Big 12 Tournament Bracket

Injuries... Substitutions... Coaching decisions... Player decisions. Should we have won more? Why didn't we do this or do that???? Lots to disagree about...

BUT can we all agree on at least one thing?

Those Matthew McConaughey car commercials need to go away.

 

Atkins has more talent on both ends of the floor than Wright or Prince: Big enough, stronger, better shot. She is not being utilized or developed properly.

 

I hope you all have utilized the 'ignore' feature of the new website.

 

It didn't help she had to miss 8 games due to injury. That's not a small thing.

Oh well, there's never been a day when the Internet coaches didn't know best even when in the dark about all the behind the scenes details.

 

Not bad Texas. There's a lot of film session to come out of this game.If we ever learn how to play under control for 40 minutes,and make good decision on our passing.Would be a helluva of a team.We drag ourselves out of game's a lot times.Hookem'

 

I am dumbfounded that Kim said the things y'all say she said. So when she "cleared her bench" (must have been in the last few seconds that I had stopped watching), the other coach is supposed to immediately clear theirs? What bs. I take back the two or three nice comments I've made about her. She is just as low class as everyone always thought.

I don't think you know what you're talking about, txtreefan. Just how would you utilize Atkins that she would shoot better, make fewer turnovers, and better decisions? I think she's great, but I think Baylor has some very good shooters. I don't know what Karen can do to make the ball go in better. We had a decent number of looks, but the ball wouldn't go down. What would Mulkey do to make our players shoot better? I'm serious. If you have a theory, I'm very interested in it. She does get good production from her players, that is for sure. If you know what she's doing, I'd love to know.

 

Baylor's Alexis Prince has had more than her fair share of injuries. I hate injuries but they are part of the game. Next year should be a good year, but until certain fundamental problems are fixed, Texas can be good but not elite. In Karen Aston's first game as head coach, the team had twenty turnovers; this season they are down to 16.2 a game: the personnel changes, but the predictability of the passing lanes and the inability to coach offense against good defensive teams, and the failure to make in game adjustments remains.

As fans, we are in for a long haul. It will get better, but you cannot play old lady basketball in 2015 - rebound, defense, intensity, hi-lo, inside-out offense and expect to win championships. Watch UConn, Notre Dame, they will beat a TN or S. Carolina nine times out of ten. The talent is getting more evenly distributed. Texas has the talent, we don't have the coaching on the offense side of the ball to be truly competitive. (Mulkey is a weird hybrid. She is of the PHS school, but the interior passing of her teams elevate the offense). I do think TX can be the second best team in the Big 12...

 

Let me start by saying, to hell with Mulkey. Is she better than Aston? Yes. But you don't earn the right in this business to tell other ppl how to do their jobs. Karen is still trying to create a "play hard for a full 40 min" culture. I like the fact that KA didn't appear to want to shake mulkeys hand either. Finally that Fire that I've been waiting for from here.

The commentators made a great point, everyone is going to be better in the league next year. I look for bright things. But this year is not over. I feel like we can compete with almost anyone

 

Just replying because I can't 'like' it twice!!!

 

I give Mulkey credit for her astounding coaching abilities. She's, most probably, the best coach in women's basketball today! If you watch Baylor, game-in and game-out, they never hesitate to shoot when they have an open shot. They shoot with confidence and conviction. Our players, for at least a decade now, seem to fear shooting when the shots are there. Then, they look over at the bench with an "I'm sorry I did that" look when the shots don't fall. To score with confidence, you've got to shoot with confidence---not with fear. Mulkey insists that you shoot when you have the open shot. She'll pull you if you don't. I'd prefer a player to take an open shot and miss than try to force the ball into the paint for turnover after turnover after turnover.

As for Kim's response in her post-game interview, I was appalled! More than the game itself, that 30 second spot was the story-line of the evening. It was obviously done purposefully and with direct intent. Love her coaching....hate her personal karma.

 

Simple: Run more of a motion offense, space the floor better. Why do you think TX sees so much zone? Word is out. Mulkey is not really a zone coach, but everyone with lesser personnel knows that is the easiest way to render the Texas offense stagnant. Why do you think the offense picks up when Davenport is in - she is the only guard not really scared to slash. The baseline is open all day against the zones we see: drive it, teach more backdoor cuts, a little pick and roll. 90% of the half court offense I have seen in the last three years is passing the ball around the perimeter until there is either a turnover or a forced pass into the post or some poor guard has to chuck up a contested shot??? The defense is fine, as is the transition game, but the half-court offense sucks… It mostly works against teams with lesser talent, but our half court offense for any opponent with any speed or size and even for some with neither ( How did we lose to TCU or ISU TWICE?) is easy to counter, even if it sometimes like tonight takes them a half to work out...

 

I agree that Mulkey is a classless horror, but at least she just attacks the opposing coach or the refs, unlike Aston, who never takes responsibility and tends just to throw her players under the bus after a loss.

 

txtreefan you're an idiot if you think Ariel is better than Wright at this point. What does being used properly have to do with Wright and Prince consistently taking one or two dribbles and pulling up right over Ariel and the other players heads, that has nothing to do with coaching. People like you who think just because a coach has 3 mcd all americans means she should win right away don't know a damn thing. By the way Prince was an all american. Now if you want to say that Mulkey does a good job identifying talent I would agree with that. Davis wasn't very highly touted and is a great player but Imani Wright was a highly touted player. I seem to remember Mulkey had one of the most dominant players in basketball history and Sims and won a title but got beat by teams that weren't as good in the tournament but it's all about coaching right? The bottom line is coach Aston will beat Baylor in the very near future when the talent level continues to mature and get better but they were the better team, has nothing to do with coaching.

 

They are not a good perimeter shooting team, that's why other teams run zone. And you want to run a motion offense? The fact is no matter what offense you run you have to be able to shoot and make good decision consistenly and right now this team doesn't do that, but enough of feeding the idiot troll.

 

Dream on.

Karen Aston is a record breaking coach at Texas - longest losing streak in program history, longest losing conference streak in program history.

Mulkey has won two national championships: one with highly touted players, one without. Aston in her head coach career has managed to win ONE NCAA game.

We hired the former head coach of UNT coming off a losing season in a barely mid major conference, and it shows every time the team tries to play a half court offense set. Get used to a long stretch of mediocrity. Aston is under-qualified, with a low basketball IQ, and powerful friends in the Athletics administration. She is a good recruiter and Texas is a desirable institution, so she will win enough to keep her job, but her ceiling is the sweet 16 in a very good year. I wish it were different, but with these players, injuries notwithstanding and you cannot do better than 9-9 in conference play in the weakest Big 12 in conference history, I am not sanguine. Heck the TCU coach in her first year with an eighth of the talent on the Texas roster also went 9-9.

 

I would also like to see more of a motion offense and more cutting. But when the ball is not going in, even with good looks, you can't just blame the coach. Rattfatt is on point, Wright, Prince, Davis and crew are excellent shooters, better at the moment than Ariel. Doesn't mean I don't love Ariel's game and look forward to seeing her grow. And good point, the fabulous Mulkey has been outcoached a good many times, by Jeff Walz (?) for example in the semis two years ago.

 

I believe I've heard this diatribe from txtreefan before. I don't know what your day job is, but why don't you go into coaching, you seem to be so brilliant.

 

Everyone gets out coached sometimes and Jeff Walz is a fabulous coach (2 National championship title game appearances at Louisville without any of the resources that Texas has, and the 2006 Maryland national title has his stamp all over it), and I wish we had hired him when we had the chance. My point remains that Aston gets consistently out-coached, even when the team wins. Walz, Auriemma, Frese, McGraw, Mulkey, Fennelly, Staley, even Coale or Mitchell, Aston. Which one of these names is not like the other ones?

 

I have more interesting, albeit less lucrative, things to do. Why are you so committed to defending mediocrity in a team you pretend to be a fan of?

 

Kim Mulkey won 2 titles, the first with Sophia Young who wasn't highly touted but turned out to be one of the best players in the game her sr year. Again, if you want to say Mulkey is good at identifying players you would have a point. She also lost to teams that were not as good with a player that we will probably never see again in Griner and an all american in Sims, explain that. And who gives a damn if coach Aston was at North Texas and Charlotte a good coach is a good coach. You also remember we had a coach with all the accolades and how did that work out?

Like I said before coach Aston will be successful at Texas in the very near future. And when that happens you will be nowhere to be found like you where at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. Don't think I didn't notice, but that's the definition of a troll.

 

We're right on the edge of being an excellent team. Our recruiting is finally strong again....had it not been for the injury bug, we'd be riding high right now and praising our coaches and players. But, given the injury circumstances, there's a very young and inexperienced group on the floor. And you just can't coach experience. 2 of these players are going to be super-stars....2 more will be All Big XII players before their careers here are done, as well. But the belief-system is in place with these young players. The chemistry is good. Take away the "crutches," and we'd be a #2 or 3 seed in the NCAA's right now.

txtreefan, you've more-than-made your point about your thoughts about our coaches. So let that topic end...move on to something more constructive and less self-possessed. Stirring a negative pot over and over does not serve our school, our players, our fans, or even you well. I thank you, in advance, for your cooperation.

 

I was not an early adopter as they say. As far as I am concerned, the jury is still out on Aston but I am willing to believe her improvement from season one to season three warrants a few more seasons before I throw in the towel. That said, anything less than a Sweet 16 appearance this year would increase my doubts and decrease my expectations. But like you, I'm just one fan so who really gives a crap about what I think?

 

I have respect for you WCBBNUT because of that. I know you were not on board and still may not be on board. But when the team started to play well at the end of last year and the beginning of this year you didn't run and hide you gave the team and coach Aston credit.

 

Actually, I believe Mulkey said something derogatory to one of our players. Foreseable fines in the near future? Interested on getting the scoop!!!!

 

I'm working on it!

 

That made me LOL

 

Oh, would you prefer not having women's basketball televised? Matt can pitch tampons and douche for all I care.

 

You make a good point, Taps. We should all feel good that Matthew drove a Lincoln before it was cool. Personally, I wasn't aware it had become cool. Matthew being such a huge women's basketball fan makes me want to run out and buy one so I can be cool too.

 

Cool

http://blog.caranddriver.com/matthew-mcconaughey-ads-deliver-huge-sales-bump-for-lincoln/

 

I thought the same thing @TagHorns but after watching it 10+ times, I think she was mouthing "I love you girl" to empress. But when I look at empress' reaction it would indicate that she didn't share the same sentiment, or that Mulkey said something that she had no business saying. Reading the post game transcript, Mulkey said that she cleared the bench at 1:19 and that should've indicated "throwing in the towel" but where I come from, your opponent doesn't tell you when its time to give up. She also referenced Krystle and Briana Taylor's comments in their post-game after OU. So I have no doubt that it became bulletin board material for them. And if you really analyze her comments, she also indicated that we should be left out of the tournament which was quite classless IMO. But I've never accused her of being ms congeniality.

While I have nothing but respect for her on the court performance (including the way she works the officials) but shaming a coach and jabbing players in the media has put her off IMO quite a bit