X&O coach that is. He's an especially bad offensive X&O coach. And his decisions are suspect a lot of times in games. I don't understand why he would press Baylor during OT right from the beginning, leading to many easy baskets for Baylor. I would say the 6 point lead that Baylor got was from just breaking the press and scoring. When you are over the limit on fouls, why press full court. Are you conceding that you can't keep them from scoring if you play straight up? Plus I don't understand how this team has such a difficult time scoring. Barnes' strategy of pulling people out for making mistakes has taken caused the players to play timid, afraid to make mistakes. Basketball is an easy game, you pass the ball, exploit mismatches and shoot when open. If you shoot open shots and miss, as long as it's your game/shot (meaning good % on shooting) then that's okay. We need to pass the ball to Pittman, get it out if he's doubled, take the open shot or swing the ball to the other side of the court or take it to the basket and let the defender react. Don't just pass it around and let the defense set. Look at Duke, the right people shoot. They are not afraid to shoot. Right people shoot, others go get rebound. If you lose by making good shots then I can take it. Not turnovers after turnovers. Also we have some dumb players, fouling 25 feet away from the basket when they're already over the limit. Barnes need to let the freshmen play uninhibited, he's shattering their confidence. And scrap the lineup with 2 offensive liabilities in Mason & Balbay. Balbay makes what should be simple very difficult. He has to drive all the time and try to make difficult passes. Basketball should be simple, people lay off, you shoot and make them pay. At the beginning of the season I feel like this team has everything it needs to win the championship, now I see that there's a lot lacking. We need a point guard. We need a go to guy to get shots. We don't have anyone who can create his own shot. Bradley & Brown has all the tools to be the go to guy but Barnes will not live with some of the mistakes that they'll make. Barnes has built this program up to unbelievable level and I'm absolutely happy about it but I don't know that he can take us to the ultimate summit, to win it all. He's never even won the Big XII tourney.
I'm not going to pile on Barnes but there are a lot of suspect decisions and I'm sure he has his reasons. Once again I'm seeing a schizophrenic team in February, again. I thought they would pull some chemistry out at this point but it doesn't help with inconsistent play from the seniors. POINT GUARD POINT GUARD POINT GUARD.
I love Rick. And I think you are somewhat right with your X and O's assessment. He is a defensive minded coach first and foremost. However, I think its more of a lack of confidence from the players and lack of ability to shoot from the perimeter is what is making our offense look like ****. Baylor played the 2-3 zone all night. We have to be able to get our shooters to hit jumpers when we see that kind of D. Which brings me to my next point.. Rick, please stop getting your panties in a wad when someone messes up. Sure, we all hate when Jordan takes an ill advised shot. But who the hell else is shooting? Jai? Well guess what rick.. You took his *** straight to be bench to never be seen again (which was justified) after he came in and put up a terrible 2 minute performance. Sure, sit them down. Let them get the jitters out. But damn, dont just sit them the WHOLE game. We need our shooters on the floor. Especially when were up against a 2-3. We go from having the best depth in the country to playing 6 guys. Why the hell would you do that? Our best attribute as a team is to be able to run and use our depth to beat teams. Lexi sat for most of the 2nd half, until he came in towards the end and got a steal that nearly saved the game. Chapman, Hill, Jai, Jordan and Lexi sat for most of the game. Let these young guys play through their mistakes. Its very discouraging to make a mistake and be sat out the entire game. Would you want to get fired every time you make a mistake at work? Overall, Im irate. FT's are killing us. Rick you have to fix it. Dont let it sit idle and hope it fixes itself. Because it is not.
The Big 12 Tourney is worthless imho. It is great to win 2 games and then save our legs for the dance. I appreciate how you acknowledge that Barnes has taken us to great places, and I totally understand your frustrations. The thing is though is that we are a few key wins away from locking down at least a 2 seed, but we are a couple more poor FT and turnover games from being a 5 or worse. One thing is for sure... A KU win at home could really help our season.
Totally agree Barnes is making this team schizo. Players are playing scared. Daniel Gibson as an example of how Barnes mishandles players. This team was rolling . . . now, they're playing tight. Too bad.
I disagree on winning the Big XII tourney as meaningless. It actually show a glimpse of what kind of X&O coach you are. You have to make adjustments on the fly, you have little time to prepare for your next opponent. It simulates the NCAA tourney in a way. Plus if you win the tourney you get higher seed in favourable venue. Like I say, you need to exploit mismatches and make the game simple. Pittman is a mismatch every single night. We should throw the ball to him every single time. Doesn't mean he should shoot all the time, just by him touching it and they double teaming and then passing the ball back out and swinging it will create movements for the offense. I'm not even mad at the 3 pointers Bradley shot and missed close to end of regulation. Those are open shots that needs to be taken. What kills me are turnovers without a shot at basket.
how about maybe ONE of the asst coaches actually coach em up on free throws? maybe? I mean we have, what, 4 assistants?
So. let me see if I have this right. You don't understand why the team has a hard time scoring, when you claim the team doesn't have a point guard or anyone who can create his own shot. Ohhkay. You think Barnes won't allow Bradley to get away with mistakes, despite the fact Bradley played 40 minutes today and was averaging over 30 minutes a game in conference before today. Um, right. You posit Texas needs to be like Duke, because the right people shoot at Duke. OK, that would be which Texas player who isn't shooting that should be shooting? I take it we can safely eliminate Mason and Balbay, given your comments about them. Funny thing, James, Pittman, Bradley, Brown, Johnson combined for 58 of Texas's 70 fg attempts. Maybe you need to just scrub this thread. You don't understand why Barnes might try to press Baylor? A team that shot 60% against KU, outrebounded them by 8, and lost because it kept making turnovers? Haven't you watched Texas all year and seen how it gets on runs in which it demolishes people with the press?
We saw against Tech and in the recent games that Bradley is the only one of the freshmen who have a clue how to contribute to team defense -- that is, other than guarding their own guy. What these guys may score, they easily can give up at the other end, and more. And as far as Duke goes, they got drilled today. As far as offensive X-O goes, he drew up a pretty darn good play with a second to go in OT.
While I would prefer an offense with more screens away from the ball, staggered screens, and even more pick and rolls, I think being able to draw up a great out-of-bounds play when you absolutely have to have it is a sign that Barnes is not an atrocious coach.
Thing that killed us in the first half was sending everyone to the offensive boards. We gotta keep a guard back. Every time the ball came out long, it was an easy dunk. Add in 5-6 terrible midcourt TO's that lead to dunks and that was why we lost. Dumb and sloppy play. Then your experienced players can't shoot FTs and you're going to lose. Quite frankly I'm surprised we were in it at all. Dex played pretty well, but going 0-4 on FTs to start the 2nd half were killers. If this was football, we had 4 turnovers and missed 3 field goals. Left WAY too many points out there today.
I think the problem you guys are having with the free throw debate is whether it is "addressed." 4 and 5 is saying it's obviously talked a lot about. I would agree entirely. Third Coast is saying there needs to be something done about it, not just mentioning all the time or "working on it." Actually know how to fix it. I would agree entirely with that point too... :-/
Check the tape again. With 40 seconds left Rick is telling the troops to back up as he realized they didn't need to foul. Then out of the TO he brought the press back on which led to the foul.
The thing is that this is the farthest thing I have ever seen from a "Team"! I have never seen more drive to the basket attempts missed with a man open, bad/dropped passes, kicked passes, bad picks, etc. in my life. This is one of the best goups of players in the country, but they better figure out how to play as a "Team" or they will be a six seed and screw getting past the second round.
If you are having trouble with free thows you wok on them. I don't know if we are but I know that last year Corpus Christi West Oso girls baskeball team lost a playoff by 2 points because they missed too many free throws during the game. This year according to a local paper after practice on Saturday he makes the girls stay and practice 300 free throws before they leave. I don't know if they are doing better in that department but that is certainly being addressed.
Do you people really think that Barnes doesn't stress the importance of free throws during practice?.... My God...
I think Barnes high strung mentality is affecting his players negatively. Basketball can't be played effectively if your coach yanks you out after every little miscue. It breeds tentative play, especially offensively.
