Texas Basketball 2023-24

[shadow_operative 15,932]

On 5/22/2023 at 8:24 PM, shadow_operative said:

is that what i said? 

 

On 5/22/2023 at 9:24 PM, shadow_operative said:

if you really can't come up with anything in between "i don't understand what you're saying at all" and "KD isn't going to personally fork over $250k for spencer" then i doubt i can help you, but against my better judgment i'll try.

we have more recent nba vets than 99% of other schools. many of those guys played for RT and love him. those guys publicly and privately went to bat for RT in support of him getting the job. they want him to do well; they want Texas to do well. you don't think that our collective nba alum base can/will drop a few pennies in the bucket to help Texas and RT sign a kid here and there? 

 

On 5/23/2023 at 1:05 AM, shadow_operative said:

people on surly got together to pool money for NIL deals. you don't think that our former players (i'd estimate that RT's former players have close to $500m in career earnings, if not more) can get together and organize something to help the school that gave them scholarships, an education, the best times of their lives, etc? you don't think they'll do that for the coach/mentor they've known since HS, whom they care about, and who they want to see succeed at Texas? 

 

On 5/23/2023 at 1:06 AM, shadow_operative said:

as a matter of fact, if i'm cdc and ive got all of these former players telling me i should hire RT, im 100% asking each of them just how invested they are in RT, well before i ever give him the long term gig. 

 

19 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

you seem really adamant about arguing with me even though you yourself admit that you have zero clue how any of this works. great stuff. your contributions to this board are extremely valuable and appreciated by all.

 

 

 

here's every post i've made in reply to your incessant prodding and bad faith arguing. how are you able to convince yourself of the things you say? what about these posts has you crying about me being a big ole meanie towards you? 

you aren't trying to have an actual discussion about NIL, you just want to argue with me for sport. yet somehow in your mind you're just in here trying to have an honest discussion while i'm i here being insulting and rude to you. that's just...amazing. you're the nadia comaneci of mental gymnastics.

Edited May 24, 2023 by shadow_operative

[shadow_operative 15,932]

motown says that brock cunningham is an analog for pj tucker, then doubles and triples down on it. just an incredibly fucking moronic take. this entire board piles on as motown co to use to j disu he's right. i say nothing to motown. i don't add to the pile on, because i am here to talk about basketball.

i say that our nba alums who played for RT, who advocated for him getting the job, and who are worth hundreds of millions should be helping out with NIL. motown spends days being a humongous, argumentative prick about this, following me around repeating, "you don't know shit!!! lolol laugh snicker lolol" over and over and over. 

how you can truly convince yourself that you're in here with earnest intentions and that i'm just out here being an asshole for no reason is just...there are no words. you're a child. 

[VinyVango 694]

here's every post i've made in reply to your incessant prodding and bad faith arguing. how are you able to convince yourself of the things you say? what about these posts has you crying about me being a big ole meanie towards you? 
you aren't trying to have an actual discussion about NIL, you just want to argue with me for sport. yet somehow in your mind you're just in here trying to have an honest discussion while i'm i here being insulting and rude to you. that's just...amazing. 

Is there a grievance airing forum you could move this personal back and forth to? If not, can we rename this folder to make it clear it’s more judge Judy than anything else?

[closetohumping 17,442]

5 minutes ago, VinyVango said:

Is there a grievance airing forum you could move this personal back and forth to? If not, can we rename this folder to make it clear it’s more judge Judy than anything else?

Not a bad idea at all.  This used to be a good thread

[HtownHorn 14,690]

2 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

Not a bad idea at all.  This used to be a good thread

This thread was a ticking time bomb to get Derka'd. He's incapable of not shitting on threads when people have different ideas and opinions.

[shadow_operative 15,932]

7 minutes ago, VinyVango said:

Is there a grievance airing forum you could move this personal back and forth to? If not, can we rename this folder to make it clear it’s more judge Judy than anything else?

what do you want me to do? i have serious mental illness and i currently have serious physical health problems which are exacerbating said issues. ive got a guy who is acutely aware of these things following me around for days doing nothing but talking shit to me, not trying to engage in any sort of real discussion. I having an adult conversation with him, and all it has led to is more and more and more repeated shit talking from him. he knows what he's doing; he knows I am eventually going to crack; he wants this to happen; this is his only goal. 

if you don't like the way that this conversation is going down, then maybe instead of addressing it with me, the person who is trying to talk about Basketball, just maybe you should address it with the juvenile fucking asshole who is following me around starting shit with me for sport. you don't get to sit back and watch him do that shit for days and then get mad at me when the inevitable happens. I've been trying to talk about Basketball.

I am reaching my wits end with motownhorn's juvenile posting towards me, as i am with other people here tacitly encouraging him and egging him on. This is the result you get when that happens. if you don't like that say something before it gets to this point. Jesus fucking Christ.

4 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

This thread was a ticking time bomb to get Derka'd. He's incapable of not shitting on threads when people have different ideas and opinions.

i've been posting about basketball. i'm not the one following around the mentally ill guy prodding poking and trying to start shit with him day after day after day.

[shadow_operative 15,932]

If you see me starting shit with other people then you call me on it. But don't get fucking mad at me when some juvenile assholes follow me around day after day after day talking shit to me and then I eventually react to it. where was all of this outcry over the last several days when i kept taking this BS in stride?

[shadow_operative 15,932]

28 minutes ago, VinyVango said:

Is there a grievance airing forum you could move this personal back and forth to? If not, can we rename this folder to make it clear it’s more judge Judy than anything else?

@Js1 pos reps this post. case in fucking point. i make posts about basketball and this asshole responds with, "hey you fat bitch, why don't you go jerk off your micro dick you unhinged psychopath?", and yet HE goes and gives pos rep to this post, as if his express purpose here isn't teo try and get me unhinged. you can't make this shit up. 

i talk basketball, a bunch of our resident juvenile fucking morons talk shit to me, and then these same exact people pretend to get upset after they've reached their desired outcome. if this board were a meritocracy then motown and js1 would have lost their posting privileges years ago. how you people continue to convince yourselves that you're above it all is mind blowing. if you don't like the thread ending up here then stop driving the conversation to this exact destination! wow! what a concept!

Edited May 24, 2023 by shadow_operative

[HookEm 2,467]

Back to the SEC talk, I agree it isn't a good cultural fit for UT (even though a lot of people in our state share the deep souf culture).  UT and Austin are much more culturally similar to some of the big liberal schools around the country like Washington, Colorado, UNC, etc.  That said, we are a better academic fit with Florida, Georgia, Aggy and Vanderbilt than any schools in the old Big 12.

Using US News rankings, the SEC is actually a good bit better academic conference than the Big 12, which isn't saying much.

Moving

• Texas - 38
• Oklahoma - 127

SEC - Avg 112

• Vanderbilt - 13
• Florida - 29
• Georgia - 49
• Texas A&M - 67
• Auburn - 97
• South Carolina - 115
• Tennessee - 115
• Missouri - 121
• Alabama - 137
• Kentucky - 137
• Ole Miss - 151
• LSU - 176
• Arkansas - 176
• Mississippi State - 194

Big 12 - 147.8 (with new schools) / 151.9 (old excluding UT & OU)

• Baylor - 77
• TCU - 89
• BYU - 89 (new)
• Kansas - 121
• Iowa State - 127
• Central Florida - 137 (new)
• Cincinnati - 151 (new)
• K-State - 166
• Oklahoma State - 182
• Houston - 182 (new)
• Texas Tech - 219
• West Virginia - 234

I think ultimately we will find that we are a bitter fit with a lot of the new SEC schools than we were with West Virginia, Iowa State, K-State, OSU.  

PAC-10 was probably the best cultural fit, especially if we could have made a Southwest pod with Arizona, ASU, Colorado, and OU.

[MAUFRAIS 6,629]

I sure hate being behind Florida in that deal.

Too close to Georgia too. It lets all the people from here who go there act like it wasn’t their safety.

[closetohumping 17,442]

13 minutes ago, MAUFRAIS said:

I sure hate being behind Florida in that deal.

Too close to Georgia too. It lets all the people from here who go there act like it wasn’t their safety.

When the fuck did the smart kids go to Florida?

[Pancho 44,826]

1 hour ago, Braff Zacklin said:

The SEC is a poor cultural fit, and probably a poor ethical one, as well.

 

Cultural can have many different facets that it’s important to distinguish. I used to always argue with other fans (on Shaggy and Hornfans) that yes, Texas was a great cultural fit for the SEC. Then i realized, “oh shit, it’s layered.”

UT fits in perfectly when it comes to the cultural aspects of the politics of the state and half (I’d argue more than half) of our fanbase, geography, natural rivals, and pride. Where we don’t fit is academics and city but Austin really is no different than Atlanta or Nashville and academically we are at the top with Vanderbilt, Florida, and Georgia.

I always thought we were really a Big 10 school. 

[Pancho 44,826]

16 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

listen i totally agree with you here. ive had the same thoughts myself. but Texas is a unique case. we have more recent nba players than all but 5-6 schools; many of them advocated for Terry; Texas is not a basketball school, with only one modern FF and zero titles; most of our recent nba alumni played for RT; they want him to do well; they know that Texas is a sleeping basketball giant; many of them love the school and loved their time here. why wouldn't they help out?

again, im not saying that our nba alumni are just going to be writing blank checks for NIL purposes, but tell me- in your heart of hearts, don't you think that A)CDC and RT are going to leave no stone unturned when it comes to NIL funds, and B)that our nba alums would be happy to help out? like i said, surly posters have organized and raised funds for NIL. why is it so illogical to think that our deep roster of nba alumni who played for terry and want him to succeed wouldn't chip in a little bit if it meant him getting a player versus losing him to a competitor?

finally, if the major programs and blue bloods aren't rallying the troops and getting their nba alums to give back to their school/program by organizing an NIL fund that can be used to give them an advantage in recruiting then i don't know wtf they're doing. seems like a pretty obvious angle to me.

 

I see your point. How do we know they aren’t already doing that? (And that’s a genuine question.)

I’d just question how much is enough to give back? And I’d also wonder if many of them (not just Longhorns but NBA players as a whole) have made great financial decisions so they are in a place to give back. It’s a great idea to supplement NIL, for sure. 

[Js1 85,353]

McCullars withdrew from the draft to return to KU. Self going all in before his heart goes 

[idigTexas 2,289]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

@Js1 pos reps this post. case in fucking point. i make posts about basketball and this asshole responds with, "hey you fat bitch, why don't you go jerk off your micro dick you unhinged psychopath?", and yet HE goes and gives pos rep to this post, as if his express purpose here isn't teo try and get me unhinged. you can't make this shit up. 

i talk basketball, a bunch of our resident juvenile fucking morons talk shit to me, and then these same exact people pretend to get upset after they've reached their desired outcome. if this board were a meritocracy then motown and js1 would have lost their posting privileges years ago. how you people continue to convince yourselves that you're above it all is mind blowing. if you don't like the thread ending up here then stop driving the conversation to this exact destination! wow! what a concept!

Keep posting your basketball takes, but for the personal back and forth, do yourself and the rest of us a favor and try this trick.  Type whatever you want to say, capturing all the proof you need to make your point, and instead of clicking Submit Reply, delete it all and don't look back.  I have done that a number of times on this thread in the past couple of days, this post notwithstanding. 

Some people are engaging you because they like to watch the world burn.  Some are doing it because they have issues with letting things go just as you do.  Some don't react well to your often confrontational and belittling style of discussion.  Some simply don't know any better.  Nothing positive is ever going to come from you continuing to engage anyone when it goes beyond basketball talk and becomes personal.

You are occasionally capable of self-evaluating and recognizing how your posts become a negative on the basketball forum.  It may be time for another one of those or for you to step away for a few days and focus on the positives in your life.   

[shadow_operative 15,932]

i pos repped your post and have listened to your advice, but will say this: it's one thing for me to be posting when i'm in a bad place and im just incendiary and combative and causing issues left and right.

it's a completely different thing for me to be in a bad place, come to shaggy, keep my head down, keep all of my posts strictly about basketball, only to have to endure a cacophony of mean spirited and childish shit talk coming my way from people who simply don't like me and have no intentions of having any sort of honest discussion, day after day after day. 

Edited May 24, 2023 by shadow_operative

[Js1 85,353]

I do not believe i called you fat. Just an unhinged psychopath 

[BurntOrange&White 39,934]

3 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

The SEC is Deep South to me. Outside of some portions of East Texas, I have never associated the Lone Star State with the Deep South.

The SEC is a poor cultural fit, and probably a poor ethical one, as well.

It was an unnecessarily desperate move, motivated purely by greed. The other Big 12 teams are right to deride and despise us, and should we spend the next 40 years wandering the desert, it will be deserved.

Texas culture as a whole is specifically just a Texas culture, it insist upon itself. 

But Texas culture being Texas culture has more in common with SEC type states than it does west coast type state or even mid west. 

 

If you want to compete in one of the best conferences for all major sports, it's the SEC. That is why the SEC was chosen. It's football, basketball, baseball, softball, etc. Football is the one that pays the bills though...and there is no better conference in terms of winning titles, putting players in the NFL, or talent acquisition from the high school level than the footprint of the SEC.

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by BurntOrange&White

[MotownHorn 1,767]

5 hours ago, Catdaddyhorn said:

https://texassports.com/news/2018/1/3/mens-basketball-nba-star-kevin-durant-donates-3-million-to-the-university-of-texas.aspx

Kevin Durant

01.04.2018 | Men's Basketball

NBA star Kevin Durant donates $3 million to The University of Texas

2017 NBA Finals MVP makes the largest donation ever by a former Texas Basketball student-athlete.

AUSTIN, Texas – Former University of Texas star and 2007 consensus National Player of the Year Kevin Durant is donating $3 million to UT to support Texas Basketball and the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation. Durant's donation is the largest outright gift by a former Texas Basketball student-athlete in school history and among the largest gifts ever by any professional athlete to his alma mater.  

In honor of the contribution, of which $2.5 million will go to Texas Basketball, the main entrance to Denton A. Cooley Pavilion will be named The Kevin Durant Texas Basketball Center. In addition, the men's basketball facilities will be named The Kevin Durant Basketball Facility for Men.

"My time as a Longhorn helped build the foundation for who I am today as a player and a person, and the UT team will always be my family," said Durant. "It's important to me to continue to give back to The University and ensure that future student-athletes have all the opportunities they need to succeed. It's an honor to have such a close and unique relationship with Texas Basketball, and I'm grateful to be able to contribute."

Durant's gift has already funded substantial facility improvements in Cooley Pavilion, highlighted by the renovation of the men's and women's basketball locker rooms, resurfacing of both the men's and women's basketball practice courts, installation of graphics in the men's practice areas, audio improvements and the creation of formal office space in Cooley Pavilion. 

That has nothing to do with NIL though

 

2 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

motown says that brock cunningham is an analog for pj tucker, then doubles and triples down on it. just an incredibly fucking moronic take. this entire board piles on as motown co to use to j disu he's right. i say nothing to motown. i don't add to the pile on, because i am here to talk about basketball.

i say that our nba alums who played for RT, who advocated for him getting the job, and who are worth hundreds of millions should be helping out with NIL. motown spends days being a humongous, argumentative prick about this, following me around repeating, "you don't know shit!!! lolol laugh snicker lolol" over and over and over. 

how you can truly convince yourself that you're in here with earnest intentions and that i'm just out here being an asshole for no reason is just...there are no words. you're a child. 

You take this all very personally. It's not a big deal to me if Internet strangers disagree with me. I certainly don't need to call them names or make long rambling posts about it.

I politely asked a question about your NIL idea, did not respond in kind when you called me names and insulted me in your explanation, and then said "oh ok this is just something you made up. Got it."

I posted like 5-10 sentences in total about your NIL fantasy. And I never once called you a name or insulted you personally. That's not being a humongous argumentative prick. Look in the mirror for that.

Edited May 24, 2023 by MotownHorn

[Dbeasy 15,052]

Well I see the thread has been Derka’d again. 
 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

2 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

Well I see the thread has been Derka’d again. 
 

 

 

[HookEm 2,467]

1 hour ago, Js1 said:

McCullars withdrew from the draft to return to KU. Self going all in before his heart goes 

I suppose even I will admit that KU has a better roster than us now, and probably the best team in the nation. 

Guessing they go with a starting lineup of:

• PG - Dajuan Harris
• SG - Nicolas Timberlake
• SF - Kevin McCullar
• PF - KJ Adams
• C - Hunter Dickinson

Off the bench then you would have Arterio Morris, Elmarko Jackson and Parker Braun (plus all the other freshmen).  They are going to be a handful. 

They still have a pretty young bench.  It will be interesting to see how the minutes get distributed. Arterio Morris could have been a starter getting 32 mpg and been a key piece for us.  Now, he is going to be fighting with freshmen for PT.  

[VinyVango 694]

If you see me starting shit with other people then you call me on it. But don't get fucking mad at me when some juvenile assholes follow me around day after day after day talking shit to me and then I eventually react to it. where was all of this outcry over the last several days when i kept taking this BS in stride?

I’m not siding with peeps that badger you, I’m just suggesting you and your tormenters take the non basketball shit elsewhere if y’all insist on an audience.

And obviously, if you are experiencing mental or physical health issues, I encourage you to seek professional help and ignore/avoid stuff that complicates / worsens those issues.

I’m fine with your basketball posts regardless of whether I agree with them, which I frequently do.

I don’t know y’all and have no ill will towards y’all, just am fatigued with all the posts that don’t belong in this chat forum.

[Js1 85,353]

13 minutes ago, HookEm said:

Arterio Morris could have been a starter getting 32 mpg and been a key piece for us.  Now, he is going to be fighting with freshmen for PT.  

That’s what happens when you listen to the wrong people. Enjoy your 10-15mpg at KU, buddy. Don’t beat any women while you’re in Lawrence 

[MoJames 8,244]

[Herpa Derpa 6,126]

[idigTexas 2,289]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

i pos repped your post and have listened to your advice, but will say this: it's one thing for me to be posting when i'm in a bad place and im just incendiary and combative and causing issues left and right.

it's a completely different thing for me to be in a bad place, come to shaggy, keep my head down, keep all of my posts strictly about basketball, only to have to endure a cacophony of mean spirited and childish shit talk coming my way from people who simply don't like me and have no intentions of having any sort of honest discussion, day after day after day. 

I don't want to continue derailing the thread, but will make one more post and leave it. 

You can't control what other people post.  I would normally follow that statement with "but you can control how you react to it," but clearly this is where you struggle.  Everyone knows this, including you.  Some of what you describe probably is personal and malicious, but most of it isn't. 

People disagreeing with you is simply a difference of opinion.  You won't want to hear this, but more often than not you are the first to riddle your retorts with personal insults and condescension.  That typically escalates to the back and forth shit that we often see, people stating that the thread has been derka'd, and you going into victim mode. 

Once that happens, some people are better at disengaging than others, and again you know that you struggle with that.  People who are aware of, and sympathetic to your personal struggles may back away at that point, but expecting or relying on it is not a strategy for success.   

If you feel there are specific people following you around and trying to goad you into becoming the worst version of yourself, do what many have done with you and put them on ignore.   

Edited May 24, 2023 by idigTexas
OU sucks

[goatsaag 279]

54 minutes ago, HookEm said:

Arterio Morris could have been a starter getting 32 mpg and been a key piece for us.  Now, he is going to be fighting with freshmen for PT.  

Over Abmas or Hunter? Would he get minutes over Weaver? He'd be fighting for minutes here too.

[txhorns 2,409]

7 minutes ago, goatsaag said:

Over Abmas or Hunter? Would he get minutes over Weaver? He'd be fighting for minutes here too.

Weaver might not be here if Morris had stayed.  Even if he was there would still be plenty of minutes to go around by using a three guard lineup.  That’s why we are still after a high level guard in the portal.

[Rickylovesweed 14,317]

If Morris was upset over his minutes at Texas he better hope he's improved because he was already going to be a borderline starter before McCullar returning. I don't think Morris will even start at Kansas now. 

Harris, Timberlake, and McCullar will probably start in the backcourt. Then there's no guarantee that Morris will even be ahead of Elmarko Jackson off the bench. 

 

 

[CTC2 2,797]

1 hour ago, Rickylovesweed said:

If Morris was upset over his minutes at Texas he better hope he's improved because he was already going to be a borderline starter before McCullar returning. I don't think Morris will even start at Kansas now. 

Harris, Timberlake, and McCullar will probably start in the backcourt. Then there's no guarantee that Morris will even be ahead of Elmarko Jackson off the bench. 

 

 

Kansas may have one of their better teams next year. It’s conceivable that Morris could make a big jump from year one to two, but if he doesn’t, he will have to play school a lot longer than he had intended. 

[shadow_operative 15,932]

i could definitely see morris having a really solid role off the bench playing 25+ mpg. if he becomes the defender he showed flashes of being at Texas then he'll earn meaningful PT for sure. i could see 9-11 ppg, 3 ast, 4 reb, and 1+ stl from him next year. 

[HtownHorn 14,690]

2 hours ago, HookEm said:

I suppose even I will admit that KU has a better roster than us now, and probably the best team in the nation. 

Guessing they go with a starting lineup of:

• PG - Dajuan Harris
• SG - Nicolas Timberlake
• SF - Kevin McCullar
• PF - KJ Adams
• C - Hunter Dickinson

Off the bench then you would have Arterio Morris, Elmarko Jackson and Parker Braun (plus all the other freshmen).  They are going to be a handful. 

They still have a pretty young bench.  It will be interesting to see how the minutes get distributed. Arterio Morris could have been a starter getting 32 mpg and been a key piece for us.  Now, he is going to be fighting with freshmen for PT.  

I am interested to see how their floor spacing works with Timberlake suffers a regression due to the step up in competition. Harris is a decent shooter on a low volume while McCullar and Admas are awful outside the paint.

[jimmyjazz 45,963]

Morris is the kind of athlete that makes it hard for the average Joe like me to evaluate.  His burst was just phenomenal, and I wanted to see more of it, more minutes.  Ultimately I had to accept the fact that he wasn't really contributing much, but I'll be damned if he doesn't have a legitimate star upside.  I guess we'll see.

[CashMcCoy 3,199]

Please be Texas.

Also thought this random tweet from Fanta was interesting.

 

[CashMcCoy 3,199]

Julian Phillips appears to be withdrawing from the draft too

 

[closetohumping 17,442]

10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Morris is the kind of athlete that makes it hard for the average Joe like me to evaluate.  His burst was just phenomenal, and I wanted to see more of it, more minutes.  Ultimately I had to accept the fact that he wasn't really contributing much, but I'll be damned if he doesn't have a legitimate star upside.  I guess we'll see.

He and Mitchell were our twitchiest players.  

[shadow_operative 15,932]

have to assume that barnes will only have great things to say about Texas/RT when it comes to Phillips. hopefully that relationship can help us land him. 

[HookEm 2,467]

So to summarize, we are looking heavily at the following

• Caleb Love - SR - G - 6'4, 195 - All Tourney Team ('22)
• Cam Spencer - 5th SR - G - 6'4, 205 - 1st team Patriot League ('22)
• Julian Phillips - SO - F - 6'8, 198 - SEC All-Freshman
• Arthur Kaluma - JR - F - 6'7, 220 - Big East All Freshman ('22)

Personally I would rank them in the order listed, with a strong preference for Love or Spencer over the forwards.  I think we can find another big guy in the portal as needed.  Getting another elite guard would let us play small and make us a much tougher out IMO. 

Love has been playing basketball against the highest levels of competition his whole life and he has already shown tourney success. His efficiency isn't great, but has improved every year.  His 2P% has gone from 34.8% -> 38.0% -> 45.5%.  His turnovers have dropped from 3.1 -> 2.7 -> 2.4.  I would expect him to show continued improvement with another year and a change of scenery.  

Here is how both Love and Spencer compare to Abmas and Weaver... and Carr and Rice in the year before coming to UT

• Caleb Love - UNC, 22-23, 35.7 MP, 3.5/7.7 45.5 2P%, 2.2/7.4 29.9 3P%, 3.1/4.0 76.5 FT%, 16.7 PTS, 2.8 AST, 3.7 TRB, 1.1 STL, 2.4 TO, 2.8 WS, 14.5 PER
• Cam Spencer - RUT - 22-23, 31.5 MP, 2.3/5.1 45.3 2P%, 2.1/4.9 43.4 3P%, 2.2/2.5 89.4 FT%, 13.2 PTS, 3.1 AST, 3.8 TRB, 2.0 STL, 1.4 TO, 5.5 WS, 21.4 PER

• Max Abmas - ORU - 22-23, 36.0 MP, 3.4/6.3 53.0 2P%, 3.5/9.4 37.3 3P%, 4.6/5.1 91.1 FT%, 21.9 PTS, 4.0 AST, 4.4 TRB, 1.1 STL, 2.0 TO, 6.7 WS, 24.7 PER
• C. Weaver - UTA - 22-23, 29.5 MP, 2.1/4.5 46.5 2P%, 1.0/2.6 40.2 3P%, 2.2/3.2 70.3 FT%, 9.5 PTS, 2.0 AST, 4.6 TRB, 0.9 STL, 1.2 TO, 3.2 WS, 15.4 PER

• Marcus Carr - MIN, 20-21, 35.8 MP, 3.9/9.1 43.3 2P%, 2.1/6.5 31.7 3P%, 5.3/6.7 79.9 FT%, 19.4 PTS, 4.9 AST, 4.0 TRB, 1.3 STL, 2.3 TO, 3.8 WS, 20.7 PER
• Jabari Rice - NMS - 21-22, 32.3 MP, 1.9/4.2 39.1 2P%, 1.8/5.2 34.1 3P%, 2.8/3.5 77.9 FT%, 11.9 PTS, 3.1 AST, 5.1 TRB, 0.6 STL, 2.5 TO, 3.4 WS, 14.3 PER

Holy hell, Abmas is putting up some numbers.  A step above the other guys in almost ever way.  Great efficiency on really big volume. He is going to be awesome.  Love has pretty similar stats to Carr's last year at Minnesota (where Carr was actually a year older since he had to sit out a year after transferring from Pitt). 

Since whoever we recruit is likely to play on the wing, I would rather have someone who can attack and get to the line.  I think Love fits the bill better than Spencer, who seems to be more of a long range sniper.

[closetohumping 17,442]

Good SI article on Love

 

Texas leads?

[HookEm 2,467]

This is why we can’t have nice things

[VinyVango 694]

If Love can be more selective with his shots, play inspired defense, and play team ball I’m fine with adding his experience and reassured by the fact Mark Few appears to believe that.

[idigTexas 2,289]

37 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

In before meltdown by the fat psycho

Your mom posts here?  What's her handle?

[HookEm 2,467]

1 hour ago, VinyVango said:

If Love can be more selective with his shots, play inspired defense, and play team ball I’m fine with adding his experience and reassured by the fact Mark Few appears to believe that.

Here are some comments from Roy Williams during his freshman year:

"Defensively, I think he could be one of the best defensive guards I've ever coached. Playing his position, he has strength, he has speed, he has jumping ability, he has great feet. He's been shooting it well in practice. He's been really working at it, I mean you saw after one of our games, he was still here at midnight working on his shot. He's working at it and jut a tremendous young man."

Here are some draft notes:

Love is an aggressive scoring guard with a downhill style of play. He attacks the defense and has both power and quickness on his drives to the hoop. He doesn’t shy away from contact and he’s a guy who can finish above the rim. His step-back game is promising but can be inconsistent and he’s streaky from outside.  He’s a good competitor who’s energy and hustle rubs off on his teammates, especially when he’s hitting shots.  With an impressive 6-9 wingspan (measured at Nike Skills Academy) and broad shoulders he’s clearly got the size and frame for the NBA level and fits where the NBA is going with versatile guards who can score. He’s not necessarily a pass-first player but he does a good job of pressuring and collapsing the defense with his scoring ability, which can get open shots for teammates.  Love can get a bit careless with the ball and over dribble at times but that’s what happens when you’re the best player on the court (and his decision making will improve with age).

And some other draft notes:

A proven winner, Love has the tools to raise the ceiling of any team. Even at the NBA level, there’s a clear pathway to him being a key piece of the rotation on a championship team one day.  Love enters year four at the college level as a decorated college prospect. During North Carolina’s championship run in 2022, he scored more than any player in the tournament. Furthermore, he knocked down countless clutch buckets which proved he’s able to step up in the biggest moments.  He’s the ultimate competitor that can do a bit of everything.  The upside as an isolation scorer with a ton of athleticism and speed is intriguing. He’s a strong driver with a quick first step and a dynamic package of dribble moves.  Defensively, Love is also able to make plays. He’s generated over a steal per game over the course of his career, leveraging his quick hands and ability to jump passing lanes. At 6-foot-4 and nearly 200 pounds, Love has the frame to be physical when defending opposing guards.

All of this seems like he could be a great primary option off the ball at the college level.  I love having competitive guys on the roster.  Out of all the intangibles, that is the attribute that I most want to be a common thread through every player.

 

[BurntOrange&White 39,934]

 

 

[Hookem2147 21,323]

From Gerry:

North Carolina transfer Caleb Love is scheduled to make visits to Arizona and then Texas (in that order) before deciding next week. Both schools are realistic possibilities. Love and family have continued to communicate with the Texas staff about their plans in the recruitment. Gonzaga is also making a push. 

Texas is out of the Cam Spencer recruitment. The 6-foot-4 Rutgers guard wants to be somewhere in his final season with ball in hand as a playmaker more than would be possible at Texas with Tyrese Hunter and Max Abmas in the fold. Texas and Spencer had a zoom call earlier in the week. That was Spencer’s decision after a truthful discussion about Texas’ plans for him during the zoom call. 

[HtownHorn 14,690]

Happy we get the last visit with Love. Also, I respect that Terry is honest with these kids.

[shadow_operative 15,932]

i really wanted spencer, but if the role he would have here is not one he wants for himself then it's best to move on. 

[HookEm 2,467]

Agree. I like the fact that the staff is being honest with recruits about what will be expected of them.  Seems like the best way to avoid a lot of drama and infighting about roles and such once they get here.  

Derka - are you warming to the Caleb Love idea now that Spencer is out?   Or would you rather take one of the forwards?  Or just allocate more minutes to who we have?

[shadow_operative 15,932]

8 minutes ago, HookEm said:

Agree. I like the fact that the staff is being honest with recruits about what will be expected of them.  Seems like the best way to avoid a lot of drama and infighting about roles and such once they get here.  

Derka - are you warming to the Caleb Love idea now that Spencer is out?   Or would you rather take one of the forwards?  Or just allocate more minutes to who we have?

i actually really like Kaluma and ideally would like to have him + a more role playing/less ball dominant guard. that said a part of me is cautiously excited about the prospect of adding Love because on paper that's one of the very best back courts in the country. i still think RT would have his work cut out for him having that many mouths to feed in the back court, however: