Texas vs. Harlem Globetrotters recap

by RolloTamasi on Mar 7, 2010 12:54 AM CST

Basketball:

As the first half was unfolding I felt encouraged by the ball movement, variety of offensive sets, and ball movement on the offense. Aside from too many turnovers for a few minutes I thought the team was going to put it together on the road. If only they could keep track of their guys off the ball...then the game just devolved into one of the worst performances of the season.

Awiggo has some early reactions to the nausea-inducing show put on by Texas over the course of 40 minutes. I don't give the offense too much credit in that game because the pace was quick and a lot of forced attempts had a lot to do with the 18 turnovers that gifted Baylor 27 points but they did shoot 50% as a team and James, Hamilton and Johnson were very efficient in their opportunities and from the free throw line. Avery Bradley has hit a wall on offense. He settles too often now for the midrange jumper and it's not falling. I think he would benefit from just driving to the lane for the layup and potential Free throws where he also has been shooting much better.

The double-post was more effective overall while the high post-low post anti-zone attack has progressed beyond where a team like Baylor can defend it adequately. I'd like to see more high-screen offense with Jordan Hamilton in the future because his passing in that set can really punish the hedging defender.

That said this defense was horrific. Baylor shot 54.5 percent from the field, Quincy Acy was 12-15 and reached 20 on dunks alone. The bears had 23 assists as a team and 10 from Tweety Carter. I suspect the effort and willingness just isn't there consistently away from the supportive, if not particularly noise, Erwin Center crowd.

This team has worked out a lot of the offensive kinks only to be buried in this contest by the defensive effort. We can only hope that they manage to put together some focused efforts on neutral courts in the tournaments. Texas draws Iowa St. on monday and a win earns the chance to go 0-3 vs. Drew's squad on the season. I'm willing to bet they don't give up 90 again though, Barnes will die before he goes for another game plan like this one.

Football:

Blueshorn linked an interesting take on open practices over at shaggybevo that had some informative nuggets, you can also find ole ChrisApplewhite making some comments below and suggesting that McCoy was overrated and Gilbert is a golden god. What stands out to me from the main poster's comments is

1). Kheeston Randall playing the 3-tech. He actually seemed like a 3-tech when he first came to UT and his move to NT seemed more an instance of him taking on the needed role than a long-term move. Then he flashed a ton of talent taking on double teams and standing up the middle to the point that I thought he could become a dominant noseguard. Howell is certainly not a 3-tech and it'll be interesting to see if Randall can flash the quickness to take advantage of that spot in the pass-rush. If not Texas should at least be able to free up the linebackers with those 2 in the middle and hopefully manufacture some pressure up the middle from a combination of their efforts.

2). He describes one of the I-formation runs as the zone-stretch. This begs the question of whether Texas is operating the zone game from under center with a fullback or if they are also incorporating more man-blocking runs. I'll seek to answer this question Monday at open practice.

3). We've suspected for some time that Christian Scott could be Mack Brown's personal Kraken waiting to be unleashed (that he couldn't share the field with little Earl may haunt me forever) on the ancient civilizations of the Big 12 landscape but it's possible Kenny Vaccaro might join in to create the most physical backfield since 2005. I'm actively rooting for Gideon's replacement by the headhunter (a common spring storyline). The highlight videos and nickname possibilities from having these two bullets coming down on receivers over the middle are too rich.

ESPN's new Big 12 blogger calls attention to the league's presence in a top 100 players to watch list for 2010. Texas has 2 players on the list (Gilbert and Sacho). Guess which Big 12 squad leads the way with 6 players on the list? That's right, Bob Stoops greatest Oklahoma team to date! We'll see how that O-line treats the visored one this year.

I would think that Aaron Williams, one of the Browns, Scott, or Malcolm Williams might have received some attention but apparently not. This team might fly under the radar a bit like the 2008 team, although they are getting more credit than that bunch did. My highest expectations though are the same as for that squad, a BCS appearance and conference title.

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Comments

Nice summation, Nick.

This coming year my expectations will be the same as they are for every year.

Beat OU, beat A&M, win the Big 12, win the BCS bowl game.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

by beowulf on Mar 7, 2010 7:13 AM CST reply actions

I would think that Aaron Williams…might have received some attention but apparently not.

It’s going to be fun to watch the lazy media collectively scratch their head in bewilderment as AJ Williams gets drafted in the first round next year. Todd McShay will call it a “reach” and cite his low interception totals as evidence.

Jesus how do all these fucksticks get their jobs?

by t1climb1 on Mar 7, 2010 7:29 AM CST reply actions

I posted on a Sooner board that I would take A williams over any player on either the Texas or OU roster and was laughed off the board. They cited the fact that he wasn’t even all Big 12 last year and I pointed to the fact that Ulatoski was. That’s how meaningless those teams are. The media is so clueless. The coaches know how good he is. Nobody threw his way last year and if they did he made them pay. Williams might go down as the best DB to ever play at Texas before its all said and done and yes, that includes Jerry Gray.

by Groundhog Day on Mar 7, 2010 8:43 AM CST reply actions

Fuck Rick Barnes.

by Newy25 on Mar 7, 2010 9:16 AM CST reply actions

Didn’t watch the hoops game yesterday, but how did our Frosh play on D? I read in the paper that we gave up 10 uncontested dunks on transition D. Doesn’t sound too good.

by Groundhog Day on Mar 7, 2010 9:45 AM CST reply actions

We made the Washington Generals look competitive.

by Blueshorn on Mar 7, 2010 9:52 AM CST reply actions

But, but, but, but, Barnes’ teams always play great D. Or maybe not.

by Wyatt on Mar 7, 2010 10:06 AM CST reply actions

Howell is certainly not a 3-tech and it’ll be interesting to see if Randall can flash the quickness to take advantage of that spot in the pass-rush.

If Howell isn’t a 3-tech, then what is he?

by whoopspat on Mar 7, 2010 10:34 AM CST reply actions

Howell is more of a 1-tech guy (lines up between center and guard or shaded off the center). The 3-tech needs to be explosive into the backfield like Houston or Gerald McCoy. The 1-tech is often asked only to attack one-gap in our defense but he has to do it against a double team and is doing a good job if he can just hold his point against the double team and keep the interior OL off the linebackers.

No one really looked good on D against the Bears and it wasn’t just the freshman. GJ carried the offense but he lost guys on back screens and so did most everyone else.
It was like watching the old Chris Paul to Tyson Chandler pass/dunk they unleashed on everyone 2 years ago 2-3 times per game. My die-hard spurs fan friend insisted that San Antonio would not allow that to happen but they executed it 2x per game like they did on everyone else.
Except this was definitely preventable.

by Nickel Rover on Mar 7, 2010 11:04 AM CST reply actions

I never went back to review his garbage time play in 2009, but all reports out of high school had Howell pegged as a 3 technique.

by whoopspat on Mar 7, 2010 11:16 AM CST reply actions

I just went back and read the original post on shaggybevo. I saw he had Howell listed at the 1 technique. I feel like Randall and Howell should be switched—Howell’s not even that big of a guy.

by whoopspat on Mar 7, 2010 11:20 AM CST reply actions

With the turmoil the NFL is going to go through, we might not lose Aaron Williams. That written, he’ll be a top ten talent, and his presence on that side of the field is going to give a lot of int opportunities to the Browns next year. Both of them will have chances to make an NFL squad.

Williams reminds me of Champ Baily. I love the way he attacks the ball like he’s a wide reciever. I may be crazy for typing this, but if he came out right now, I’d take him over Haden.

Nobody seems to talk about E. Acho. He should be on that break-out list. I think he ends up having a long NFL career. That tackle for loss he had against Mizzou where he came across the other side of the field was a “WOW!” play.

Vaccaro and Scott are play action victims waiting to happen. I love their aggression but there’s going to be some bed shitting if they’re out there together. They’re also going to hit like Atwater/Smith and Lott/Fuller, which is fun for us, the viewer.

by magnusbleuveigner on Mar 7, 2010 12:51 PM CST reply actions

I’m also curious if anyone has heard any practice reports on Nkwopara. He was a totally puzzling take but he was Muschamp’s totally puzzling take.

by whoopspat on Mar 7, 2010 12:55 PM CST reply actions

“I just went back and read the original post on shaggybevo. I saw he had Howell listed at the 1 technique. I feel like Randall and Howell should be switched–Howell’s not even that big of a guy.”

The only way I can see Randall at the 3 is if the Arkansas Sasquatch is wrecking shit at NT. I don’t see Howell holding up that well as a 1 against a power running team.

by Blackie Luksa on Mar 7, 2010 1:25 PM CST reply actions

whoopspat, I checked back on some recruiting bits on Howell and he just doesn’t sound like a Houston-type 3-tech to me. However, Texas probably just isn’t going to get that this year and Howell could play the 3-tech and hold that gap down well if he isn’t flying through it for TFLs.
It’s hard to know without seeing him in significant college action though.

Magnus, it’s also possible that both of them are able to channel their aggression at the right moments and avoid the play-action burn. At any rate, I’d rather they start if they can hold down the schemes (surely Scott can at this point) and suffer a few aggressive-mistakes for better longterm play at the position.
Gideon has earned the chance to keep his job but I’ve never believed he’s someone the coaches should be willing to settle with. He was fine as a deep FS last year but in 2-deep coverages I want to see guys who can come down with a vengeance. Gideon will probably never be able to do that with any great skill.

by Nickel Rover on Mar 8, 2010 12:04 AM CST reply actions

Nickel,
  That was my post over on shaggy, and appreciate the discussion it’s generated here.
  I can give an answer to your 2nd point. From what I saw they seemed to have a good blend of zone and man schemes from the OL depending on the personnel. When Newton,Johnson,McGee,and Whaley were in the backfield there was definitely an emphasis on man blocking schemes from under center with a dash of zone. Barrett Matthews was generally the fullback in the 2 back look. The physicality and demeanor the guys ran with was eye opening. They seemed to relish the contact, especially Whaley and Johnson. Whaley’s physique doesn’t look like a D-1 running back. But I will say the kid ran the hardest of all the backs. He popped the beTebow out of Vacarro on one play. Sounded like a car wreck on I-35.
   They seemed to use more zone blocking and single back looks when Fozzy was getting the rock. The stretch play that he ran successfully did in fact appear to be zone blocked. Matthews was not in the backfield, but was kept out in the wing as an H-Back. He was largely responsibly for springing Fozzy as the dude seals the edge like an animal.
   They did run one man blocked play for him between the tackles, and to no one’s surprise it was stuffed. I do give Fozzy credit though as he kept his shoulders square and hit Huey in the ass. He resisted the urge to bounce it wide, and looks like the coaches have been emphasizing that to him.
Needless to say he looked much more natural running the stretch.

The d line was shifting back and forth between over and under alignments. So both Howell and Randall were playing 3 or 1 at certain points. Howell seemed a more natural 1 as he was eating up 2 blocks or “Two-fers” as Coach Muschamp calls them. Howell also saw lots of snaps at the nose in the 3-4 with Acho and Jones at DE, Okafor was at Buck.

by hg03 on Mar 8, 2010 12:29 PM CST reply actions

hg03: thanks for the extra thoughts. I’m very okay with keeping the stretch around since it’s less timing dependent than the inside-zone without the QB keep and it helps get speed on the perimeter.
Shifting Randall and Howell to either side makes sense sense neither are true 3-techs and I think matching Houston’s production would have to come from a combined effort. Since they are very comparable players shifting them back and forth sounds like a typical Muschamp maneuver to create confusion, opportunities, and maintain flexibility.

At this point it looks like Texas is going to adopt the typical NFL/OU approach of emphasizing the running game and embracing zone and man-blocking plays and the practice reps that approach requires. Or they will fiddle around with a lot of stuff and narrow it down for the fall.

by Nickel Rover on Mar 8, 2010 12:53 PM CST reply actions