in the latest bracketology: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology

We may never see something like this again under Shaka - enjoy it while it lasts, boys. 

[Machinator 32099]

Way too early for this stuff but as always, bracketmatrix is the preeminent source for surveying the bracketology landscape.

http://bracketmatrix.com/

[shadow_operative 15932]

39 minutes ago, MuellerHorn said:

Yeah, I know I'm going to get taken down with the ship a bit, but I agree with @shadow_operative's criticism of the article he posted.

Just because, we, as fans, seemingly have a season that will end well, doesn't mean Shaka (overall) has the program is in good shape - especially compared to Barnes' tenure. A 25-point win at the Phog is definitely something to revel in, but I think he's correct about next year's team. I don't think that all of Ramey, Jones, and Jones return, and none of the freshmen next year will be super impactful.

this is all i was saying. no one who posts here with me every day can honestly say that i haven't been enjoying the hell out of this season, or that i've been talking excess shit about Shaka and/or next year's team. i'm enjoying every moment of this season,  and i seriously doubt that anyone here besides greggym (oh and rex) seriously thinks that i don't love this program and want to see it do well no matter who the coach is. i was just rolling my eyes at how lazy and uninformed sports writers can be, and how, despite this season's fucking badass team, the guy's article and his points were a bunch of lazy BS. you're fucking high if you don't think that i'm loving every second of this season and these players. 

Edited January 5, 2021 by shadow_operative

[shadow_operative 15932]

i'll say this about Shaka- if he keeps unearthing Jaxson Hayeses and Kai Joneses then he could seriously be a successful coach at a smaller program in a weaker conference. the guy is an unbelievable recruiter, and if he were in the SEC or Pac 12 then he'd probably be having great success, assuming he was recruiting like this. I will never believe that he's the man for Texas until he proves that he is, but that doesn't mean that he sucks or will never be successful. it also doesn't mean that i hate him. he seems to be a genuinely good guy, and there's no doubt that his players love him. my vociferous opposition to his status as UT Hoops HC does not mean that i hate Shaka Smart. if that wasn't already on the record then it is now. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/9H5gglKHvm/?igshid=62a0l19c9j0h

can't we all just get along?

Edited January 5, 2021 by shadow_operative

[MuellerHorn 4381]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

i'll say this about Shaka- if he keeps unearthing Jaxson Hayeses and Kai Joneses then he could seriously be a successful coach at a smaller program in a weaker conference. the guy is an unbelievable recruiter, and if he were in the SEC or Pac 12 then he'd probably be having great success, assuming he was recruiting like this. I will never believe that he's the man for Texas until he proves that he is, but that doesn't mean that he sucks or will never be successful. it also doesn't mean that i hate him. he seems to be a genuinely good guy, and there's no doubt that his players love him. my vociferous opposition to his status as UT Hoops HC does not mean that i hate Shaka Smart. if that wasn't already on the record then it is now. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/9H5gglKHvm/?igshid=62a0l19c9j0h

can't we all just get along?

Not that people didn't know who you were already, but now we definitely do haha

[tbone_ 14200]

Don’t really follow basketball that much. What are Shaka’s shortcomings - as in what’s the consensus on why his teams don’t perform better?

[shadow_operative 15932]

33 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

Don’t really follow basketball that much. What are Shaka’s shortcomings - as in what’s the consensus on why his teams don’t perform better?

in short- he's green when it comes to the ins and outs of running a major program (its so much more than just coaching day to day), and he isn't a great offensive coach. i think he was caught off guard by the leap from VCU to Texas, and took him quite a while to replace his buddies with legit assistants, and to figure out how to stack recruiting classes on top of one another with the long term in mind. he's improved as a HC in his time here, but this league and this school are still too big for him. if he doesn't have superior talent/experience/guard play then he can't really compete at this level. 

[Hornlover 8847]

3 hours ago, Machinator said:

Way too early for this stuff but as always, bracketmatrix is the preeminent source for surveying the bracketology landscape.

http://bracketmatrix.com/

Except that it trails behind reality by a week or more. As you get later in the season and there's less shuffling, it gets better, but just realize that it's a lagging indicator.

[Hornlover 8847]

1 hour ago, tbone_ said:

Don’t really follow basketball that much. What are Shaka’s shortcomings - as in what’s the consensus on why his teams don’t perform better?

One of the defining traits of college basketball's great coaches, is that they all have a system that they run. The best teams feature a mix of experienced players that have bought into (and can execute) that system, supplemented with elite recruits that can take a team over the top.

Krzyzewski, Izzo, Bennett, Boeheim, Wright, Self, Huggins, Few, Roy Williams.... For any of them, you can point to a coaching philosophy that they apply to their teams that leads to success. They continually stack their teams with the 5 or 6 guys that will run the system and will consistently win games. When they add one two or three elite basketball players into that mix, then they're able to reach the final four. 

I don't think Shaka has that yet. He had a system at VCU - HAVOC - that worked well in a mid-major program. It worked because you could get a deep squad of athletic, scrappy players with chips on their shoulders, who were willing to stay in the system 4 or 5 years. Those guys bought in, and were willing to hustle their asses off and use brutal pressure defense to lead to fast break turnover buckets. They didn't need to learn a complex offense.

Shaka doesn't have those types of players at Texas (Huggins gets 'em at WVU). So, similar to Rick Barnes, he has a team that plays sound man-to-man defense (which is easier to teach than a complex zone like Boeheim runs) and relies on a point guard to generate all the offense. Solid guard play with good players can lead you to a bunch of wins, but isn't a recipe for long term success deep into the tourney when the rest of the team is just guys standing around waiting for something to happen and shaky outside shooters. Shaka has also been super unfortunate to not have any consistent outside shooting threat since he's been here. Adding a knock-down three point shooter to any of his teams over the last five years likely results in a couple tourney wins (or making the tourney in years we didn't) as it opens up the middle of the court for his point guard to generate so many more easy buckets. 

We don't have an offensive philosophy like you see at Villanova or Gonzaga or Kansas. We don't generate easy buckets with backdoor cuts. We don't successfully run the pick and roll nonstop at the opposing team's weakest player. Coleman running the pick and roll with guys like Hayes/Sims/Kai and someone like Ramey/Febres waiting in the corner to knock down a three, like you see NBA teams run, would be very hard to stop. 

Also - we've tended to have a bunch of boneheads on the roster over the last few years that were unable to even get the fundamentals right at times. 

This year's team is good (but not great), because we have an outstanding defense and a senior point guard that is able to generate most of the offense on his own and is mixing his excellent skills to drive to the bucket to get his own shot with a superior ability to find surrounding open players with great efficiency. We're going to lose on the nights we run into teams that can pack the lane to keep Coleman out, or that step into passing lanes when he tries outlets to guys standing at the 3-point line, or our outside shots aren't falling.

BTW - Calipari - not sure about him. His philosophy is to recruit 10 elite basketball players and expect them to win. This philosophy works too, but is mostly untenable unless you can drop a few hundred thousand dollars into recruits pockets every year with impunity (see also "Howard, Juwan" or "Hardaway, Penny").

[DFW Horn 6288]

 

[DFW Horn 6288]

4 hours ago, tbone_ said:

Don’t really follow basketball that much. What are Shaka’s shortcomings - as in what’s the consensus on why his teams don’t perform better?

Mainly, as Shadow alluded to, his offense sucks.

Too much standing around the perimeter hoping one guy can beat his man off the dribble followed by a dish outside. Works okay with good outside shooting, but we rarely have that. Looks like we might this season, though.

[shadow_operative 15932]

tonight is a prime example of the gulf in class between Coleman and Ramey as our primary ball handler. Ramey nearly singlehandedly kept Texas from pulling away/kept ISU in it.

at this point Shaka needs to just pay Matt, Greg, and Kai whatever they want to stay for another year. cash, cars, xrp, special lady friends- whatever it takes. 

Edited January 6, 2021 by shadow_operative

[Catdaddyhorn 3448]

Hope Hamm and Hepa are back for WVU.

[HookEm 2468]

I must be the only one on this board that likes Ramey. I like that he is aggressive and intentionally trying to score. He can create his own shot and is generally pretty efficient. He, Coleman, and Jones seem to feed off each other’s confidence and swagger.

Tonight was a little rough overall, but he still shot 40% from 3. And next game there is a decent chance that he goes 7/11 from the field with 5 3s with 6 assists.

The player I’m struggling to watch is Donovan Williams. Man he took some bad shots tonight. He has a long ways to go IMO. Next year, giving all of Coleman’s minutes to Williams is what has me scared.

Looking forward to seeing Febres.

[jimmyjazz 46295]

6 hours ago, DFW Horn said:

Mainly, as Shadow alluded to, his offense sucks.

Too much standing around the perimeter hoping one guy can beat his man off the dribble followed by a dish outside. Works okay with good outside shooting, but we rarely have that. Looks like we might this season, though.

We move the ball around the perimeter better this year, too.

[Catdaddyhorn 3448]

7 hours ago, HookEm said:

I must be the only one on this board that likes Ramey. I like that he is aggressive and intentionally trying to score. He can create his own shot and is generally pretty efficient. He, Coleman, and Jones seem to feed off each other’s confidence and swagger.

Tonight was a little rough overall, but he still shot 40% from 3. And next game there is a decent chance that he goes 7/11 from the field with 5 3s with 6 assists.

The player I’m struggling to watch is Donovan Williams. Man he took some bad shots tonight. He has a long ways to go IMO. Next year, giving all of Coleman’s minutes to Williams is what has me scared.

Looking forward to seeing Febres.

The offseason surgery really stunted Williams' development. He wasn't cleared for full contact practice until the week leading up to the first game. Not only did he look more skilled last year, but he played and appeared physically stronger last season as well. I'm hoping a full offseason of strength building and skill development will put him back on the trajectory he was on before, because at times last season he looked to have more pro potential than anyone in the program including Kai. 

[LTtxfan 49378]

 

[dcar00 14382]

20 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

in short- he's green when it comes to the ins and outs of running a major program (its so much more than just coaching day to day), and he isn't a great offensive coach. i think he was caught off guard by the leap from VCU to Texas, and took him quite a while to replace his buddies with legit assistants, and to figure out how to stack recruiting classes on top of one another with the long term in mind. he's improved as a HC in his time here, but this league and this school are still too big for him. if he doesn't have superior talent/experience/guard play then he can't really compete at this level. 

yes he's not a good offensive coach and IMO finally decided to "dance with what brung him".  sucks it took him 5 years and a shitload of crappy basketball to figure that out.  if the shooting can hold up they have a chance to go pretty far I think.  Remains to be seen if this is a blip or not.  I'm not sure he's improved that much but the talent as a whole is better.  Kai Jones makes a huge difference and Matt Coleman is finally the player we thought he could be.  

Can he recruit their replacements and not have it take 2-3 years to get them playing at a high level?

[dcar00 14382]

19 hours ago, Hornlover said:

One of the defining traits of college basketball's great coaches, is that they all have a system that they run. The best teams feature a mix of experienced players that have bought into (and can execute) that system, supplemented with elite recruits that can take a team over the top.

Krzyzewski, Izzo, Bennett, Boeheim, Wright, Self, Huggins, Few, Roy Williams.... For any of them, you can point to a coaching philosophy that they apply to their teams that leads to success. They continually stack their teams with the 5 or 6 guys that will run the system and will consistently win games. When they add one two or three elite basketball players into that mix, then they're able to reach the final four. 

I don't think Shaka has that yet. He had a system at VCU - HAVOC - that worked well in a mid-major program. It worked because you could get a deep squad of athletic, scrappy players with chips on their shoulders, who were willing to stay in the system 4 or 5 years. Those guys bought in, and were willing to hustle their asses off and use brutal pressure defense to lead to fast break turnover buckets. They didn't need to learn a complex offense.

Shaka doesn't have those types of players at Texas (Huggins gets 'em at WVU). So, similar to Rick Barnes, he has a team that plays sound man-to-man defense (which is easier to teach than a complex zone like Boeheim runs) and relies on a point guard to generate all the offense. Solid guard play with good players can lead you to a bunch of wins, but isn't a recipe for long term success deep into the tourney when the rest of the team is just guys standing around waiting for something to happen and shaky outside shooters. Shaka has also been super unfortunate to not have any consistent outside shooting threat since he's been here. Adding a knock-down three point shooter to any of his teams over the last five years likely results in a couple tourney wins (or making the tourney in years we didn't) as it opens up the middle of the court for his point guard to generate so many more easy buckets. 

We don't have an offensive philosophy like you see at Villanova or Gonzaga or Kansas. We don't generate easy buckets with backdoor cuts. We don't successfully run the pick and roll nonstop at the opposing team's weakest player. Coleman running the pick and roll with guys like Hayes/Sims/Kai and someone like Ramey/Febres waiting in the corner to knock down a three, like you see NBA teams run, would be very hard to stop. 

Also - we've tended to have a bunch of boneheads on the roster over the last few years that were unable to even get the fundamentals right at times. 

This year's team is good (but not great), because we have an outstanding defense and a senior point guard that is able to generate most of the offense on his own and is mixing his excellent skills to drive to the bucket to get his own shot with a superior ability to find surrounding open players with great efficiency. We're going to lose on the nights we run into teams that can pack the lane to keep Coleman out, or that step into passing lanes when he tries outlets to guys standing at the 3-point line, or our outside shots aren't falling.

BTW - Calipari - not sure about him. His philosophy is to recruit 10 elite basketball players and expect them to win. This philosophy works too, but is mostly untenable unless you can drop a few hundred thousand dollars into recruits pockets every year with impunity (see also "Howard, Juwan" or "Hardaway, Penny").

Its not really unfortunate, its pretty much all on him, that he hasn't had consistent shooters or recruited a "knock down" 3 point shooter.

[orangecat92 306]

15 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

tonight is a prime example of the gulf in class between Coleman and Ramey as our primary ball handler. Ramey nearly singlehandedly kept Texas from pulling away/kept ISU in it.

at this point Shaka needs to just pay Matt, Greg, and Kai whatever they want to stay for another year. cash, cars, xrp, special lady friends- whatever it takes. 

Am I to understand we beat a 2 and 7 team by 6 points? Yikes! Good news is my streak of not watching is still alive.  Of course there is a 0% chance of winning out, so we will lose at some point.  I actually prefer losing to a team with a losing record.  I would love to trade a loss to a losing team with a win over Baylor.  No reschedule for the first Baylor game, correct?

[DFW Horn 6288]

48 minutes ago, orangecat92 said:

Am I to understand we beat a 2 and 7 team by 6 points? Yikes! Good news is my streak of not watching is still alive.  Of course there is a 0% chance of winning out, so we will lose at some point.  I actually prefer losing to a team with a losing record.  I would love to trade a loss to a losing team with a win over Baylor.  No reschedule for the first Baylor game, correct?

I wanted to watch, but YouTube TV doesn't carry LHN. Sounds like we tried to fuck it up in the 2nd Half, but prevailed.

[dcar00 14382]

49 minutes ago, orangecat92 said:

Am I to understand we beat a 2 and 7 team by 6 points? Yikes! Good news is my streak of not watching is still alive.  Of course there is a 0% chance of winning out, so we will lose at some point.  I actually prefer losing to a team with a losing record.  I would love to trade a loss to a losing team with a win over Baylor.  No reschedule for the first Baylor game, correct?

they will reschedule it later.  I'm kind of surprised they aren't using the SEC challenge games to reschedule conf games.

[HookEm 2468]

If you aren't watching this Texas team right now despite the fact that we are the #4 team in the country, then I don't really see how you could consider yourself a Longhorn hoops fan. This is the best team we have had since at least 2008 and possibly as good as our team in 2003, which puts it in the conversation for best team we have ever had.  The team is a legit title contender.  If we fall apart, so be it... but at least enjoy the ride.

[shadow_operative 15932]

and beyond being good we are actually very fun to watch. the sheer athleticism on display every night is worth the watch. our year end highlight reel is going to be stupid. 

[Teryor 4484]

On 1/4/2021 at 3:23 PM, shadow_operative said:

Kai seems to be an elite rim runner who shows flashes of being able to handle and shoot. scouts love him, and if he keeps up his stellar play then i too expect him to climb up draft boards between now and April. 

Late to this, but smart draft people have already caught on to Jones and have him as a projected 1st rounder like Sam Vecenie, Matt Pennie, and Jackson Frank. I don't expect him back next year.

[Tex48 840]

Do yall think they are going to continue not letting fans come to the games?  I was going to snag some tickets for a game in February.  My friends had tickets for the game last night and I was going to go with them.  They cancelled at the last minute with no explanation.    

[PantsTent 2002]

39 minutes ago, HookEm said:

If you aren't watching this Texas team right now despite the fact that we are the #4 team in the country, then I don't really see how you could consider yourself a Longhorn hoops fan. This is the best team we have had since at least 2008 and possibly as good as our team in 2003, which puts it in the conversation for best team we have ever had.  The team is a legit title contender.  If we fall apart, so be it... but at least enjoy the ride.

Love the enthusiasm, but that 2008 team was the last team to play in the 2nd weekend of the tournament (as I'm sure you know).  Until this team reaches that I'll just enjoy the ride from now until March.  We did have a #1 ranked team in 2011? at this point in the season and it did not end well.

[PantsTent 2002]

2 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

Do yall think they are going to continue not letting fans come to the games?  I was going to snag some tickets for a game in February.  My friends had tickets for the game last night and I was going to go with them.  They cancelled at the last minute with no explanation.    

I'm guessing it's tied to Austin/Travis Stage 5 declaration.  We were stage 3 and 4 for all of football season.  Stage 5 went into affect right before Christmas and that's when they got rid of fans for a couple of women's games.  This was just the first men's game since then.  We've got a ways to go before we exit stage 5 as of now.

[Tex48 840]

19 minutes ago, PantsTent said:

I'm guessing it's tied to Austin/Travis Stage 5 declaration.  We were stage 3 and 4 for all of football season.  Stage 5 went into affect right before Christmas and that's when they got rid of fans for a couple of women's games.  This was just the first men's game since then.  We've got a ways to go before we exit stage 5 as of now.

I just called Texas Athletics and you are right.  It is due to the stage 5 declaration.  I'm probably going to buy the spring big ticket if things turn around and go to all the remaining games.

[orangecat92 306]

1 hour ago, HookEm said:

If you aren't watching this Texas team right now despite the fact that we are the #4 team in the country, then I don't really see how you could consider yourself a Longhorn hoops fan. This is the best team we have had since at least 2008 and possibly as good as our team in 2003, which puts it in the conversation for best team we have ever had.  The team is a legit title contender.  If we fall apart, so be it... but at least enjoy the ride.

nah, no cable, no satellite, only youtube.  I have Alexa, so I could ask her to play the radio version.  I was hoping the youtube thing would work. It  is still a possibility later in the season I predict.  

[Machinator 32099]

Just now, orangecat92 said:

nah, no cable, no satellite, only youtube.  I have Alexa, so I could ask her to play the radio version.  I was hoping the youtube thing would work. It  is still a possibility later in the season I predict.  

If you're listening to Craig Way you probably have it better than us suffering through Galindo and/or Blanks for nearly half of the games we've played.

[DFW Horn 6288]

51 minutes ago, Machinator said:

If you're listening to Craig Way you probably have it better than us suffering through Galindo and/or Blanks for nearly half of the games we've played.

I'll give Blanks a pass bc he was a badass in high school @ McCullough (The Woodlands). Knocked my HS out of the playoffs his senior year. Oh, and he was pretty good for UT too. 

[SDG 3319]

4 hours ago, DFW Horn said:

I wanted to watch, but YouTube TV doesn't carry LHN. Sounds like we tried to fuck it up in the 2nd Half, but prevailed.

I post a link in the OP for each of the LHN game threads I start.   

[orangecat92 306]

great. I will look for it Saturday morning.  Tipoff is 9:00 a.m. Alaska time. 

[Catdaddyhorn 3448]

1 hour ago, orangecat92 said:

great. I will look for it Saturday morning.  Tipoff is 9:00 a.m. Alaska time. 

Maintain your streak buddy. Take one for the team.  

[Machinator 32099]

Don't know how much it has been discussed, but I have to think the addition of Andrea Hudy has played a role in the improvement of the team (beyond experience and Greg Brown). Crazy thing is that she still hasn't had a full normal offseason with the players.

Edited January 7, 2021 by Machinator

[Hornlover 8847]

12 hours ago, dcar00 said:

Its not really unfortunate, its pretty much all on him, that he hasn't had consistent shooters or recruited a "knock down" 3 point shooter.

Tevin Mack, Eric Davis, Roach, Andrew Jones, Febres, Ramey, D. Williams. Any one of them could have been that guy. Not a one of them ever developed that outside shot. I'm not sure if that's on Shaka or not. Maybe it is, or maybe it's bad luck.

[dcar00 14382]

13 minutes ago, Hornlover said:

Tevin Mack, Eric Davis, Roach, Andrew Jones, Febres, Ramey, D. Williams. Any one of them could have been that guy. Not a one of them ever developed that outside shot. I'm not sure if that's on Shaka or not. Maybe it is, or maybe it's bad luck.

none of those guys were sharpshooters.  were they good shooters in high school? maybe.  too many years to say its bad luck.  sometimes you gotta make your own luck.

[orangecat92 306]

2 hours ago, Catdaddyhorn said:

Maintain your streak buddy. Take one for the team.  

Yeah, that is the tough decision.  Watch the best Texas team since T. J. or find something else to do.  In the great Rick Barnes tradition, this would be the time of year for the team to start falling apart and that super tough defense to start magically giving up big numbers.  About now, all of a sudden games start to become 88 to 86 over a team with far lesser talent.  BUT, this 2021 is different, and I am gonna make a big call. THIS TEXAS team will not rip our hearts out, will continue to outwork all opponents, and even though possibly losing a game or two or three, will go strong into the NCAA tourney, and proceed to win at least 2 games.  It IS the CDC firing Herm mojo.  It IS the kickstart of the rebirth of TEXAS athletics, and the basketball team IS the first team to receive the blessings of the mojo.  HOOK EM!!

[DFW Horn 6288]

13 hours ago, SDG said:

I post a link in the OP for each of the LHN game threads I start.   

Thanks for the reminder. I overlooked it and a search produced nothing useful.