Texas Basketball 2023-24

[Blotto 23559]

1 hour ago, Js1 said:

#5 Johnson - 5 star
#37 Scott - 4 star
#46 Codie - 4 star

RT's first recruiting class at Texas: 

Honestly that was my biggest reservation about RT when they removed the interim title. With such a  middling previous record as HC, could he compete for the top talent when guys like Self, Calipari, Drew, etc... were in the same living rooms. I'm not naive as to the role NIL plays in all of this, but so far RT's ability to compete on the recruiting trail has exceeded my expectations. This news gruntles me greatly.

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Blotto

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

It's pretty obvious we have one of the best NIL programs in the country based on the transfers and recruits we're landing. RT definitely deserves some credit for that though because it looks like over the summer he was rubbing elbows with the type of people that give you money. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Rickylovesweed

[Catdaddyhorn 3446]

1 hour ago, Rickylovesweed said:

It's pretty obvious we have one of the best NIL programs in the country based on the transfers and recruits we're landing. RT definitely deserves some credit for that though because it looks like over the summer he was rubbing elbows with the type of people that give you money. 

I'm not sure any individual school NIL program really matters for basketball recruits like Tre or Cooper Flag. Guys like that are getting their coffers filled by a much larger scale of vendors who are ultimately all hoping to secure their services when they go pro. Basketball is a lot different than football due to the enhanced level of certainty you get with top prospects. 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Catdaddyhorn

[Blotto 23559]

1 hour ago, Rickylovesweed said:

It's pretty obvious we have one of the best NIL programs in the country based on the transfers and recruits we're landing. RT definitely deserves some credit for that though because it looks like over the summer he was rubbing elbows with the type of people that give you money. 

No doubt, and RT's solid relationships with a lot of the the guys that put Texas on the map in college hoops can't hurt either. Having KD's fingerprints all over the program, and being able to use him as a recruiting tool is huge.

I saw an interview with Tre earlier and he mentioned discussing the process with KD. Who does Baylor counter with... Jeremy Sochan, Keyonte George? Decent players, but they ain't KD. 

I was in the camp of "RT wasn't really the direction I would choose to go, but he certainly did enough to earn the shot, so lets hope he keeps shit together." It's still early, but RT's been killing it so far. 

[Catdaddyhorn 3446]

 

[kingkoopa6 8369]

5 hours ago, wutang75 said:

He’s going to be #1 pick in the draft so I guess it worked out for him. Would have been nice to see that one and done tho.

Nah. Depends who got the pick tho. 
 

 

[LTtxfan 49249]

 

[Steamboat1874 4069]

On 11/15/2023 at 5:44 PM, Catdaddyhorn said:

I'm not sure any individual school NIL program really matters for basketball recruits like Tre or Cooper Flag. Guys like that are getting their coffers filled by a much larger scale of vendors who are ultimately all hoping to secure their services when they go pro. Basketball is a lot different than football due to the enhanced level of certainty you get with top prospects. 

Excellent point.

[Ignatius 4017]

On 11/15/2023 at 3:42 PM, Rockethorn1978 said:

Damn I totally forgot about Ron holland till you just posted that. Fuck that guy.

Why, because he made the best choice for his career? Tell me you don’t have kids….

[Js1 85408]

1 hour ago, Ignatius said:

Why, because he made the best choice for his career? Tell me you don’t have kids….

Seriously. Reserve that for Arterio Morris 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

UCONN could be battling some injuries if we do play them in a couple days. 

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

these MFers ducking the smoke. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

I would say Indiana has a chance to beat UCONN but they haven't looked great to start the year. So who knows. 

[YGIFS 19452]

If we don't beat Louisville, none of this shit matters.  It's amazing how far they've fallen and equally how amazing how pissed off I'd be if we lose to them on Sunday.  

I'm really looking forward to this tournament so I don't have to talk to my in-laws on Sunday/Monday.  Lovely people, but I'd rather watch hoops in silence but with a smile on my face.  We need the frontcourt to step up big against whomever we play Monday.  

[shadow_operative 15932]

4 minutes ago, YGIFS said:

If we don't beat Louisville, none of this shit matters. 

if we don’t beat louisville i’ll start the Fire RT thread lol. losing to that dumpster fire of a program would be a fire able offense. we gone beat they ass. 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

7 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

if we don’t beat louisville i’ll start the Fire RT thread lol. losing to that dumpster fire of a program would be a fire able offense. we gone beat they ass. 

 

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

UNC Greensboro is going to be a tricky non-conference game. Only lost by 4 to Vanderbilt and just beat Arkansas. 

[HtownHorn 14724]

52 minutes ago, Rickylovesweed said:

I would say Indiana has a chance to beat UCONN but they haven't looked great to start the year. So who knows. 

Should we win, do we also play the winner of UConn/Indiana? I wasn't sure if this a single game showcase or a tournament.

[Rickylovesweed 14482]

3 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Should we win, do we also play the winner of UConn/Indiana? I wasn't sure if this a single game showcase or a tournament.

Yes 

[HookEm 2467]

On 11/15/2023 at 3:14 PM, Blotto said:

Honestly that was my biggest reservation about RT when they removed the interim title. With such a  middling previous record as HC, could he compete for the top talent when guys like Self, Calipari, Drew, etc... were in the same living rooms

I was never worried about RT's ability to recruit. When he was at Fresno, he signed the #59, 66, and #71 classes in a 4 year stretch.  While not super impressive in an absolute sense, their long-term average is ~#126. 

At Texas he has superb facilities, a dump truck of NIL money, NBA players to assist, and a top-notch staff filled with elite recruiters.  I have no doubt we are going to be up there with the best schools in the country.

[TreatyOak 16366]

My pics from the Rice game:

 

 

 

[LCHorn 2621]

18 hours ago, TreatyOak said:

My pics from the Rice game:

 

 

 

That’s the Pom squad, right?  They are a little, uh…thicker than I remember.  

[Js1 85408]

On 11/17/2023 at 9:08 PM, shadow_operative said:

if we don’t beat louisville i’ll start the Fire RT thread lol. losing to that dumpster fire of a program would be a fire able offense. we gone beat they ass. 

Ready for the ass beating RT is handing out today 

[shadow_operative 15932]

i’m going to sort of amend a take that i’ve had on this team. yes, pretty much everyone on this team can pass, which is great, but the fact that we don’t have anyone with true PG vision continues to stick out to me game after game. we keep not seeing/anticipating wide open teammates, often in the post/painted area. the lack of a true pg could set this team’s floor and ceiling lower than i had previously felt they were at. 

[Degenerate Gardner 4085]

Abmas hitting that shot was gratifying on multiple levels. Hopefully he can build on it.

[Degenerate Gardner 4085]

Say what you want about Louisville but it seemed like they hit every 3 and free throw. I don’t remember a Horns player hitting a 3. Glad to walk away with a win on a day like that.

Connecticut is going to kill us tomorrow though.

[Js1 85408]

1 minute ago, Degenerate Gardner said:

Say what you want about Louisville but it seemed like they hit every 3 and free throw. I don’t remember a Horns player hitting a 3. Glad to walk away with a win on a day like that.

Connecticut is going to kill us tomorrow though.

Hopefully we play up, but yeah, gonna be tough 

[Js1 85408]

Also glad Derka didn’t have to start the “fire RT” thread. Thanks Max 

[HtownHorn 14724]

Incredible officiating in this 1+1 tournament. 42 total fouls called in both games. Get ready for another ugly game tomorrow.

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

[HookEm 2467]

I wouldn’t be surprised to see a very different Texas team tomorrow. If both teams had just shot our averages from 3 and FT, we beat them by 20 points. The fact that we pulled it out even with such putrid shooting says something about the versatility of this team.

I’m still optimistic.

[shadow_operative 15932]

it’ll be revealing to monitor how much the team has emphasized better shot selection tomorrow. we’ve got the talent to knock down open looks and to get said looks; we don’t need to be clanging pull up three pointers all afternoon like we did today. i want to see better shot selection, and i want to see our guards make more of an effort to get to the line. if we do that i think we’ll be competitive.

Edited November 20, 2023 by shadow_operative

[LTtxfan 49249]

 

[LTtxfan 49249]

RT cracks me up... 😂😂😂😂😂😂

 

[HookEm 2467]

Looking at Abmas career stats a little more this morning.  The biggest thing that jumps out to me is that he simply isn't getting to the line.  For Oral Roberts, he was getting to the line ~8 times per 100 possessions.  So far this year, only 1.4 times.  Maybe he is still learning the offense and finding his place in it.  Maybe this also gets to Derka's point on our inability to get him in a pick & roll without Disu.  I can see that being a great way to get him into attacking mode.   

Tyrese Hunter is showing positive improvement in just about every facet of his game.  Better efficiency at every level.  His shooting stroke looks great.  

Also a quick note on Dillon Mitchell - his shot is looking so much better.  He is shooting ~71% from the line over the last 4 games.  Way better than his 40% FT last year.

I was actually encouraged by our defense yesterday.  Things started shaky, but improved as the game went on.  Our guards were playing great defense in the second half. UCONN was just making shots - a lot of them very difficult shots.  I think we will see a lot of improvement over the next few games. 

 

[LTtxfan 49249]

brUTherhood | Kadin Shedrick on Transfer to Texas | Longhorns Basketball Podcast | On Texas Football

 

Royal Ivey and DJ Augustin

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

x/post

man. we’re far enough into the season where i’m seeing things from RT’s team that just do not meet the standard set by barnes and beard. abmas has a shaka-like green light as soon as he crosses half court, our team does not consistently get into good offensive sets which we’ve mastered, instead opting far too often for pounding the ball/mindless passing ending with a late clock heave, and the defense is pretty much as poor as it’s been since Penders. i don’t enjoy typing these things, but it’s what i’m seeing so far.

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by shadow_operative

[shadow_operative 15932]

abmas should not be a starter. he’s our worst defender and as of now he’s a black hole on offense. and he isn’t showing any IQ, continuing to take terrible shots that you could get at any time. he needs to come off the bench *and* he needs to stop forcing shit and to play within the offense. when you consider how much the ball is in his hands you could make a very compelling argument that he’s been our worst player thus far. 

Edited November 26, 2023 by shadow_operative

[Blotto 23559]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

abmas should not be a starter. he’s our worst defender and as of now he’s a black hole on offense. and he isn’t showing any IQ, continuing to take terrible shots that you could get at any time. he needs to come off the bench *and* he needs to stop forcing shit and to play within the offense. when you consider how much the ball is in his hands you could make a very compelling argument that he’s been our worst player thus far. 

Worst player on the team so far, lulz. 

[Js1 85408]

Nice win 

[HookEm 2467]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

you could make a very compelling argument that Abmas has been our worst player thus far. 

You could also make a case that he is our best player.  He is leading the team in scoring (15.2 PPG) while shooting 41% 3PT%, 47 2P% and 88% FT%.  He has a 2:1 AST-TO ratio.   His usage is down ~30% vs. what he is used to at Oral Roberts and he is still just finding his place on the team.  He will keep getting better as the year progresses - especially once Disu is back and teams HAVE to respect the P&R.

We aren't used to seeing a gunner quite like Abmas.  He needs to be a volume shooter - and he has been a winner doing so.  It doesn't feel to me like he is forcing terrible shots - and his shooting percentages are all solid for a guy with his volume.

When he is matched up against big guards, it may not be pretty but we will just have to adjust.

[shadow_operative 15932]

his shot selection got a lot better after i made that post, and i hope it’s a sign of things to come. his highlight reel of shot attempts during the first 10 minutes of games this season is full of terrible, hurried, early clock jumpers off the dribble. when he’s taking shots like that he’s actively hurting the team with his lack of defense. that said, once he settled in today and played within the offense he was much more efficient, and i have no problems with him continuing to play that way.

also, dillon mitchell has been our best player. he still has a lot of room to grow, especially on offense, but he’s been a real impact player in multiple phases of the game.

[HookEm 2467]

5 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

when he’s taking shots like that he’s actively hurting the team with his lack of defense.

Agree 100%.

I just think with a guy like Abmas, you try to put him in a position to take BETTER shots, and help him find his rhythm.  But I would ask him to shoot more, not less - and to work his ass off to get good shots.

I will say it again, he needs to get to the line. That is the easiest way to lock in your shot during the game.  I would tell him to attack the F out of the basket.  He can finish - and if he doesn't he is going to get fouled a lot.  Prior to today he was averaging less than a FT a game. That is horrid for a guy who can shoot 92%+.  He needs to be averaging 5+ FT a game.

I also haven't been THAT disappointed with his defense.  It starts slow, but he seems to lock in as the game goes on.  His defense at the end of the UCONN game was decent IMO.

 

8 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

dillon mitchell has been our best player.

Not sure I can go that far, but I was thinking similarly today watching him run around grabbing key boards, blocking shots, stealing and disrupting all over the place.  

I would say Shedrick has been our best player. He has an 18.3 BPM.  Next highest is Brock with 5.6.  It would have completely and totally changed the UCONN game if he was out there.  If we added Disu as well, I think we go from being out played down low to actually having the advantage.

[shadow_operative 15932]

agreed with all of that, including shedrick. he seems liberated being away from that godwaful UVA offensive system. i was under the impression that he would be more of a stiff, but he’s got much more an all around game than what i was aware of. really good all around player.

[shadow_operative 15932]

30 minutes ago, HookEm said:

I will say it again, he needs to get to the line. That is the easiest way to lock in your shot during the game.  I would tell him to attack the F out of the basket. 

especially agree with this.

[Blotto 23559]

How about Horton shooting it at a .522 clip from deep so far (12-23)? Did not expect that, and he will likely come back to earth, but he's been a pleasant surprise as well.

[jimmyjazz 45976]

Seems to me that we're in a bit of a twilight zone with a ton of transfers and Disu out.  It may take a while for Abmas to settle in.

[Js1 85408]

16th in the AP 

[HookEm 2467]

Seems about right based on what I've seen.  Potential to get up in the top 10 if Disu comes back and plays to his potential.

[UT_OB1 2224]

Just went to look for tickets for @uh, and holy fuck they are expensive. $191 / seat is the cheapest. I can almost get 4 tickets for the ut vs lsu / uh vs a&m thing coming up but can’t make it.  Am I just looking too early?  Should I expect reasonable prices later in January?