Texas Falls Flat Again in College Station
by awiggo on Feb 16, 2009 10:18 PM CST
in Basketball
62 comments
Well, that is not how you win on the road--turnovers, fouls, and lack of defense. For the fifth straight year, the Aggies and Longhorns split the season series with each team protecting their home court. Texas falls to 6-5 in conference play with the 81-66 loss in College Station.
Other than a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double from Dexter Pittman and about five solid minutes of defense in the second half, not much went right for the Longhorns. In the first half Texas coughed up the ball eight times, got a combined two points from Damion James and AJ Abrams, and had trouble defending the post and controlling the Aggies in transition.
The second half wasn’t much better. Texas settled too often for jump shots, never got into an offensive rhythm, and, despite fighting back from 19 points down, was not able to put it all together.
The Longhorns are now just one game above .500 in the conference with #2 Oklahoma visiting on Saturday evening. With just five games left in the regular season, Texas still has work to do.
Your post game comments here. A full review coming late tomorrow.
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I fear we've reached the point of no return
with this team. They are what they’ve shown. They’re not going to change. They’re not terrible. And they’re not going to evolve into even a semi upper-echelon team.
They’re probably good enough (knock on wood, limited upsets in conference tournaments) to nab one of the last 6-8 at-large bids to the NCAAs. Could win the first game, will be totally overmatched by a No. 1 or 2 seed in the second round.
Maybe Damion James has played himself into the 2010 draft? Sigh. Sept. 5 is a long way off.
by edsp on Feb 16, 2009 10:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Varez Ward = Craig Winder
Prove me wrong! What does he do that Craig didnt? He turned the ball over 3 times tonight in 5 min of playing time, hit one shot with two other shots that were bricks, and passed the ball twice to aggies.. come on man
by greenspointexas on Feb 16, 2009 10:24 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
he's a freshman
winder was a JuCo transfer.
by jimmer on Feb 16, 2009 10:29 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Prove you wrong?
Funny thing is that you’ve proven yourself to be so unknowledgeable about basketball that all of your “thoughts” at this point are self-refuting. If you say it, then it isn’t true. Saves the rest of us a lot of time.
by billyzane on Feb 16, 2009 10:48 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Didn't you say last week, "Craig Winder=Justin Mason"?
And to think you hated Mase….no, you just hate Craig Winder.
by SneezyBeltran on Feb 17, 2009 10:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
They fixed it
Now reads “A&M beats UT”
by 2Bearnest on Feb 16, 2009 10:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Damn, not suprising, but hard to take.
For starters, the Aggies had a huge home court advantage at Reid thanks to their fans. Longhorn fans MUST take note and respond for Saturday. I’m bringing my A-game and my bourbon.
It was tough to watch us come back from 19 down, get it to 4, have hot Holley Rowe tell us that Rick promised a win, and then fail to make free throws in the last 7 minutes.
I hate that ugly, balding aggie.
I thought Dogus’ foul trouble in the first and early second half really hurt us; not to mention another AJ off night. It seemed like Abrams forced a lot of shots tonight. Maybe pump fake, drive and dish would have been better.
God dammit! Hook ’em!
by jimmer on Feb 16, 2009 10:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
seriously?
you gotta be able to read that sarcasm. she is a hippo out of water.
by jimmer on Feb 16, 2009 10:32 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Some people like that...
But I still gotta say WTF. Glad to hear you’re not one of them.
by jw4425 on Feb 16, 2009 10:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Foul trouble killed us all game
part of it is bad calls and another part is bad defensive discipline.
I also didn’t like going zone just because Pittman was playing. We’re not playing a team loaded with guards in their starting lineup. Where was the need to go zone?
by goingforthecorner on Feb 16, 2009 10:47 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
i don't like zone either
i think Rick wanted to dare them to shoot themselves out of the game, but they made a couple threes and he backed out of it.
by jimmer on Feb 16, 2009 10:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Did you see what they did if we werent in zone?
Sexy Dexy’s man starts running to the guards for picks, bringing the big man with him. Dex even had to rotate off his man a few times, now you have Dexter defending a guard 25ft from the basket.
He may have lost 90 pounds, but if hes running around like that playing D, hes not going to be seeing significant playing time. Zone protects him from fouls yes, but it also allows him to sit and defend a smaller area. If the other team isnt using a large center like we use Dex, we almost have to play some zone, or he wont be able to play for very long.
by BoddickerIsClutch on Feb 17, 2009 9:21 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm talking about the A&M game specifically
Pittman could guard Elonu without help. In the OU game, he could guard Griffin without help. There’s no need to go zone at all. Last night, our zone is what padded their lead with threes from Holmes and Carter.
by goingforthecorner on Feb 17, 2009 10:19 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
So was I
That happened in the aTm game, at least the one that I was watching. Dexter found himself outside the three point line on several occasions when we were in man coverage with him out on the floor.
Dexter’s two main assignments were Davis and Elanu.
Davis – 6’-10" 240 lbs
Elanu – 6’-10" 235 lbs
Dexter – 6’-10" 298 lbs
He is a big boy, and still weighs 25% more than their heavy guy out there. Imagine how long it would take you to tire out someone who weighs 25% more than you by making them move on defense.
Its simple math that it takes him more work to cover the same ground as either of those two, and dont think that aTm or any other team wont try to run him around as much as possible if hes not sitting at home on a zone.
He can guard any of these guys without help, but if hes running around the floor, he will get winded first. He will always get winded first, hes just flat out bigger, unless, like I said, the other team has someone of the same stature that plays exclusively down low in the offense.
Playing zone therefore, is also somewhat of a respite for him physically.
Blake is bigger than either aggie, but he still is almost 50 lbs lighter on his feet then Sweet Sexy Dexy.
At his current size, the only way to get Dex more minutes is to play zone. So if you root for more man when Dex is in, just realize that thats going to cut into his overall time on the floor as well. its a tradeoff, and the reason why the staff wants him to keep shedding pounds.
by BoddickerIsClutch on Feb 17, 2009 4:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well, I was only half paying attention to the game...
…but I pretty much have to echo what edsp said in the first comment, and what I said in the Colorado open thread. This is our team. They’re not great, and I would even hesitate to use the word “good” on them. They’re just an OK major-conference also-ran. Decent to good on defense, but often eye-clawingly horrible on offense. The Oklahoma State game was just an anomaly, one of those weird statistical quirks that hits a team every few dozen games.
I’ve been saying since the Stetson game that we probably weren’t going to make it out of the first weekend of the NCAAs, and the team has done very little in the games since to dissuade me from that assessment.
A stupid system that works exactly like it's supposed to is still a stupid system.
by Microtonal on Feb 16, 2009 10:51 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
This season is beginning to remind me of Abe’s last year. Not as bad yet, but the same kind of “it is what it is” feeling to the games..
by utexex on Feb 16, 2009 10:57 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
We're going to retire Durant's number
http://blogs.chron.com/longhorns/2009/02/durant_to_have_number_retired.html
It’s kinda odd because he was only here for 1 year, but the NPOY pretty much demands it I guess.
by goingforthecorner on Feb 16, 2009 11:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
After we get killed by OU this Saturday
do we even get an invite to the NIT? Only kidding, but really this year’s team is a major disappointment.
"Hey, a White guy! They're funny."
by bfaut86 on Feb 16, 2009 11:32 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Aggie fans classy? They sure put the ass in class....
I went to the game with a buddy and a couple other guys. We sat in 206(upper deck, but not horrible as Reed Arena is a near-perfect size). So atm has the best fans in all college sports?…
Well I think I sat 2 rows behind the worst fans I’ve ever seen at any sporting event. There were 3 or 4 Longhorns that sat in between me and the big d-bag aggie. After every time they would score, the d-bag aggie would turn around and say “BUYYYAHHH!” I’m sure you’re thinking, does anybody outside of elementary students still say that? Well go to college station and yes, apparently they do. After saying this to the poor guys in front of me, he would say, " I"m just kidding."
He literally did this 3/4 of the game. In addition to the taunting, he also flipped off half the arena.I have to give it to the Longhorns in front of me for being so nice. I would’ve definitely knocked his hat off and then knocked his ass out b/c I’m not that patient.
Needless to say, the game sucked and I had to leave a few minutes early b/c we were supposed to go meet somebody who neeeded a ride. We are standing on the ground floor level waiting for our friend, when that same douchebag walked by with his buddies and they preceded to yell in my face.
I find it funny that aggies always talk shit about Tech fans and how they’re “classless clowns”. Well here’s to you aggies……Keep it classy College Station!
by SneezyBeltran on Feb 17, 2009 12:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
wow, internet tough guy
I have to give it to the Longhorns in front of me for being so nice. I would’ve definitely knocked his hat off and then knocked his ass out b/c I’m not that patient.
And way to generalize one person acting like an ass into representing the whole fanbase.
If y’all had won the game, I doubt you would have given a shit what that guy said or did.
by Beergut on Feb 17, 2009 2:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Once again beergut, you have no life at all!
I’m sure it is cool to hang out on blogs of other teams, especially if you live in college station and have nothing else to do…
by SneezyBeltran on Feb 17, 2009 9:58 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
that might make some sense
if I lived in College Station.
You’re still pathetic for the “internet tough guy” act. Why didn’t you ask him to “step outside”?
by Beergut on Feb 17, 2009 5:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
The proper course of action in Aggieland
is, after knocking his hat off, to yell “UNCOVER!”
by Meekrob on Feb 17, 2009 10:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, how could I forget? haha...
I’ll be sure to sit in front of beergut the next time I go to an atm game and turn around and yell at his face the whole time, I’m sure he’d appreciate it…
by SneezyBeltran on Feb 17, 2009 3:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
try attending a game in Austin wearing maroon
and tell me how you like it.
When A&M has to start a campaign to try to get their fans to not act like d-bags, then you can talk.
by Beergut on Feb 17, 2009 5:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
are you saying A&M doesn't have to act?
When A&M has to start a campaign to try to get their fans to not act like d-bags
by vy til i die on Feb 17, 2009 6:08 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Umm....have you ever been to an atm game and seen what goes on?....
I’d surely not want a small child exposed to such odd and inhumane behavior…..
by SneezyBeltran on Feb 17, 2009 6:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
So who is going to be our coach next yrar and fix this mess?
by 71grad on Feb 17, 2009 5:11 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Looking at the box score
Easily the worst part of the game was Pittman getting just 5 shots, while Abrams took 12 shots, most of them being forced. I know the fouls killed him, but we could’ve won this game if we actively tried to get Dexter some touches, because nobody could stop him from getting into point blank range. Even if he missed, he’d probably rebound his own shot.
If feels like his teammates and even Barnes don’t really know how good he can be in this slow type of game against a team with big guys he could guard. It’s pretty disappointing. Maybe we won’t really get to see a monstrous Pittman till next year when Abrams is out of here.
I hope Barnes starts Dexy against Oklahoma. If Johnson is playing center, we’re in trouble because he’s too small to guard Blake. Connor might be able to block some shots, but he’s a HORRIBLE rebounder as we all saw last night.
by goingforthecorner on Feb 17, 2009 9:20 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
disappointing
What is so disappointing is that I beleive UT has the better team in many of the recent losses, especially against A&M. When we were not jacking up 3’s (which included AJ forcing a lot of shots) we actually had a competitve game. Notice that the run ended when AJ jacked two shots, one of which was terribly forced. Nobody appears to be able to play in the paint but Dex and he needs to be in better control of his body when he comes down from a rebound or a block. His clumsiness and what seems to be an unawareness of throwing his body around picks up too many silly fouls. Bubble at best…but the NIT would not surprise me and this from a team which was ranked at one time…5th or at least 7th in the country.
by Tex34xas on Feb 17, 2009 10:09 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Redemption
Hey, the Aggies outplayed us last night. They were on their game and we weren’t. (And the refs were calling all those crazy offensive fouls.) Let’s not forget — their whole world revolves about beating us (listen to their fight song) and this was their chance for redemption in face of their 3-7 record.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
by Caradoc on Feb 17, 2009 10:41 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
fight song
right now it does not matter who A&M beats we are just happy for a win with the way the program is playing. but is sure is nice to come on here and see all this crying about how tx should have won and how there were bad calls.
oh yea and i think these are the lyrics to the first part of your fight song
“Texas Fight”
Texas Fight! Texas Fight!
And it’s goodbye to A & M.
Texas Fight! Texas Fight!
And we’ll put over one more win.
Texas Fight! Texas Fight!
For it’s Texas that we love best.
Hail, Hail, the gang’s all here,
And it’s goodbye to all the rest!
"Hey, I think it's easy for guys to hit .300 and stay in the big leagues. Hit .200 and try to stick around as long as I did; I think it's a much greater accomplishment. That's hard."-- Bob Uecker
by dmurphnextrusygreer on Feb 17, 2009 12:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
...
but is sure is nice to come on here and see all this crying
…definition of troll?
Only coming on after your team wins, but not any other time?
by vy til i die on Feb 17, 2009 1:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
troll?
i am actually on here as much as iamthe12thman and enjoy reading 13-0’s daily round-up.
but when i see comments like the one above i have to comment as obviously Caradoc’s post is just whining. (but it is normal to see that on this site as everything is unfair to t.u.)
"Hey, I think it's easy for guys to hit .300 and stay in the big leagues. Hit .200 and try to stick around as long as I did; I think it's a much greater accomplishment. That's hard."-- Bob Uecker
by dmurphnextrusygreer on Feb 17, 2009 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You add nothing in any of your posts
and calling a post that starts out with “Hey, the Aggies outplayed us last night. They were on their game and we weren’t. " as "just whining” is hyperbolic nonsense.
by Wells on Feb 17, 2009 3:13 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
posts
well i could give you a breakdown of how we should have beat yall by 20+ pts and how we went on a 5 min+ with out scoreing and how still jr elaneu has not played up to his potenital with missed point blank range shots then i guess thats what you would wanted.
its not the beginning of his post that was the probelm is was the majority of it that read
"(And the refs were calling all those crazy offensive fouls.) Let’s not forget — their whole world revolves about beating us (listen to their fight song) and this was their chance for redemption in face of their 3-7 record.
"Hey, I think it's easy for guys to hit .300 and stay in the big leagues. Hit .200 and try to stick around as long as I did; I think it's a much greater accomplishment. That's hard."-- Bob Uecker
by dmurphnextrusygreer on Feb 17, 2009 4:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, does atm's whole world not revolve around beating us?
I was told last night after the game they just won the national championship….silly me….
by SneezyBeltran on Feb 17, 2009 6:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm glad you didn't take it personally
First off, there were an unusual number of offensive fouls called, weren’t there? And the result was that some of our players found themselves in early foul trouble and could not contribute as much as they normally could. I’m not whining or blaming the refs, just pointing out a factor that contributed to the loss. Without those calls, the game might well have gone the other way.
Second, as to the Aggie worldview, I believe your post makes the point. Or do you go trolling like this after all A&M victories? (Hard to tell because there are so few of them.) You have correctly spotted the reference to A&M in the Texas fight song. But how do you explain the Aggie song contains (a) a reference to our school colors (b) two references to our school name, © a reference to our fight song, and (d) that strange bit about sawing “varsity’s” horns off? And wasn’t its original title “Goodbye to Texas University”? For all I know “Chigaroogarem” is another reference in some secret Aggie code.
Finally, I’m wondering why you decided to attack me out of maybe a dozen similar postings? And what the hell is dmurphnextrusygreer supposed to mean? I can follow it through the dmurphnext part but what is rusygreer about?
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
by Caradoc on Feb 20, 2009 1:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
13-0
The story of how the name “Bevo” came into being is one of the biggest myths around. Sorry, Aggies, but you can’t take credit.
by BigTexBD on Feb 18, 2009 12:47 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Teamwork
Late in the game, Balbay drove the lane and missed a finger roll. After 3 offensive rebounds, James got the layup. Then James was screaming something at Balbay. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to fire up and celebrate Balbay’s aggressive move or if he was screaming at him because he should have dished the ball after the drive to James instead of attempting the shot. Did anyone else notice this? What was Damion yelling at Dogus?
by Samuelito on Feb 17, 2009 11:20 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
He told him to "dunk that shit."
Said to “dunk that shit every time.”
by jw4425 on Feb 17, 2009 1:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I heard that too.
I replayed it several times on the DVR, judging from both Damien and Balbays body language though, I thought Damien was yelling at him to “Dump that shit” as in, pass it off to Damien when the cleared the lane like that (Damien was trailing baseline).
I could be wrong, but Damien looked angry at Balbay, and Balbay looked like he didnt want to hear any shit from DamJam, as in, Damien was saying he wasn’t doing his job as PG properly. In fact, Balbay walked away from DamJam, and Damien got in his face again the mic was off of him at this point, but his lips looked like he said, “Did you hear what I said?” To which Balbay nodded then averted his eyes.
I first thought it was “Dunk”, but that didn’t make much sense, as Balbay couldn’t really dunk in that situation (can he dunk even at all?) and again the body language.
Though no one was really having a good time at that point, so maybe I shouldn’t read that much into it.
by BoddickerIsClutch on Feb 17, 2009 4:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, Balbay can definitely dunk
He did it in Turkey many times. James was saying that after a missed layup, so I’m pretty positive James said “dunk that shit”.
by goingforthecorner on Feb 17, 2009 11:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Balbay can jump out of the gym
and he definitely should have dunked that shit, so that is what I am going to go with. There was no one to pass to on that play, as he was in front of the pack.
by Wells on Feb 18, 2009 7:20 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Like I said
You all may be right.
Damian was coming in on the top of the screen, and while it didnt look like a great dump off opportunity, it was there as all the defenders were going after Balbay.
Like I said if the camera didnt stay on them to show the body language, I would have thought it was “dunk” without question.
And yeah he does have mad hops, I was jumping up and down when he flew in to contest that layup early in the first half.
by BoddickerIsClutch on Feb 18, 2009 8:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Anyone saw an Aggie with his shirt off and throwing his beer belly around during our freethrows?
was that Beergut? lol
COACH BOOM BABY!!
by hookemkp on Feb 17, 2009 8:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
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