College Basketball: Big XII Tournament - Texas 61 KSU 58
by Scipio Tex on Mar 12, 2009 5:13 PM CDT
in Texas Longhorns and Other Basketball
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PrintMan, do we ever have a shaky basketball team but it was nice to see them compete. With this win, it's also quite likely that we've given ourselves the opportunity to grab a minimum 7 seed and, of course, an eventual shot at a conference tournament title.
We actually played excellent defense throughout the game (KSU shot < 30%), but the Wildcats shot 65 shots to our 45 by forcing us into a stomach-churning 22 turnovers and by dominating the offensive glass 15-8. We took care of the basketball like Joan Crawford looks after a child. Thankfully, Scott Drew is too dumb to understand that and adjust accordingly.
The most interesting individual stat line was KSU's Denny Clemente. After scorching us for 44 in Austin, including 6 of 6 shooting from the 3 point line, Clemente was 4 of 20 for 10 points. Basketball, thou art a strange and dynamic game. You mock our understanding, law of averages.
Dexter Pittman racked up 19 points to go with 20 boards and 4 blocks on 67% shooting - his second consecutive dominating performance. That he did it playing 30+ minutes is outstanding. We were worried about his gas tank after Colorado. Now we worry about it after KSU. Maybe we shouldn't - big boy was moving pretty well at game's end and he's starting to come into his own. I'm more worried about his hooves than anything else. Get him a pedicure pronto.
We showed fairly good discipline throughout the game in feeding Dexter and bad things generally happened whenever we strayed from running the offense through him. As is always the case.
Varez Ward and Clint Chapman gave us some great minutes off of the bench while Abrams sat with fouls, Damion James wrestled with his own basketball IQ like Borat with his naked manager, and Justin Mason was basically execrable. AJ - unlike the KU game - didn't try to inject himself into the game late and that's why we won.
Maybe Gary Johnson is hurting, but he needs to contribute something more than a flailing shot block attempt on defense if he wants to justify his minutes.
Next up, Baylor.
Scott Drew is the worst game manager in the Big 12 though I predict he will be lauded on tomorrow's broadcast for "getting his kids to play!" as if Baylor were the actual scrappy underdog rather than one of the three most talented teams in the league that chronically underachieved all year. This Baylor team has the feel of every Quin Snyder team we ever watched at Missouri and is fully capable of making short runs playing inspired basketball. Hitting them in the mouth and pulling the jenga piece on their delicate alliance of selfish play is the key to making them tumble to the ground.
We need Dogus, Dexter, and AJ to all have big games if we want to extend our increasingly Dimaggio-esque winning streak over Bible Aggy. Dogus needs to value the ball and get in some people's jocks defensively, AJ needs to drill some open three pointers that will be there when Baylor rolls their defense to Pittman, and we need another double double from big Dex.
Make Baylor play the full possession on defense, guard the three point line like Hannah Montana's virginity on the other end, and eventually Baylor's true colors will shine through.
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Basketball, thou art a strange and dynamic game. You mock our understanding, law of averages.
Just ask the Aggies about their “attempt” to guard Mike Singletary.
For me, everything else from here on in this year is just icing on the cake. Seeing Dex improve exponentially, and seeing the kind of offense talent he will be surrounded with next year is a very good thing.
by srr50 on Mar 12, 2009 5:19 PM CDT reply actions
Scip, we especially need Doge to take care of the ball. And I swear it looked like other people were more turnover prone today – almost like it was contagious.
by ATXHornsFan on Mar 12, 2009 5:27 PM CDT reply actions
Nice call on Baylor’s Snyderesque tendencies with Drew at the helm.
They were picked to finish third this year. Third.
by Bob in Houston on Mar 12, 2009 5:41 PM CDT reply actions
Mizzou needs to win tonight, or the North is 0-fer in the tourney (H/T ftf).
Basketball, though art indeed fickle.
by ponderos on Mar 12, 2009 6:07 PM CDT reply actions
That move Dogus made where he did a cross-over and blew by his man in the right-hand lane was awesome. Gettys made a good point: If you decide to sag off the guy because you (rightfully) don’t respect his shot, that just gives him more room to maneuver and find people … or get a running start on one of his slash moves.
I was less impressed by Dexter trying to lead the break.
Regardless, it was good to win a grinder of a game. That’s the most likely kind of game we’ll see in the Tournament, especially in a potential second-round tilt.
I imagine we’ve gotten out of the 8/9 slot with the two wins and A&M losing; beating Baylor would assure a 6, I think.
by CrazyJoeDavola on Mar 12, 2009 7:03 PM CDT reply actions
Hilarious stat ponderos. And my how I hope they lose and it comes to be.
by hiphopopotamus on Mar 12, 2009 7:04 PM CDT reply actions
Drew is up their with the all-time greats when it comes to great recruiting-horrible coaching combos. Lou Henson. That guy at Michigan before Fischer. Dave Bliss, ironically. Who else?
by Bartoncreek on Mar 12, 2009 7:56 PM CDT reply actions
Bill Frieder. That was driving me crazy. I played blackjack with him in Vegas when he was the coach at ASU. What a dumbass that guy was.
by Bartoncreek on Mar 12, 2009 8:00 PM CDT reply actions
ST that was very nice of you .
“Justin Mason was basically execrable. "
Is that the nice way to say he played like shit ? He stood watching the play and at times the ball most of the second half. Master Blaster should have pulled Mason during the second half when he was trying to bring the ball up court. Mason is a better player then what he has shown this season.
Chapclink is starting to show some hot flashes of his skill set. Wish he would get 2 rebounds per game, then he could get 2 extra PT minutes.
Did you see Wards cross-over that starts to the left and he filps over his wrist and goes to the right, great move, that got him that nice lay up and avoided the foul. Ward will be an asset next year behind Bradley if he stays.
22 turn overs, to many for us to give to any team that can shoot over 30% if we want to win a few more games.
by SkymonkeyHorn on Mar 12, 2009 8:23 PM CDT reply actions
Did you see Wards cross-over that starts to the left and he filps over his wrist and goes to the right, great move, that got him that nice lay up and avoided the foul.
That was Stacy Augmon’s signature move in NBA Jam 1995. B+C+Trigger Up = He’s on Fire!
Varez flashed that wiggle move a few times earlier this season. Then Barnes made him sit on the floor facing an empty gym locker for three hours as punishment.
Varez, did you just beat your man off the dribble!? Who do you think you are, TJ Ford? Mason, get in there!
Hopefully Varez has a higher ceiling than Mason.
by Vasherized on Mar 12, 2009 9:07 PM CDT reply actions
I noticed that the same Balbay European-crossover move that Vitale and Shulman slobbered over was (correctly) called traveling when he tried it today.
by Bob in Houston on Mar 12, 2009 10:09 PM CDT reply actions
Having nowhere else to put this, I’ll post it here: This Syracuse-UConn game is friggin’ epic.
by CrazyJoeDavola on Mar 12, 2009 11:20 PM CDT reply actions
I seriously had plan to go to bed at some point but now I can’t. I’m beginning to think that Calhoun and Jimmy B are stuck in the twillight zone. Shouldn’t one of them just be telling his guys to lose already?
by flamingmonkeyass on Mar 12, 2009 11:54 PM CDT reply actions
Apparently not, since we’re now in OT #6.
by CrazyJoeDavola on Mar 13, 2009 12:06 AM CDT reply actions
This game has gone from great to epic to unfuckingreal. Somebdy win already!!!
by flamingmonkeyass on Mar 13, 2009 12:06 AM CDT reply actions
DVR ran out at the end of 0T 5…how the fuck does Cuse go on to win by TEN in OT 6?
Everybody must have fouled out for UConn…or did people just start passing out?
Paul Harris is one freak of an athlete.
by Vasherized on Mar 13, 2009 1:34 AM CDT reply actions
‘Dimaggio-esque winning streak over Bible Aggy’
-Hilarious
Although I feel that you went a little too far. The creation of an “-aggy” moniker is akin to a Scarlet Letter of hopelessness. Are we sure that we want to give Baylor that label?
by Stats Are For Losers on Mar 13, 2009 8:18 AM CDT reply actions
The Syracuse point guard played 67 minutes in that game last night. I believe I might take West Virginia in tonight’s game.
by srr50 on Mar 13, 2009 8:40 AM CDT reply actions
There is now a stampede at sports book’s all over the world to bet on West Virginia. It is getting dangerous. Some guy got killed with a trident.
by The General on Mar 13, 2009 8:49 AM CDT reply actions
Vasherized,
Routins sank a three right at the beginning of OT and then Harris came right back the next possession and bricked a dunk, got his own rebound, and made the lay-in for an and 1. Also, UConn resorted to heat checks from 3-point range in a tribute to Iverson and Abrams. The 2-3 zone of ’Cuse really bothered UConn down the stretch when their bigs had all fouled out. That plus tired legs for the guards and you have pretty poor shooting for UConn. I was worn out after just WATCHING the game…
by intellectual type on Mar 13, 2009 8:52 AM CDT reply actions
And that’s when Syracuse wins.
The slightly likelier scenario, IMO, is a good battle between Syracuse and West Virginia today. But if Syracuse survives that one, the fatigue from last night will set in on Saturday in the final. They would lose that game by 20 against either possible opponent, IMO.
by Huckleberry on Mar 13, 2009 8:53 AM CDT reply actions
Dexter was big yesterday even on the 5" portable TV in my office. What pleased me the most (other than Dexy stomping around like Godzilla vs Mothra) was that we won despite not playing well, and having some big calls go against us. Ex: with 23 seconds left Gary Johnson works hard and has great rebound position. He reaches for the ball and a KSU player violently hits his outstretched arm. Ball goes out of bounds and KSU has a shot to tie.
by Art Vandelay on Mar 13, 2009 8:58 AM CDT reply actions
The officiating was egregiously horrendous for both teams. I don’t think either team got an advantage.
by The General on Mar 13, 2009 9:14 AM CDT reply actions
Did you catch the end of the OU/OSU game? Somewhere Bobby Knight could be heard screaming “I know that F’ing timekeeper!!!”
by Art Vandelay on Mar 13, 2009 9:51 AM CDT reply actions
Harris came right back the next possession and bricked a dunk, got his own rebound, and made the lay-in for an and 1.
Thanks intellectual. That is Paul Harris in a nutshell. I’d still trade three of our players for him, although having Paul and Damion on the same team would likely force a coach into early retirement.
Bob Smuggins is rounding his squad into fine form at the right time. I like The Mountaineers in this one as well.
I leave the research to Huckleberry, but it seems like a lot of teams that run through the gauntlet in conference tourneys often make quick exits the next week.
by Vasherized on Mar 13, 2009 11:06 AM CDT reply actions
Up to a 5 seed in the latest Bracketology.
I’d be quite happy with a 4,5,6 seed compared to where we were a week ago in the 8/9 slot.
by Vasherized on Mar 13, 2009 11:56 AM CDT reply actions
Abarams hit a clutch 3 to tie the game with 2 minutes left. That was big.
Dex came up HUGE again.
A win is a win. Solid game and a good victory.
by Petey on Mar 13, 2009 12:43 PM CDT reply actions
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