SEC play begins against Aggie on Saturday

[LHABSOB]

We finished our very soft non conference schedule at 10-2. This is the strongest I remember being the SEC ever being in MBBALL. 10 of the current top 25 teams are SEC opponents and Texas isn’t one of them.

Entering conference play, do think we make the NCAA tourney.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

I think we will know after, let me say, 4 conference games.

We have proven we can beat the crap out of patsies. I haven't seen much evidence to suggest we can hang with high quality opponents, so that leaves the question open as to whether we can squeak in as an 8-12 seed by being jammed up in the lower middle of the SEC standings.

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

I posted another thread with our January SEC schedule and how brutal our first month will be.

I voted that we could make the tourney but will need some help. I say this because I think we start SEC play 1-7 or maybe 2-6. If we catch some breaks and end at .500 our chances are great, but if we whiff in January we're not even close to getting into the tourney.

 

[Walking Boss]

Really doesn't look good for "Tournament" Terry's Horns on paper.
#13 Aggy on the road
#1 Tenn. at home
#2 Auburn at home
#12 Land Thieves on the road
#6 Florida on the road
Mizzou at home
#13 aggy at home
#24 Fighting Beard's on the road

Tough enough but given the fact that the $ec seems to have become a really tough physical conference in the paint and allows physical defense both of which Texas does not have is not confidence inspiring. If Texas can go .500 in the first eight they should be ok, but I agree with Vol Horn that they are more likely to go 1-7 or 2-6. Based on what I have seen from Texas so far, my guess is that 9-9 in conference is their high water mark, but things change along the way and if they consistently shoot well from three, they can do better.

 

[HoffHorn]

Look, I hope I'm WRONG but we have ZERO chance in making the tournament. Our basketball culture has been BROKEN for sooooo long, it won't change without a significant change in coaching and philosophy.

Personally, now that we are no longer with the Big12, I'd go get Scott Drew. He understands you need SHOOTERS , understands spacing and stretching the floor unlike us/Texas , who has the propensity to recruit "athletes" over basketball IQ Players......Truth!

With that said, Go Horns!!!!

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

I'll predict we finish our final 16 games somewhere between 6-10 and 8-8 which puts us in the 19-12 to 17-14 range. 19 wins means we must have beaten at least one ranked opponent. Does that get us into the tourney?

 

[Walking Boss]

At this point the season is beginning to feel like it will follow the same arc as last season. Entire roster turnover (with lingering injuries), mostly cupcakes in non-conference schedule that don't do anything to develop an identity, but does mask issues and develop bad habits (like ball security), lose to the only good non-conference opponent, not be prepared for the huge step up in competition and the bad habits revealed, slowly begin to realize what it takes to play top opponents (but with some deficiencies that cannot be overcome (lack of physical inside presence) and maybe develop an identity. All of which leads to them winning a couple of games that on paper they shouldn't win and lose a couple that on paper they should win. The big difference is that the sec is overall stronger this year than the Big 12 was last year and most of the teams are built to be physical inside. Just my opinion, but Texas needs to play a 94 foot pressure game and get out in transition as much as possible. They will get killed in a half court game on most nights.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Just my opinion, but Texas needs to play a 94 foot pressure game and get out in transition as much as possible. They will get killed in a half court game on most nights.

We're not really built to play Penders ball either. Do you trust 3-4 of our guards to be consistently dangerous and occasionally deadly from 3? Yeah, me neither. But I think you're right in that it probably gives us our best shot.

 

[Walking Boss]

Kaluma, Johnson, Pope can get it done from beyond the arc. Not sure about Mark. Everyone else, not so much, but we have a better chance to get offensive boards with long rebounds. Finishing inside is a problem as Auburn blocked just about everything. The offense can't be Kaluma, Johnson, or Pope going 1-1 which is what they did for most of the Auburn game. They had one assist in the first half. Not sure how many in the second.