Luke Winn: Texas pre-pre-pre-season #9
by jc25
on Apr 29, 2008 9:39 AM CDT
After initially slotting Texas as the #1 team before the announcements of Augustin and Abrams, Luke Winn puts our Longhorns at #9. His analysis:
What happened in April: Sophomore point guard D.J. Augustin and junior shooting guard A.J. Abrams both declared for the draft without hiring agents. Augustin is as good as gone, while Abrams is likely to return.
Impact: The 'Horns would have been No. 1 if Augustin had stayed, but '08-09 won't be a lost season without him. I can't envision any scenario in which Abrams gets a first-round guarantee and stays in the draft, but I do remember how well he handled the point as a freshman when Daniel Gibson had to be moved off the ball. If Abrams can run the team and still make threes at the same clip he did last season (he hit 118 at a 38.2 percent rate), perhaps he'll get the attention his father thinks his son deserves. Abrams' draft announcement came unexpectedly on the same day as Augstin's, and his father told the Austin American-Statesman, "This is his daddy saying this, not him, but nationally it was 'D.J. Augustin and the Texas Longhorns." No longer.
I personally think that's a little high for this team going into the '08-'09 year. I'm guessing we start out in the teens, but if we can make our way into the top 10 like this year, I'm sure many of us will be thrilled.
By the by, Winn's early final four: UConn, UCLA, UNC, and Duke. Original, I know.
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I actually think
it is too low.
Barnes has stockpiled capable gaurds, which allows him to play other guys besides Abrams at point.
Don’t sell Dogus and Mason short at the point. IMO they are a more viable option and Barnes can have J’Covan and Smith coming off the bench to help spell AJ and give a little more size.
If each of the big men can take a tiny step next year and improve, even if just a little, then Texas should be very very good.
The Horns will still have 3 potential NBA players playing down low. Johnson, Atchley and James only need to step up just a little and be more aggressive.
This season isn’t at all like the Gibson freshman season or when TJ left. Texas has a lot more depth, experience and NBA athleticism than either of those teams.
In the past, when a guy like DJ would leave, the teams future success would depend on one guy stepping up or several untested freshman playing major minutes.
Right now Texas just needs each starter/sub to do what they do a little bit better and for the incoming freshman and red shirts to be finishing pieces.
Cats and dogs sleeping together.
by EYESofBEVO on Apr 29, 2008 10:04 AM CDT 1 recs
abrams won't be running point
mason and balbay will be #1 and #2 in some order. abrams will handle the ball more than he did last year, and he’s a good passer when he wants to be. But I think this is Luke Winn just not doing his homework. regardless, unlike football, pre-season rankings don’t mean a damn thing in basketball, only how you’re playing in the spring. i think the team will come together by then, but it’ll be something like what we saw in ‘03-’04 the year after TJ left: good team, sweet 16, maybe elite 8 with the right draw, but no discernable identity and a much lower ceiling.
by billyzane on Apr 29, 2008 10:20 AM CDT 0 recs
Agreed on point ...
Mason showed himself more than capable of takin on the point duties. Frankly, AJ’s ball-handling skills sometimes scare me. I’d much rather see some good development of Balbay and perhaps some other options, leaving AJ as a shooter and working on his mid-range game.
I refused to name my children Vince, Kevin or Major ... despite my secret desire to do so.
by EddieTheAlbinoSquirrel on
Apr 29, 2008 6:36 PM CDT
up
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Freshman class
Am I the only one out there that thinks next years team will be better than this years? DJ is a dynamic player, but honestly, I think our team will be much better at matching up with the bigger and more athletic teams that make deep runs into the tourney next year. A back court of DJ and AJ, is typcially no match for a Rose-CDR, Collison-Chalmers, etc. If Barnes incoming class is as good as advertised, and our front line improves as they did last off-season, I think we could be bound for the final four. See everyone in Detroit.
by UT Fanatic on May 1, 2008 10:29 AM CDT 0 recs
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