SB Nation - Varez Ward

Another Ugly Win, as 'Horns Improve to 6-0

awiggo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:39:04 -0000

More photos » by MIchael Thomas - AP

Dogus Balbay quicker than anyone on both ends. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

The No. 2 Texas Longhorns improved to 6-0 by outlasting USC, 69-50, at the Erwin Center. For the second straight game, the margin of victory does not indicate the closeness of the game. The ‘Horns led just 33-27 at the break, and in the second half, the Trojans twice trimmed the lead to just four points.

Like many of our first half dozen contests, Texas was too deep and too strong down the stretch. The Longhorn defense tightened, eventually holding USC to just 30% from the floor, and Texas cruised in the final quarter of the game. The Trojans scored just three points in the final six minutes.

As PB noted, this one was not pretty. Texas came out ice cold from the floor and from behind the arc. The Longhorns started like 9-of-33 before eventually improving their shooting to a respectable 41% on the game. Texas was 0-for-8 from three before J'Covan Brown and Justin Mason both connected late in the second half. Last, the free throw shooting went the other way. I think Texas was close to 80% early in the game before clanking their way home. The Longhorns finished a horrific, 19-of-34, 56%.

It's late, so bullet points will have to suffice:

Damion James was very good tonight (19 pts, 9 boards, and 7-of-10 FTs) and easily the offensive player of the game. He remains an effective trash man around the rim and fantastic off one or two dribbles.
Dexter Pittman was probably the defensive player of the game with his seven blocked shots. However, as impressive as that stat is, he tried to block at least ten more missing all of them and letting his man pick up easy second chance points around the rim. I would love to see Sexy Dex use a little more discretion when trying to block shots as a help defender. On the other end, with a foot in the paint, he is unstoppable at the college level. Perod.

More after the jump...

Rick Barnes thought Justin Mason played well. I'm not so sure that Varez Ward's injury didn't give Mase a senior campaign that he otherwise would be enjoying from the bench. Don't get me wrong, Justin plays his tail off, does things that don't always show up on the stat sheet, and is a great senior leader. However, I'm still not comfortable with him and Dogus Balbay on the floor at the same time-not enough outside shooting and too many opportunities for defenders' to cheat on Dex and DaMo. It will be interesting to see how Barnes works in Jai Lucas when he becomes eligible in less than two weeks.
Dogus Balbay is a pest, in a good way. I can't imagine how tiring he makes the opposing guards. He is simply faster up and down the court as well as laterally than anyone else I've seen in college basketball this season.
Avery Bradley must get stronger with the ball around the rim. He was 2-for-10 from the floor. A few of those eight misses were jumpers but he had at least four shots blocked on layups or breakaways dunks when he went weak to the rim. The defense was phenomenal though.
J'Covan Brown is never going to be the quickest player on the floor, but like DJ Augustin, his change of pace is something to watch. Brown is always already adept at creating contact in the lane and getting to the line. Thankfully, J'Covan is the one Longhorn at the line that doesn't cause me to look away in horror.
Brown and Balbay's passes are often better than the hands of the Texas bigs. Other times, they are a little out of control.
Jordan Hamilton plays defense like he's already in the NBA. Neither the focus nor the lateral quickness is there right now. Expect Rick to demand more.
Thirteen minutes for Gary Johnson is fine with me.
Our free throw shooting is an abomination.
The 14 man rotation is already a lot smaller. Varez Ward's injury and Jai Lucas's ineligibility put us at 12. Matt Hill and Clint Chapman put us at 10. Shawn Williams is not there yet and really not close, from what I've seen. That's nine for now.

I said in the comments after the Rice game, this game and the next three (Long Beach St, Texas State, UT Pan-Am) are more about us than they are our opponents. The defense was very good tonight. I still don't think we've put it all together more than just in stretches. It will get there and I'm not worried at all. The freshmen are coming along, the chemistry is improving, and James and Pittman are playing like stars.

To be an elite team, though, the free throw shooting must improve, our three-point shooting must improve, our focus must become more consistent, and our ability to execute in the half court, especially when Pittman sits, has to get better.

Box Score

Next Game: Monday, 12/7 HOME vs. Long Beach State 8 pm ESPNU

More Thoughts on Texas' Win Over WCU

Peter Bean — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:47:03 -0000

More photos » by Erich Schlegel - AP

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Continuing with thoughts on Texas' 73-41 win over Western Carolina.

REVIEWING THE KEYS

Foul control. [Grade: A] Texas went inside to Pittman on its first two possessions, one resulting in a made basket, the other in a foul by Richie Gordon. By halftime, Gordon had picked up two more fouls, while Big Sexy had drawn just a single foul. Of course, by halftime it was also apparent it wouldn't have mattered much if it had been otherwise, but hey, it's good seeing Dexy play with good body control.
Guard composure. [Grade: C] Texas' guards seemed to maintain a roughly 1:1 ratio of good to bad offensive possessions, finishing the night with 20 turnovers, struggling at times with the length of WCU's guards.
Don't settle. [Grade: B-] Post entry remains an issue for most of the guards, although Rick said in the post-game that the team focused exclusively on defense after the UC-Irvine game, prompting him to say he wasn't surprised by the sloppy offensive showing.

PLAYER NOTES

Damion James [29 mins, 4-9 FG / 2-3 3P / 8-10 FT, 18 PT, 7 REB (2 OR), 2 AST, 3 TO, 1 STL, 1 BLK]

Another very solid night for James, who is back where he should be -- near the rim for most of the game. He's playing strong on the interior and, outside a couple missed lay ups, giving Texas exactly what we need from him. I absolutely love the way we're looking for him on alley-oops. His hands and dribble still present some limitations, but those have greater implications for his future at the next level. If he's hitting 20-foot jumpers as he has been so far early on, he becomes an even more valuable asset than he already is.

Dexter Pittman [17 mins, 4-6 FG / 0-0 3P / 1-4 FT, 9 PT, 6 REB (2 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK]

This was a tough game for Pittman, through no fault of his own. As mentioned above, the team apparently spent little to no time working on offense leading up to the game, and it showed. Once Texas got a comfortable lead and it became clear the frenetic style wasn't going to provide much for Pittman, Barnes mostly rested him. Fine by me.

J'Covan Brown [21 mins, 3-3 FG / 2-2 3P / 2-2 FT, 10 PT, 3 REB (0 OR), 3 AST, 6 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK]

My oh my does he have a smooth scorer's stroke. Playing much more calmly last night, he was mostly solid, with two beautiful post feeds that suggest he can be more than a scorer only point. The turnover rate will probably remain high throughout the year, but Texas will live with them if he's adding 3-4 dimes a game to go with the 10-15 points he looks capable of contributing. We're so deep he may not get the chance, but he's capable of filling it up for 25 on a hot night.

Justin Mason [23 mins, 0-1 FG / 0-0 3P / 0-0 FT, 0 PT, 4 REB (0 OR), 1 AST, 2 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK]

No, that stat line is not pulled from a box score from last year. Mason's defense remains solid, but it's not special. As Hamilton and Bradley bring their games along, it's just going to be impossible to justify 20-25 minutes a game for Mason. He's a great kid and a terrific warrior, but the mostly empty stat lines are more the norm than exception.

Varez Ward [25 mins, 4-6 FG / 0-1 3P / 2-6 FT, 10 PT, 2 REB (1 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 3 STL, 0 BLK]

It's nice seeing Ward come into his own on the offensive end of the floor, where he's learning to put his superior toughness and athleticism to use in getting to the rim as a scorer. He can score 10 points a game all year if he starts to hit his free throws. That said, he's still raw and at times seems uncertain running the halfcourt offense. I like what he adds, though, and think he'll continue to progress throughout the year. He's a big asset against some of the longer, athletic teams we'll have to beat to achieve our goals.

Gary Johnson [19 mins, 4-4 FG / 0-0 3P / 2-3 FT, 10 PT, 7 REB (2 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

It was Gary's best game in a while, turning in exactly the kind of performance we need from him -- some aggressive offensive play in the block, strong rebounding, and quality, physical defense. Without any creators last year, Gary struggled trying to get it on his own; it'll come to him this year, and if he stays within himself and ready, he'll get his.

Jordan Hamilton [14 mins, 2-7 FG / 1-5 3P / 0-0 FT, 5 PT, 6 REB (1 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

He's settling offensively right now, but I've seen enough of him with the ball in his hands to see whats ahead for him. Now having seen him for two full games, he's got better handles than I anticipated and while he needs to add upper body strength for his game to get where it's eventually going to go, he can pick up points near the rim right now. He's quick, fluid, and lonnnnnng. I'd love to see him start working his offensive game inside-out, and when he's mismatched against a shorter guard, we can iso for him. Defensively, he's trying, which is good, but you can see he's having to concentrate -- this is more than he's used to.

Dogus Balbay [20 mins 0-3-6 FG / 0-0 3P / 1-2 FT, 1 PT, 4 REB (0 OR), 3 AST, 3 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

The Dogus has sort of become for me what Chris Ogbonnaya once was: an important contributor who most underrate and I love a little too much. I'm fine with that, and his game will prove us both right, at varying times. If he were just a little bit better with being decisive as a creator on offense, he'd be a true force, but as is, he's our best on-ball defender, and an uncanny blur with the ball in his hands. His limitations with being decisive and translating his skills into buckets will keep him from being a guy that demands 30+ minutes a game, but I don't see him getting any less than 20, and he's a critical player for us, especially in the early going while the freshmen get up to speed.

Alexis Wangmene [11 mins, 1-2 FG / 0-0 3P / 2-2 FT, 4 PT, 4 REB (1 OR), 0 AST, 0 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

The theme continues: he's got so much room to improve within this season. The strength and length are exceptional, but he's choppy and uncertain out there right now. He's just getting back into the flow of full-speed, full-contact basketball, and once he fully acclimates, he'll be a terrific 15 minute per game complement to Big Sexy.

Avery Bradley [17 mins, 2-4 FG / 0-1 3P / 0-2 FT, 4 PT, 0 REB (0 OR), 1 AST, 1 TO, 2 STL, 0 BLK]

From the pre-season roundtable: "I've developed quite a habit of scavenging rabidly for online videos of AB and the three things that stood out that elevated my excitement from enthusiastic to out-of-control were: (1) the quality, but even more than that the intensity, of his defense; (2) what Jay Bilas might call Rise-a-bility or Hop-tuitive-ness - an explosiveness in his leaping that allows him to finish 50% more buckets than any mortal his size would; and (3) his competitiveness and eagerness to seek out, and conquer, challenges."

As is true for this team for a whole... we haven't seen anything yet...

Longhorns Roll Past Anteaters in Season Opener

awiggo — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:26:21 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Rick may have his most complete Texas team yet. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

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Game Recap: The #3 Longhorns notched their first victory of the season, 89-42 over UC Irvine at the Drum behind strong performances from seniors Damion James and Dexter Pittman.

Along with James and Pittman, Varez Ward, Justin Mason, and freshman J'Covan Brown completed the starting lineup. Brown started slowly and sloppily at the point guard spot, and Coach Barnes was forced to sit him down after two early turnovers and again after a couple of more. After the game, Rick said this about his freshman point guard, "J'Covan wore us all out before the games. I've never seen a guy as amped up. Ever."

As will be a theme this season, the depth of this team allowed the ‘Horns to quickly find their stride. Dogus Balbay was inserted for Brown and helped the Longhorns turn a 19-18 deficit after the first ten minutes of action into a 42-21 halftime lead.

Balbay played solid on-the-ball defense and helped protect the ball in the halfcourt where James and Pittman could dominate. Both big men finished with 21 points a piece. Most of Dexter's 10-of-11 from the floor came off dunks or lay ins. James had a few buckets of length but most of his scoring came around the basket as well. The smaller Anteaters were simply overmatched in height, strength, and athleticism.

During the back and forth start, I thought Texas struggled to communicate on defense. There was some confusion on how to defend ball screens. Some players were also over running their pursuit on the pass and over committing on shot fakes. The substitution patters of three, four, or even five players at a time help explain the early defensive lapses. However, after that back and forth start, the Longhorn defense played more consistently and more together. Texas contested shots better, didn't allow second chance points or almost anything in the paint, and, for the most part, controlled dribble penetration.

The outcome was: Exciting. Exciting because this was the first game; exciting because I finally got to see the four freshman live and in a college game; and exciting because the potential of this team is clear.

Unlike last year, this year's Longhorns will not have trouble scoring from the perimeter. Jordan Hamilton and Brown can both shoot the ball from deep. They both have good form, which should help produce consistent buckets, and good size, which will allow them to easily shoot over zones.

Unlike last year, foul trouble, even if it's Dex, won't be an issue. The ‘Horns are deeper than any team in the country and can run as many as 14 different players on the court for double digits in minutes every game.

Unlike last year, Barnes does not have to play smaller, three guard lineups. While Texas did start three guards, that was by choice not out of necessity. Hamilton (6-7) and Williams (6-6) will give Texas excellent size from the wing, and I won't be surprised to see James (6-7) play some at the three too when Rick wants to play with an even bigger lineup. Texas has real size at the two guard spots also. Avery Bradley, listed at 6-2, and Brown, listed at 6-1, both played bigger and stronger than their listed heights. The days of playing two sub six foot guards plus Mason at the wing are thankfully over.

The biggest thing I took away from the ‘Horns first game was potential. Right now, they are so much less than the sum of their parts. And right now, they're pretty good. The parts are all there-talent, size, depth, and experience. There is no reason why Barnes shouldn't be able to mold this team into more than the sum of their individually talented parts and national championship favorites by tourney time.

Stats of the Game: 49-30 Texas on the glass. 54-18 Texas points in the paint. If you didn't get a chance to see the game, that is about all you need to know. As expected, Texas was able to dominate the smaller Anteaters in the paint on both ends.

The Offensive MVP was: Damion James. DaMo started his senior campaign in style-21 points (7-of-9 from the floor, 2-of-2 from three, 5-of-6 from the line), 15 boards, two assists, and a steal in just 22 minutes of action. James came back to Texas for a lot of reasons, but the big one was to play himself into a NBA first round selection. So far, so good. He looked confident, in control, and hungry. If he can produce the same smart and solid performances against the Michigan States and North Carolinas of the world, the NBA will be forced to take a second look at DaMo.

The Defensive MVP was: Texas in the second half. I don't have the exact stats but UC Irvine was something like 9-of-18 to start the game. They finished 17-of-62 for just 27% from the floor. Needless to say, the defense was the key to the 47 point victory.

I want to note a few more things, player by player:

Damion James: After the games, DaMo noted that the younger players looked up to him and that he has tried to take them under his wing. He also said that while the freshmen are very talented, that they still have a lot to learn. I can imagine the exact same thing coming out of Rick Barnes' mouth.

During the off season, we've noted that team chemistry is something of a concern and definitely something to watch. While James has not been a loud and vocal leader in his first three seasons, it sounds like he recognizes that now it's his turn. This veteran to freshman leadership, along with the development of a point guard, whoever it ends up being, are the two biggest keys to a Final Four run, in my opinion.

Dexter Pittman: More important than throwing down one-handed slams over guys standing just 6-6, Dex only picked up one foul. The more Pittman can stay on the floor, the better this team can be offensively. I was also impressed with the one post move when he turned over his right shoulder for an easy lay in. In previous seasons, he has almost always turned over his left shoulder to produce the easier right handed jump hook. If he has added the ability to go the other way with his back to the basket, look out.

Avery Bradley: Bradley is going to be so much better than his stats. Texas will be a Dexter and Damion focused team first. Second, it looks like J'Covan and Hamilton won't be afraid to let it fly. Therefore, Bradley would easily be the fifth scoring option among these five and probably still no better than third or fourth with some others on the floor. He will definitely get his-in transition, off dribble drives, and in second chance opportunities-but given the offensive skills of some other ‘Horns, Bradley won't be a 20 point scorer. It doesn't matter though. He is too good. His two late-game mid-range jumpers were things of beauty-in balance, form, and arc. The defense is also already there. Last, from Barnes' comments during the off season, this is a kid who knows he can get better and his ready to work on his weaknesses.

Varez Ward: If Barnes wants his point guard to pass the ball and play lock down defense, then Ward may be the man. Varez has the size, athleticism, and vision to be a true pass-first, shoot second floor general.

J'Covan Brown: J'Covan is raw, talented, and emotional. Unfortunately for him, he was too hyped for this game and it showed during the first half. Fortunately for us, it was his first game in over a year, after sitting out all of last season, and his upside is huge. If Barnes wants his point guard to score and stretch the defense with his perimeter jumper, then Brown is his man. From everything I saw though, J'Covan is more of a shoot-first, pass-second point.

Dogus Balbay: Dogus is third head of the ‘Horns point guard machine (with a fourth, Jai Lucas coming in December). Balbay played really well this afternoon. Six assists to no turnovers in 19 minutes from your point guard is every coach's dream. That said, I am not as big a fan of Dogus as are many of you. His offensive limitations make me hope that Barnes uses Balbay as more of spark off the bench than 25+ minute contributor.

Justin Mason: Mase has started for the better part of his three seasons at Texas and removing him from the starting lineup won't be easy. He still can do the little things-rebound, play solid d, and push the basketball in transition. However, I can't see how he ends up averaging more than 15 minutes per game once the freshmen become more comfortable.

Jordan Hamilton: Does Jordan have a nickname? He needs one. Hamilton looked smooth, long, and ready to score. Jordan may not have the defensive mindset that Barnes would like yet, but you can already see how important he'll be to the ‘Horns success.

Shawn Williams: I guess Shawn won't be redshirting this year. Williams played a productive (6 boards), yet sloppy 13 minutes against UC Irvine. His size will give Texas a much needed third rebounder and his ability shoot the three ball should open up driving lanes on the other end.

Alexis Wangmene: Wingman, I've missed you. With scorers at nearly every position, Lexi is the perfect bruising big man to bring off the bench. He showed strong hands and a willingness to fight for boards in his eight minutes of action. I expect his playing time to directly correlate to Dexter's foul trouble and stamina.

Gary Johnson: Like Dogus, I am not as in love with Gary as most Longhorn hoops' fans but recognize that he can be important role player on this team. GJ is always going to bring the energy. I just wish he was two inches taller and had a higher basketball IQ. Hopefully, Gary realizes that he is going to be the third, fourth, or even fifth scoring option during most of his minutes this season. Rebound, pass the ball from the post, and make your free throws and I'll love ya. I promise.

Matt Hill: Hill is a big body with limited athleticism. Gary and Wingman will likely be the first two off the bench as bigs, so I can't see Matt getting much playing time.

Clint Chapman: Clint wasn't in uniform. I couldn't see him from my seat either. I have no idea. Anyone?

Box Score

NEXT GAME: Home vs. Western Carolina - Wednesday 11/18 8 pm ESPNU

UT Hoops Roundtable: Season Starters

Peter Bean — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:38:40 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Only one of the fantastic freshmen appears likely to start as the season gets underway. What should we make of it?

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Txtwstr7: It's been a while since we've talked hoops. I thought we could hold off on another roundtable until closer to tip-off, but the news trickling out over the probable starting line-up has forced our hand. It appears that things aren't exactly as we thought, and many Longhorns fans might need to recalibrate their expectations over which players we will see trotting onto the floor during the early non-conference season. Based on the heavy circulated tweets by Andy Katz, it appears that the starting line-up will be Ward-Bradley-Mason-James-Pittman. Naturally, this means that J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton-both presumed starters-will open the season on the bench. This is pretty jarring and its full ramifications need to be fleshed out.

I can't say I'm entirely surprised by the news. After reading Rick Barnes' media transcript from a few weeks ago, I planned on writing this week's post about how there might be a set plan to heavily utilize the seniors and returning players at the beginning of the season while the youngsters "earn their keep." Here were the quotes that sounded off these warning bells:

On the seniors: We've had seniors before, but it's been a while since we have had a senior class. Damion (James), Dexter (Pittman), Justin (Mason), and Matt (Hill) have played a lot of basketball since they have been here, and we are really pleased with the leadership and the way they have embraced the younger players. The younger players have embraced them, too. They are doing well in terms of knowing that these seniors have been through it. Those seniors know what it takes to be on the court, and they lead by example. As talented as some of these younger guys are, they are learning that it takes more than talent, and they are learning that the work ethic that goes in is important. I'm excited about the way the older guys have led the team up until this point.

On the younger players: When younger players come into the program, they don't understand that there are only 200 minutes in a game. And they don't understand because their whole life they've played, and that has never been something that they had to think about. But now they are here and there is no doubt they are going to have to think about it. They will realize that if they get 10 to 12 minutes a game, that's an accomplishment on a team that is talented. The goal for them should be to play at the highest level they can play. It is about competition. Every single day, they are going to get a chance to compete to earn the playing time that they get. Our program has always been based on making improvement every single day and putting the team before one's self. As long as they are true to those things, they are going to play.

On youth slowing the team down: I don't know if it will slow us down because of the experience we have coming back. But those younger guys are going to have a learning curve. But what I was alluding to earlier is that we have a senior class. So we are going to move forward with the seniors leading and hopefully that learning curve will be a little bit quicker. I can't remember the last time we've had a senior class. We've had seniors, but the last time we had four at one time was 2004.

While I may not have been entirely surprised, I'm still attempting to calibrate my level of disappointment. I thought we might see more of Justin Mason than we expected, but I never thought he would supplant Jordan Hamilton in the starting line-up. One of the lessons out of the 2006-7 season appeared to be that Rick Barnes wasn't afraid to play freshmen. In fact, that season, he played four freshmen on the floor at the same time. In retrospect, it must also be remembered that the roster necessitated playing that many freshmen. KD and crew immediately started and logged heavy minutes partially because they were awesome, but also because the back end of the roster was flat-out terrible.

Coming into this season, I think most of us expected that Barnes would play "the best five," but I dont think that's the case with the alleged starting line-up. Before we go any further, I think we need to categorically separate the two changes to the presumed line-up. Ward playing ahead of J'Covan Brown is one thing; Hamilton sitting on the bench in favor of Mason is another.

During the first Roundtable, I picked Varez as my "surprise" player this year, as he got more minutes and performed better than I think most fans remembered. I'm actually intrigued to watch him at the PG spot. I'm not intrigued to watch another season of Justin Mason in a three-guard line-up, especially when Jordan Hamilton is so perfectly suited to the position. During the first Roundtable, I brought up some concerns over the SF position:

As much as I trust Barnes, I'm a little concerned about what he'll do with the back-up minutes at the SF spot. If Shawn Williams gets redshirted, we really don't have any wing to play the 3 when Jordan Hamilton is on the bench. My concern is that the lion's share of these minutes will go to Justin Mason or Damion James. James floundered at the position last year--at least, relative to expectations--and Justin Mason shouldn't play much at all. It's tough to see how far Mason has missed our initial expectations, but, at this point, he is what he is.

Of course, instead of taking backup minutes at the SF spot, Mason is now the presumed starter. This immediately ruins the perfect concoction of the Hyperized offensive system and creates new concerns over our perimeter shooting. I understand Rick's desire to make the youngsters "earn" their playing time, but I don't think it should come at the expense of what makes the most sense for this team moving forward. I don't think any Texas fan expects Justin Mason to start a game in March, which raises the question of why he should be starting games in November. In fact, this news raises several key questions.

First and foremost, it raises the question of whether it is better to play more experienced players with lower upside at the beginning of the season to let the younger players get their feet wet. With our insanely difficult non-conference schedule, I think I can understand the arguments both ways. However, it must be reinforced that every minute that Justin Mason plays against MSU/UNC/UCONN is a minute taken away from Jordan Hamilton's development. Similarly, every minute that J'Covan Brown spends on the bench against these elite teams lessens the chance that he will be prepared for crunch-time minutes in an Elite Eight matchup. That's not an insignificant consideration, in my opinion.

Second, it makes me wonder how much stock we should put into the "starter" label. Several years ago, we watched Dion Dowell "start" several games, then trot back to the bench and stay there. I think everyone will agree that who finishes a game is more important than who starts a game. With Mason's-and Balbay's-liabilities at the free throw line, the argument can be made that it makes the most sense to distribute their minutes closer to the beginning of each half. This helps juggle the minutes, keeps the freshmen fresh, and prevents having 55% FT shooters in the game when they would become a liability. Additionally, by letting Mason and Ward have the "starter" tag, it likely helps assuage any rough feelings over their presumed lack of minutes.

This whole situation has my head spinning a bit...what say you, PB?

PB: You're right that in 2006-07 we learned that Rick Barnes will play freshmen. But that was not the only thing we learned that year. We also learned that freshmen -- even ones who are going to be lottery picks -- take some time to get going generally, and on defense in particular.

I look at the likely starting five you're worried about and see three seniors with strength and an ability to defend, alongside two underclassmen, both of whom are outstanding defenders. I'm sure the other stuff that you discussed is in play, as well, but among all the factors that are likely at work here, this comes down to defense. It's not only the most complete explanation, but I see it as an entirely sensible one. It'll be terrific if we're getting great offensive play from Hamilton and Brown when we match up in the early going with Michigan State, UNC, and UConn, but we won't beat any of them if they're giving it back on the other end. You don't beat those teams unless you are physical and defensively excellent.

All of which means several things to me. First, if Hamilton and Brown are defending at a level good enough to play in a game like that, they will play and play a lot. Second, if they are defending comparably to Mason and Ward, then both of those players will only remain starters to the extent that their offensive contributions permit. This will work both ways: the freshmen will have to show they can defend well enough to be the starters, and the incumbents will have to play offensively well enough to keep their jobs. In the interim, tie goes to the better defenders. Jordan, J'Covan: meet Rick.

Third, from everything we're hearing, these seniors have taken a very active leadership role with this team. A healthy, welcome one. One of the questions we considered during our last discussion was chemistry and minutes and keeping it all together; among the other things said, first and foremost we said that we trusted Rick Barnes completely in this regard. If he thinks Justin Mason needs to open the season as the starter, not only do I trust that his reasoning is sound, but I trust that he won't be afraid to change if/when change needs to be made, and, what's more, I trust that Mason and the other seniors leadership means that not only won't be a problem for the players -- not for Mason, nor for anyone else.

Fourth, I want Texas opening the game with great defense and, on the other side, heavy-heavy doses of Pittman while he's freshest. Mason had a really tough year last year, but assuming he's healthy and can give us plus defense again, I'm comfortable with him fitting that role for us on offense. Moreover, it's pretty titillating thinking about Brown and Hamilton checking in as a second wave and different offensive look for the opposition. Barnes will be free to mix and match in a million different ways this year. Those two off the bench won't be a problem.

And finally, I'm a huge believer in not getting too bogged down in what happens between November and the end of January, to the extent that the process is building towards hitting your stride by the back half of conference play. By that time, you need to know who your "best five" will be, what your (40-minute) identity will be, and how all the pieces fit together. What happens before February only matters to the extent that it speaks to that. Even, to some degree, the results. I'd like for Texas to earn a #1 seed, but I'd be just fine with a #4 or better. But you know what? The fact is that this team's goal is Indianapolis, and they're gonna have to beat an over-matched opening round opponent and then three quality teams, whether the 'Horns are the #1 or a #5 seed. They either will or they won't, based on if the team has put itself together right by February; what happens before then won't matter a bit.

Morning Coffee Kicks the Tires on Julien Lewis

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:00:19 -0000

Finally, positive recruiting news. After two de-commitments on the football side, an extended timetable for Darius White to make a decision, and the continued, um, drama surrounding Lache Seastrunk, the only good recruiting news in the last month and a half has come from the basketball side of recruiting. Early in May, Bellaire's Sheldon McClellan announced that he will officially become a Longhorn in 2011.

Now there is a third member of the 2011 class. It wasn't a particularly well-kept secret over the weekend, with La Marque's Julien Lewis making it clear that he would commit to Texas if offered. After a spectacular performance at the Texas Elite Camp on Thursday and Friday, Lewis received his offer and committed shortly after, publicly announcing his decision on Monday.

So what exactly did Lewis show the Texas coaches ($) at the Elite camp?

I showed them I can come off ball screens really well, I showed them I could defend real well. I showed I can shoot, showed them I have a step back. I showed I can back my man down into the mid range. I did everything. Showed I can always find my teammates; I did a lot of incredible things. They told me I'm strong and all I need to do is hit it a little harder [in the weight room], and work a little more on finishing.

Lewis took off as a player during his sophomore year after transferring to La Marque from Galveston Ball. Despite missing 10 games during the season because of eligibility concerns, Lewis returned to take his game to another level, eventually averaging more than 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. While Lewis is known as a good shooter and penetrator with the ability to create for himself and teammates and possessor of a high basketball IQ ($), perhaps the most impressive aspect of his developing game is his willingness to defend. Excellent at sinking into his defensive stance, Lewis has the quick hands and feet to guard point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards, using his length to disrupt the offensive games of opposing players and his anticipation to beat his opponent to the spot.

His ability on the defensive end does not outshine his offensive abilities, however. A strong athlete who can get into the paint and finish at the rim, Lewis complements that ability with three-point range. Like most players his age, he could improve his ball-handling abilities, but that aspect of his game is not considered a weakness at this point. The most impressive part of his offensive game is his ability to change speeds, along with a developed spin move. Lewis also has the ability to back down opposing players to get into his mid-range game, a rarity for a young player. The area of his game Lewis needs to improve the most is being more consistently aggressive in taking over games, as he often lets the game come to him or spends his time getting his teammates involved.

Besides being a native Texan, Lewis' commitment illustrates the continually accelerating recruiting momentum the Longhorns have been building ever since receiving TJ Ford's commitment. Lewis explains how he became such an avid following of the Texas basketball program:

I started liking Texas when I was in the 5th or 6th grade watching T.J. Ford and Daniel Gibson play. They had success at Texas and now the NBA. I really, really started watching Texas closely when Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin came through. Kevin was awesome and is going to be one of the best players in the NBA. D.J. Augustin is one of the best point guards I've ever seen and I think he'll be one of the best in the NBA.

If Rick Barnes and company are lucky, they might someday receive a commitment who says that he picked Texas because he grew up watching Julien Lewis play.

Tragedy strikes Daniel Bejarano. Condolences to the Longhorn commit and his family, as Bejarano's father, Damion Gosa, was shot and killed late Thursday night during an apparent burglary attempt at his Phoenix apartment. Though Bejarano and his father weren't close throughout much of Bejarano's life, the two had become close in recent months, making up for lost time in their relationship.

The 6-5 shooting guard learned of his father's death on Saturday while participating in the NBPA Top 100 Camp. After being informed of the horrible news, Bejarano decided to stay at the camp for one last game. While the Phoenix North star didn't have any monster scoring games at the camp, he said that basketball isn't always about scoring:

To me, the challenge was you have a lot of great players on your team. So how do you get to the championship? After we lost our first game, I tried to step up and be a leader, do the small things. I tried to step up to try to motivate them, bring us together like a family. Everyone there is good, so I did what I had to do - pass the ball, rebound, block shots.

The first game, I took some bad shots. After that, I stopped to think and that's not me. I needed to stop that. I just played my game, tried to knock down 3s, take it to the hole, rebound, whatever I could.

People think scoring 30 points makes you the best, but it's not all about scoring. In scouting, that's not what it's all about.

His comments are certainly indicative of the maturity of his game, but right now basketball pales in comparison to the life events that will force Bejarano to become even more mature off the basketball court. Best wishes and condolences to Daniel and his entire family.

Rivals 5-star Academy a showcase for local talent. Many of the talented prospects in the Austin area made their way to the Palace ($) on Friday. However, a few players from outside the area had big days. Foremost among them was Texas commit Darius Terrell, the best among a deep group of receivers and recipient of the overall camp MVP award after showing off the ball skills that made him so desirable to the Longhorns and the crisp route-running that helps him make up for a lack of elite speed. Terrell's Desoto teammate Adrian White also had an impressive day, though Vista Ridge's Jaylon Finner won the Defensive MVP.

Bowie's DeAndre Perry had an impressive day, winning the Offensive MVP award after showing his ability to catch the ball in traffic and proving himself a difficult match-up on the inside or the outside. Several Stony Point players turned in good performances, highlighted by defensive tackle Jordan Wade, an extremely talented player still learning the game, safety Desmond Martin, younger brother of Baylor's Glasco, and linebacker PL Lindley, who showed the length and footwork that makes him an appealing prospect. Cibolo Steele's Blake Gardner showed that Malcolm Brown and Marquise Anderson are not the only talented 2011 prospects on the team, as the young receiver continued his impressive spring on the camp circuit.

Todd Wright talks Texas hoops. Gerry Hamilton spoke with Longhorn S&C coach Todd Wright ($) about off-season workouts and the upcoming season. The insights include improvement from Clint Chapman and Matt Hill, as well as thoughts on the conditioning of Varez Ward, Shawn Williams, and Dexter Pittman. Wright says that Chapman is improving his strength, a major concern throughout his first two season, as well as making major strides in his game this summer. Matt Hill, who dealt with a variety of foot injuries early in his career, has regained his mobility according to Wright, and may be in position to contend for minutes in a crowded frontcourt.

As for Varez Ward, Wright says that the player he termed as one of the most advanced players physically to ever enter the program now has now improved his outside shot, the most critical aspect of his game to improve. Dexter Pittman is working hard as always, but the concern with him is not working him too hard throughout the year. Last season, Rick Barnes rested him during the start of the conference season to keep him fresh for later in the year and that will probably be the plan again this season.

From the Land of Miscellany. What is the deal with DeMarco Cobbs? He was a no show in Knoxville as well last week...Darius White took an unofficial visit to Norman ($) last week, but has no other visits planned for the summer...It looks like Harrison Smith will help alleviate the scholarship crunch at Texas by transferring, mostly likely to SFA...There are rumors swirling that J'Covan Brown is now officially eligible and on campus, but no official confirmations yet.

2008-09 Texas Basketball Season Wrap

Peter Bean — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:00:10 -0000

In what may be my last substantial post for the next six weeks, a smattering of thoughts on the loss to Duke, the season's end, and what's ahead.

Apologies this is late coming, but it's damn difficult to type when Elliot Williams is handchecking you like John Stockton on androstenedione. I'm just sayin'.

Even had the game's final 90 seconds been without officiating controversy, the coaches, players, and fans of both teams should have been disgusted with the officials for their choppy, burdensome, and inconsistent work throughout the contest.

The operative word in the preceding, of course, is 'should'... In reality, it's difficult to imagine Coach K, his players, or Duke fans displeased with any ~~scrum~~ game that winds up defined by endless whistles, to be decided by close calls and free throw shooting.

All that said, I'd hardly urge Texas fans to channel their inner Mike Leach in an effort to file this loss in the C's for Conspiracy. The officials ruined the flow of the game and did Texas no favors, but on the list of reasons the 'Horns lost, officiating sits comfortably below a sizable list of factors within their control, including at least the following six:

Damion James' 6 turnovers, including three (literally) inexplicable passes even Matt Stafford would have refrained from attempting.
Dogus Balbay neutering his entire offensive value by tentatively playing to avoid mistakes rather than attacing to create plays.
A total of 9 missed free throws, including 6 in the second half.
The inability of Connor Atchley or Justin Mason to have any positive impact on the game.
Gary Johnson playing with as much self-control and maturity as a three week-old puppy. (Seriously, Todd Wright needs to give him two Xanax prior to every tip.)
The sad ease with which Texas' impotent perimeter shooting, combined with their substandard post-entry strategies, allowed the substantially undersized Blue Devils to limit the impact of Big Sexy.

Safe to say Rick Barnes did not read my game preview, in which I urged Texas (1) to gameplan around limiting Duke's freebie points at the line (concurrently protecting our foul situation), in large part by (2) not trying to pressure Gerald Henderson on ball 22+ feet from the basket. Unfortunately, Barnes went for the perimeter pressure, playing right into Duke's strengths while magnifying Texas' own weaknesses and exposure to fouls. It hurt my basketball soul watching Juston Mason repeatedly try to pressure and contain Henderson at or beyond the three point line, only to be dusted on the dribble time and again -- the end result of each a great look at/near the rim for Henderson or, predictably, free throws.

It was a trifecta of fail: First, in allowing Henderson to fire free as a slasher and playmaker, the strategy helped Duke's only explosive offensive weapon -- who, don't forget, is prone to disappear if not allowed a dribble drive game -- remain an active, engaged focal point of an otherwise pedestrian Duke offense; Second, it paved Henderson's way to higher percentage looks near the basket and at the charity stripe. And third, it led Texas to precisely the foul issues it could least afford. Though I understand what Barnes was hoping to do, the game as it unfolded demonstrated exactly why I thought it was the wrong defensive tactic.

In the end, the final loss was a perfect microcosm of Texas' season story, as the 'Horns managed to encapsulate in one performance each of their various M.O.'s throughout the up-and-down year: They proved themselves perfectly capable of beating a quality team... Though they nearly succeeded on the backs of two standout performances, in the end it wasn't enough to overcome a half dozen forgettable ones... And finally, Texas' own fundamental lapses in execution were fatal in a close game to the final buzzer.

AJ Abrams has had higher scoring games throughout his Texas career, but his all-around excellent play against Duke elevates the performance to or near the top of his greatest games list. As he battled to help keep afloat a stagnant Texas offense not able to get Pittman the ball in post position, each of Abrams' 17 points were hard earned. Elsewhere, on the defensive end his pick pocket of Scheyer at midcourt (one of two steals on the night) was a beautiful, perfectly timed, veteran move. More still, Abrams' 5 rebounds reflected well the effort with which he played for all 40 minutes, while both of his assists were highlight reel, make-you-holler dimes which came at crucial junctures of the game when Texas desperately needed to score. Though we all know that Abrams' poor performances often had the capacity to be especially grating for fans to watch, when all things are considered, there's no question AJ Abrams was a very good, four-year, record-setting player who contributed a lot more to dozens of Longhorns wins than his bad nights did cost the team losses. Maybe best of all, Abrams overcame the unfortunate, self-created string of summer distractions to become a team-oriented leader who made the best of an intensely challenging senior year. Hook 'em.

Ending on a far less satisfying note was the career of Connor Atchley, his final shot in burnt orange -- an uncontested three that missed -- all too fitting a cap for what was a season-long struggle to regain his junior year form. At this point, it'd just be cruel and unfair to speculate what may have gone wrong -- and especially so considering the intensive work Atchley put in as a player, culminating in his surprise development into a critical piece of the '08 Elite Eight team. By all accounts he's a good kid and a ferocious, dedicated worker. And in gratefully saluting Atchley's Texas career by recalling my favorite memory of a play he made, I'm reminded it doesn't seem like all that long ago when he hit that unforgettable three pointer to send Texas to double overtime in Stillwater. Hook 'em.

Though it's tough to get too down on a player who started all 35 games, producing 15.4 points and 9.2 rebounds in 29.5 minutes per game, it really was discouraging that so many of Damion James' complementary skills (dribbling, perimeter shooting, unforced turnovers, shot selection, situational understanding) continued to linger so far behind his core skill set as a rebounder and 12-feet-and-in scorer. Unfortunately, the persistence of those problems seems as much as anything to be related manifestations of James' incredibly poor basketball instincts & on-court intelligence. Ultimately, if he wants to overcome those deficiencies and have a chance at playing in the NBA, he's going to have to continue working harder than everyone else. James hasn't yet announced whether or not he'll return to work on his game as a senior at Texas.

That was a tough way for Big Sexy to end his breakthrough junior season, but if he spends this offseason working on conditioning and polish as hard as he has in previous ones... by the time Texas tips its first game next November he'll have his very own suffix: Dexter Pittman, Preseason First Team All Big 12. And if anyone's paying proper attention, among those receiving All American attention, as well.

What on Earth are we to make of Varez Ward stepping into the spotlight of a season elimination game? On the downside, it reinforced just how bogged down Texas was trying to run the offense through Balbay with no shooters on the floor. But on the positive side it reinforces one of Varez Ward's greatest strengths as a basketball player, and which I happened to highlight a month ago in the Oklahoma game preview, calling for Ward to be the primary defensive player assigned to Willie Warren:

Instead, I think this is an assignment with WARD, V. painted all over it. He definitely gives up a couple inches and fifteen pounds to Warren, but Ward is like one of those MMA fighters -- as pound-for-pound strong and athletic as they come. More than that, he's absolutely fearless in that way you can't teach a kid. He doesn't mind a physical game/lots of contact, he'll gladly play perimeter D or mix it up in the paint, and he's a full-fledged gamer who -- it's been obvious all season -- seeks out challenges. I want to see him take on this one.

Yup, that still sounds about right to me... For Ward, obviously, but also the point that such a fearless, challenge-seeking mindset is not one easily coached into a player. You either got it or you don't, and though no one should invest in the fool's gold of Ward as the focal point first option of next year's offense, he established himself as a tremendously valuable and versatile asset:

He's a truly top-top-tier athlete.
His on-court instincts are as natural as Damion James' are wholly absent.
He isn't afraid -- of physical play, of a challenge, of pressure, of making a mistake.
Correspondingly, he wants the toughest assignments, the most pressure, etc. Total fearlessness, confidence, and a short memory.
And finally, he's a smooth, natural playmaker. While his too-high 44 turnovers reflect his inexperience, I wish I had a tape of each one so I could point out how many were almost-good ideas that didn't quite work out, but which I appreciated as attempts to make the kinds of plays that you want a player to be able to see developing.

Is it me, or did Dogus Balbay's freshman season mimic the career arc of Connor Athcley? Very little playing time and modest expectations at first, followed by an up-and-down learning/transition period of increased usage, leading to an exciting peak at the three-quarters mark, followed by a truly befuddling letdown at the very end. Weird....

Coincidental oddities aside, Balbay was cruising right along through the end of the regular season before the trouble started in the Big 12 quarterfinals with his five turnovers against the athletic pressure guards of Kansas State. Barnes yanked him and gave Balbay a few earfuls worth of criticism to think about. Though a day later against Baylor Balbay would play well during his 23 minutes of floor time, Barnes still appeared to be keeping him on a short leash, sitting him a full 10:30 minutes during the second half. Whatever the various issues displeasing Barnes, from that point on Balbay's confidence was visibly shaken. He played very tentatively against Minnesota -- like a player trying to avoid mistakes instead of make plays -- then appeared to lose whatever offensive aggressiveness he'd mustered for Duke after missing a point blank lay up.

Though when this season began few were as immediately bullish as I was about about Dogus Balbay, the end of this season made me realize it was possible that at least some of my enthusiasm may have beenparticularized -- tied to what I felt confident Dogus could do for this year's point guard-less squad. But what about next year, when Jai Lucas -- a nominal point guard with a legitimate scoring game -- arrives? It really depends what kinds of improvements Balbay's capable of developing in one offseason, and if you're of the opinion what we saw this year is more or less what Balbay will be next year, it seems like he'd slide into platoon/role player duties, utilized primarily as an on-ball defensive specialist and/or change of look/rest for Lucas.

That may be the most likely outcome, but even if not it's at least as likely as the more optimistic alternative (towards which I lean): I see as attainable substantial growth in Balbay himself, further magnified thanks to the arrival and impact of his new teammates. Whereas this year a dribbling Balbay stared down from the top of the key wondering how to attack a glob of defensive bodies all packed in the paint, next year's reinforcements will render completely unviable a similar defensive strategy. That's good news for Balbay, who has yet to encounter a defender he can't laser by on the dribble. Next year, he'll have more space to do just that, the awaiting gob of defensive bodies replaced by an open rim or a dunking Dexter.

And really, if you extend the preceding thought to its logical conclusion, the good news isn't exclusively Balbay's to enjoy. Varez Ward isn't as lightning fast as Dogus with the ball in his hands (no one is), but he's every bit the same ridiculous athlete with more than enough ability and know-how to get to the rim for a score, foul, or dump off. (It'll take a lot better defender than John Scheyer, that much we know.) And moving beyond Ward, not only should the reach of the good news be a boon to every returning Longhorn, but also -- I think it's fair to say -- Rick Barnes.

Eleven years in, Texas hoops junkies are well aware of what Barnes does and doesn't do well (the strengths far outstripping the weaknesses), the reality being he's not the first coach you'd choose to install a halfcourt offense for the personnel he had on hand this past season. Barnes wants to run (and successfully recruits to be able to execute) a fluid offense based on spacing principles, ball screens, and dribble penetration. Without the right personnel capable of capitalizing on the advantages on which the system depends, it's little more than what Jimmy Dykes in 2007-08 (wrongly) disparaged as "a bunch of random ball screens."

Dykes missed the mark because with the right personnel (several versatile, high-caliber offensive players or, if the point guard is elite enough even just one), the "random ball screen offense" is very much a legitimate, effective, and viable offensive system based on sound principles. Not only that, but I'm tempted to argue that the impact on college hoops of the NBA's recently enacted age-limit rule may soon make dribble drive offensive principles (if they aren't already) comparable to spread offensive principles in college football. And if, as most believe, the NBA soon bumps its age limit up again, the stampede of coaches rushing to incorporate dribble drive offenses will come sooner rather than later. And that's one of the biggest reasons I'm quick to call myopic those who criticize Rick Barnes on these grounds. It's completely backwards -- we should be glad he's been an early adopter.

Looking ahead, in case you'd forgotten about Texas' #2-ranked incoming recruiting class, a few links to get you up to speed:

Big Roy's 'Recruiting Spotlights' on: Jordan Hamilton, Avery Bradley 1, Bradley 2, Shawn Williams, Jai Lucas (transfer from Florida)
Barking Carnival's Trips Right on the incoming class

And finally, a housekeeping note: Same as last year, my law exams fall in the same week as the football annual must go off to the press for printing. And like last year, the reality of the insane volume of work in front of me has politely waited for hoops to end before crashing down on me. But here we are, and something's gotta give if it's all gonna get done, so I don't expect to be writing much around here during this mad sprint to the finish. Dimecoverage will be around Mondays and Thursdays, while Big Roy's going to be the main man bringing daily doses of his always-excellent news and analysis. Last but not least -- by all means, please take things into your own hands. Keep the Fan Posts lively and I'll be on the look out for good stuff to bump over to run down the middle column.

Once again, it was a damn fun season -- thanks to all (okay, most) who chose to spend it here with us. Same time and place next year.

2008-2009 Longhorns Good But Never Great

awiggo — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:05:01 -0000

The Texas Longhorns are done for the season. But why? My first reaction at the end of last night’s game was the same as many of yours—blame the refs. We got robbed! Duke got all the calls, all the bounces, all the breaks, etc. Upon further reflection, whistles were not the reason that we lost in the second round to Duke. In fact, I thought the Duke loss was a near perfect manifestation of the entire season.

The same questions we had about this team before the season were never answered. The same warts that we saw in conference play appeared again in Greensboro. And the same players basically played the same way in the NCAA tournament that they had all season.

I don’t want this to be an overly negative post and I promise another post with all the positive things this team did over the course of the season. But I think it is important to single out the reasons why this Texas team was good but never great.

No Reliable Point Guard
Sure, Dogus Balbay came on late in the season and showed on many occasions that he could lead the team. But in pressure situations, the lack of true point guard who could pressure a defense with passing and scoring hurt the ‘Horns. How many times this year did you write in the comment section that you missed DJ Augustin? How many times did you and your fellow basketball lovers curiously question where this team would be had Augustin elected to stay another year? I know that I did plenty of times just as I did after TJ Ford left after his sophomore year.

Rick Barnes started the year with AJ Abrams at the point but that experiment was over before the team returned from Maui. Abrams could not create off the dribble for others and is much better in catch-and-shoot situations than firing off the dribble. Then, we put the ball in Justin Mason’s hands. This worked fine, for the most part, and Mason even filled up the stat sheet with five, six, and seven assist games against just a turnover or two for the better part of the middle of the season. But Mason’s defense began to slip and opponents began to figure out that Justin couldn’t hit the backboard, let alone sink a jumper, from more than 15 feet. So, the Mason era ended and Dogus Balbay took over.

Again, Texas fans were struck with instant positive results. Dogus is incredibly quick off the dribble, a remarkable athlete, and a more than capable passer with either hand. Unfortunately, Dogus was not a pass first-shoot second leader like he had been billed since his arrival in Austin. Balbay is a past-first, drive-second, pass-third, shoot-never point guard. As opponents figured out that Balbay had never seen one of his jumpers fall through the hoop, a one man zone became the defense of choice for Big XII opponents down the stretch. Never was this more apparent than at Oklahoma State when Terrel Harris began to double team Dexter Pittman in the post even when his man, Balbay, had the ball at the top of the key.

Our point guard by committee, like our team, was serviceable but never great. It could be argued that a fourth part of this committee was forced to emerge last night as Varez Ward more than earned his playing time with a gutty, attack the basket 16 point performance over and around the slower Duke defenders. I would remiss unless I pointed out that the need for Ward to assume the ball handling duties full-time would not have been needed if it wasn’t for the below average performance by Balbay. Take a look at his line last night: 32 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists and 4 turnovers. It is hard to be a dynamic offensive team when your point guard plays nearly the entire game and fails to record a single assist.

No Perimeter Shooting
Other than AJ, this team can’t shoot from outside the lane. Please don’t point out Damion James’ occasional three-pointer or Gary Johnson’s 16 foot jumper. Fool’s gold, both of them. Last night, Texas shot 3-of-12 from behind the arc. On the season, Texas shot 32.8% from three, good for 234th best in the country (Ken Pomeroy). Of 344 Division I teams, shot ranked 321st in the country in percentage of points scored from behind the arc. Texas got just 19% of all points from deep.

I am not advocating that Texas needed to be a three point shooting team. They did not. Before the season, the strength of this team appeared to be Dexter Pittman, Gary Johnson, Alexis Wangmene, and Damion James scoring in the paint. Texas did, however, need to present at least the threat of an outside shot so that those players wouldn’t be defended with two players before they got the ball and three players after.

Texas has never been a great team at feeding the post. To me, this is a weakness that has been present throughout the Rick Barnes era. This year, though, the problem wasn’t the skill of actually feeding the post as much as it was that there was little to no room to do so. If defenders aren’t worried about getting torched by perimeter jumpers, they naturally sag off the offensive player to both encourage long jump shots and to more easily eliminate driving angles. That is exactly what happened this season as defenses would have paid every Texas perimeter player, except AJ Abrams, to shoot jumps shots.

Shaky Free Throw Shooting
Texas shot 16-of-25 (64%) from the free throw stripe against Duke. Duke shot 21-of-27 (78%) from the free throw stripe against Texas. Also, the Longhorns were just 8-of-14 (57%) in the second half. Imagine how different this game would have been had Texas sank a few more free throws. Imagine how many close games would have gone differently had Texas not shot just 66.8% from the line as a team. Would we have won another conference game, finished alone in fourth in the Big XII, and maybe earned a better seed in the NCAAs? Maybe. We probably would have defeated Duke in their own backyard and been preparing for a rematch with Villanova as I write this. Regardless of how the calls went down the stretch, the team that took advantage of their trips to the line is still in the tournament while the team that left points at the stripe has been eliminated.

No Go-to Scorer
At one point early in the season, I wrote that we didn’t have a go-to scorer like Augustin, Durant, Tucker, or Ford. I questioned where Barnes would go in a final possession with the game on the line—AJ on the baseline or James in the high post or Dexter on the low block or our point guard of the evening off the dribble. I didn’t know then, and I still don’t know now.

Down two last night to Duke, Damion James called for, received, and shot a baseline three pointer that would have given Texas a one point lead with less than a minute to go. It was a good shot, but was it the best shot? Was a James jump shot our go-to-play? Abrams is certainly our most consistent and best shooter but he has been blanketed all of 2009 and cannot create his own shot. Dexter is an offensive force but can’t score unless he is somehow fed the ball. Balbay or Ward off the dribble are options as well. The point is that, unlike in previous seasons with a future NBA lottery pick in burnt orange, Texas lacked a go to player all season long.

Disappearance of Connor Atchley and Justin Mason
Did DJ Augustin really make that big a difference in the games of these two upperclassmen? Last night, Connor played six minutes, failed to score a single point in his final game as a Longhorn, and grabbed just one rebound. Justin Mason wasn’t much better (22 minutes, three points, one rebound, two assists, and two turnovers), and Barnes had so little confidence in him that he chose to leave Balbay in the game after moving Ward to the point, even though Dogus was not a threat to score at all.

Connor was in Austin for five years and has a remarkable junior season, but his regression this season was a big reason for the offensive stagnation, as were Mason’s struggles on both ends of the court.

All in all, this was a good but never great basketball team. The loss of Alexis Wangmene hurt on both ends, the inability to sink perimeter jump shots killed our offensive spacing, and the need to go small with three guards gave back some of our ability to rebound and defend at an elite level. As I wrote last night, I am proud of this team. They were certainly flawed in many areas but fought hard all season long and came within a bounce or two of the Sweet 16.

Future posts will look at the positives from the 2008-09 campaign, Damion James’ NBA decision, and in addition to the incoming freshman and Jai Lucas, what our existing players need to improve on to take this team back to the Final Four.

Texas Advances to Big XII Semifinals

awiggo — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:49:58 -0000

Survive and move on. Survive and move is definitely the name of the game in March, and Texas did exactly that this afternoon over the Kansas State Wildcats, 61-58. The Longhorns (22-10) may not have done a ton right in their rematch with Kansas State, but it doesn’t matter because Texas came out victorious. The ‘Horns march on to face Baylor, surprising winners in the first quarterfinal over top-seeded Kansas, in the first Big XII semifinal on Friday. Tip time 6 pm on the Big XII Network.

Good:

Dexter Pittman is putting on quite a show in Oklahoma City. A day after dominating the smaller Colorado frontline, Sexy Dex took it to the bigger Kansas State defenders just the same. He has been unguardable in two games thus far. Dexter went for 19 points and 20 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. He has been successful in gaining and holding excellent low post position while also showing good balance. And unlike the final regular season game at Kansas, Dexhas been able to finish most of his easy ones around the rim. If he’s got anything left in the tank, we could easily see more of the same against the undersized Baylor Bears.
Hat tip to Varez Ward. After spending most of the last couple of weeks in the Rick Barnes’ doghouse, Varez came up huge off the bench as AJ Abrams was forced to sit in foul trouble. Ward attacked the basket off the dribble, finished near the rim over taller defenders, and played solid on-the-ball defense as well. Ward scored a surprising nine points with three rebounds, two blocks, and an assist in his productive 19 minutes of play.
Smaller hat tip to Clint Chapman too. Chappy still plays soft too often but did come through with nine points, including a critical and one lay-up late in the game, a rebound, and a blocked shot in eight minutes.

Bad:

There were two areas in which Texas struggled the entire game: turnovers and protecting the defensive glass. The long, physical K State defense forced 22 Texas turnovers! And the more aggressive Wildcats also grabbed 20 offensive rebounds!! In most games, those two stats alone spell doom. However, behind Dexter in the post and because of some awful field goal shooting by Kansas State, Texas advanced.

There really was nothing pretty about today’s performance except for the final score. Survive and move on.

Post your own game thoughts here.

Box Score

Next Game: vs. Baylor Big XII Semifinals – 6 pm Friday, March 13 Big XII Network

My crashed computer is preventing further analysis. PB will be around this evening to preview the Baylor game.

Morning Coffe Has Your Analysis

GhostofBigRoy — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 11:00:09 -0000

Snapshot: DJ Augustin. Unfortunately for Texas fans wanting to watch former basketball players in the NBA, Kevin Durant and DJ Augustin both play for teams with virtually no national television exposure. So when the Bobcats came to San Antonio for a game against the Spurs televised on FSN, it was time to take a look at the former Longhorn point guard in his new NBA digs.

Acquiring Raja Bell and Boris Diaw deepened the Charlotte roster, but cut deeply into the minutes of Augustin, who had played with frequency in the backcourt with Raymond Felton before the trade.

Augustin's in great shape, but seeing him on the court in the NBA is a stark illustration of just how short he is. Though Augustin is certainly athletic, he lacks the explosiveness and leaping ability of most NBA players his size and those realities certainly present challenges for his offensive game, but the bigger challenge comes defensively, as he struggles with his lateral quickness, going under one screen when guarding Tony Parker and still failing to beat the Frenchman to the rim.

In fact, playing screens seems to be a problem for Augustin, as Roger Mason absolutely destroyed him for nine straight points shortly after Augustin checked into the game late in the first quarter. Whether the screen was on ball or off the ball, Augustin spent most of the time trailing the play. Frankly, I was surprised that Larry Brown didn't promptly call a timeout after Mason's final baset in the stretch and sit Augustin down. Maybe I've been watching Rick Barnes coach for too long.

Offensively, Augustin looked extremely careful with his ball-handling, not looking to get to the rim offensively, but rather working hard to get hi teammates the ball in the right places. For a short period of time that is, until Mason started abusing him, a run Augustin aided by missing two long jumpers coming off screens -- not bad shots, but shots that need to be made.

Besides generally getting the ball to his teammates in rhythm and in good positions for them to score, Augustin showed a veteran's wile in picking up a foul on an aggressively hedging Kurt Thomas to get to the free throw line. When things weren't going well for Augustin, he showed nice resilience in manufacturing points for for his team when the opportunity presented itself.

Breaking into the film room: Ross Apo. At last! A week and a half after his commitment to Texas, someone finally managed to dig up some film ($) on Apo. Unsurprisingly, Apo is fully capable of running past TAPPS defenders on go routes -- it might make sense for opposing defensive coordinators to give Apo the same 10+ yard cushion opponents afford John Harris. Or they could just let him continue to run past their defenders.

The reported 40 time isn't impressive (4.6), but Apo shows explosiveness in short bursts on the field, evidence of his 4.32 shuttle. John Harris impressed on film with his ability to make the first defender miss in the open field and Apo shows a similar quality, except with more explosion. There's some shake in those hips.

There's also an element to his stride that's hard to describe. Apo has a long stride, but he almost seems to have the ability to pause and re-direct himself in the middle of a stride, yet still maintain a great deal of his speed -- the type of things that leads most observers to rave about his raw athleticism. He changes direction remarkably well for a receiver his size, almost looking like he can shorten his stride in tight spaces.

Like Darius Terrell, Apo goes up and catches the ball well in traffic, using his body to shield the defender, a skill he will be asked use in the Texas offense.

Just for a taste of the quality of opponent Apo faces -- in one highlight Apo runs past a player who cannot be more than 5-5. And that might be generous. And not even a fast 5-5, either. Just let that think in for a second. As poor as the competition is that Apo faces and as raw as he is as a receiver, he certainly doesn't look like a reach and will probably vault up the next LSR 100 as more of his film becomes available.

Breaking into the film room: Taylor Bible. Wow. Taylor Bible ($). There's not as much hype surrounding Bible as the players with outstanding Texas offers, but the Denton Guyer product is every bit the blue chip as guys like Lache Seastrunk and Reggie Wilson. To that end, Inside Texas ranks Bible as the fifth-best player in the state, behind only the aforementioned two, Darius White, and Jackson Jeffcoat. He's the top defensive tackle in the state and could be the best in the country. Rivals only lists one defensive tackle ahead of Bible, South Carolina's Kelcy Quarles, a 250 pounder who must be some kinda fast to be ranked so highly at such a light weight.

It's hard to even find words to describe the way that Bible plays. Explosive fits. So does violent. Most high school defensive tackles struggle to consistently use their hands violently and play with good pad level. Bible appears to do both of those things with consistency, utilizing a combination of explosion, leverage, and violent hands to destroy opposing lineman and finishing tackles with the same force that he uses to push guards and centers into their own backfield. You get the sense after watching a few of the highlights that opposing players just want to quite, go home, and cry after lining up against Bible for about five plays.

Bible explodes at the snap with rare ability, but also moves in space like a good defensive end, changing direction and pursuing plays with a serious motor. He's definitely a three technique in college, perhaps best compared to Lamarr Houston. Since Bible is so aggressive in his pass rushing, some teams try to use work the screen game against him, with Bible showing incredible awareness and reading the play as if he heard the call.

Discarding lineman isn't a problem, but Bible often lets them get into his body on running plays, standing them up before discarded them. It works well in high school, but Bible will have to learn to keep lineman off of his body in college. With another year in the weight room to get stronger, Bible should come into college as the most talented and most ready to contribute defensive tackle to show up in Austin for a long time.

Basketball bullets.

The entry passing is much improved for the Longhorns in the last several games, aided by AJ Abrams running off screens not to get open, but running to the 45-degree angle which is optimal for making entry passes. If that pass isn't available, Rick Barnes has added the high-low game, with the other big flashing to the top of the key and looking to make the lob pass as Pittman seals his man. Much better than what Longhorns fans have seen for most of the season.
Damion James continues to inexplicably miss easy layups.
Varez Ward has buried himself on the bench with his propensity to take long jump shots.
Gary Johnson looks like he is lacking his normal explosiveness and may have been set back with the re-aggravation of his high ankle sprain at the end of the game against Colorado.
Justin Mason has looked much more explosive in the last three games than he did for most of the second half of the conference season. His ankle looks healed and this team desperately needs his aggressiveness going to the basket.
Alexis Wangmene was dressed for the Colorado game -- no word though on whether he might play again this season. He's probably eligible for a medical redshirt, but would endanger that by playing. That being said, he's probably the best one-on-one post defender on the team and could provide a major lift in that department.

Favors still on the radar. Forth Worth Dunbar safety/linebacker Rashod Favors seemed like a good bet to receive an offer early in the recruiting process, with the coaching staff inviting him to Austin for both Junior Days. The explanation provided recently ($) was that he had a death in the family, which might account for the first Junior Day, but the word on the second Junior Day was that Favors decided to attend the Oklahoma State Junior Day that weekend instead.

Though the exact details remain murky, the Longhorns did invite Favors down for the spring game, indicating an offer may be on the way. Long expected to take four linebackers in the class, Texas will probably offer another player at the position, as landing both Jordan Hicks and Corey Nelson would be a major upset. There aren't any signs indicating that Big 12 teams will move away from the spread any time soon, making hybrid safety/linebackers like Favors much more valuable than they would have been 10 years ago -- the tweener label for such players is now much more of a compliment than an insult.

A KenPom Preview: Texas

rockchalk — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:34:51 -0000

Finally, the final regular season game is upon us. This season has whizzed by, and I still catch myself thinking that we've still got another month to go prior to the NCAA Tournament. But, we're already practically there.

Opening Thoughts

This game isn't as big as it was once though to be. Texas was a popular pick to win the Big 12, and while Kansas wasn't expected to win, we were expected to be competitive. An end-of-season trip up to Allen Field House, with potential conference title implications, and CBS went all-in. Of course, it hasn't worked out that way. Texas, until just earlier this week, was still planted firmly on the bubble. And we've already locked up the Big 12, with Saturday's game only deciding if we can become outright champions, or not.

But, that wasn't this game is about. No. With this being the final home game of the season, it's Senior Day. And while it certainly won't be the same, special celebration that it was last year, we've still got Matt Kleinmann graduating. And by God, we will refuse to lose on Matt Kleinmann's Senior Day.

Actual preview-material, game-related I promise, after the jump...

The Background

The background goes back awhile. In 2005, on a senior-laden team stacked with Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Wayne Simien, the Longhorns waltzed into Allen Field House highly ranked. Along with them came the ESPN GameDay crew, in their first season of doing college basketball games. It ended shortly after, a 90-65 Kansas win. The next year, one of the youngest teams ever, after starting off terribly, made a trip down to Austin with an opportunity to clinch the Big 12 outright. And, again, ESPN GameDay came along for the trip. And, again, the road team was sent packing, 25-point losers, with the Longhorns winning 80-55. Ever since then, every game played between the Longhorns and Jayhawks has been epic.

Epic, I tell you.

It started just a couple of weeks following that second shellacking in Austin, when the two teams met, again, in the Championship Game of the Big 12 Tournament in Dallas. Kansas won, 80-68, in a game that was closer than the score. The next year, the Longhorns made their repeat visit up to the Phog. This time, they brought Kevin Durant along with them, and he went off. I'm talking, the greatest performance I've ever seen, ever, in a college basketball game. Still, in part thanks to Durant missing part of the second half due to injury, Kansas wins, 90-86. But the rivalry was just getting good. 8 days later, the teams met again in the Big 12 Tournament, this time in Oklahoma City. Texas surged ahead to a dominating 32-14 lead, but the Jayhawks slowly climbed back. A clutch Mario Chalmers three late in the game, and Kansas wins, again. Then, there was last year. This time, the game was on Big Monday, and Kansas lost, thanks to a career day by Connor Atchley. But, for the third straight year, the two teams found themselves matched up in the Big 12 Tournament Finals, this time in Kansas City. The Jayhawks used the homecourt advantage, of sorts, to their advantage, and used the best game of Mario Chalmers' life to win late, in what was probably the most well-played college basketball game of last season.

In case you're counting, that's five straight awesome, Instant Classics from this series. This year, with Texas' superiority in talent and experience and depth expected to be overshadowed by the mystique of the Phog, was supposed to be number 6. It hasn't exactly worked out that way, though.

Texas started out fine, lining up OOC wins over Villanova, UCLA and Wisconsin (in Madison). A narrow loss to Notre Dame, which was actually a Top 10 matchup at the time, was excusable, and a loss to Michigan State was almost expected. But then, in Fayetteville, the wheels began to shake off. They fell to the Razorbacks immediately prior to conference play beginning. After a shaky performance at home against the Cyclones, they got wrecked in Norman. A trio of what seemed like bounce-back losses, and then the wagon became completely derailed. They lost three straight to the supposedly weaker Big 12 North (vs. K-State, vs. Missouri, @ Nebraska), and they've never fully recovered.

They seemed to have clinched a ticket, for all intents-and-purposes, this past week with the massive bubble hysteria, but they still aren't where they expected to be.

Still, with another expected Epic Showdown on the way, they can start climbing back towards their lofty preseason expectations on Saturday.

The Offense

Four Factors

eFG% (211th) -- When you think of Texas, what do you think of? Maybe I'm just way off, but I always kind of think of a shot-making team. That is probably due to A.J. Abrams, who just seems like he is within range the second he steps into the gym. But even his eFG% is way, way down from where you might expect it to be. Let's just say, I'm not terribly worried about losing our consecutive game streak of allowing the opposition to shoot higher than 50%.
TO% (31st) -- Again, with all of their point guard issues, you'd expect this to be higher. Much higher. And yet, here it is, one of the better teams in the country at not turning the ball over. A lot of that is because Abrams never, ever turns the ball over; which is probably why plenty of folks thought he could play the point. Of course, maintaining possession is only half the battle; you have to distribute well, too. That's the part he wasn't, and isn't, so hot at.
Off. Reb% (23rd) -- They are a fairly short team, for the most part. With their new, Dogus Balbay-included starting lineup, they are starting 6'7"-on-a-good-day Damion James at the 4. And yet, James' beastitude on the boards is one of the bigger assets this team has. Well, 300-pound Dexter Pittman doesn't hurt, either. No matter how, we need to box the eff out. I don't want them picking up trash for 40 minutes.
FTA/FGA (129th) -- Eh. As long as it isn't Abrams, I'm pretty much fine with fouling anybody, to be honest. Particularly Balbay (39%) and Justin Mason (52%). They are absolutely dreadful, as a team, at shooting the throws.

The Defense

Four Factors

eFG% (45th) -- Good, solid, kinda-sorta-awesome. We'll talk about it later on, in The Keys, but most games just revolve around our ability to hit open shots. We should, by the numbers, see a lot less open looks on Saturday than we did Wednesday night against Tech, but whatever. We can't afford to only hit 30% of them, I know that for sure.
TO% (161st) -- Thank Jesus. A team that doesn't consistently turn you over. As long as we don't go crazy and commit a bundle of unforced errors, we should be fine.
Off. Reb% (140th) -- This is where we can take advantage of the Horns. Our bigs need to be able to feast off of the second-chance points and get the subsequent layups to fall. If we do that, and limit our turnovers to something halfway reasonable, and we win. Even if we can't hit the broad side of the barn.
FTA/FGA (167) -- Nothing useful, here.

The Players

A.J. Abrams (G) -- The most well-known player, he certainly isn't the best player. Still, when he gets hot, like he was to close out their home game against Oklahoma, there isn't anybody in the country who can light it up better. You see, though, that he's cold far more often than he is smokin'. As long as he doesn't Voskuil us to death, and yes that's a term now in the Kansas fans' lexicon, I'm not terribly worried. Brady, one would imagine, would have to guard him. But I swear, Brady's hurt or something, so I'm going to say that T2 gets put on Abrams, at least at the start. Whoever is guarding him, just faceguard the hell out of him on the perimeter, try and force him to use the bounce, and you should be fine. Assuming he isn't Superman, for a day, like Voskuil.

Damion James (F) -- James, on the other hand, is their best player. Hands down. He's a freaking monster on the glass, particularly the offensive glass, so it is paramount we find him and stick an ass on him. I can't tell you how many times I've seen him soar in for putback dunks when he starts from the three-point line when the shot is fired. I don't care if he is at half court, one of the Morris twins (or someone else, I suppose, it's just fun singling out the twins) needs to find him and do whatever it takes, without fouling, from touching the ball. Simple as that. I'll tolerate any potential offense he gives them non-rebounding related; it's going to happen somewhat, but I doubt he explodes or anything.

Dogus Balbay (G) -- Maybe I just haven't seen him play enough, but from what I've seen, I'm wholeheartedly unimpressed with good ol' Dogus. He's pretty good at getting into the lane, and can play D, but can't shoot whatsoever. It isn't your typical, pass-first, drive-second, shoot-third kind of situation. No, it's like, leave him wide, wide open from anywhere beyond 10 feet, and I bet he misses. Dude's shooting 39% from the free throw line. Sherron, on offense and defense, should eat Balbay's lunch. If he does, we'll be fine. If we see the Sherron who showed up in Lubbock, the game will be closer than anyone thought.

Dexter Pittman (C) -- This dude's huge. Like, ginormous. He used to be way bigger, a story that I'm sure you'll hear, for the billionth time, during the telecast. He knows how to use his weight effecitvely, though, and picks up rebounds just because of his sheer size. And, even before Blake Griffin got knocked out with that concussion of his, Pittman was pretty much shutting him down. At least, as much as you can shut down the unanimous best player in the country. Cole should have a bitch of a time down there, so we'll have to be patient. Feed Cole early on, see how Dexter responds. If nothing's happening, and 300+ over here is dominating Aldrich, find somewhere else to go. I'm intimidated of him, to tell you the truth.

Justin Mason (G) -- Dude has had some offensive explosions, but nearly all of those occured out of conference play. Since Big 12 play started, Mason's struggled. He's kind of like their Brady Morningstar, at least with the defensive reputation, so he actually might be the one who is guarding Sherron. In any case, whoever is assigned to him on D should be fine with leaving him to help. If Mason is beating us, then whatever. It just ain't our week.

Rest of the Bunch -- Connor Atchley is tall, can rebound and, most importantly, likes shooting the three (he went 5-5 last year from three against us, and that's ALWAYS the first thing that I think of whenever I read/hear/see his name).....Gary Johnson has been out recently, but he's an awesome rebounder in his own right when healthy; he adds a bunch to their team, and provides a decent mid-range game, too.....Varez Ward is just a ho-hum reserve, freshman guard, providing nothing terribly impressive or impactful......Harrison Smith has seen some recent playing time, but hasn't played enough on the season to be listed on Texas' KP page. So, whatever.

The Keys

1) Open Shots: Drill 'Em -- I'm considering just leaving this the #1 key for all games. I want to statstically confirm this, and maybe I'm just dealing in the realm of obvious-ness, but we win or lose based on our shooting. And our offense is well-run enough, with enough ball movement and sharp passes and drive-and-kicks and etc., that we get approximately the same amount of open looks a contest, adjusted for the opposition's defense. We win if we make above x percentage, and if we don't hit that many, we lose. As simple as that. This is particularly crucial from behind the three-point arc.

2) Speed 'Em Up -- I've left pace out of the keys for the most part, this season, because there isn't a speed we are greatly better at. But, Texas has struggled the most, by far, when the games are fast, and we thrive at home playing up-and-down. So, use Allen Field House to your advantage, get everyone standing-and-clapping-and-hooting-and-hollering, and keep on running. Make Balbay slow it down, or Rick Barnes. Don't get out of control, but don't be shy at taking it in to score if you have an opportunity.

3) Box. The Hell. Out -- Hey, Morris twins, hey. Damion James is as good of an offensive rebounder as you get, for his body type, and is athletic as hell. Find him, stick a body on him, go up and grab the board. Both of you are infinitely better at this stuff than you were at the beginning of the year; show off your improvement tomorrow.

That's all, for now.

We're going to win, I'm fairly certain. Coming off such a terrible, stupid loss, you'd have to think that we're going to come out quite pissed off and angry. And that, combined with the raucous Allen Field House crowd, doesn't bode well for the Horns.

Plus, most of all, it's Matt Kleinmann Day. And we won't lose, no matter what, on Matt Kleinmann Day.