As an alum of both Texas and Duke, I'd like to compare what I see on the respective forums (a lot of @#$@@ and moaning). Which fans are more justified? Duke has 7 McD AAs Texas has zero Duke was ranked 6th in the nation, but will drop out of the top 10 after the recent BC loss. Texas is unranked. Both have a number of in-conference: actually Duke got hammered by UNC and Clemson (in which Duke flat out quit). Both have lots of disgruntled internet "fans." In my mind, which program is in "better" shape? I think Texas is in better shape. I think Barnes has a better eye for talent. He can't pull in the pure number of highly ranked guys that Coach K can, but he'll grab a few (Aldridge, Durant, Augustin, Ford, Gibson) and he'll find some "in the rough" gems (Tucker, Ivey, Abrams). This year, it just doesn't seem like the chemistry is there. It happens. Duke has the NCs and a large number of highly ranked recruits, but Coach K has shown an alarmingly reliance on the 3 pt-er, a short bench (use all your scholarships, please!!!), and for the past 3 years can't seem to find any semblance of an inside game (stop having Wojo coach the big men!!). Texas the last 4 years (2 Elite Eights, 2nd round loss, 1st round loss) Duke the last 4 years (2 Sweet 16s, 2nd round loss, 1st round loss). I've always respected Barnes since his Clemon days when he took on Dean Smith. He might not be the X's and O's guy that certain folks want, but he wants a hard-nose D and he's a decent recruiter. If Mack hadn't had Vince Young, he'd be more pilloried than Barnes is here. Instead, now Barnes' program is now been held wanting in comparison to our football team. Are you kidding me? This year isn't great but if you want an example of a program that's fallen from pretty good heights, you seen what Maryland has done since its NC? I see certain folks complain and it seems that they have no understanding of recruiting, kids leaving early, or the trends in Div. I basketball. Seriously, if you're going to make an argument that we should be using a motion offense (ala Bobby Knight in the 80s) than you can kiss any top notch point guard good-bye. Any of you think that Ford, Gibson, or Augustin would come here if we ran a motion? ok, rant over.
I [heart] this post. Great facts and analysis. Yes this year is a disappointment, but good coaches have bad years. Next year we have a great recruiting class and 2010 looks pretty good too.
Nice post..Going into this year I thought, we were ready to be a Football/Basketball school, but we took a step back, because of all the players who left early. I just hope our recent struggles don't affect recruiting.
Duke needs to get rid of that Coach K guy and move on. I mean, they are good but they should be better. Looks silly to read that, huh?!
This season is just the result of centering the past two teams on players that were bound for Early Entry. Apart from Syracuse 2003, this strategy has never worked. The gains are shallow, although last year's Elite Eight was actually tied for second deepest run in Barnes's career with his 1997-1998 Clemson team, and the 2005-2006 team (I think) which lost to LSU (in a game we should have won with better X/O's in my view). We now have a team of role players and finding a system that works and a pecking order has been unchievable by Barnes and crew to date. Every program has a rebuilding year. This is our's. Kansas is having one too. But in their's it looks more sure that they will keep their NCAA tournament streak alive. Texas doesn't need compare itself to Duke. It need only compare itself to OU at this point. But what was Duke prior to coach K? Texas can turn into the same thing. FYI, Duke now looks like Indiana post 1992. Coach K is in a decline. It'll be slow and steady I'd guess......
I'm not certain to which Texas team you are referring Bob? Whether it was 2006-2007 or 2007-2008- I can sort of see your point in that going in most of us didn't know what to expect and were just hoping for a NCAA birth in each of those seasons (Durant a frosh, unknown commodity, or loss of Durant, a known star). But this year is a bigger drop off than either of those in end result. This year is very much now like the year when we lost LA, and Tucker, and needed a late win at Oklahoma State to get in as a 8th seed and lose first round to Nevada. But that wasn't a rebuilding year going in. We all underestimated just how much good DJ Augustin did for us, because it is now clear as day, he made everyone around him better. Just keep the NCAA streak alive and get run like by Temple in 2001. I don't care, just beat OU and make it, and this rebuilding year will have been a succes as far as I'm concerned.
I did not expect the season to go the way it is going. I think Rick is doing a good job coaching.Lack of effort from the players.Damion James need to stay at Texas 1 more year.I dont see A.J or Connor making the NBA
As someone who is an old-school visitor (dating back to 02), I used to ask this question several years ago when it seemed like TX couldn't beat OU in football: Would you rather have Mack Brown or John Mackovic - and I see the same situation here now on this board. I personally think Rick Barnes would coach circles around Tommy Penders. Penders' teams played no defense. Barnes has done the same thing to your basketball program that Mack did to your football program. He's been a total nightmare for Big 12 schools not named Kansas. But as for their team this year, in the college game, you can't spin straw into gold with guards who can't score. Just like you don't win titles with inexperienced QBs in the college game (unless you're Sam Bradford), just like you don't win titles without pitching in pro and college baseball, just like you don't win titles without big men in the NBA, just like you don't win without a hot goalie in the NHL Stanley Cup tournament. You have only one legitimate guard threat and he's getting two, three defenders on him per game. I look at most of the top 10 teams, and most of those teams have two, three guards who are averaging over ten points per game. I think Texas has also been, in large part, a victim to the resurgent North schools. Anderson is building a potential perennial contender in Missouri, and Sadler is doing things beyond my wildest imagination here in Lincoln. Bzdelik at CU has them playing everyone close every game. Kansas State, until last Saturday, was the hottest team in the conference. Is Barnes a bad coach? No. He's just a victim of too many defections to the NBA (particularly at guard), as well as a conference which has more parity in it this year than usual.
It does feel good to say Texas is in a better spot looking forward than Duke, and it's hard to argue that. We don't have the premier program in the nation (for the moment) eight miles away. Duke also has the double-edged sword of having such a great legacy...UT has only recently established its basketball legacy. So Duke's slip down the pecking order feels worse to their fans. But I understand the complaining too. We have seen these exact players do so much better than they have done this season. It can't all be the PG, can it? It's still too early to bury the whole season but it hasn't been fun.
See, it's funny. I find some of the games difficult to watch, but I'm still enjoying the journey, as the saying goes.
