I was never really a big Damion James fan until this year. He’s clearly proven on the court how good of a player he is, but his effort level is off the chart (especially compared to some of his teammates).

I’m not trying to say this team doesn’t care, because I know that’s far from the truth, and not every player expresses themselves in the same way. But is it just me, or did we play with a ton more intensity for the last 5ish minutes than we have all year? At least, until the game was clearly 100% over.

I don’t know much about basketball, but I never get the sense we are trying that hard to create plays. It seems like its just run up and shoot on offense, and I won’t even try and talk defense, because I don’t know anything beyond the basics about it.

only seems to work when Dex is out of the game. When Dex is out Gary can pull the opponent’s big to the top of the key and open up the paint for Brown’s drive. Do I have this wrong? I could swear Dex was out of the game while Brown was tearing it up

He was getting to the rack and getting high % shots, not making a bunch of flukes. Barnes had him guarding Morningstar I believe which was a great match up for Brown, but hopefully Brown can hang with some of the quicker 2s in the league and do it on both ends

If any BON poster thinks the 2009-2010 Texas Longhorn basketball team is winning anything but a first round game during March Madness I’d like to remind them of a quote by Rodney Dangerfield in the classic “Back To School” movie:

Dr. Barbay: That will be quite enough, Mr. Melon. Maybe bribes and kickbacks and Mafia payoffs are how you do business but they are not part of the legitimate business world and they’re certainly and they’re certainly not part of anything I’m teaching in this class. Do I make myself clear?

Mr: Melon: Sorry. Just trying to help. That’s all.
                   
Dr. Barbay: Now, notwithstanding Mr. Melon’s input the next question for us is where to build our factory.

Mr. Melon: How about Fantasyland?

Fact is this squad is beyond repair. No moral victory can be salvaged from tonight or the season. This team is too young and has proven it simply doesn’t have what it takes to learn from adversity. They were awesome before challenges hit, they don’t have it, continue to make the same mistakes, no amount of coaching, competent or not seems capable of guiding them to become a team. It is a collection of parts And it has been missing a crucial part since the 2008-2009 season: a legitimate point guard.

Sure, Balbay has his strengths, but not enough of them and not well-rounded enough to inspire fear from opponents. I half jokingly told other Longhorns I watched the game with tonight that Texas might as well forfeit the last seven games of the season, work on basics and hope they get good enough at free throws and unselfish play during the extended off-season to compete in 2010-2011. Half jokingly. Nah, they’ll maybe go .500 the rest of the season, MAYBE, grab an early round win (unless they fall to a 10-12 seed, more and more likely these days where they’re done in the first round) and be home for the first weekend of March Madness for sure.

They sky IS falling, the team IS done, I don’t give one rat’s butt about your homers who will call me a fair-weather fan or whatever, blah, blah, blah. If you go there you’re an freakin’ ostrich with ZERO credibility so I really won’t care about you!

Maybe next season, but the rest of the season is just practice for next year, just like football teams look forward to playing in the Independence Bowl. When expectations are low it doesn’t hurt as much, but this group of guys had so much more potential. It hurts to watch them suck so bad and make no attempt to improve. If they intentionally wanted to embarrass the program from national relevance these guys couldn’t do it better than they have done since January 1st, 2010. They really, really suck!!

"Yeah, I think their best offensive team can’t guard anybody. Their best defensive team can’t score." -Doug Gottlieb

(copied from Bevo Beat – statesman)

so true… Also this team really needs steals and fast breaks to get into a rhythm offensively.

but do you honestly think this team does not have the talent to come “baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack”? No matter our seed would you want to play us?

now than I was last week. The main reason is Barnes recognizes that we have big problems. At first he seemed to not want to acknowledge them. Now we see Mason and Balbay’s minutes shrinking. We see Brown running the point well. He has to get more consistent, but he gives us the best chance to succeed on offense. He is showing signs. Balbay and Mason should be spot players. Leave them on the bench unless a player get’s hot on the opposition. I’m most concerned now with our post play. James is all we have. I have been hoping Pittman is something he is not. He is a nice player with the potential to exploit mismatches. What he is not is a guy you can run your offense through.\This team plays hard. That is what gives me hope going forward. There is no reason why we can’t turn this thing around.

Given our January/ Februaru free-fall, I thought the crowd last night started really good. Everyone was in their seats at tip off, which was a first. Very loud until the 11 minute scoring drought. We were up 6, then down 16.

By the time we scored at two minutes left in the half there really wasnt a whole lot to cheer about.

General thoughts from the Drum last night:

• Barnes has lost this team. They have given up on him and he has given up on them
• As stated on ESPN radio (versus the homers over at 1300) this morning, the Motionless Offense Barnes runs is not new, so there should be no surprise to its stagnant nature, the issue is that we are totally dependent on a NBA caliber PG to run the show. Without it we are 4 guys standing around while one guy dribbles around circles and an occasional guy steps up with a half hearted pick and roll. Our offense is designed to allow future NBA stars to show their stuff, it is not designed so create an offensive engine that is far better than the sum of it’s the parts. Watch other top teams, they move the ball and as soon as there is the slightest defensive mistake, the ball rotates around for an open shot. It is a real thing of beauty when it works, our offense is just plain ugly.
• Pittman is novelty and not a big time player. But once again, if he played on a team with an offensive purpose and movement he could be very effective. He whines and is not mentally tough. I believe the coaches all realize they can push him around early and make him a mental basket case. As a team we telegraph when we are going to Pittman, we might as well put up a big sign announcing our intentions
• When we have movement it is random and without purpose.

What should we do:
• I love Dogus Balbay and been a proponent of his playing time, but based on sticking with the Motionless Offense we have no choice but to bet heavily on J’Covan Brown.
• I am not sure what to do with Jordan Hamilton, he seems so lost. Once again, if we ran a structured offense he might understand his role and what he is supposed to do, but right now he has no clue. I have never seem a player of this talent look so awkward on court
• You got to love James, I feel bad for him. At least he has a basketball career beyond Texas. He has really stepped up but the Power Forward cannot do it alone
• Jai Lucas is a bust, do not play him
• Gary Johnson can be a black hole, but he goes to the hoop strong and is not intimidated or ratted by the defense.
• I like Bradley, but he is not having fun out there and seems a little frustrated and without purpose
• I would go with J’Covan, Bradley, James, Johnson and (not sure, I would like to say give Hamilton a shot and see if he can settle into a flow, but I really am not sure)

It seems to me that he is the only player who, taking for granted his obvious physical gifts and basketball talent, can be counted on to contribute at a high level game in and game out. But the real factor that sets him apart is the sheer dint of his effort and desire . No one else comes close. Who will fill that void next year?

http://deadspin.com/5467703/the-curious-case-of-longhorn-girl/gallery/

I mentioned her in the comments during the game last night. I knew I could count on a deadspin reader to make good with pictures.

Was she strategically placed there to act as a (pair of) distraction(s)? Lane Kiffin approves.

Now that I have the taste of puke from last night out of my mouth, here’s what has to happen. I think we’ve all seen enough of this garbage, and last night proved some positives.

Here’s the starting five from the point on:

1. Brown
2. Bradley
3. Johnson
4. James
5. Pittman

Bench: Balbay, Mason, Chapman

Give the ball to Brown and say it’s your team to lead/run. He’s quick and athletic enough, and he can create his own offense when needed. You run the high pick/screen with Johnson who pulls his big away. This gives Brown the chance to break down the defense in the paint, and when Dex’s man comes off to help, he can dish to Dex. If not, Brown can shoot it himself or take it all the way to the rack.

You can mix it up by running the high pick/screen with James, who also will bring a big up top, however, you have the added option of letting James rub off after he sets the screen and get the ball back from Brown for a good looking jump shot.

Bradley is more suited for the off-guard position where he can run through the baseline screens and play off them. Basically, you can use him the same way they used Abrams for several years, only Bradley is big and athletic enough to drive if the man gets through the screen and stays with him. Abrams never was.

You can bring in Balbay and Mason for defensive effort and to help spell Brown, Bradley, and Johnson. However, you never, under any circumstances, have them on the court at the same time. Dogus never has been able to shoot. And Mason is now shooting under 20% for the past couple of weeks. You can live with one offensive suck hole, but you can’t survive with two at the same time.

Chapman is my first reserve off the bench for the bigs. He always plays hard, gives great effort, rebounds, can give you about 5-8pts. per game in reserve, and isn’t afraid to mix it up inside and lay some fouls if need be. That could help keep Sexy Dexy out of foul trouble as well.

Finally, Hamilton can no longer be in the rotation. Yes, we all know the Ok. State game. But he’s never met a shot he hasn’t liked, and he doesn’t know the meaning of the word pass. You can’t kill his confidence however. So if I’m Barnes, I tell him that he’s out of the rotation, for now, but that he has a chance to play his way back in. Then I assign one asst. coach to him and have them work with him on court, and in the film room, to help him learn what is a good shot within the offense, and what isn’t.

Quite frankly what he needs to learn is how to play a two-man game with one of our bigs. The thing he was doing the best in that Ok. State game was setting his feet and dropping good-look jumpers. If he can figure out how to dump it to the big man inside, then spot up, receive the pass back and shoot without thinking about driving or hesitating, he could be absolutely deadly. Not to mention, he would have a height advantage for easier entry passes to Dexter.

Can you imagine if Hamilton were dumping to Dexter, then sliding to the middle wing area to spot up, and Dexter would send it right back out as soon as he received the double-teams he was getting all night long last night? Hamilton for a clean look jumper with his feet set? Good night now!

I have a blog for bashing on Rick Barnes. It is helping me to vent my rage while also providing me with a side goal of having Google post my site in the number 1 position when the phrase “rick barnes sucks” is searched.

Rick Barnes Sucks