My Theory On What Went Wrong With Texas Basketball This Season
by JRBTX on Mar 19, 2010 11:19 AM CDT
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PrintThat, yes, something went wrong in the locker room. I believe everything was good while 17-0 was happening. The freshman were cool with the three seniors doing their thing and themselves getting 10-20 points. When the slide started i believe a rift developed between the three freshman (brown, bradley, hamilton) and the seniors (pittman, james, mason) with the rest of the team caught in the middle. The freshman realize they are good and wanted to take things over when the wheels started to fall off, but the seniors wouldnt have it after 4 years of being their. The other players (balbay, johnson, Chapman, and ward.. among the rest) were caught in the middle and in no place to assert authority so they just become objective observers within the system. Then steps in slick rick, who i believe sided with the older guys and wanted to assert his authority as coach. The freshman resented this and thus began the fall from grace(as well as rankings). The others were helpless because their lack of skill and prominence on the team.There are alot of other smaller issues involved but this scenario for the large part is what i think led to what culminated in last night.
I think we will be better next year because rick doesn't have to take sides with anyone and has the three sophs as the go to guys. The overall dynamics of this team trumped the obvious talent, and once adversity hit it was easy for everything to unravel. My advice to rick, just let them play and dont micromanage every moment and instance on the court. If you remember a certain offensive coordinator had to do the same to a certain quarterback he had and the results ended up ok if I remember. Just a theory, but i think not too far off. Tell me what yall think
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A definite possibility
and you’re right about next year being more promising. While it’s understandable to call this statement ridiculous, I think your suggestion helps validate the notion that Damion James and Dexter Pittman returning was actually a bad thing for this team.
Next year, those freshmen will immediately be expected to become our leaders (though I think Ward will become that veteran leader we needed this year).
by goingforthecorner on Mar 19, 2010 11:27 AM CDT reply actions
I agree
except i think damion would have been fine this year with the team, but i think we were always trying and hoping to mold this group of running, athletic guys around dexter and make it happen. It became obvious at the end of the year that we were better w johnson and james in the low posts instead of dexter. I want to see a run and gun team next year that goes for 40 minutes at a100/mph. We want the other team cramping up and begging for subs. Rick should already acknowledge this and work on it (as well as freethrows)
I agree
Except for the part of Rick to stop micromanaging!! He has done it that way for years and has had success with that style!! These frosh just need to grew up and except the coach the way he is!!! Good Gosh work on free throws!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
On micromanaging
in the sense that the players shouldnt have to look over their back if they take a quick shot or make a mistake on defense. Its going to happen and he should just let them play out and create some rythm. I think alot of the players were tentative to make plays so as not to lose playing time. Thats why there wasnt any gel to this team bc i think they were forced into playing the way they did. Just my observation
Drama
I assume you have no real knowledge of what might have taken place, so your class war scenario may be as good a guess as any. But I didn’t see anything on the court to suggest that the players were split into factions.
If we are speculating wildly, maybe there is a scenario where the players revolt against the coaches? Or where there is a fight? Or some other interpersonal matter — a woman, perhaps? We just don’t know.
But the fact we are not being told may lead to suspicions of a cover up. And we all know what happens then. Drama.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
There was definitely something going on after 17-0
You could see it in damions face as frustration. Jcovan a number of times looked indignant (as well as hamilton), almost like “dammit im good just let me play”. Bradley was frustrated as well. I wasnt in the locker room but played alot of organized sports and when theres discord in the locker room it shows on the field. I know from experience when players and coaches dont seem eye to eye with the way the team is going. Not to mention when you have 4 year players and freshman blue chips to contend with. Remember i did say theory too
J'Covan and Damion
Post game:
J’Covan Brown: Well, you know, we started off good, you know. Playing as a team, and moving the ball, you know. Once we got like later towards the season we started doing little things that made us a good team. And Coach was trying to keep that in our minds. And every game, you know, just play as a team. But we just got away from it.
Damion James: No comment.
Freshman Prima Donnas
I don’t buy the class war theory. I’m not saying it’s impossible but I think it’s a lot more simple than that.
You have these highly touted freshmen who don’t want to be coached. When they buy in…good things. When they freelance…the ball winds up in Gary Johnson’s hands instead of Brown’s and he’s bricking 1 of 2 against Wake.
Another mindreader
Avery Bradley has a reputation as being highly coachable. As to Brown and Hamilton, you don’t really know. Maybe they are trying but just haven’t got it yet. Maybe they are not being coached effectively.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you're a mile away AND you have their shoes.
Overtime (vs Wake)
The overtime period was eerily a mirror image of the entire season. Start out with a bang, looked very good…….collapse at the end with questions of “what the hell just happened here?”
One “theory” we can all agree upon – free throw shooting was horrifically abysmal. No, it didn’t necessarily equate to all those losses down the stretch. But it sure roared its ugly head in a monstrous fashion throughout the season.
Fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals – here’s hoping Barnes can “break” everyone down and start fresh for next year.
As for Penders – other posts/comments about him – he elevated Texas to a position that allowed UT to hire Barnes. I liked some aspects of Penders’ ballclubs, but I’ll take Barnes in a heartbeat over Penders.
I think the OT was actually missing the part where we let them get a huge lead
then close the gap, but fail to totally close it out because we let them get 10 up on us.
TEXAS FIGHT
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