Texas Longhorns vs. Illinois Illini Post Mortem

I was a little surprised to see CoJo (I propose we search for a new nickname…this one just doesn’t feel right…not sure why, and I’ve got nothing better) taking the last two shots of regulation, but I’ll take the 50% clip in that situation. And in reality, teams will often (if not always) put two players on Hamilton in those situations so having someone else step up and make a shot is a huge confidence boost, and for me, the most important outcome of last night’s game.

Greatly looking forward to tonight. I’ve got my Crown Royal, maple syrup, and Molson ready, eh!

Good stuff Trips. First thing I need to acknowledge about Thompson is you were dead on last spring when I had some questions about his motor and you set me straight. Damn, as impressive as his physical game was, he was equally impressive in his leadership and energy. He’s such a massive improvement over our center play the previous 4 years. No offense to Dex, but Thompson’s more polished as a frosh than Dex was his 4th season and it’s not even close. Those two drives he made going to his right from the elbow were big-time, especially the soft kiss with his right hand in the second half.

Great effort and a huge early season win.

There was one sequence in the 2nd half where we had three defenders (two bigs and a guard I think) at the top of the key dealing with screens for McCamey – I was sure someone would get lost, but sonuvagun if they all didn’t end up with good defensive position on an opponent.

It was emblematic of a night where, for the most part, the hedging on high screens and the defensive switching operated at a level I don’t recall having seen over the past couple of years. All the more impressive in that we get so many minutes from the freshmen.

Findlay Prep and Canada – the Home of Sound Man Principles.

Having just allowed the mighty U.S. Air Force to perfrom surgery on my eyeballs, I wasn’t able to watch, but the play-by-play describingTristan was a fun substitute. I wonder just what kind of shape I could get into if Mr. Wright was at the helm. Hook’em!

I just hope I’m not in the game against the Horns tonight…I can pretty effective in night-to-night tourney games where the first is OT and ends ~ midnight…

Great assessment of the players, Trips. I’d only add that Johnson sometimes plays like he doesn’t have a brain. That stupid intentional foul was a prime example. For a senior, that is inexcusable.

I was very encouraged by the O in the 1st half. The 2nd half, however, saw the team falling into the all-too-familiar patterns of the guys just standing around, loooooonnngggg FG droughts, & of course, missed FTs.

good stuff, trips.

Looking at that stats, Corey not-named-Haim-or-Feldman didn’t have a good night shooting, 2-9. Most of our points came from in/near the paint. If we can develop our outside game a little better and our FT shooting, this team will become very dangerous. With time I think that happens because confidence will be building, and as it was mentioned, TT will start getting double-teamed, which should lead to more floor space outside the paint.

I know it sounds odd, but my desired outcome for tonight is UT losing a close one to Pitt. I want that bubble popped now, not after we’re 17-0.

Having said that, this is a different team. There’s an effortless nature and strong positive vibe coming from this bunch. Before the season began, I was just hoping to qualify for the tournament. Winning last night should up expectations to making it to the Sweet 16, IMO. That was an outstanding performance.

Win tonight, and we’ll get a lot of people’s attention, maybe even the AP voters.

I must say, I kept on waiting for the team to wilt, and give it away. Up nine in the second and then we found ourselves down one…I thought we would fold. Johnson commits the intentional with 4:00 to go….I thought we would fold. Overtime against a team returning four seniors…you catch my drift.

And damnit if they never folded.

In a game of great first impressions for me (Thompson’s game, Hamilton’s improvement, Joseph’s quiet confidence, Balbay locking down that f-ing beast of a point guard), that was the greatest one.

That was the most enjoyable Texas game in a long, long time. Maybe since the UCLA game back in 07 or whenever that was.

Lexi’s quietly giving us some good contributions thru 3 games. He’s playing this year like I expected him to last season when instead he was rusty as hell from the layoff. I think his two FTs were under-the-radar big last night because it helped stem a pretty ugly sequence (missed FTs, turnovers, missed shots) when the lead was cut from 9 to 2.

Lets compare last years starters to this years.

Thompson >>>>> Pittman- in every facet of the game.
James >> Johnson-Can’t replace Damions ability to rebound in traffic, but Johnson’s not showcasing his lack of 3 skills.
Hamilton >>>>> Mason-no comment needed
Joseph > Bradley- I’ll take Joseph’s complete game over Bradley’s spot up threes and elevation
SR.Balbay >> JR Balbay- Improved FT’s, more control, weaknesses are minimized in new offense

While depth will be an issue, enough about chemistry. This years team has much more talent 1-5.

In addition to being a little undersized GJ just has short arms which hurts his finishing ability. I wish we could attach Alexi’s arms to Gary’s body…

I think Barnes’ biggest challenge this year is going to be to figure out how to get his two freshman studs enough rest. The season is too long. they will hit a wall at some point in conference play. Whether they can fight through it depends on how he handles them in Nov, Dec, and Jan.

It is strange to hear Vitale harp (and I like Dickie V) about losing 3 guys to the NBA and that we’re “not as talented” but making up for it. Thompson’s a monumental upgrade at the 5-spot even though it won’t be his position at the next level. A more focused Hamilton is a much better prospect than any of the 3 last season were. Joseph’s a better prospect than Bradley due to a much better defined skill set for his positions. Not saying we’re the ’90 UNLV team when it comes to NBA talent in the starting 5 but realistically our current top 5 has 3 potential first-rounders in it and lottery first-rounders at that.

I take back what I said about being okay with a loss tonight. I want a win.

For the first time I just took a close look at our schedule. In December, we play USC in LA, NC in NC and Mich State in Michigan, with those last two over a 4 day stretch. Then return home and play Arkansas and UCONN the first week of January.

Plenty chances for an “L” before conference play.

Trips-
I haven’t been able to watch one tick of action yet this year, but everything sounds like their finally running the motion I’ve been crying for the last three years…

If that is the case, what would verge best way to get Doge involved? I always liked him on the break, because he can finish around the rim or distro to teammates. But in the halfcourt, how best can we disguise him, even if he is moving everywhere w/o the ball, if say someone wants to zone or play 1-4 inside zone and let him run around forever?!

Very exciting progress. Would love to watch the game with you and mbv tonight. I’m in Kingwood.

Alexis with a jump shot?! My God. This could be a surprisingly fun season.

Good stuff, trips. I’d like to point out I called the use of Wangmene in this one. Glad to see he pulled through. Thompson is much better than I imagined. Looks like a leader, too. More of my thoughts are up at M2M.

http://marchtomarch.fantake.com/2010/11/19/thoughts-on-the-texas-illinois-game/

I told you so

ransom, you sunny optimist.
 
Will we beat Pitt by 30?

That first half was so enjoyable to watch… The 2nd half was full of unfortunate bounces and plays, but the bounces suddenly went our way in OT. I don’t know what to expect offensively tonight against Pitt.

I was really pleased with Barnes’ attitude on the side lines. He was just oozing confidence down the stretch. When things looked their worst, he was calm and focused.

I said the same thing about Tristan last night when he started hitting the FT’s. Mental toughness and confidence out the ass! I loved how when things didn’t go his way, all you’d see from him was a big ass smile that said, “I didn’t get it that time, but we both know I’m gonna get it in the end…”

Over all, I can’t wait to watch the rest of this season. This team will only get better.

My big concern is keeping Tristan fresh for the tourney. He played a ton of hard minutes last night: at times he was the offensive and defensive fulcrum on back-to-back-to-back-to-back possessions. There’s no way he can keep that up through non-con, reg season, conference tourney and the dance. Thoughts on how not to ride him into the ground so that his legs won’t be shot come March?

CoJo and Doge are almost perfectly on cue with ideal stops and turnovers, as if they are a defensive duet alternating plays on the court.

Joseph stripped the ball on a fast break layup at a crucial moment. Any momentum swing for the Illini was completely snuffed out at that moment.
All hustle. Deflating to the opponent. Zero points on a gimme play.

Oh… And J’Covan Brown should just sit on the bench until he gets his attitude corrected. If I’m Barnes, I flat-out refuse to let that brat be a cancer on this team like he was last year.

Jai Lucas looked pretty uncomfortable on the floor. That play where he damn near air-balled the short-floater stands out — not only for his awkwardness, but for his effort. I think J’Covan would have quit on an embarrassing shot like that.

Early in the season especially, I say get Lucas more minutes than J’Covan… Unless J’Covan decides to quit being a diva. By mid-season, we might just end up with a serviceable Lucas and a ground J’Covan.

I thought TT had at least 7 blocks and he wasn’t just tipping them but throwing them in the 2nd row. Trips said it best, natural lefty going up offensively with a nice touch=money and makes him a bitch on the defensive end. It’s like the iliini were forgetting he was left handed.

Only gripe is free throws, it was brutal watching TT take some of those but kudos to him sucking it up at the end and sinking some. I was arguing with a friend that barnes guards/forwards have always shot shitty from the stripe; I’m starting to wonder if it really is “coaching” in regards to all the clangs from the charity stripe. The one common denominator is Rick. We gotta hit at least 70% as a team this year b/c teams will start putting our guys on the line.

Great win, pumped for tonight.

Lucas is the Kirkendenoll of the basketball team. He does fine against marginal talent and but won’t fare well against an elite guy like McCamey or Pullen.

His effort alone calls for an upgrade from ‘Garden Gnome’ to ‘Mini Mongoose’.

That shot by Joseph to take the lead will pay instant dividends for his confidence, which wasn’t lacking to begin with.

Great write-up Trips.

Something that stuck out to me were the obvious leadership skills Dogus was demonstrating on the floor both during and in-between play, constantly talking to the other players and helping them to get in position.

The team seems to be having a lot of fun, they seem to be getting confidence in each other. I don’t know diddly-s**t about basketball, but somehow I’m really excited about this team this year based on what I saw last night. It’s apparent that the pieces aren’t all together yet, but that it’s just a matter of time before they are, and when it all comes together, we’re going to be a really, REALLY tough team to deal with.

Still gotta get that free-throw shooting down, because we’re gonna get fouled a lot.

Texoz: Even if they lose tonight, they still got the game against the ranked team, which they would not get had they played Maryland tonight.

I’m determined not to raise the expectations too high too fast, but it was a tremendous effort.

Not expecting much from Joseph tonight, frankly, after having him cramp up for the last 15 minutes of play.

I can’t say enough about Balbay. McCamey’s lack of effort in trying to get the ball spoke volumes, and Balbay stroked three of four FTs. Eight boards, five assists, one turnover.

Trips: I’m beginning to see J’Covan’s play a little differently. He made a terrible error in going for a steal at the top of the key in a tie game with a little over four minutes left, which Jereme Richmond promptly turned into a foul against Thompson. This is exactly the kind of stuff we were concerned about, in terms of the potential for foul trouble for Thompson. (Fortunately, Thompson by and large seems capable of keeping himself out of bad positions defensively.)

Bob,

Speaking of CoJo’s cramping — when he was trying to stretch his calves, he was bouncing. I’d always been under the impression that this would just worsen the cramping. Did Todd Wright just miss it or is this some new school approach?

“Just a huge coming out party for the talented Canadian. (Has that sentence ever been typed?) "

Probably a bunch of times for their women’s hockey team. Scissoring, imo.

Ooooh, scissor me timbers.

I think the comment about GJ gaining confidence in his mid range game is something to watch over the course of the season. If Gary gains confidence in working for and taking that shot that is a great way to punish some of the bigger front courts Texas will face by having them have to chase him over th course of a night.

Tristan is way better than I expected. Enjoy him this year because he’ll be in the NBA next season. His speed at center permits the team to play the kind of aggressive man to man D that Barnes likes. When you have a slower big man at center (such as Dex, Chapman, or Hill), aggressive hedging does not work well. Tristan revolutionizes the entire team D, especially compared to last season.

With Tristan at center, the horns could easily make a zone work. Having that super quick shot blocker always in the middle to take away the paint goes a long way towards making a zone work. I suggest playing lots of zone tonight, because the horns are bound to be tired.

The 2nd half horns O looked bad. Part of the reason that Jordan looked bad is because the O was not generating good shots. I’m pretty sure Dicky V told Weber to sag off on Balbay at half and to foul Tristan. Too often Balbay ends up in the paint standing next to another horns. Maybe he is setting a screen and the beneficiary of the screen is not taking advantage of the screen.

Would really like to see more two man pick and roll game with Tristan as the screener and Corey or J’covan or Balbay handling the ball. Positioning Johnson on the opposite side to entice his defender to help out would provide an excellent dump pass target for the ball handler.

Like to see Balbay try to finish more at the bucket. He is not bad at hitting close shots, the misses are good O rebounding opportunities, and it forces the opposition D to respect him more.

Like for Johnson to shoot more outside and less inside vs big teams. His 15 to 18 foot jumper is money.
 
Wangmene is looking good, definitely better than Hill.

The good thing about Dicky V getting older is that he less energy to irritate.

I am just super impressed by Turkish Delight even being out there with what he has had to overcome. The fact that he was so awesome last night is just gravy.

Pretty encouraged by a little mental toughness by TT in hitting some FTs after such a bad start from the line. Man he looks like a player. Gets off the floor quick. Rodman-esque live body.

Thought for a while there the Horns were going to just blow the game open in the second half but Illinois is tough. That team is going to do a lot of damage this year so helluva win by Texas.