Texas basketball '21-'22: Welcome Chris Beard

[shadow_operative 15932]

so, re: Greg Brown, we went from, "my son (GB III) will never set foot on campus at Texas if Shaka Smart is not the HC" to "The source said there was no chance Brown would've returned to Texas if there hadn't been a coaching change following Shaka Smart's decision to leave after six seasons as coach of the Longhorns to take over at Marquette."

"Not a chance," the source said."

in one season. by god Woodrow, if that doesn't sum up the Shaka Smart experience then nothing does. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

Nine games into his freshman year, Brown was averaging 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds, coming off a career-high 24 points in a 77-74 win over Oklahoma State. But toward the end of the season, Brown's minutes and production dropped. Brown played only 8.3 minutes per game for Texas in the Longhorns' last three games of the season, including six minutes in a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Abilene Christian.

 

there's that world famous Shaka Smart player development. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by shadow_operative

[shadow_operative 15932]

14 minutes ago, Machinator said:

FCB on Brown, Coleman, and Sims

  Hide contents

— Texas 6-foot-9 forward Greg Brown, who averaged 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds as a freshman for the Longhorns last season, is still weighing his options about whether to enter the NBA Draft or return to UT under new coach Chris Beard, a source close to Brown told Horns247.

The source said there was no chance Brown would've returned to Texas if there hadn't been a coaching change following Shaka Smart's decision to leave after six seasons as coach of the Longhorns to take over at Marquette.

"Not a chance," the source said.

But with Beard's hire as coach at Texas, Brown is seriously considering a return to Texas.

"There's definitely a chance," the source said. "He's figuring that out right now. He loves the hire (of Beard) - absolutely loves it."

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft is May 31.

Brown, the No. 9-ranked high school prospect in the country by 247Sports, turned down a $300,000 offer from the NBA's G-League coming out of Austin Vandergrift a year ago to go to Texas.

Nine games into his freshman year, Brown was averaging 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds, coming off a career-high 24 points in a 77-74 win over Oklahoma State. But toward the end of the season, Brown's minutes and production dropped. Brown played only 8.3 minutes per game for Texas in the Longhorns' last three games of the season, including six minutes in a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Abilene Christian.

It was reminiscent of former Longhorn freshman Myles Turner playing only nine minutes in a first-round, NCAA Tournament upset loss to Butler under Rick Barnes. That turned out to be Turner's last game at UT before he moved on to the NBA. We'll see if Brown follows the footsteps of Turner or returns to Texas for a fresh start under Beard.

— Along with Greg Brown, 6-foot-10 power forward Jericho Sims, point guard Matt Coleman and junior guard Courtney Ramey have yet to announce if they will be joining returning Texas teammates - guard Andrew Jones, wing Jase Febres and small forward Brock Cunningham - in Austin next season.

New coach Chris Beard said last week he's been touch with all of those players and felt optimistic about the return "of a couple of those guys."

According to sources, like Brown, there was little chance Sims and Coleman would've returned to Texas if there hadn't been a coaching change - from Shaka Smart to Chris Beard - following last season. Both Sims and Coleman would've taken their chances in the NBA Draft and moved on to professional basketball - either in the NBA or abroad, sources said.

But sources told Horns247 Sims and Coleman are also seriously considering a return to Texas - putting the odds at "50-50."

Ramey is expected to return but has been hard to read. Since the season ended, Ramey has been taking classes online from Dallas and hasn't been a part of the NCAA-allowed two hours of workout time per week with Beard and his new staff, sources said.

Beard has signed three Division I transfers — former Utah forward Timmy Allen, former Kentucky point guard Devin Askew and former Creighton forward Christian Bishop — to athletic scholarship agreements for the 2021-22 season in addition to signing 6-foot-6, four-star guard/forward Jaylon Tyson of Plano John Paul II, the 35th-ranked prospect in 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite ranking.

 

TL;DR-

every one of Shaka's players was 100% out the door after this year until Shaka got pushed out and was replaced by Beard. now they're all at least mulling it over.

too bad for all those kids who followed Shaka to Marquette. guess they'll have to learn the hard way.

Edited April 20, 2021 by shadow_operative

[Texas Flood 1356]

11 minutes ago, Machinator said:

FCB on Brown, Coleman, and Sims

  Hide contents

 

It was reminiscent of former Longhorn freshman Myles Turner playing only nine minutes in a first-round, NCAA Tournament upset loss to Butler under Rick Barnes. That turned out to be Turner's last game at UT before he moved on to the NBA. We'll see if Brown follows the footsteps of Turner or returns to Texas for a fresh start under Beard.

 

 

[Wulaw Horn 19069]

13 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

TL;DR-

every one of Shaka's players was 100% out the door after this year until Shaka got pushed out and was replaced by Beard. now they're all at least mulling it over.

too bad for all those kids who followed Shaka to Marquette. guess they'll have to learn the hard way.

I almost wish he would have stuck around for the comedy of seeing what he would do when presented with a roster of Brock Cunningham and 3 freshmen as everyone else was out the door.  Seriously, that would have been highest of high comedy.

 

I mean, I don't really want to see that happen but damn.  

[Snake Diggity 4621]

A starting 5 of Askew, Jones, Allen, Bishop, and Sims would be on par with just about any team in the country in terms of athleticism.  If Beard can add complementary pieces to get to the point that Febres and Cunningham are his ~9th and 10th best players, this is a team that would not have a ceiling limit.

[BornOrange 1441]

So there's a small chance we: 

• bring back our starting five (J Sims, G Brown, A Jones, C Ramey, M Coleman)
• keep 2 of our top 3 reserves (B Cunningham, J Fabres)
• add T Allen, C Bishop, D Askew, and J Tyson
• still have a couple more spots still open.

Damn

[txhorns 2409]

5 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

A starting 5 of Askew, Jones, Allen, Bishop, and Sims would be on par with just about any team in the country in terms of athleticism.  If Beard can add complementary pieces to get to the point that Febres and Cunningham are his ~9th and 10th best players, this is a team that would not have a ceiling limit.

Cunningham will be a key player for Beard, not the 9th or 10th guy.

[Eskimohorn 5633]

Nine games into his freshman year, Brown was averaging 12.7 points and 7.1 rebounds, coming off a career-high 24 points in a 77-74 win over Oklahoma State. But toward the end of the season, Brown's minutes and production dropped. Brown played only 8.3 minutes per game for Texas in the Longhorns' last three games of the season, including six minutes in a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Abilene Christian.
 
there's that world famous Shaka Smart player development. 

It was reminiscent of former Longhorn freshman Myles Turner playing only nine minutes in a first-round, NCAA Tournament upset loss to Butler under Rick Barnes. That turned out to be Turner's last game at UT before he moved on to the NBA

[BurntOrangeBlooded15 1566]

I don’t think Coleman comes back. 
 

My guess based off the shit on here. 
 

G - Harmon, AJ, Ramey, Askew, Tyson, Febres, Cunningham

F - Sims, Allen, Bishop

 

Solid ass 10 there.  Not much size though.  

[Js1 85310]

14 minutes ago, BurntOrangeBlooded15 said:

I don’t think Coleman comes back. 
 

My guess based off the shit on here. 
 

G - Harmon, AJ, Ramey, Askew, Tyson, Febres, Cunningham

F - Sims, Allen, Bishop

 

Solid ass 10 there.  Not much size though.  

Sims + the UTEP guy (if we get him) would be formidable inside and Beard seems to do more with less when it comes to "undersized" 5s. 

[Speedway 152]

"Maybe baby,"  it is amusing to contemplate the remote chances however improbable ...

 

1.         SG Andrew Jones, 6-4 (14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 2020-21) -102 games played, including 68 starts

 

2.      SG Jase Febres, 6-5 (5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds in 2020-21)
-104 games played, including 62 starts

 

3.      CG Devin Askew, 6-3 (6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists in 2020-21) -25 games played, including 20 starts

 

4.      G/W Jaylon Tyson, 6-6

 

5.      F Brock Cunningham, 6-5 (1.6 points, 3.1 rebounds in 2020-21) -41 games played with one start

 

6.      F Timmy Allen, 6-6 (17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21) -85 games played, including 82 starts

 

7.      PF Christian Bishop, 6-7 (11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks in 2020-21) -90 games played, including 62 starts

 

8.      CG Courtney Ramey, 6-3 (12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21)

 

9.      PF Jericho Sims, 6-10 (9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

10.   PF Bryson Williams, 6-8, UTEP (15.1 points, 7.4 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

11.   CG Jacob Young, 6-2, Rutgers (14.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 2020-21)

 

12.   F Greg Brown, 6-9 (9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

13.   PG De’Vion Harmon, 6-1, Oklahoma (12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals in 2020-21)

 

SG Andrew Jones, 6-4 / SG Jase Febres, 6-5

CG Devin Askew, 6-3 / CG Courtney Ramey, 6-3

F Timmy Allen, 6-6 / F Brock Cunningham, 6-5

PF Bryson Williams, 6-8 / PF Christian Bishop, 6-7

PF Jericho Sims, 6-10 / F Greg Brown, 6-9

 

G/W Jaylon Tyson, 6-6

CG Jacob Young, 6-2

PG De’Vion Harmon, 6-1

That roster would win at least twenty-two games and be in the NCAA Tournament, possible through to the Sweet Sixteen.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Speedway
sp

[Lonestar88 4659]

19 hours ago, realgreggym said:

How many of those years was his first contract? If Boston was his second contract, its not promising

which I think is the point of this discussion, getting to the second contract. If his second contract was before 

he signed with Boston,  then it probably worked out well for him.

It wasn't his second contract. Also, he just got waived by the Kings, NBA contracts are guaranteed, he signed for that low amount in Boston because he's still getting paid by Sacramento. Top NBA picks get paid, even when they're disappointments.

[realgreggym 835]

5 minutes ago, Lonestar88 said:

It wasn't his second contract. Also, he just got waived by the Kings, NBA contracts are guaranteed, he signed for that low amount in Boston because he's still getting paid by Sacramento. Top NBA picks get paid, even when they're disappointments.

Thanks for the info.

[Burt Macklin 19020]

It seems like we'll be pretty set at guard even if Coleman leaves if Ramey stays and/or we get Harmon, ideally both.  We also seem like we'll be fine at the 3/4 without GBIII.  The big questions remaining IMO are a rim protection and some more shooting.  Unless Sims comes back, our current tallest player will be 6'7.  Bishop seems ok as a rim protector but not sure you'd want him to be your main option there.  The Williams guy from UTEP would help, but he's 6'8 and not much of a rim protector. 

As for shooting, none of Williams, Bishop, Allen, or Cunningham can shoot 3s, so we're going to have 2-3 guys on the floor at all times that can't shoot. Askew was thought to be a shooter coming out of HS, but was 35/28/81 line at KU. Hopefully the 81 FT percentage is more indicative and his shooting numbers come up, because our spacing could be horrible if he can't hit 3s.  

Overall, Beard has done a great job remaking our mess of a roster in the portal and brought in some really good players, but he does seem to tend towards teams with guys that range from 6'2-6'7 and don't have a ton of shooting, which is what we saw his last two years at Tech. His two best Tech teams had more rim protection and a little more shooting, though they weren't elite shooting teams still. 

[BurntOrangeBlooded15 1566]

15 minutes ago, Speedway said:

"Maybe baby,"  it is amusing to contemplate the remote chances however improbable ...

 

1.         SG Andrew Jones, 6-4 (14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 2020-21) -102 games played, including 68 starts

 

2.      SG Jase Febres, 6-5 (5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds in 2020-21)
-104 games played, including 62 starts

 

3.      CG Devin Askew, 6-3 (6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists in 2020-21) -25 games played, including 20 starts

 

4.      G/W Jaylon Tyson, 6-6

 

5.      F Brock Cunningham, 6-5 (1.6 points, 3.1 rebounds in 2020-21) -41 games played with one start

 

6.      F Timmy Allen, 6-6 (17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21) -85 games played, including 82 starts

 

7.      PF Christian Bishop, 6-7 (11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks in 2020-21) -90 games played, including 62 starts

 

8.      CG Courtney Ramey, 6-3 (12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21)

 

9.      PF Jericho Sims, 6-10 (9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

10.   PF Bryson Williams, 6-8, UTEP (15.1 points, 7.4 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

11.   CG Jacob Young, 6-2, Rutgers (14.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 2020-21)

 

12.   F Greg Brown, 6-9 (9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

13.   PG De’Vion Harmon, 6-1, Oklahoma (12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals in 2020-21)

 

SG Andrew Jones, 6-4 / SG Jase Febres, 6-5

CG Devin Askew, 6-3 / CG Courtney Ramey, 6-3

F Timmy Allen, 6-6 / F Brock Cunningham, 6-5

PF Bryson Williams, 6-8 / PF Christian Bishop, 6-7

PF Jericho Sims, 6-10 / F Greg Brown, 6-9

 

G/W Jaylon Tyson, 6-6

CG Jacob Young, 6-2

PG De’Vion Harmon, 6-1

That roster would win at least twenty-two games and be in the NCAA Tournament, possible through to the Sweet Sixteen.

This roster would be amazing but I can’t see it happening.   By the time conference play starts, you’re looking at an 8, maybe 9, man rotation.  If Harmon and Young come, Ramey won’t.  We won’t get Harmon, Young and Ramey I don’t think.  A roster of 12 guys who are use to playing won’t work.  A 12 man rotation doesn’t exist.  

[Js1 85310]

Yeah I'd be fully shocked if we got Ramey, Young and Harmon.  It's 2 out of 3, most likely. 

[Teryor 4466]

1 hour ago, Lonestar88 said:

It wasn't his second contract. Also, he just got waived by the Kings, NBA contracts are guaranteed, he signed for that low amount in Boston because he's still getting paid by Sacramento. Top NBA picks get paid, even when they're disappointments.

Also, most importantly, he had 2 ACL tears in his 1st contract that destroyed his athleticism and his career. Parker is an absolutely awful example for this.

[realgreggym 835]

1 hour ago, Teryor said:

Also, most importantly, he had 2 ACL tears in his 1st contract that destroyed his athleticism and his career. Parker is an absolutely awful example for this.

The point of the discussion was that you can't assume the second contract.  Thats was the point. 

[CurlyDumps 4471]

The nugget about the coaching change actually causing Coleman to reconsider leaving is interesting. I had assumed the opposite was true.

[Snake Diggity 4621]

3 hours ago, Speedway said:

"Maybe baby,"  it is amusing to contemplate the remote chances however improbable ...

 

1.         SG Andrew Jones, 6-4 (14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 2020-21) -102 games played, including 68 starts

 

2.      SG Jase Febres, 6-5 (5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds in 2020-21)
-104 games played, including 62 starts

 

3.      CG Devin Askew, 6-3 (6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists in 2020-21) -25 games played, including 20 starts

 

4.      G/W Jaylon Tyson, 6-6

 

5.      F Brock Cunningham, 6-5 (1.6 points, 3.1 rebounds in 2020-21) -41 games played with one start

 

6.      F Timmy Allen, 6-6 (17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21) -85 games played, including 82 starts

 

7.      PF Christian Bishop, 6-7 (11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks in 2020-21) -90 games played, including 62 starts

 

8.      CG Courtney Ramey, 6-3 (12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21)

 

9.      PF Jericho Sims, 6-10 (9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

10.   PF Bryson Williams, 6-8, UTEP (15.1 points, 7.4 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

11.   CG Jacob Young, 6-2, Rutgers (14.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 2020-21)

 

12.   F Greg Brown, 6-9 (9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

 

13.   PG De’Vion Harmon, 6-1, Oklahoma (12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals in 2020-21)

 

SG Andrew Jones, 6-4 / SG Jase Febres, 6-5

CG Devin Askew, 6-3 / CG Courtney Ramey, 6-3

F Timmy Allen, 6-6 / F Brock Cunningham, 6-5

PF Bryson Williams, 6-8 / PF Christian Bishop, 6-7

PF Jericho Sims, 6-10 / F Greg Brown, 6-9

 

G/W Jaylon Tyson, 6-6

CG Jacob Young, 6-2

PG De’Vion Harmon, 6-1

That roster would win at least twenty-two games and be in the NCAA Tournament, possible through to the Sweet Sixteen.

That would probably be the deepest roster in the history of Texas basketball.  They might not make the Final Four but the talent, depth, and experience on that roster would likely be top 5 in the country.

[cochamps 1879]

33 minutes ago, CurlyDumps said:

The nugget about the coaching change actually causing Coleman to reconsider leaving is interesting. I had assumed the opposite was true.

me too.  shows how bad shaka really was.

[shadow_operative 15932]

43 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

That would probably be the deepest roster in the history of Texas basketball.  They might not make the Final Four but the talent, depth, and experience on that roster would likely be top 5 in the country.

that roster is never going to come to fruition, but with that said, i will say that having depth is nice, but in general the best teams end up playing ~7 guys come tourney time and don't rely a lot on depth. if you look at the best UT rosters ever, even the ones who had depth didn't really use it unless injuries/suspensions called for it:

 

[Speedway 152]

shadow,

I said that roster is improbable.

However, Beard is over halfway to that roster now, and he has better than a  "puncher's" chance to add Ramey, Sims, & Williams.  If, and it's a big if, beard gets 10 of 13 on that list then I'm not going to "nitpick" him on whomever he fills the remaining three spots with.

[Revolution512 1487]

One thing to keep an eye on as well is who will be here past next season. Lots of moving parts still.

[closetohumping 17438]

[Rockethorn1978 6077]

He hasn’t been posted as a possible roster spot so I don’t believe it. 

[ClubWhatever 12128]

Brown did not get better under Shaka but Sims certainly did.   Something to do with attitude. 

[Machinator 32099]

Gerry

Spoiler

Chris Beard and staff continue to work toward putting together a roster that could be ranked among the top 10 teams in the nation headed into the 2021-22 season.

Last week, there was a run of good news and addition to the roster with forward Timmy Allen (Utah), combo guard Devin Askew (Kentucky), power forward Christian Bishop (Creighton) announcing plants to transfer to Texas, and guard Andrew Jones announcing his return for one more season.

Texas suddenly has 295 high-major starts, and over 440 games of high-major basketball experience on next years roster, but there is more work to be done. The Longhorns ideal want to add a point or another combo guard, and two bigs with one being a rim protector that isn’t necessarily a big minute player, but impacts the game for short stretches.

Current roster high-major experience:
CG Devin Askew, 6-3 (6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists in 2020-21)
-25 games played, including 20 starts

SG Andrew Jones, 6-4 (14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists in 2020-21)
-102 games played, including 68 starts

SG Jase Febres, 6-5 (5.2 points, 1.5 rebounds in 2020-21)
-104 games played, including 62 starts

G/W Jaylon Tyson, 6-6

F Brock Cunningham, 6-5 (1.6 points, 3.1 rebounds in 2020-21)
-41 games played with one start

F Timmy Allen, 6-6 (17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21)
-85 games played, including 82 starts

PF Christian Bishop, 6-7 (11.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks in 2020-21)
-90 games played, including 62 starts

Possible to return:
CG Courtney Ramey, 6-3 (12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21)

PF Jericho Sims, 6-10 (9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

Not as likely to return:
PG Matt Coleman, 6-2 (13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 2020-21)

PF Greg Brown, 6-9 (9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds in 2020-21)

Key transfers still in play:
PG De’Vion Harmon, 6-1, Oklahoma (12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.1 steals in 2020-21)

CG Jacob Young, 6-2, Rutgers (14.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 2020-21)

PF Bryson Williams, 6-8, UTEP (15.1 points, 7.4 rebounds in 2020-21)

C Nick Ongenda, 6-11, DePaul (5.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks in 2020-21).

 

[BurntOrangeBlooded15 1566]

I’m down for this and I think it would be obtainable.  Someone would leave out of  it (I think if Harmon comes, Ramey leaves).  But that’s a solid 12 (11 minus Ramey)  

G - Harmon / Askew

G - Jones / Ramey / Febres

G/F - Bishop / Tyson / Cunningham

F - Allen / Williams

F - Sims / Ogenda

[jw4381 3072]

3 hours ago, Born Burnt said:

Wait for me!

You're a pre-pubescent girl?

[lazygringo 369]

12 hours ago, BurntOrangeBlooded15 said:

I’m down for this and I think it would be obtainable.  Someone would leave out of  it (I think if Harmon comes, Ramey leaves).  But that’s a solid 12 (11 minus Ramey)  

G - Harmon / Askew

G - Jones / Ramey / Febres

G/F - Bishop / Tyson / Cunningham

F - Allen / Williams

F - Sims / Ogenda

This would be one of the most stacked rosters in the nation, which is why I'm confident it won't happen. There's only 1 ball to go around. Too many mouths to feed here.

[Sgt. Slaughter 2841]

16 hours ago, ClubWhatever said:

Brown did not get better under Shaka but Sims certainly did.   Something to do with attitude. 

One is 3 years older than the other.

[Snake Diggity 4621]

13 hours ago, BurntOrangeBlooded15 said:

I’m down for this and I think it would be obtainable.  Someone would leave out of  it (I think if Harmon comes, Ramey leaves).  But that’s a solid 12 (11 minus Ramey)  

G - Harmon / Askew

G - Jones / Ramey / Febres

G/F - Bishop / Tyson / Cunningham

F - Allen / Williams

F - Sims / Ogenda

I think you take Harmon out (replace him with some fringey transfer guard or late blooming signee who wouldn't be unhappy being the 9th or 10th guy)  and that is very likely how the roster will end up (maybe a different fringey big man if they don't get Ogenda).  Hard to see Harmon coming with Askew already here.  That roster is deep and talented enough to win it all.

Edited April 21, 2021 by Snake Diggity

[shadow_operative 15932]

41 minutes ago, Sgt. Slaughter said:

One is 3 years older than the other.

Sims also never really got that much better. Again, it's become clear that a lot of us have forgotten what actual player development looks like. we have a post here championing Shaka's player development which cited Sims, Coleman, and f'ing Kerwin Roach as evidence of said player development, and that post got a bunch of pos rep. again, people here seriously have forgotten what actual player development looks like.

•Jericho Sims- he was better as a junior than he was as a senior. how is that player development? Sims played 24.5 mpg as a senior, taking 5 shots per game. Sims would often dominate the first 2 minutes of a game, scoring 5-6 very quick points, only to disappear for the rest of the night while finishing with 7 total points and five fouls. and yet people believe he was developed. how?

•Matt Coleman- according to this thread, Matt Coleman "improved tremendously under Shaka". did he? because i must have missed that. Matt Coleman was a 5 star unanimous HS All American whose final two schools were Texas and Duke. as a four year starter with a high USG under Shaka, Coleman finished his career averaging 11.3 pts and 3.7 ast. oh, and in case you were thinking that maybe his freshman stats brought down his total averages, he averaged 10.2 pts and 4.1 ast as a freshman. so yeah. oh, and he's an 80% FT shooter who got to the line 2.1 times per game despite being our starting PG for four straight years. fucking Mac McClung was better than Matt Coleman this year, and the postseason awards and honors reflect this. so how in the world did Matt Coleman "improve tremendously" under Shaka Smart?

•Kerwin Roach- not even I will dedicate more than one sentence to discussing Roach's "development" under Shaka. 

Bottom line folks: player usage and development are incredibly glaring flaws of Shaka's. i feel sorry for anyone here who's been duped into thinking otherwise. I get it; it's been a long time since Texas developed players. The last players we developed were the core of Barnes's last team/Shaka's first team, so we forget the development of Taylor, Ridley, Holland, Lammert, Felix, etc. and before that you have to go back as far as Damion James and his crew to see what real deal, top flight player development looks like. it has been a long time since any of us have seen UT hoops developing it's players. anywhere from 6-11 years depending on how you look at it. a long damn time.

now with with that said, the bad man is gone, and he can't hurt us anymore. it may take awhile, but we're all going to see and remember what it looks like when your coaching staff actually develops the talent that it has on its roster. our program has been held hostage by a child who was in way over his head in this league. that's no longer the case. we've got real coaches now, and i cannot wait to see what they do with all of the talent that we are bringing in. we'll all remember what real talent development looks like soon enough. 

[Js1 85310]

Take it to a Shaka sucks thread. All of you. 

[MotownHorn 1761]

On 4/20/2021 at 11:07 AM, shadow_operative said:

TL;DR-

every one of Shaka's players was 100% out the door after this year until Shaka got pushed out and was replaced by Beard. now they're all at least mulling it over.

too bad for all those kids who followed Shaka to Marquette. guess they'll have to learn the hard way.

Exactly how long do you plan to obsess over our two previous head coaches for?

[Machinator 32099]

(Tim Preston) 4/21 Hoops (Current) Roster Breakdown

Spoiler

A lot of coaches could have found themselves in Chris Beard's situation and faltered. Heck, look no further than previous coach Shaka Smart's second season in Austin where his Longhorns struggled their way to an 11-22 season in large part because Shaka was unable to identify/land a suitable one-year rental at point guard as we waited for Matt Coleman's arrival.

Beard, to his clear credit, was an ideal hire given the multiple circumstances he walked into...
A roster with a turnover that potentially left only two returning players
A recruiting class that always appeared to be Shaka-centric (indeed, all four decommitted and three of the four followed Coach Smart to Marquette)
An unprecedented portal filled with high impact transfers who would be eligible immediately thanks to the NCAA transfer waiver
Even one of the knocks on Beard (some of Tech's issues with player retention), has been a boon for him as he comfortably navigates what has to be an overwhelming offseason for even the most veteran of coaching staffs.

As of this morning (Apr. 21), Texas' roster looks like this...

Backcourt
G Andrew Jones (RS JR)
CG Devin Askew (RS FR)

Wings
W Jase Febres (RS SR)
W Jaylon Tyson (FR)

Frontcourt
F Timmy Allen (RS JR)
F Brock Cunningham (RS SO)
F Christian Bishop (RS JR)

*I included RS on all players who were college basketball players last year, not as an indication of how long they plan to actually stay in school

As Gerry has pointed out, it's unlikely - to the point of being foolish to discuss - Texas gets to their allowed 13 scholarship limit heading into next season. More reasonably, Beard and co. will get to 10 or 11 players heading into next season with the expectation that they will sign/bring in five to seven guys in the 2022 class (be it by incoming freshmen or through the portal).

What We Have (Backcourt)

Strengths
Both guys are capable secondary playmakers and can function as primary ball handlers for 5-7 possessions per game
Jones has proven to be a reliable and efficient scorer at Texas who can excel in an offense where he gets open looks
Both guys can really move and finish in the open floor
Both guys are plus free throw shooters
Both guys have solid length and athleticism as defenders
Both guys have reputations as positive locker room influences
Both guys draw fouls and get to the foul line at solid rates

Weaknesses
Askew's scoring numbers at Kentucky were pretty rough and he'll need to prove he can be an impactful point producer at this level
Consistency issues have plagued Jones since his arrival at Texas (including this last season where he had nine games where he shot 25% or worse and five games with four or more turnovers)
Askew's had his own issues with ball control (though he had more ball handling responsibilities than AJ did last year)
Neither would/should be viewed as primary ball handlers/playmakers at this point (with the feel that Askew still could progress into an impactful player in that arena in time)

What We Need (Backcourt)

At least one more ball handler/playmaker, especially one with the ability to be a lead guard at that position
At least one more contributing scorer
At least one more player who can create in ball screen action

Predictions (Backcourt)

Does Courtney Ramey (RS JR - who I expect to return) fill those needs? Potentially. He also fits as someone who can be here this year but not impede Texas' hopes with 2022 recruits Keyonte George and Arterio Morris, which the staff is taking into consideration.

As has been stated, Texas is looking at De'Vion Harmon. I really like Harmon as a player but a source I spoke with today doesn't think it happens for him with the Horns.

I think Beard retains Ramey and the staff looks for an impact shooter if they can find one but might settle for a Ramey/Jones/Askew rotation at point/combo.

What We Have (Wings)

Strengths
Texas has two knockdown shooters in Febres and Tyson
Both guys have 40%+ ability in catch and shoot situations and should benefit from Beard's offensive ball movement
Both guys have ideal length as true wings and could/should be contributors as rebounders
Both guys have solid athleticism and hoops IQ as defenders

Weaknesses
Febres has struggled to impact the game in other ways than just shooting (though he did show improvement as a passer and defender this past season in limited action)
Neither guy has proven the ability to put the ball on the floor off of fakes or straight line drives at this level on a consistent basis
Like Jones, Febres has had feast or famine issues with his efficiency

What We Need (Wings)

You don't turn down lengthy shooters, but I'm not sure another pure wing is/should be a priority right now unless they think they have a program-changing guy who would come

Predictions (Wings)

This will depend some on the guard take(s) but I don't expect more than two guards or wings (total) between now and the season. One of those spots is for Ramey (or another point/combo guard should he head elsewhere). The other could be filled by either a scoring guard or a wing.

What We Have (Frontcourt)

Strengths
By getting Allen's signature, the Longhorns landed one of the top playmaking forwards in the country
Allen is terrific with the ball in his hands and can function in a true point forward role
All of Cunningham, Allen and Bishop are versatile, quick defenders who can defend well on switches on to smaller players
All of them can/will be contributors on the glass
Cunningham is a high level off-ball/help defender who can create extra possessions through deflections and strips
Allen's shown terrific consistency as a scorer at the high D1 level and should compete for the highest ppg of the team this year
Bishop is a high flyer who will be an asset in the screen and roll game as well as in the open floor

Weaknesses
To call all three of them not shooters is maybe a little generous.
Bishop only attempted four shots from deep last year (he made one)
Allen shot under 27% from three last year on just under two attempts per game
Brock was 9-36 from three last season for an even 25%
None of the three are rim protectors
None should be counted on as big minute defenders at the five spot in a man defense

What We Need (Frontcourt)
Two true post defenders/rim protectors
A floor-stretching big man
A lead-the-team-in-rebounds big man

Predictions (Frontcourt)

The word on Jericho Sims' possible return is promising but not definitive at this point, but he'd certainly check the box as a post defender/rim protector/rebounds leader and I think he'll be back.

Is there a shooting big man who can be a plus defender to be found out there? UTEP portaler Bryson Williams could follow his former head coach to Austin and he shot 36% from deep as a junior (though that was his only season above 30% and he was back down to 27.9% as a senior this last season).

Still, there are few commodities hotter than 6'8 (or taller) shooters who can also defend. Generally, they're called five-stars or NBA draft picks, so the holding of breath should be done with caution.

I think a big man rotation of Sims and one more shot blocker/area rebounder should get the job done.

Predictions (Full Roster)
G Courtney Ramey
G Andrew Jones
G Devin Askew
G (TBD)
W Jase Febres
W Jaylon Tyson
F Timmy Allen
F Christian Bishop
F Brock Cunningham
F Jericho Sims
F (TBD)

Thanks for reading, friends.

 

[dogbreath 434]

No mention of DeVante’ Jones by IT guys.  Did UK make an offer to him? 

[Burt Macklin 19020]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

I think you take Harmon out (replace him with some fringey transfer guard or late blooming signee who wouldn't be unhappy being the 9th or 10th guy)  and that is very likely how the roster will end up (maybe a different fringey big man if they don't get Ogenda).  Hard to see Harmon coming with Askew already here.  That roster is deep and talented enough to win it all.

I wouldn't say it's very likely that Sims returns and we get Williams.  It would be difficult to have those two plus one of Allen/Bishop on the floor at the same time, and Williams won't come here unless he's a starter.

[shadow_operative 15932]

1 hour ago, Js1 said:

Take it to a Shaka sucks thread. All of you. 

A)that thread was locked a long time ago.

and B)literally just did a TL;DR of the article that Machinator posted. zero personal opinion, 100% recap of the article. you guys are being hypersensitive here for zero discernible reason. 

Edited April 21, 2021 by shadow_operative

[SizzleChest 8283]

6 minutes ago, dogbreath said:

No mention of DeVante’ Jones by IT guys.  Did UK make an offer to him? 

Not sure, but that seems to be where he prefers to go.

It's sounding like we're not looking for a distributor for the last G spot, more of a shooter.  Jones is not a shooter.  Harmon is, but he wants to play in an offense where he's the primary distributor.  We also seem to want a one year rental for that last G spot so as not to disrupt the '22 class.  Makes a guy like Jacob Young appear more plausible.

[SizzleChest 8283]

2 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I wouldn't say it's very likely that Sims returns and we get Williams.  It would be difficult to have those two plus one of Allen/Bishop on the floor at the same time, and Williams won't come here unless he's a starter.

Agree.  I think Sims and Williams are mutually exclusive.  Sims is my preference.  He's the kind of guy where a one year development cycle could produce tremendous results.

[shadow_operative 15932]

1 hour ago, MotownHorn said:

Exactly how long do you plan to obsess over our two previous head coaches for?

my here is literally one person on this site who is obsessed with Rick Barnes, and it's you. maybe take a break from that for a while, see how it feels. 

[Burt Macklin 19020]

1 minute ago, SizzleChest said:

Agree.  I think Sims and Williams are mutually exclusive.  Sims is my preference.  He's the kind of guy where a one year development cycle could produce tremendous results.

Same.  Sims' defensive presence with the rest of this roster would be amazing.  I'm also curious to see how much we play Allen and Bishop together. If we play a team where we need a 5 on the floor, things will get really clogged if we play Bishop at 4 and Allen at 3.  It'll also be interesting to see how the guards shake out. I could see Ramey and Askew both starting, and I could also see some 3 guard lineups to add more shooting since none of Bishop, Allen, or Cunningham are 3 point shooters.  I think this what we're looking at barring a new stud transfer popping up:

 

G - Ramey / Askew

G - Jones / Febres / CG (Harmon, Young, etc.)

G/F - Bishop / Cunningham / Tyson

F - Allen / Bishop

F - Sims OR Williams/ Ogenda OR backup big rim protector

[shadow_operative 15932]

20 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Same.  Sims' defensive presence with the rest of this roster would be amazing.  I'm also curious to see how much we play Allen and Bishop together. If we play a team where we need a 5 on the floor, things will get really clogged if we play Bishop at 4 and Allen at 3.  It'll also be interesting to see how the guards shake out. I could see Ramey and Askew both starting, and I could also see some 3 guard lineups to add more shooting since none of Bishop, Allen, or Cunningham are 3 point shooters.  I think this what we're looking at barring a new stud transfer popping up:

 

G - Ramey / Askew

G - Jones / Febres / CG (Harmon, Young, etc.)

G/F - Bishop / Cunningham / Tyson

F - Allen / Bishop

F - Sims OR Williams/ Ogenda OR backup big rim protector

I think that AJ can shoot something along the lines of 40%-43% from deep simply by taking more good looks/fewer bad looks. Same for Febres, although he will be more of a bit player. if we can get Sims to return, you have to think that he has his best year of his college career. he's not a dominant player, but he could be such an important player for us next year, especially if we do have a few guys who can knock down open looks from the perimeter. Sims coming back would be a game changer.

[closetojumping 62604]

On Williams, one thing to consider is that he may have a guy that Terry's hired at Fresno and then UTEP. Seems like he's not getting hired at Texas, so if that matters, probably not landing Williams. One of the bots or dorks can figure out whoever the guy is and tell us about it. If that's already being bantered about, I missed it, sorry. Seems like you guys feel like Williams could be the guy. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

[Machinator 32099]

3 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

On Williams, one thing to consider is that he may have a guy that Terry's hired at Fresno and then UTEP. Seems like he's not getting hired at Texas, so if that matters, probably not landing Williams. One of the bots or dorks can figure out whoever the guy is and tell us about it. If that's already being bantered about, I missed it, sorry. Seems like you guys feel like Williams could be the guy. It will be interesting to see how it shakes out.

Kenton Paulino?

[closetojumping 62604]

1 minute ago, Machinator said:

Kenton Paulino?

Ha. I would assume not. Might not be an on the court coach, don't know.

[Snake Diggity 4621]

2 hours ago, Burt Macklin said:

Same.  Sims' defensive presence with the rest of this roster would be amazing.  I'm also curious to see how much we play Allen and Bishop together. If we play a team where we need a 5 on the floor, things will get really clogged if we play Bishop at 4 and Allen at 3.  It'll also be interesting to see how the guards shake out. I could see Ramey and Askew both starting, and I could also see some 3 guard lineups to add more shooting since none of Bishop, Allen, or Cunningham are 3 point shooters.  I think this what we're looking at barring a new stud transfer popping up:

 

G - Ramey / Askew

G - Jones / Febres / CG (Harmon, Young, etc.)

G/F - Bishop / Cunningham / Tyson

F - Allen / Bishop

F - Sims OR Williams/ Ogenda OR backup big rim protector

This roster would be dope.  Ramey+Sims+any transfer guard that has been mentioned+any transfer big that has been mentioned=very high expectations 

Edited April 21, 2021 by Snake Diggity