Texas Basketball Report

by Peter Bean on Mar 1, 2007 3:22 PM CST in Basketball Comment 12 comments

For today's TBR, we turn to 54b's question I've put off answering all week, despite several pokes from this year's Miss Congeniality. So, here we go - you get an entire column devoted to your question!

I need some knowledge from the basketball advice columnist (and the rest of you b-ball enthusiasts too).

Do you think Thugball is the book on stopping Durant and the gang. The second half on Saturday reminded me of when I was back in school playing IM's. When we were losing to a team that had a ringer, we'd usually resort to "Hack a Shak" partly because we were frustrated and partly because we were too immature to do anything else. But that's bush league, this is D-1 basketball.

And fortunately for UT on Saturday, the refs called a close game, Durant hit his freethrows, and OU was equally abismal on offense. But it's not inconceivable to think UT would have lost against a better offensive team and perhaps some refs who aren't as whistle-happy (something that usually happens when UT goes on the road).

So here's the Q...how do we combat Thugball? Was Texas' 2 for 14 in the second half a product of Thugball or just an off half because there is no question something changed after halftime. And no doubt other teams were taking notes and if I think back to our earlier games with K-State and A&M, there seemed to be a ton of hard fouls in those games too.

Foul to keep UT out of their rhythm seems like a viable strategy and one we'll continue to see for the rest of they year. And I guess I'm hoping the Horns have more of an answer than just good freethrow shooting and generous whistles.

Signed,
Can't beat'em, beat'em up

54b brought this up in the wake of Texas' scary 2-for-14 second half against Oklahoma, when the half court offense stalled and the Longhorn freshmen played every part their age. I noted last night before tip that we'd likely learn a lot about the answer to 54b's question during the battle with A&M, and I think we did.

It's no secret that teams are going to throw the book at trying to slow down Kevin Durant. What's exciting, though, is that while KD's been a 30 point a night scorer for some time now, the growth rate of the players around him has been tremendous. Damion James is playing his best offensive basketball of the year. DJ Augustin has been great all year, but played at an all-time high last night.

With Augustin and James capable of scoring 15-25 points apiece (not to mention Abrams), plus Kevin's consistent 25+ per game, it's hard to imagine any team, regardless of pace, keeping Texas under 65-70. The only real question mark right now is Connor Atchley, who's in a pretty nasty three-game slump. (Is it a coincidence that he's hit this skid after his mother complained about BON? On the heels of us giving him the Baylor game ball? Hrmm. . .) I suspect Atchley's ankle has been bothering him more than we know, and I'm not terribly worried about him righting the ship for the postseason. Rick Barnes is plenty capable of getting Connor to play the way we need him to. No one's asking for superhero minutes from Connor; just a solid 15-20 minutes off the bench. He'll be fine.

I don't want to get too carried away too soon, but it's looking like thugging your way past Texas is becoming increasingly difficult. The 'Horns have made a commitment to defense, which keeps them in just about every game, and the offensive firepower is clearly among the tops in the country.

The more you watch this Texas team, the more it looks like the team that knocks Texas out of the tournament will be one that outguns the 'Horns. If Texas takes a night off on defense, or comes up against a team with some true offensive firepower, that's likely going to be the one that gets us. As an example, think back to the first A&M game; the Aggies just scored and scored and scored on Texas. Despite our 82 points, we couldn't keep up.

For now, we enjoy the 12 wins and look ahead to a very, very scary trip to Lawrence. It's hard to envision this (assuredly) tired Texas team winning in hostile Jayhawk territory, but if they do pull it off, it won't be the first time I've sold the team short this year.

--PB--

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Gees, won't the others get jealous

Appreciate the answer and I'm more and more convinced that the 2-14 second half at OU was an anomaly.

I think my biggest concern now is the refs. If DJ and Durant are going to making driving the hole part of their strategy, they are going to have to rely on refs who call it pretty close as they tend to become a bit eractic when throwing the ball up in traffic.

My guess is the refs tend to call it a little closer in the Dance because they know the spotlight is on them even more so than a regular season game. Plus, if you're into conspiracy theories, CBS will demand that Texas stay in the tourney for good long time for Durant generatied ratings.

BTW, Miss Congeniality, nice girl. And further proof that products of incest, while prone to illness, can contribute to society.

Be nobody but yourself in a world that desperately wants you to be like everybody else.

by 54b on Mar 1, 2007 3:46 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

While I see a better defensive attitude

I don't know if UT's players are good enough on defense as players, whether they want to play hard on D or not.

Consider this: Texas have allowed only 2 of their last 6 opponents to break a point per possession in scoring. Not coincidentally, 4 of those games were at the Drum.

A&M's offensive output (talking in efficiency, not just the raw points) last night was their 2nd best on the road all season, 2nd only to their game at Auburn.

by Chalmersfan on Mar 1, 2007 4:14 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

You missed the point

The point wasn't that Texas is playing great defense; we're not.

The point is that it's becoming hard to outscore Texas; which it is.

Thugging your way past Texas is a viable strategy, but it's not working as well as it did early in the season. Texas is playing tougher than they were then - not just on defense. On offense, too.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Mar 1, 2007 4:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Not sure I get this

"hard to outscore Texas"

When you've got 22 wins and 5 close losses (or 6) on the season, it's hard for your team to be outscored. I'm just not sure that UT's 6 game win streak is a reflection of toughness or a commitment to defense.

I doubt thugging will be an issue is Saturday's game. Kansas wants to play pretty basketball on both ends of the court, and the team and our fans will be hoping the refs let a lot of questionable call/no-calls go. If it's called tightly then KU will probably use a 3-2 zone for awhile.

by Chalmersfan on Mar 1, 2007 4:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not communicating well

What I mean is that I don't think you'll see a team without an elite offense take out Texas. A team like Duke, in other words, doesn't scare me as much as a team with either (A) both a great offense and defense, or (B) just a great defense.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Mar 1, 2007 4:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I get what you're saying now

And I'll say that, looking at the numbers, Texas would scare me a lot more if they had an elite defense and only an average offense. Why, you might say? Check KU's points scored in conference home games:

87, 80, 97, 66 (to the ags in a slowed down game), 97, 92, 89

While I doubt anyone would call KU's offense elite, UT's defense may get blitzed on Saturday. I'm anticipating that UT's offense will bring everything it has and it should be a great game.

by Chalmersfan on Mar 1, 2007 6:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i got one word of advice for KU

try to stop Durant. Let that swirl around in your brandy glass for a while.

Gravy Train with biscuit wheels.

by kicker on Mar 1, 2007 4:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

actually that was 4

but you get the point.

Gravy Train with biscuit wheels.

by kicker on Mar 1, 2007 4:54 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Answers to thug ball

Dont play scared. Thug-tastic teams like the aggies are trying to intimidate you into playing timid, where their aggressiveness will not be punished by drives that take advantage of them being out of position, but instead will result in your team throwing up contested outside shots or turnovers. Aggressive offensive play will force over aggressive teams into fouling, and hopefully enough to force their starters to the bench.
Make your free throws. Even if you are not getting all of the calls, you will get plenty, and you need to turn those into points.

by Wells on Mar 1, 2007 4:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Thugs foul out

with only 5 fouls and a shallow talent pool it doesn't work against guys who make foul shots.
The Aggies committed 28 fouls that pretty much defines thug ball any more than that who is left to play?

With the penalty shots and fouls on shooters the horns added 29 points.
The same at OU, the horns stayed in the game on the basis of fouls shots in the second half.
AJ, DJ, KD and D.James shoot fouls shoots well enough to make committing to many fouls not pay off.

The important aspect is for the horns not to commit to many offensive fouls driving the ball that could hurt more than anything the other team can do to stop them.

xerxes

by Xerxes on Mar 1, 2007 5:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

James fits well for that game

That guy is a freak of an athlete and maybe the strongest player we have. I like him taking a larger role in these more physical games, well atleast after watching last night anyways.

by txengineer on Mar 1, 2007 6:53 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Thugging back

Of course we have the option of going to Pittman when the inside game gets a little too tough. I'd like to see him getting early minutes to make the point, and to keep him out of one-and-one situations. So maybe have him be the first sub, rather than Atchley. This might also help Connor, too, since he would get an easier matchup.

by Caradoc on Mar 1, 2007 7:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs