A hat tip to my brother for this prescient Daniel Gibson post prior to the Cavaliers Game 4 matchup with Detroit last week. Gibson has made a huge splash in the 2007 playoffs, highlighted by his 31 point outburst (with 19 in the fourth quarter) in the clinching Game 6, a performance which immediately recalled this game to my mind.
Because Gibson's sophomore season at Texas failed to be the step huge forward from his promising freshman campaign, many of us more or less forgot just how much talent and potential Gibson really has. It was a disappointment, though, in many regards, and one in particular: when Gibson signed with the Longhorns, he proudly boasted that he was going to do what TJ Ford had not done - hang a national title banner in the Erwin Center.
As it turned out, Ford wound up accomplishing more at Texas with significantly less talent around him. (Can you imagine TJ directing an offense that had Aldridge and Tucker as scoring options?) I think that's one of the reasons a lot of us sort of underappreciated Gibson's raw talent.
Clearly, though, he's got loads of it. Congratulations, young man. Make us proud in the Finals.
Did anyone else notice that Henry Melton was arrested just three days after I "featured" him on the countdown? Coincidence, no doubt, but if there's any humor in the matter, there it is. That, and the BON thread after the fact.
There's nothing funny about a DWI, really, but that it was Melton - a BON whipping boy - is at least a little bit comical. The question now turns to what happens with Melton from a disciplinary standpoint. Without knowing if he's had any other issues that displeased the coaching staff, it's impossible to say, but this does not bode well for his future with the Longhorns. Already facing a position switch due to incompetence, he's now in the discipline dog house. With Orakpo, Lewis, Houston and Jones all ahead of him on the depth chart, Melton has a tough row to hoe. I hope he turns things around, for his sake.
Y'all ready to do some arguing about Texas football scheduling? Hope so, 'cause we're going to get into it in great detail in the coming weeks.
Before we start the debate, though, let's frame the issue. There are only two things worth considering:
- How much does scheduling affect your chances of winning a national title, and in what ways?
- How does Texas measure up in those regards?
--PB--