SB Nation User Blog: txtwstr7

Advice to UT Students, especially Seniors...

txtwstr7 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:48:20 -0000

...I've already heard a few people making arrangements to watch the UT-UCLA game on TV, since they dont have the Stampede pass and would have to wait in line for most of the day. I've also heard people planning on meeting at the Erwin Center around 6:00 or 6:30. If you are a Senior and you dont have an Exam on Friday, both of these are the wrong answer, even for average basketball fans...

More after the jump...

Each of the past few years, there has been at least one key game to target on the home schedule. In every single case, the game--and the crowd--has delivered. In all the football games I've attended at UT, nothing outside of the OSU Rally in 2004 has compared to the insanity in the Erwin Center during some of the marquee match-ups.

Literally, in each year, I can look back to a single game and remember the crowd going absolutely berserk and the team willing itself to victory. While I'm well aware crowd effects can be overstated (especially at Texas), I refuse to believe that the crowd hasn't played *some* role in leading Texas to a 95-6 record in their last 101 home games. This is especially true against marquee opponents. Let's take a look.

2007: 72-69 victory over #4 Kansas. This was the game where 16,755 fans watched Damion James snag 13 rebounds in the 2nd half to lead Texas over the eventual National Champions. This was also the game where Damion threw down the MONSTER slam off the offensive rebound, which almost caused me a broken ankle in my theatrical celebration. I dont think anyone who attended the game will forget it anytime soon.

2006: 98-96 victory over #6 Texas A&M. In Kevin Durant's swan song at the Erwin Center, he outdueled Acie Law (the 4th) to lead the Longhorns to victory in a 2OT thriller. One of my best friends has said his favorite regular season game--in any sport--that he's ever attended. The sheer bedlam in the bleachers after Durant nailed the go-ahead three is literally seared into my memory. It was LOUD the entire game, and none of the students wanted to leave after the game was over.

2005: 58-55 victory over #3 Villanova. In what marked a key turnaround game after Texas had been throttled by Duke and Tennessee, Texas won a thriller over Villanova and their four-guard offense. I was worried that the crowd might disappoint for this game, but--even with the early tip--that simply didnt happen. In one of the most underrated games in the last few years, Texas hung tough and gutted out a key win.

2004: 75-61 victory over #5 Oklahoma State. Right before losing PJ Tucker due to an academic suspension, the Longhorns played with fire in knocking off the Cowboys in a Big Monday showdown. This was also the game where Daniel Gibson exploded for 27 points and 10 rebounds. It was also a game where I lost my voice before the game was over.

2003: 82-67 victory over #14 Kansas and 94-81 victory over #14 Wake Forest. As I was unable to attend the Wake Forest game, I can't speak with certainty over if the environment was electric. In the Kansas game, Texas jumped out to a big lead in the first half and the Jayhawks never had a chance.

In each of the past five seasons, I've watched Texas win special games against marquee opponents. In the last four seasons, the Erwin Center has come alive and literally made a difference in the game. This season, the marquee matchups are UCLA and OU, with the UCLA visit being a historical and rare occurrence. The team is going to need--and will appreciate--our help. Don't miss out.

If you're a senior planning to "Wait for the OU game to campout", please remember that the game occurs over Winter Break. Please also remember that you'll be a toal douchebag if you miss the UCLA game.

Hook 'Em!

Additional Thoughts over Stetson Game...

txtwstr7 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:05:18 -0000

...if you haven't checked out Wiggo's Stetson Recap or Tulane Game Preview, then do so immediately. As many fans were unable to watch the Stetson game, I wanted to add some additional comments. With the gigantic caveat that it was only one game and the smaller caveat that we only played one good offensive half, I think there are some first impressions and storylines from the game that deserve mentioning.

1) An up-Hill climb: As I've said previously, I found the mystery of Matt Hill to be one of the more underrated storylines heading into the season. Slated to be a starter last season (ahead of either Atchley or James), Matt Hill was lost for the season due to an injury. The amount of praise heaped on Matt Hill during last year's Basketball Banquet led me to believe that he would be a key contributor once he got healthy.

Within the last few weeks, I heard whispers that Matt Hill wasn't playing very well, with Varez Ward being the guy to watch coming out of camp. Later, Rick Barnes came out and publicly stated his pleasure with Ward. Any buzz over Hill was nowhere to be found. Against Stetson, Matt Hill played only four minutes and watched Clint Chapman and Gary Johnson get significantly more playing time. While Wangmene also only got a handful of minutes--more on that in a second--his lack of playing time can be explained through his absence from the team due to a personal tragedy. Hill's minutes were truly forgettable, and, until checking the box score, I'd forgotten that he grabbed a rebound. If Matt Hill truly is healthy and recovered, it appears he's fallen far from his pre-injury perch in the pecking order.

To follow up on Wangmene, after he turned the ball over in the first half, Rick Barnes yelled at him "ONE MORE TIME. I'm pulling you if you do that ONE MORE TIME." He didn't turn the ball over again, but he was quickly pulled and didn't go back into the game until there were under three minutes to go.

2) The Dexter Strategy?: Wiggo mentioned that Dexter played pretty well in his twelve minutes (10 points and 4 boards in 12 minutes), but that he was still whistled for 4 fouls. This is all true. However, I wanted to emphasize how much of a role Dexter played in the offense while he was in the game.

While I can't currently find them, there were some upbeat quotes from his teammates over Dexter's ability to score at will in the paint. This confidence was bourne out during the Stetson game, as the ball was repeatedly fed to Pittman in the post area. Along with his five shots, he took two trips to the free throw line, and committed several offensive fouls while the team was attempting to get the ball inside. In fact, Dexter was prominently involved (shot, free throws, offensive foul) in five of the last seven possessions of the game. In his 12 minutes, Dexter was often the hub of the offensive set, with the team immediately looking to pound the ball inside.

Moreso than the last two seasons, I think Rick Barnes will attempt to ruthlessly exploit match-up problems caused by Pittman's size and newfound aggression. Any increase in his offensive role depends on Dexter being able to control himself and avoid turnovers--a big question mark.

3) Minutes crunch for the guards?: By proclaiming Damion James as his solidified small forward, Rick Barnes tamped down any thoughts over starting with a three-guard set. This was further demonstrated by Chapman joining the starting line-up against Stetson. However, the surprising impact of Varez Ward could create a minutes crunch for the guards, which seemed to be rendered moot by the ineligibility of J'Covan Brown.

In playing 18 minutes, Varez Ward showed the skillset that quickly endeared him to Rick Barnes. However, with Balbay making his debut, it will be interesting to see how Barnes juggles playing time among his four guards. Any additional minutes from the guards will come at the expense of one of the role-players in the frontcourt (Pittman, Hill, Wangmene, Chapman).

I don't expect this to be a major problem, or the offensive sets to be completely rigid, but I find the minutes crunch to be one of the more interesting aspects of the season moving forward. With Ward stepping up, the only expected non-contributor on the roster is Harrison Smith. With this much depth, playing time is at a premium, especially for the role players, and Ward's emergence could make the minutes squeeze even more evident.

4) Anecdote over AJ: Wiggo also talked extensively about AJ as a shoot-first PG, but I wanted to highlight the last play of the first half, which came with AJ at the point. As the clock ran down, it was blindingly obvious that he wasn't going to drive/pass and was going to jack up a 3. He took a smaller (!!!!) guard off the dribble and pulled up with his lightning-quick release as the clock ran down. AJ drained the shot, but it was just maddening to me that he left that shot as his only option. It was pretty obvious the offense flowed better with Mason at the point, especially during the mini-run at the beginning'ish of the 2nd half.

I'm really, really, really looking forward to seeing Balbay tonight...

Texas and Midnight Sadness...

txtwstr7 — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:02:55 -0000

...the last few weeks, clips from various Midnight Madness sessions at schools from around the country have been popping up on YouTube. Storied programs such as North Carolina, Georgetown, Kentucky, and Indiana had rocking events. Not to be left out, even schools such as Yale, Kansas State, Tarleton State, and NDSU held similar events.

Watching these clips provided a double punch to the stomach. First, they serve as a reminder than Texas doesn't put on a similar event. Second, they reminded me of the disastrous "Roundball Roundup" event from last year, which put the final nail in the coffin over never getting to see a "Midnight Madness" style event during my eventual seven years at Texas.

Much more after the jump...

***Please note that Roundball Roundup was LAST YEAR. Texas didn't have a basketball kick-off event for this season, at least, not that I could tell****

Through receiving an e-mail as a "student leader", I heard about the RoundBall RoundUp event three weeks beforehand. I knew the event was on life-support after I attended the event's "Information Session" and was one of five students in attendance. In case you missed it--which pretty much everyone did--here was the event description:

You are invited to the first annual Texas Basketball RoundBall RoundUp on Friday, October 26 at 7 pm at Gregory Gym!!! This event is the Texas version of Midnight Madness. The Texas Basketball RoundBall RoundUp will tip-off the Longhorns Men’s and Women’s Basketball seasons for 2007-2008. Both the men’s and women’s teams as well as the coaches will participate in this student-geared event. There will be many opportunities for students to win great prizes. There will also be contests between players and students. Details on Stampede and Ozone tickets will be explained during the event to make sure you know how gain access to Texas Basketball games this season with the purchase of your Longhorn All Sports Package (LASP). Texas-EX DJ Kurupt will keep the beat going on throughout the night. So come out and support your Texas Basketball teams as we begin this new tradition.

My first thought in reading this description was that there was *no actual basketball* involved. I wanted to reserve judgment until after the event, but I was concerned about low turnout, especially after the Information Session. Regardless of any concerns, I went with my sister and a few friends to the event--it was an unmitigated disaster. The low turnout, silly contests, and excessively long explanation of ticket system provided for a very boring evening. The contests involved a student attempting to drive against DJ Augustin (EPIC FAIL), and Rick Barnes and Gail Goestenkors looking at baby pictures of the players.

While the Spring Football game drew a litany of comments, only two BON readers commented on the event. They weren't very positive:

Goingforthecorner wrote:

What a joke. I got there late but there weren't many people there at all. My friend played drum-set for the band, and he was telling me how stupid it was. Didn't help that they decided to do this on a Friday, where everyone's out partying.
The show itself was kinda corny too. There was one game where Gail and Barnes had to look at baby pictures of players and guess who they were. And I swear to God, if I hear that "Crank That Soulja Boy" song one more time, I'm going to kill a kitten.

This was just the first one though. Hopefully it'll get better and better each year. It was worth it though. They were handing out some big posters and the mens' poster was nice. Included the schedule too.

BigTexBD added his thoughts:

A joke, I agree

Barnes, Coach G, and the teams must have been pretty discouraged at the attendance. The whole thing dragged incredibly. I had to leave early (at 8), and am pretty sure I didn't miss a damn thing. But it was cool to see the athletes up close, and to see how they were hangin out.

I'm already a Coach G fan for life. She's full of energy and the girls love her. You can tell its the start of something special. Before the event began, the DJ was playing some remixed swing music, and she grabbed Barnes and made him dance with her. Pretty entertaining.

I'd like to add a few thoughts to their comments, which provide the foundation behind this post.

1) While I also enjoyed watching Coach G grabbing Rick Barnes for a dance to liven up the crowd, there was one person who wasn't amused--Rick Barnes himself. As soon as they broke away from their brief twirling routine, I told my sister that we were attending the first and last edition of the Roundball Roundup. Rick Barnes has too much pride in himself and his program to dance around in front of 300+ fans in an attempt to sell more tickets. When I went up to Barnes after the event, he looked embarassed for his team. As he signed my poster, I imagine he was already planning the evisceration of whoever made him attend the event.

2) Unfortunately for goingforthecorner, there wasn't a chance for the event "to get better and better every year." After shelving the Midnight Madness concept for several years, UT Athletics tried to bring it back in the different format of Roundball Roundup. I was happy for the attempt, but its failure appears to resulted in a more permanent exodus for an official basketball kick-off event. The margin-for-error with UT Basketball was far too small, and the three weeks of promotion were woefully inadequate to build up a base of support.

3) The unanimous consensus for the event was "Man, that sucked, but I'm glad I got the autograph of the entire team on this sweet poster." To date, my sister and I still have these posters proudly displayed in our rooms. Many of my friends were happy to have skipped the event, but they have all said they wish they could have gotten the poster. Regardless of getting autographs, not being able to meet the players this year was really disappointing...

In summary, it was really painful to watch all the Youtube clips of the various Midnight Madness sessions. While even Tarleton State can get their fans fired up for their team, the Texas fanbase--and their top 10 team--is limping into the season opener on Friday. It's just depressing...

I went as Will Muschamp for Halloween... I'm missing some minor touches (black shirt, wristband,...

txtwstr7 — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:42:10 -0000

I went as Will Muschamp for Halloween...

I'm missing some minor touches (black shirt, wristband, towel), but I was pretty happy with the costume...the stare was a nice touch.

UT Basketball Rewards System Unveiled...

txtwstr7 — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:14:31 -0000

...a few days ago, UT unveiled their hyped "Basketball Rewards" system.

We first mentioned the system here, and it appears that some of my main concerns have come to fruition. This isn't going to *hurt* the program, by any means, but I think it's a lost opportunity to engage student participation. That said, after the jump, I'll list my guess as to the main reason behind the prize system and how it will have a positive impact on the basketball program. There's definitely some good things here...

Let's break this down...

The entire "Varsity Rewards" program is outlined here.

The first neat feature is that the system applies to all students and not just the Stampede members. A lot of people complained about not being able to buy the Stampede pass last year, so this caveat should alleviate some of the fairness. If you attend enough games in the Fall, then you'll win a free Stampede membership. This upgrade will give priority seating for conference games to the students who came to the most non-conference match-ups. And really, that's the biggest reward from the entire system. From the link:

If you don't have a Stampede Pass, you still have a chance to earn points and rewards. The 200 Longhorn All-Sports Package holders (LASP) who attend the most Texas Basketball games in the fall will be awarded a FREE Stampede membership AND will be enrolled in the UT Varsity Rewards program for the remainder of the 2008-09 Texas Basketball season.* Not only will you receive a free membership, you'll automatically get the rewards you earned by attending games in the fall!

The biggest downside to the system, in my book, is that it gives disproportionate points for attending women's basketball games. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem, if the rewards were enticing enough. However, as you'll see below, that really isn't the case.

POINT SYSTEM

1 point for each Men's Basketball conference game

2 points for each Men's Basketball non-conference game

2 points for each Women's Basketball conference game

3 points for each Women's Basketball non-conference game

Double points for each select game (Example: Pink Zone)

POINTS REWARDS

0 Stampede T-shirt and membership card

5 Texas headband

10 Nike UT Varsity Rewards T-shirt
Entered into drawing for lunch for five at Schlotzsky's (Four drawings; one drawing to be held at the end of each month beginning at the end of December)

15 Pair of Longhorn Crocs
Entered into drawing for an autographed men's or women's basketball

20 Autographed Rick Barnes or Gail Goestenkors poster
Entered into drawing for two tickets to the Men's Basketball or Women's Basketball athletics awards banquet

25 Guided tour of the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion practice facility and locker rooms
Entered into drawing for a $250 book stipend

30 Pair of Nike Texas mesh shorts
Entered into drawing for a Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero III bundle

35 Priority student seating status for 2009 Texas Football season (includes home, road, OU and bowl games)

I'm very unabashed in telling everyone that I only attend men's basketball games. Under this system, even if I attend every single men's basketball game of the season, then I'll only receive 22 points (14 non-conference points and 8 conference points). My prize will be a Rick Barnes poster, which is nice, but I already have three separate Rick Barnes autographs displayed in my apartment. And I don't think Nike mesh shorts are a good enough prize to get me to leave the law library to watch the Lady Horns. I will admit that the drawings contain some pretty sweet prizes...

To be fair, the system is accomodating thousands of students, and they can't give out PS3's to everyone. But I still think having a pair of shorts as a prize for attending at least 18 games (15 men and 3 women) is pretty weak. The double points for certain games helps, but I doubt anyone is going to actively seek out these games to receive any of the listed prizes--with one exception.

As a graduate student, I could really care less about my seating priority, since I'm sitting pretty. The only enticement is that I would be first priority for bowl game tickets. I imagine that current sophomores and juniors feel the same way. However, I would not be surprised if some current freshmen attempt to get the 35 points. And this is where I see the fit...

I think the main goal of the point system is to try to get students to at least head out to the Erwin Center during the Fall Semester. I know this is a no-brainer, but I want to flesh it out a bit. Attending non-conference games for UT Basketball is one of the best kept secrets on campus, and I can't believe how hard it is to convince people to come out. If the football ticket incentive can get some freshmen to come out to the games, I really think some of them will become die-hards in the O-Zones. If it works--which I doubt--then UT can use the football ticket system incentive to build a solid foundation of basketball fans for the upcoming years.

In summary, I'm a little disappointed by the system. I think the prizes are pretty lazy and the high-end stuff isn't sexy enough to get people to attend additional games. The prize drawings are nice, but they're still just drawings. However, I'm interested to see how many freshmen bite for the football ticket upgrade and if the free Stampede incentive gets some people to come out to the non-conference games.

Texas Basketball Schedule Preview...

txtwstr7 — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:27:54 -0000

...the more things change, the more Rick Barnes stays the same.

As Andy Katz notes, the Longhorns will have a murderous schedule in 2008-9, but most of the premiere match-ups won't occur in the Erwin Center. In fact, the non-conference home schedule can accurately be described as "UCLA and the Six Dwarfs." In looking at the totality of the schedule (which we do after the jump), the 'Horns will be tested early and often. Outlined below, the non-conference schedule contains a healthy dose of excellent, very good, and creampuff teams, while the conference schedules remains front and back loaded, with a much-needed lull in the middle. With the Longhorns near the top of the field in a mediocre Big 12, the grueling non-conference schedule bodes well for our postseason hopes.

For those of you lucky enough to have already purchased the Stampede pass (if not, do so now), then we are slightly over one month from the opener at the Erwin Center against Stetson. Let's break this down...

Non-Conference

As mentioned earlier, the non-conference schedule at the Erwin Center could very easily be called "UCLA and the Six Dwarfs." In addition to hosting the Bruins, the 'Horns will host the basketball juggernauts of Stetson, Tulane, Rice, Texas State, Texas Southern, and Appalachian State. However, far from allowing the team to play multiple of these little-sister games in a row, Rick Barnes has intermixed a monster slate of road games against major conference opponents.

After opening at home against Stetson and Tulane, Texas will play in the 2008 Maui Invitational. This tournament has the potential to produce two marquee match-ups. Texas opens the tourney against St. Joseph's, setting up a likely second-round matchup against Big East (basketball) power Notre Dame and last year's Big East POY Luke Harangody. The Irish return four starters to a consensus Top-10 team. This will be a huge early season test for Texas, but an even bigger test looms in the Championship Round. Unless the winner of Oregon/Alabama pulls a massive upset, then Preseason #1 North Carolina (and their FIVE returning starters) will be waiting for the winner of ND/Texas. Even if Texas fails to get past Notre Dame, they will play in the Consolation game against Oregon/Alabama, both of whom are mediocre major conference teams. Alabama does have some upside, though, and could be a sneaky test. Ultimately, the barometer game against Notre Dame makes this a worthwhile trip for Texas by itself, with the potential showdown against UNC serving as a chance for UT to make a statement like they did against UCLA last season. Or to get beat down by 30+ points, like they did against Duke in 2005-6.

Following Maui, the 'Horns return home to play Rice as one of the tasty cupcakes on the home schedule. After Rice, the UCLA Bruins come to Austin on December 4th (right before one of my law school finals--I'll be there, though) as part of the Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Challenge. UCLA is once again favored to win the Pac-10, and I can only hope the Erwin Center crowd is ready to take Texas to a higher level during two-plus hours of insanity. Far from getting a post-UCLA respite, Texas immediately heads to New York to face yet another potential Top-25 team in Villanova.

After the trip to New York, Texas snacks on two Lone Star Cupcakes (Texas Southern and Texas State) before taking on two of the Big Ten favorites in Michigan State and Wisconsin. The Michigan State game will be played in Houston, while the Wisconsin game is a return trip to Madison following our heartbreaking loss to the Badgers last-season. Michigan State is getting some love as another Top-10 team, while Wisconsin is also in the Top-25 hunt. Texas concludes their non-conference schedule against Appalachian State and the hated Arkansas Razorbacks. Much like their football team, Arkansas has been devastated by graduation and dismissals and will likely finish in the bottom of the SEC.

To recap, Texas will face at least three Top-10 teams in their non-conference schedule, and will add a fourth against North Carolina if they get past Notre Dame in Maui. All in all, Barnes has scheduled a minimum of five games against potential Top-25 opponents, with only one of them coming to the Erwin Center. To me, the most staggering item about the non-conference schedule is that Texas could play the eventual champion of four different major basketball conferences (Big Ten, Pac-10, ACC, and Big East). That's quite a schedule, especially in a fourteen-game span...

Conference Schedule

By the start of conference play, we'll know a lot more about the Big 12. Texas is predicted by many to be the class of the conference. While many teams have huge question marks, the top portion of the Big 12 (Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas) are all interesting teams loaded with talent who will push Texas for the conference championship. The bottom portion of the conference will be terrible, especially Iowa State and Colorado. While it doesn't appear to be a banner year for the Big-12, there are frisky teams in the middle of the conference (Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and Missouri) who could be tough match-ups for Texas, especially on the road.

Considering how the team will be extremely battle tested by the non-conference games, the conference schedule looks very favorable to Texas. After opening at home against Iowa State, Texas plays three of their five hardest conference road games against OU, Texas Tech, and Baylor, with a home game against A&M sandwiched in-between Tech and Baylor. The road games against OU and Baylor will be treacherous, but not any more difficult than the previous road or neutral-site games against ND, Nova, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. Texas should be well-prepared for these three road battles, which will set the tone for the conference slate.

After this opening stretch, Texas plays five extremely winnable games in perhaps their easiest portion of the entire schedule. During this stretch, Texas gets Kansas State, Missouri, and Oklahoma State at home, while traveling to Nebraska and Colorado. This literally might be the easiest portion of the entire schedule, and Rick Barnes will have to keep the team focused for potential trap games against Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma State.

In the final six games of conference play, Texas bookends their other two tough road games around several marquee match-ups at home. Texas begins this portion of the schedule by traveling to Texas A&M in a game we've lost four consecutive years. That streak really needs to end this year. Following the trip to College Station, Texas sandwiches a road game against Oklahoma State with home games against Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Baylor. Texas concludes the regular season by heading to Lawrence in a game that could potentially determine the conference title. I'm actually excited to see Texas play Kansas at the end of the season, as the Jayhawks young roster should mature into a very dangerous team. Instead of picking them off early, Texas will face the Baby Hawks right when they start to peak.

Summary

No one can question Rick Barnes' willingness to throw his team into the fire. This is an absolutely brutal schedule, regardless of whether or not the middle teams in the Big 12 round into form.

Unlike the non-conference schedule, which is continuously sprinkled with Top-25 teams, the conference schedule is definitively front and back loaded. The middle stretch of games should help the 'Horns rack up a string of wins and build up their confidence heading into the final six-game stretch.

The amount of tough road and neutral site games on the schedule is staggering, and the 'Horns should be comfortable walking into any road site during the NCAA Tournament. Especially Ford Field...

UT Basketball and the "Iron Curtain"...

txtwstr7 — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:34:41 -0000

...while the BON Community remains understandably football-focused (except for the Gazelle updates from PHF), the fact that basketball season starts in two months is flying under the radar. Putting this in terms of the football calendar, the basketball season starts the week of the Kansas game.

For me, the most frustrating part of the basketball off-season remains its "Iron Curtain" nature. For football fans, the progress and development of individual players during the off-season can be gauged through the Spring Game, open practices, practice recaps, and the litany of reports trickling in from the summer workouts. On a lesser scale, baseball fans also get the chance to witness player development through Fall Ball, which now contains several games open to the public. Yet, for us Hoops Junkies, we are forced to sit through the off-season daydreaming about the effects of Todd Wright's workouts and over the progress of the team on an individual basis. Rick Barnes' teams have shown the ability to come together collectively over the season, but the offseason remains the primary period of individual improvement.

After the jump, I'm going to spotlight my five key concerns related to the off-season development of individual players...feel free to provide any additional concerns in the comments. Let's do this...

1) Dogus Balbay's sketchy jumper: As discussed in a previous article, I'm concerned Dogus Balbay's reported struggles with outside shooting could have a massive trickle-down effect on our offensive sets. While everyone remembers DJ Augustin's energy, brilliant passing, and ability to effortlessly penetrate the lane, I think the effect of his outside shooting has been drastically underrated. While Balbay doesn't need to become Steve Nash from the outside, opponents are going to feel a lot more comfortable clogging the lanes if he can't shoot.

As PB noted in the comments of the aforementioned article, an unreliable jumper seems to be something curable with enough practice. Unfortunately, we wont know anything about his development as a shooter until the beginning of the season.

2) The Mystery of Matt Hill: On several occasions, Rick Barnes said that--if not for their injuries--Matt Hill and Dogus Balbay would have been "Top 7" players in his rotation. It's even been reported that Matt Hill was slated to become a starter based on his off-season development. Using simple math, it shows that Rick Barnes considered Matt Hill ahead of either Damion James or Connor Atchley and definitely ahead of Gary Johnson, Dexter Pittman, Alexis Wangmene, and Clint Chapman going into last season. Following the monster seasons of Atchley and James, the fact that Hill was ahead of one of them prior to his injury makes his absence seem that much larger.

Assuming this is true, Longhorn fans seem to be sleeping on Matt Hill's potential impact on the upcoming season. Assuming he's back to where he was prior to last season, Rick Barnes is going to have a loaded frontcourt oozing with size, potential, and wildly differing toolsets.

3) The 4th Guard Conundrum: As it doesn't look like J'Covan Brown will be "J'Covan to Texas" anytime soon, the lack of depth at guard suddenly appears problematic. While Barnes heavily utilized three-guard sets the past two seasons without any tangible contributions from back-up guards, this arrangement doesn't appear possible with the current roster. Unless Balbay can replace DJ Augustin's insane 37.3 minutes-per-game, there is going to be a significant amount of minutes up for grabs. AJ Abrams and Justin Mason also collectively averaged nearly 35 minutes-per-game last season, as the teams was very lucky in regards to injuries and foul trouble. The only current options for a back-up guard on the roster are Harrison Smith and Varez Ward, who are respectively the most unloved and unknown players on the roster.

Ultimately, these additional minutes will go towards increased roles for frontcourt players (Johnson, Hill, Pittman), but this will require a significant shift in our offensive schemes and strategies. Unless Ward or Smith can become contributors, which is doubtful, then we will be seeing a variety of experimenting in the early season games as the team tries to establish an offensive identity.

4) Dexter Pittman, Junior?!?!?!: It seems like only yesterday that I watched Dexter Pittman dominate the competition at a High-School All-Star game at the Erwin Center. And I think we all remember our reactions when he unveiled the "Sexy Dex" physique following a summer with Todd Wright. Following his freshmen season of relentless conditioning work at the expense of learning the offense, I think we all expected a better sophomore campaign from Dexter Pittman. To be fair, it wasn't all bad. Dexter appeared to have a breakout game against A&M, scoring 14 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in only 14 minutes. Despite getting lost on certain rotations, Dexter flashed some incredible low-post skills and soft hands, not to mention unleashing the biggest "I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE" dunk in the history of basketball. He also seemed to slowly climb out of Barnes' doghouse. Including our NCAA Tournament run, Dexter played double-digit minutes in four of the last five games of the season.

And yet, despite his incredible potential, Dexter is entering his junior season on campus. The time to unleash this potential is slowly running out. One of my best friends likened the Pittman situation to his thoughts over Sergio Kindle, as both have been teasing fans with their potential for several years. After being unproductive (Pittman) or injured (Kindle) for their first two years, both find themselves with limited time left on campus. It's now or never for Dexter Pittman, and here's hoping he breaks a few backboards during the upcoming season.

5) The Sophomores and the Todd Wright Effect: Last season, DJ Augustin, Justin Mason, and Damion James made significant gains as players following their first off-season with Todd Wright. Buoyed by increased physical strength and quickness, the trio of sophomores combined with their also much-improved junior counterparts (Abrams and Atchley) to form the backbone of an Elite 8 team. Outside of their physical gains, each of these players also improved their basketball skills. I don't think Damion James missed a 15-20 foot jumper the entire season, AJ hit a slew of runners off the dribble, and Mason skied over much taller defenders for key rebounds. In listening to Rick Barnes speak over Todd Wright, it's hard not to get excited over his tailor-made programs for each individual player.

Which brings us to the three sophomores on this year's team--Clint Chapman, Gary Johnson, and Alexis Wangmene. While Chapman had a disappointing freshman season, both Johnson and Wangmene were consistent contributors to the team. After seeing the massive gains accrued by Atchley and James during last off-season, it's hard not to get excited about the progress of each of these sophomores. But, as with everything else on this list, we're going to have to wait and see what happens...

While the focus will remain on football throughout the Fall Semester, the basketball players will continue their off-season work behind the "Iron Curtain." As a fan, it's maddening, but it's also fun to think about the team's unlimited potential for the upcoming season. The football team might be the most popular, but it's hard to argue the basketball team isn't the most well-run program at the Forty Acres.

Football Saturday Gameday Guide for New UT Students...

txtwstr7 — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:10:50 -0000

As BON continues picking up student readers, I feel it is my duty to advise incoming new students about their first game at DKR. And if you are a freshmen or transfer student reading BON, then I doubt you’re a casual fan whose only interest is the social landscape of DKR.

Plus, as a military man and diehard UT fan, that’s just not how I roll. This post is my take on gameday advice for first-timers who are serious about their football, and I welcome everyone to provide critical, constructive, and helpful feedback…think of the children, please. Feel free to take a less hardline approach below, but let’s do this...

PARKING: Some of you may be concerned about parking—you should be. The University closes down the normal parking spots starting at midnight prior to Gameday, so parking on campus is heavily restricted. If you are within walking distance, even extended walking distance, then you should walk. However, if you absolutely have to drive, I do have a few potential tips:

1) C Lot behind the SSB: Shhhh, this is our little secret and one heavily exploited by my best friend. Parking behind the Student Services Building is usually available up a few hours before kick-off. However, remember that you can only park here if you have a UT Permit and there aren't too many spots available.In fact, I may have just ruined this for everyone.

2) North Campus: The north campus area probably has the most spots available to students, and it is only around a 10-15 minute walk from the stadium. There should be parking in a lot of the streets surrounding Trudy's and also around 31st and Duval/Speedway. If you cruise around North Campus, you will eventually find a spot, but you might have to work for it.

3) Downtown Meter Spot: This is your safest bet. I've advised people in the past to park at one of the DT free parking meters, then walk to the stadium. You should be able to find a spot, but it is the longest walk.

4) Dobie Garage: This has tightened up recently, but Dobie usually has some parking allotted for the general public. It is $10 for all-day, but it places you within the realm of campus.

TAILGATING: This may be a sore subject for the greybeards around these parts, as UT has changed several of the tailgating policies in the last few years. My organizational involvement has precluded heavy exploitation of the tailgating scene the last few years, but I'll pass along some of the more active areas/options.

1) The Bob Bullock Museum Parking Lot: Several prominent undergraduate service/spirit organizations hold tailgates in this lot. You probably won't be able to poach free food and beer without a legitimate connection (or a smoking hot female), but it's usually a pretty good scene and there are definitely a lot of students milling around. I don't advise aimlessly walking around, but I would advise seeing if you know some people who at least know some people who will be there.

2) Bevo Boulevard: I've never done this myself, so I'll leave any commentary or feedback for others to impart.

3) General Guidelines: There are plenty of other designated areas throughout MLK, San Jac, and even behind the Rec Center. Different people have different preferences, and most people follow their own Gameday routine. Overall, just make sure you have a plan and this plan hopefully involve barbecue, refreshments, music/football, and either friends or attractive members of the opposite sex.

STADIUM POLICIES: Here are some important items over DKR policies and stadium entry:

1) Show up to the appropriate gate thirty minutes before kick-off. Check your student ticket for the appropriate gate entry and also have your student ID. The gates get pretty crowded prior to kickoff, and you don't want to miss the start of the game because you arrived too late. If you want to see the pre-game festivities—which are awesome—then shoot to arrive even earlier.

2) Hide your beverages. You can't bring any refreshments into the stadium, which includes bottled water. Unless you want to hide something on yourself—the tried and true method—make sure you finish your drinks before you arrive to the stadium.

3) No umbrellas, credit cards, or backpacks. You can't bring umbrellas into the game, as UT would prefer you buy an overpriced poncho. If there’s a chance of rain, you might want to consider bringing cash. Speaking of cash, they don't accept credit cards at the concession stands and there are only one or two available ATMs on either side of the stadium for 90,000 people. So, yeah, bring some cash. Finally, as my sister found out last season, DKR does not allow students to bring in their backpacks. If you need to study, then make appropriate arrangements to store your bag during the game. I suggest using a locker in the Rec Center, but I really suggest not trying to study on Gameday. You came to Texas, not Rice…

4) Seating Policies. Students aren't really forced to sit in their actual seats, but it gets really annoying when one person tries to bring multiple people who don't have student tickets to their section. You will be in a standing-room only environment and most of the people will be squatting in the seats of others—it happens. Just try to be respectful of others and don't bring in too many non-students or try to cram a dozen friends into three seats. Once everyone finishing trickling into the stadium midway through the first quarter, it can get pretty testy. And, yes, everyone does the trick where they take out multiple tickets from the same row and pass them off to people whose seats are in other sections.

GENERAL ADVICE: Here are some final pieces of wisdom and protocol over how to properly enjoy a UT home game.

1) Wear ORANGE and stay for the entire game. If you show up to a home game wearing one of the navy blue or black shirts, then you deserve to have your seats revoked for the rest of the season. Wear orange and stay the entire game. It's pretty simple, yet way too many people mess it up. Neither of these are optional, in my book. And, FYI, the "entire game" includes "The Eyes of Texas."

2) Rain preparation and proper footwear. As many of us learned last year, you should bring something to protect your cell phone in case of rain. I can't tell you how many phones got destroyed during the KSU game, but it was pretty brutal. A ziplock bag will do the trick. Also, if it starts raining, it is going to get *very* slippery if you have sandals on. Wear tennis shoes or boots. Even if it isn't raining, you're going to get jarred a bit during the game, so closed-toed shoes are the better bet. And if it isn't raining, you also might want sunscreen and sunglasses, depending on the game time and location of your seats.

3) Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate. I cannot tell you how many students I've seen succumb to heat-related illnesses and injuries. The combination of sweltering heat, pre-game alcohol consumption, and standing for 3.5 hours is not exactly for the faint-of-heart. Make sure you get adequate water prior to the game, and I also advise purchasing at least one bottled water at the stadium. You can use the water fountains at the stadium to refill the water. Since I hate missing the game, for any amount of time, I suggest paying someone to buy a bottled water for everyone to share, then allowing the freeloaders access to the water if they will refill it during the game.

4) Spotty cell phone coverage. Don't plan on being able to call/text people around the stadium. It sometimes works out ok, but I have been stranded trying to meet people in the past because I couldn't get any service.

5) Don't abuse opposing fans. Corny UT slogans aside, I cannot stand watching innocent opposing fans get unnecessarily heckled or abused. Notice the qualifying word in the previous sentence. This ain't Columbus, OH, people, and no Longhorn should want it to be...

GAME TRADITIONS: Here are some of the Texas staples…

1) School and Fight Songs

2) Smokey the Cannon: The Texas Cowboys fire the Cannon after every extra point, FG, and end of every quarter.

3) Bevo: Bevo is corraled at the southwest corner of the stadium.

4) Godzillatron: We have the biggest stadium scoreboard in all of college football. It's a shame that we cover 20% of it with digital advertisements.

5) Goddesses Pom Squad: Some of the hottest girls on campus wearing chaps and dancing around. Needless to say, they are very popular...

6) APO and the Texas flag: There is a gi-GAN-tic Texas flag unveiled across the field before the game.

7) The Eyes of Texas: Played before and after game. Til Gabriel blows his horn. Hook 'em.

New Student System for Basketball?

txtwstr7 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:02:36 -0000

Since there appear to be many more current students at BON, I thought I would touch on something potentially interesting for those of you still roaming the Forty Acres as students...

In clicking the link to order my 2008 football season tickets and the subsequent OU ticket, I saw an interesting item about a new program for the 2008-9 Basketball season. Before providing some ruminations over this new system--and what it potentially entails--I want to remind everyone to buy their season tickets before Friday's deadline. There's nothing worse than the one friend who claims he "never got the e-mail" about the deadline. Assuming he remains your friend after the episode, of course...

The e-mail said to look at the Student Orange Bloods page for some updates over the new UT Varsity Rewards Program. Here is the relevant text:

NEW UT Varsity Rewards Program
Are you the ultimate Student Orange Blood and want to get hooked up? UT Athletics is proud to announce the UT Varsity Rewards Program. This program is designed for students only and offers incentives to attend the 2008-09 Texas Men’s and Women’s Basketball home games. The program features a multi-tiered system with prizes increasing in value as you attend more games. Keep your eye on TexasSports.com and the Student Orange Bloods (SOBs) page this summer as we unveil the program in full detail.

The page also says that the Stampede program will continue next season, albeit at the increased price of $70 (up from $50 last season). Here are some of my initial thoughts:

1) This seems to be a waste of time, in my book, unless the strings attached are pretty heavy. I just can't imagine students deciding to come to the Exhibition games and non-conference games against Texas Southern'ish teams for the opportunity to win a t-shirt. However, if the program provides the biggest incentive, which is guaranteed ticket access to biggest games (such as KU last year), it will boost early season attendance at the expense of angering some of the casual fans. I think tickets to road games, the basketball banquet, or autographed items seem like a good start for some of the bigger prizes...

2) I'm actually not too alarmed by the increased price of the Stampede system. My guess is the Athletics Department wants to prevent students shelling from out the money for the Stampede pass, then only showing up for a handful of games. By increasing the price, it should encourage people to either think twice about the purchase or decide to get their money's worth by going to more games. However, with Football tickets (LASP, Season Tickets, OU ticket) already creeping up to $260, it might be a squeeze for some students to spend an extra $70 on the Stampede.

3) Giving prizes will never substitute for using creativity in reaching out to students and limiting their excuses for not attending games. After complaining for several years, someone finally listened to my suggestion about allowing students to bring backpacks to the Erwin Center, then checking them in a central location. They've also done a better job checking IDs and streamlining the system with Student Affairs. I'm cautiously optimistic about this program, but I'll be severely disappointed if it remains the only serious attempt to increase student participation and attendance at basketball games heading into next season.

Balbay-be not?

txtwstr7 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:06:04 -0000

While PB does an outstanding job summarizing the strengths of Dogus Balbay, I wanted to put his post under the microscope and bring up some further discussion points...

I still vividly remember reading the original post about Durant's departure and allowing myself to become excited about the least ballyhooed member of our incoming recruiting class. However, with the "Iron Curtain" nature of basketball and baseball off-seasons, coupled with Balbay's untimely injury, none of us have actually seen Balbay in action, the YouTube clip non-withstanding. As a massive Texas basketball fan, it's maddening to be unable to truly dissect Balbay's game in conjunction with our offense through any real video clips or in-depth scouting reports. Basically, we have a YouTube clip, anecdotal evidence, PB's source, and a few scant articles. As PB said, that's not very much. To be fair, the reports on Balbay seem pretty consistent, labeling him as an aggressive PG with a sketchy jumper. For the sake of this article, we'll work with that assumption.

Going away from the largely unknown, we can head back towards something much more familiar. To analyze Balbay's role within the context of the offense, we must recap the impact of DJ Augustin, the man Balbay will replace. PB has already broken down Augustin's weaknesses, but I want to focus on two of his strengths in conjunction with Balbay's attempt to replace him--his outside shooting and dribble penetration.

In the half-court offense, the Texas offense was fueled by DJ's ability to penetrate against (almost) every defender put in front of him. By slicing into the lane, Augustin's excellent vision coupled with the rotations of his teammates provided many wide-open jumpers for AJ Abrams, Connor Atchley, and eventually Gary Johnson. As has been heavily discussed at BON, both Abrams and Atchley struggle in creating their own shots, with AJ sometimes needing double screens to shake free, and Atchley's three-point barrages mainly contingent on him being left alone. Augustin's drives also created pick-and-roll opportunities, leading to some easy lay-ups and dunks for the big men. In fact, without the effect of Augustin, how many of our players demonstrated the ability to create their own shot last season? Damion lethally shot over defenders after some head fakes, Atchley teased with a hook shot, Gary Johnson flashed a few low post moves, and Sexy Dex drank the milkshakes of several defenders. But, by and large, the team's success revolved around Augustin. Based off these strong looks created by DJ drawing the attention of multiple defenders, look at the 3 Point Percentages of some of the starters last year.

James: 41.3% (92 attempts)

Atchley: 41.3% (104 attempts)

Abrams: 38.2% (309 attempts)

Perhaps equally important, Augustin himself shot 38.1% on nearly 200 attempts. After getting burned off the dribble, I remember several defenders trying to neutralize DJ's penetration by playing off of him. DJ's willingness and ability to drain three-pointers off the dribble kept these defenders honest, creating the ultimate Catch-22 which drove the Texas offense. Guard DJ tight, and he'll penetrate and find AJ coming off two screens or deftly slip a pass to one of the big men on the blocks. Take a few steps back, and he'd robotically rise up to shoot a three. With the reports of Balbay's sketchy jumper, I can't help but wonder about the trickle-down effects on the offense, especially considering the three-point line is moving back this season.

While it appears Balbay will be able to attack the rim and create opportunities for his teammates, his shooting will need to be better than reported for the offense to have a similar rhythm to last season. With the deeper three-point line, I worry about teams playing off of Balbay and forcing Texas to either work the perimeter or try to force the ball inside to their big men. Each of Texas' key components on offense has limitations, several of which would be adversely impacted by this arrangement. As previously discussed, DJ's penetration worked to the strengths of our starters. Barring low-post development from the big men, AJ being able to shoot over bigger and longer defenders without the benefit of multiple screens, steady contributions from J'Covan Brown, and more offensive fluidity from Gary Johnson, we might see the 'Horns initially struggle to find an offensive identity.

On the plus side, I think we'll see our defense create a bevy of fast-break opportunities, which render the previous concerns irrelevant. Furthermore, I think we will continue to see the steady development of our returning players, many of whom flashed new talents following their diligent workouts last off-season. This post hasn't even mentioned Justin Mason, who hopefully will become more assertive on the offensive end. I just wanted to remind everyone of the true greatness of DJ Augustin, and how the departure of his multi-faceted skill set compares to the arrival of his successor. I'm happy to have Balbay, but I'm worried about watching a stagnant half-court offense lacking the pure offensive genius of KD and DJ Augustin...

POINTS	REWARDS
0	Stampede T-shirt and membership card
5	Texas headband
10	Nike UT Varsity Rewards T-shirt Entered into drawing for lunch for five at Schlotzsky's (Four drawings; one drawing to be held at the end of each month beginning at the end of December)
15	Pair of Longhorn Crocs Entered into drawing for an autographed men's or women's basketball
20	Autographed Rick Barnes or Gail Goestenkors poster Entered into drawing for two tickets to the Men's Basketball or Women's Basketball athletics awards banquet
25	Guided tour of the Denton A. Cooley Pavilion practice facility and locker rooms Entered into drawing for a $250 book stipend
30	Pair of Nike Texas mesh shorts Entered into drawing for a Nintendo Wii and Guitar Hero III bundle
35	Priority student seating status for 2009 Texas Football season (includes home, road, OU and bowl games)