Texas vs Missouri: Tigers Travel to Austin to Battle Longhorns
by Peter Bean on Jan 28, 2011 12:29 PM CST
in Texas Longhorns Basketball
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The University of Texas men's basketball team (17-3, 5-0) will play host to the Missouri Tigers (17-3, 3-2) in what could be a must-win for Mizzou if they want to stay in the race for the Big 12 regular season title. Game tip is at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday evening at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.
The Tigers enter Saturday 4-2 against the KenPom Top 50, with quality home wins over No. 20 Vanderbilt, No. 40 Nebraska, and No. 46 Kansas State, as well as a neutral floor victory over No. 17 Illinois. Missouri suffered losses to No. 21 Georgetown in Kansas City and No. 29 Texas A&M in College Station. The Tigers picked up their third loss in Boulder, to No. 59 Colorado. Missouri's sole win on an opponent's home floor came against No. 115 Oregon, an 83-80 Tigers win.
As usual Missouri is playing Mike Anderson's trademark running, 40-minutes-of-hell style of play. Their games average nearly 74 possessions per game, the 10th fastest tempo in the country, and they've already had five games that went 80 or more possessions in regulation. The Tigers push in transition and press all over the court.
This year's Missouri ball club features eight regulars who average 16 or more minutes per game, and two more who average about 10. Only one player averages more than 25 minutes per game (junior guard Marcus Denmon, who averages about 30). By way of comparison, the Longhorns have four starters who average 30+ minutes per game--Jordan Hamilton, Cory Joseph, Gary Johnson, and Tristan Thompson.
Analysis and keys to the game after the jump.
1. Defend the three pointer, transition included. Through five Big 12 conference games, Missouri is averaging 21 three point shots per game. In their loss at Colorado they hit just 4 of 16, but have shot 35 percent or better in each of their four games since, including a 10-25 showing at A&M (an overtime loss) and 8-19 against Kansas State (11 point win). Missouri isn't overly-reliant on the three (just 31% of their shot attempts are from beyond the arc), but their chances of picking up a road win Saturday are a lot better if they can hit 10 threes like they did at A&M. It won't be easy, as Texas' opponents are hitting just 28.6% of their three point attempts, sixth-best in the nation.
2. Play even in the turnover battle. This is one of those obvious statements that wouldn't normally merit its own key to the game, but with Missouri, this is where the game is won and lost. The Tigers rarely turn the ball over (17th best nationally) and are fantastic at forcing opponents to turn it over (14th nationally). That's why Missouri, just an average offensive rebounding team, has succeeded in averaging 7 more shot attempts per game than their opponents. Texas shouldn't need any reminders about the consequences of that happening; in their only home loss of the year, to UConn, the Huskies got off 16 more shots than the Longhorns did.
3. Get to the free throw line. The Tigers aren't a hack-tastic team, but Missouri has struggled most this year when opponents are getting to the stripe. A&M was only able to overcome the 10 three pointers by Missouri because they shot 38 free throws, to Missouri's 19. Texas has done a very good job during its current streak in both getting to the line and making them. It'll help slow down Missouri if they can do so again on Saturday.
4. Don't get lost in the tempo. The danger with playing a Mike Anderson team is the difficulty in not having the game dictated to you. They press. They run. They do things, TO you. That can be unsettling (which is the point), and can cause you to get away from the things that YOU do. There's nothing wrong with Texas taking advantage of transition opportunities, but we don't want a helter-skelter game, either. We're perfectly capable of running a good bit, and we can handle pressure defense, but there's a fine line between playing well in an up-tempo game and playing Penders ball. If our guys start jacking jumpers all over the place, I'll be concerned.
5. Control Michael Dixon. I've been impressed with Missouri's sophomore point guard Michael Dixon, whose quickness presents a lot of problems for opponents. Obviously, this is an important assignment for Dogus Balbay when he's in the game, but I worry a little bit about our other guards' ability to handle Dixon's quickness. I'll be watching closely to make sure we do a good job with team transition defense. Dixon will make us pay if we don't, and I'd like to see us deny him the outlet pass to buy a couple seconds and let our defense set.
Prediction: Missouri has three legit outside shooters in Marcus Denmon, Kim English, and Michael Dixon, and we'll have ourselves a real challenge if those guys are feeling it. Mostly, though, this is the kind of opponent that will test our ability to do well a few specific things within our own control. Things like denying Dixon the ball and getting back in transition. Not getting caught up in the tempo -- sloppy turnovers, too many jumpers, not attacking the defense to get to the line. Not hamstringing ourselves with avoidable foul trouble.
What makes Mike Anderson's teams so effective is that pressure and tempo are things that you have to deal with. Constantly. And that often makes it that much harder to focus on those other things -- not fancy or difficult things, but the basic stuff teams need to take care of to win games. We've been tested a lot of different ways this year, and for the most part handled it well. This will be a new kind of test, and though I'm especially optimistic because we're drawing Mizzou at home this year, it'll be very interesting to see how we handle this particular challenge.
Given the home floor advantage and enough time to prepare specifically for what Missouri wants to do, I like the winning streak to continue. I forsee a difficult shooting night for Missouri, and a Texas offense that really seems to understand what good shots look like, and how to work together to get them. Texas 76 Missouri 67
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Color Me Scared
This style will give the Longhorns absolute fits. The pace can wear down TT – taking away a key inside advantage. While our depth is adequate – no one really enters the game with a scoring attitude. Whoever controls the pace wins.
Note to Bill Byrne "Because you aren´t Texas and you´ll never be Texas"
Missouri will be tough
and I always get nervous about these neutral court games.
If you're so sure of what it ain't, how about telling us what it am!
Not quite a sell out yet
There are a limited number of tickets remaining. Hopefully the crowd will be higher than a kite after the string of success since aTm game.
- Move along now.
Detailed write up as usual, PB
I’m not worried about our perimeter defense. I’m more concerned with their front line (Ratliffe, Bowers, Safford) and our ability to beat them off the boards (Gary, please pay close attention to this). These guys are averaging 6.6 ORPG and 30 PPG collectively. They have a propensity to get into foul trouble. We are going to have to attack these guys and hope they ride pine with early foul difficulty. Thoughts?
- Move along now.
Good point
And a neglected aspect of the game in my post. Their front line isn’t huge, but they’re athletic, and we’ll need to team rebound well, that’s for sure. Fortunately, since the UConn game that’s something we’ve really done well, so I’ve been feeling a lot better about it, but you’re right to point it out.
That said, I think strong guard play is the key to beating this Texas team. Witness what happened to A&M without much permiter contribution.
You ain't hurt...
Not a game for Jai Lucas with their pressure.
Hope that Barnes avoids the mid-first half Lucas/Hill combo that has bogged the offense down in a couple recent games, including Oklahoma State. Those guys shouldn’t be on the court together and when Thompson is out there too it allows opponents to trap way too much. This is a game for Balbay and JCB to play a lot of minutes.
Would be much to snag some offensive rebounds this game, but I guess Texas has been scoring so efficiently that they haven’t really needed to many second-chance opportunities recently. More important though is probably boxing out on the weakside and really creating some space there because guys have been getting pushed under the basket and giving up offensive rebounds the last couple of games.
Follow me on Twitter: @GhostofBigRoy
www.burntorangenation.com
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jan 28, 2011 1:29 PM CST reply actions
Miss Varez much?
Does anyone know how he’s doing?
Still a Blaine Irby fan
by patienthornsfan on Jan 28, 2011 1:41 PM CST up reply actions
He's at Auburn
getting back towards healthy, I think. And apparently he keeps getting pulled over by Auburn police who are surprised to find out that he really does have a permit for his handgun (per his Twitter feed).
Follow me on Twitter: @GhostofBigRoy
www.burntorangenation.com
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jan 28, 2011 1:47 PM CST up reply actions
Bilas picks Texas
Who wins: Texas is on a roll right now and has been very good on the defensive end. We have come to expect that from the Longhorns. The difference is Texas’ improved offensive output. I like Texas to win this one at home.
It’s usually Katz who is our big cheerleader, so it’s nice to see the Dukey give us some love too.
Still a Blaine Irby fan
by patienthornsfan on Jan 28, 2011 1:30 PM CST reply actions
Piling on
Now comes maybe the toughest test for the Texas D — Missouri. Mike Anderson’s fastest 40 minutes is producing a blistering 85 points per game, fifth most in the country. I think Texas is legitimate this year. Slowing down the Tigers will prove that the Longhorns’ defense is for real, too.
Dana O’Neill
Still a Blaine Irby fan
by patienthornsfan on Jan 28, 2011 1:37 PM CST up reply actions
Man I wish I had ESPNU
I’m eager to see who will be the designated press-breaker. Can our bigs pass against pressure? An up-and-down style followed by a bare-knuckle brawl against the Ags in two days is a great warmup for post-season play.
I won’t be too disappointed if the Horns split these next two games. But if they win both we might start dreaming of an unbeaten conference season, and all the trimmings (read: seeding) that come with that.
J’Covan has to have a big game tonight. If he can break the press and hit transition jumpers like he did against Kansas, I like our chances.
Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. Life is profound in its simplicity. - Charles Bukowski
They do, and it's on
"I live in the tower with Coach Brown." -Bevo
by run Bevo run on Jan 29, 2011 9:27 AM CST up reply actions
Is it subject to blackout in Austin?
Greg Davis haikus; a lot like his offenses; always go sideways.
by pleaseplaykindle on Jan 29, 2011 11:15 AM CST up reply actions
Gary Johnson, Tristan Thompson, and Jordan Hamilton can all handle the rock
Texas is lucky in that they can have a pretty high level of trust in every member of the starting five to handle the pressure, along with JCB off the bench.
Follow me on Twitter: @GhostofBigRoy
www.burntorangenation.com
by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Jan 28, 2011 2:56 PM CST up reply actions
Agreed
This is the deepest team with no depth I’ve seen… if that makes sense. Everyone is a potential scorer among the top 6 players (even Doge, in his way), and they play the team game so well on both ends. This is why I am more hopeful about this team in March than any previous Longorns squad.
Though that’s easy to say in January.
And yes, I think I’ll be watching on my computer instead of my couch. The wife is having friends over tonight anyway, so I’ll settle into my man-cave.
Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. Life is profound in its simplicity. - Charles Bukowski
by windycityhorn on Jan 28, 2011 4:16 PM CST up reply actions
Skilled big guys are a great way to beat the press
Hamilton isn’t exactly a "big,’ but he is not small either, so he can see over the double teams. Having 5 guys on the court who can make good decisions and pass the ball gives us a pretty good shot at dealing with the press.
I am interested to see how we do at transition defense. Our key strength is our ability to lock down on defense in the half court. Perhaps the teams that worry me the most are the ones that can really run, which could potentially keep us away from this key strength. A big concern is the team that can hit 3’s in transition. Once we get set in the half-court defense, those 3 point shots will be very hard to come by, but in transition you can sneak a few open looks that you don’t normally get against Texas.
All that said, if we get back on defense, and don’t self destruct against the press, this should be a game that we will win.
Some fun Numbers
-Mizzou is currently #10 in Adjusted tempo, essentially its possesions per minutes and then adjusted with your opponent.
- Texas is 153rd in adjusted tempo.
-Texas is number 1 in the country in the Adjusted Defensive effenciency
-Mizzou is number 25 in the country in adj. Off. Eff.
-Mizzou is 32nd in the country on adj. def. eff.
- Texas is 24th in country in adj off eff.
-Texas is number 1 in the country in adjusted fg defense, and 6th in the country in adj 3-point percentage on defense.
Thanks to kenpom.com
Hook 'em
Great write up Peter
Some insider info on Mizzou:
—Their primary problem is, like last year’s Texas team, they simply have TOO MANY really good players and not enough great players or role players. Michael Dixon, Ricardo Ratliffe, Laurence Bowers, Marcus Denmon, Justin Safford, Kim English, and the Pressey brothers (Phil and Matt) are all very good players. Adding any of them to any team in the Big 12 would make that team better, and that’s a long list of guys. Not many teams can claim 8 guys that would do that. Unfortunately, this means Mizzou has no idea upon whom to rely each night and you can see this in the way the players play. It’s especially hurt the play of guys like Bowers and English, who were two of the better players in the conference last year. Nobody understands their role, other than perhaps Denmon, and it hurts their team chemistry and efficiency.
—Also, Mizzou is one of the lowest basketball IQ teams in the country. They make stupid turnovers, take dumb shots at dumb times, and just make suboptimal plays towards the end of games.
—This is a perfect game for Texas to get out in transition with Balbay and JCB. Mizzou’s style of play gives up a lot of 3 on 1s, 3 on 2s, and 4 on 2’s in the fast break if the press fails. Over/under on Tristan Thompson dunks is 4.
—Mizzou isn’t a very good road team, although they are a great home team. That said, not sure the Drum is going to make that much difference either way. Hope it will.
—Texas has to let their inside guys play one on one and not help off shooters. Denmon is probably the best shooter in the conference and Dixon and English aren’t far behind. English has struggled this year, but remember it was in Columbia last year that Hamilton and English had that back and forth scoring barrage that was so exciting to see.
—Mizzou does a terrible job of defensive rebounding against teams willing to fight with them. They try to get out in transition too early a lot of times and are outnumbered down low. This is a Tristan Thompson kind of game.
—I guarantee you Mike Anderson will be gunning to get Tristan Thompson in foul trouble from the get-go. The difference between the inside depth and the ability of the bench inside players of the two teams is hugely waited in Mizzou’s favor, so Texas can’t trade fouls inside unless it’s WangHill.
Nice write-up GHG90
But I am now suddenly nervous about how good Mizzou can be if they turn it on.
by raptor rabid on Jan 28, 2011 10:51 PM CST up reply actions
Extremely good
The problem is they don’t turn it on frequently enough.
by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 28, 2011 11:32 PM CST up reply actions
Gotta say, I disagree with quite a bit of this.
- Safford, Bowers and Matt Pressey, in particular, are dead-on perfect role players who know exactly what is expected of them. Bowers’ and English’s point totals have decreased because of the emergence of Denmon and Ratliffe, who, indeed have come to be “relied on each night.” Of all the problems this team does or doesn’t have, “players not knowing their role” is not one of them. English is the only one who has even remotely struggled with this.
- I highly, highly, highly, highly disagree with the IQ comment. Holy crap. Don’t mistake chaos for stupidity. Missouri creates chaos in the hopes that you won’t know what to do. As for the end of games … they did indeed struggle at the end against Georgetown and A&M. They also destroyed Illinois in the last minute and made all the necessary plays to beat Vanderbilt. They’re 3-2 in games decided by five points or less or in OT. That’s not bad. It’s not 5-0, but it’s not bad.
- Please, please, please get out in transition. Missouri will allow you to make some transition buckets if it means you’re playing their tempo.
- Agreed about the home-road thing. Mizzou Arena buzzes when Mizzou’s defense gets going. They’re decent away from home, but they’re great at home.
- Strangely, Missouri actually does very well rebounding against good rebounding teams. They lose focus against the Colorado’s of the world, but the better a rebounding reputation you have, the more Mizzou brings it. They sacrifice a little bit of pace to make sure they’re throwing enough bodies at missed shots. They have broken even against three of the better rebounding teams they’ve faced — Old Dominion, Texas A&M and Kansas State. Not sure how they’ll play Texas, of course.
- Missouri really doesn’t get players in foul trouble very well.
Whew
Sorry, Bowers is not a role player in any way. Pressey takes far too random of shots and doesn’t play within the confines of the offense. That applies to both of them. Safford’s only real ability is to score, which isn’t what a role player does. And he doesn’t do that with particular efficiency like he used to. Not sure if you know, but Safford has been ridiculed quite a lot by the students this season, correctly or incorrectly.
Mizzou has a low hoops IQ. Don’t know how else to explain this other than what I said. FWIW, most that I’ve talked to feel exactly the same way. The U of I victory was impressive. The GTown and A&M chokes were farcical. The GTown game in particular was one of the word end games that I’ve witnessed in basketball. The Vandy win was nothing to brag about. We should have won that game by double figures. Few teams in the country make more dumb plays. Chaotic play is not an excuse for stupidity. 3-2 in close games is nothing to brag about when you’re supposed to be one of the best teams in the country man. This is just how Mizzou is and will always be under Anderson, because that style of play lends itself to not being able to always think clearly during a game. Still, I don’t think that’s a good excuse for some of the just purely stupid plays that they pull.
You must not know much about UT if you want to play transition with them. Texas more than almost any team in the country is a team you do NOT want to play with in transition. Obviously that’s the only way Mizzou plays, but Texas absolutely massacres teams in the fast break game this year.
I don’t believe anybody particularly focuses more or less on JUST rebounding against particular teams. They just focus more period. Mizzouri gives up a good amount of offensive rebounds that they should simply not be giving up.
Yeah, Mizzou doesn’t get players in foul trouble because they aren’t very physical. But if they want a chance to be in this game, they are going to go directly at TT.
Don't know if I should jump in here or not, but here I go...
— I’ll admit to ascribing to your view of Matt Pressey more than Bill’s. I think he knows his role until the first shot falls, at which point he reverts back into thinking he’s back in JuCo where he’s relied upon to be the top scorer.
— “Not sure if you know, but Safford has been ridiculed quite a lot by the students this season, correctly or incorrectly.” This same demographic also wanted Chase Patton to start over Chase Daniel during a 10-win season.
RockMNation.com (@rockmnation)
Fighting mob mentality since 2007
Ha
Good point. I wasn’t saying I agreed with it; I actually like Safford. Just trying to give a broader perspective. People utterly despised Miguel Paul too and I never understood why. I thought he was fun and sometimes hilarious to watch. He certainly was exciting to see play at the Rec.
by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 29, 2011 11:50 AM CST up reply actions
I know I shouldn't...but here goes...
Bowers is not a role player in any way.
Semantics. He is not a natural scorer, and Mizzou struggled at times last year when they had to rely on him to do so. He is an incredible athlete who blocks shots, grabs offensive rebounds, makes some awesome dunks, and occasionally knocks down an open jumper. He is the perfect Mike Anderson player, and to me, he is the perfect role player. If that’s not your definition of such a thing, that’s fine.
Pressey takes far too random of shots and doesn’t play within the confines of the offense. That applies to both of them.
Phil is a freshman and still a bit of a wildcard. On a given day, he is either atrocious or amazing. The ratio of good to bad has improved dramatically over the last month, but he’s still capable of being stupid. Again, he’s a freshman.
Matt is far from a difference maker (which is fine—I didn’t expect him to be), but in the role of “play solid defense, drive to the rim when you have the chance, and don’t take too many 3’s because you’re not very good at them,” he’s done good things, especially in the last month. He attempted 21 3’s in his first nine games and has attempted only 11 in the last ten. He is, after all, also a newcomer, and still learning.
Safford’s only real ability is to score, which isn’t what a role player does.
At this point, I need to ask how many times you’ve actually watched Missouri. Justin Safford shoots 44% from the field, which, for a power forward, is pretty awful. He has a pretty jumper, and he sometimes finds a rhythm (he did against Illinois this year, and he did in the NCAA Tourney in 2009), but after last year’s injury, Safford has been an incredible “role player” this year. Against good rebounding teams, he’s been the guy throwing his body around, grabbing offensive rebounds, and setting a physical tone. He fills the void Missouri has against a given opponent, which, to me, is the precise definition of a role player, and a good one. He shoots when Mizzou’s offense is stagnant, he passes to the hot hand when somebody’s in a rhythm, and he’s the enforcer when Missouri needs one.
Not sure if you know, but Safford has been ridiculed quite a lot by the students this season, correctly or incorrectly.
Quite a few students also hated Blaine Gabbert and wanted the offensive coordinator fired about 90% of this past football season. (A Texas fan should know what a bad offensive coordinator looks like and should appreciate that Missouri, indeed, does not have one.) Backing up your point with “Students say this” is not going to get you very far. Some fans (myself included) get frustrated because Safford takes too many shots at times (trying to get something going) or turns the ball over a lot; again, I’m glad we don’t have to count on Safford for anything and that he can go out and be a whirling dervish and try to soften up the opponent for a few minutes at a time. He is the definition of a “dirty work” player this year, and that’s pretty much what a lot of people would call a “role player.” Again, semantics I guess.
Mizzou has a low hoops IQ. Don’t know how else to explain this other than what I said. FWIW, most that I’ve talked to feel exactly the same way.
Then you need to find different people with whom to watch basketball. Missouri is 71-21 since the start of the 2008-09, and before this season, they did so with nothing but 2- and 3-star players. They suck smart, talented team after smart, talented team into playing exactly the way Missouri wants them to play. How exactly does that happen if they’re a dumb team? I know some people (some Missouri fans included) think of anything beyond “halfcourt motion offense” as dumb, but … if you think that way, I feel sorry for you. Watching this team when things click is the most enjoyable basketball experience I can remember.
FWIW, most that I’ve talked to feel exactly the same way.
Blaine Gabbert, Dave Yost, Patton > Daniel, etc.
The GTown and A&M chokes were farcical.
You just mentioned two losses in 20 games. Games in which Missouri needed to make plays in a tight game and didn’t. Games in which a decent FT% team missed some free throws, in which Georgetown got incredibly lucky to force overtime (after “choking” away an 18-point lead), and in which ATM beat Missouri because Phil Pressey was involved in crunch time for the first time ever (unless you include Western Illinois). How exactly did Texas’ UConn and Pitt losses play out? Close games against good teams in which Texas didn’t make the plays down the stretch? Apparently they’re a stupid team too, then.
Few teams in the country make more dumb plays.
Missouri currently ranks 17th in the country in offensive turnovers, 14th in defensive turnovers, 34th in FG% offense and 77th in FG% defense. They block shots (18th) and don’t have many blocked (30th). They make steals (12th) while rarely allowing opponents to do the same (38th, and with a freshman and sophomore splitting time at the point). They take some stupid shots, but their FG% suggests that they don’t take nearly as many stupid shots as other teams. If your definition of “stupid play” doesn’t involve shot selection, steals (or other turnovers) or anything else I mentioned above, then I’d love to hear your definition.
3-2 in close games is nothing to brag about when you’re supposed to be one of the best teams in the country man.
Texas, the No. 7 team in the country, is 3-2 in such games.
No. 8 Villanova is 2-1.
No. 12 Purdue is 2-2.
Seems to me Missouri’s current ranking is rather accurately reflected by their close-game performance.
Texas more than almost any team in the country is a team you do NOT want to play with in transition. Obviously that’s the only way Mizzou plays, but Texas absolutely massacres teams in the fast break game this year.
Being very good in transition and getting sucked into a game in which you’re doing nothing but playing in transition are two different things. Texas’ overall pace shows that they do not prefer, nor are they very experienced with, playing in transition for 40 minutes. That is a game Missouri would love to play. If Texas can beat them doing so, great, but teams that run effectively with Missouri are typically like a boxer landing head shots but giving up a ton of body blows. They think they’re doing well, then late in the game, they’re wondering where the hell their legs went.
I don’t believe anybody particularly focuses more or less on JUST rebounding against particular teams.
Read my Rock M Nation Study Hall pieces. :-) Illinois aside, Missouri has done quite well against excellent rebounding teams, and they’ve gotten torched by lesser rebounding teams like, for instance, Colorado. Mike Anderson wants to send as many men into transition as possible, and that means, whenever he can get away with it, less help on the defensive glass. Teams whose rebounding Missouri doesn’t respect can surprise them with offensive rebounding and second chances because Mizzou wants to run. If Mizzou knows they are going to get torched on the glass, they keep more people back to rebound. Mike Dixon grabbed a ton of defensive rebounds in the last game because Iowa State has nice rebounding guards. In other games, Dixon would be at halfcourt by the time the missed shot comes down. Mizzou chooses how much focus to put on rebounding, and while you can obviously still outrebound Missouri (Illinois did, as have plenty of other teams), it is still a stylistic choice Anderson makes from game to game.
Mizzou doesn’t get players in foul trouble because they aren’t very physical. But if they want a chance to be in this game, they are going to go directly at TT.
As I wrote on Rock M yesterday, I’m really intrigued by the Ratliffe-Thompson matchup. Ratliffe is bull-strong and crafty, and Thompson is longer and more athletic. Ratliffe also doesn’t draw fouls particularly well, so I’m not optimistic about that particular aspect of the matchup. Mizzou needs Ratliffe to come up big, and I don’t know that he will (I did, after all, pick UT to win), but I’m really excited about this matchup, just to see how both players handle it.
I'm going to respond to this
In a very non-incendiary way because that was an extremely long post and I don’t want you to have to take the time to write that much again. You should be posting on your blog instead :)
—I had really high hopes for Bowers (and English) this season. I thought they could both be 1st team all-conference caliber players, though not actually 1st team because Mizzou plays so many players and their stats would be less. They’ve both disappointed and it makes me sad. I have huge respect for their star power and thought both could play at the next level. We’ll see how they fair next year.
—I think we mainly agree on the Pressey brothers. I’ll add that Matt’s main problem is low percentage long two-point pull ups that just mathematically don’t make sense.
—I said Safford’s role is to score. I also said he doesn’t do it efficiently. We agree there. A guy like Matt Hill is what you’re describing as a role player. Safford has nowhere near that level of impact at the stuff you described having him do. Again, I like Safford’s game but he’s just not producing this year.
—Yes my point about the student’s viewpoint was just a throwaway comment. Wasn’t trying to make it a hugely factual statement. Sorry but sometimes you need a different perspective and I was trying to provide it.
—Total TOs is not the same as “dumb plays.” Not all TOs are equally as terrible.
—IQ doesn’t necessitate losses…Missouri always plays a relatively easy non-conference schedule. You can be a good team and still make dumb plays. I think there is a disconnect between our thinking here.
—Again, compare Mizzou’s schedule to Purdue, Texas, and Nova. Not close. I’m talking about the way Mizzou lost the games, not necessarily THAT they lost them
—The pace comment applies to almost everybody in the nation. The reason Texas doesn’t play that pace 40 minutes a game is the same as basically everybody else, that’s just not their game. Doesn’t mean they’d be uncomfortable with it. Texas has players that were born to play in transition and love to run in it. Mizzou’s press doesn’t work against Kansas traditionally for the same reasons. There’s just a mentality there that high level recruits have–they love pushing tempo and using their athleticism.
—Thanks about the rebounding comment. That’s really cool that you’ve kept such track of that. I was speaking as an observer and it seems like we give up really bad offensive rebounds at particularly inopportune times.
—To the comment about not watching Mizzou games. I’ve seen almost every one this year (student), but I’m not going to sugar coat it just because I go here. I had really high expectations for Mizzou this season and I haven’t seen them met. Do they have a decent record? Yes. Is that the best indicator for how a team is playing? I don’t think so. I’ve seen them not play very well against mediocre teams that they should have crushed due to their talent level, athleticism, and style of play. Next year Mizzou should have one of the most talented teams in the country and I hope they can play with more chemistry and better-understood roles. I really think Mizzou has a chance to contend for the national title next year if they can put it all together.
by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 29, 2011 12:32 PM CST up reply actions
Also
Thanks a lot for your comments (and RPT’s as well). It’s great having people from other blogs coming in to stir the debate. Should be a great game tonight and I never really get excited having to be divided over the two teams I love.
Oh, I forgot to address the Yost comment. I’m not a huge fan of his, though he’s obviously light, light, light years ahead of Greg Davis.
by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 29, 2011 12:34 PM CST up reply actions
Looking forward to the game
Time for the family’s pilgrimage to Austin! We’re hitting the road this afternoon, making a pit stop in Waco for some grub at George’s, and then enjoying the game at the Drum. It’s a family tradition – my dad, brother, hubby and son, plus me. It’s nice being the princess.
I’m thinking this will be a closer game than the last few, because of Mizzou’s horses, if nothing else. Texas by 8.
Hook ’em!
Watch out, I bite.
by EddieTheAlbinoSquirrel on Jan 29, 2011 11:44 AM CST reply actions
Exactly
The winning margin I have. 76-68 in a game that’s close the entire way before Texas pulls away very late in the game.
by GoHornsGo90 on Jan 29, 2011 11:51 AM CST up reply actions
A&M falls @ Nebraska
definitely a trap game with Texas coming to Reed in 2 days. Aggie should no longer be considered Tier 1. Baylor came back to narrowly defeat Colorado at home – not impressed.
Elsewhere, the Big East is absolute chaos. #5 UConn and #7 Villanova both fall at home to lower ranked teams. #10 Syracuse in danger of falling @ Marquette as well.
by goingforthecorner on Jan 29, 2011 4:02 PM CST reply actions
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