Got the majority of the team back from last season... Two blowouts so far... Hoping Jordan Hamilton has matured more on the court because it looks like he's going to be the go to guy on the court for the Horns. Got the first real test coming up next week against Illinois. Hope some of these players can actually hit some damn FTs this year, I could count at least 4 games last season where the Horns primarily lost games due to poor FT shooting.
Would you rather have J'Covan Brown or Gary Johnson be the go-to guy then? lol... He might be a chucker, but he's also the best the Longhorns have out on the wing right now. Lost Pittman, Bradley, and James to the draft...
Brown for sure. We have Thompson, we just don't need one guy chucking up 20 shots a game, half of them being 3 pointers.
Did you even watch Texas' first 2 games against Navy and LA Tech? I agree, he was immature and self-absorbed last season, and he truly was the "indiscriminate gunner," but he seems to have turned a corner. A year of rough sledding and a full off-season of weight training and work in the gym looks to have allowed him to make strides in his development. He put up 27 points on 10-17 shooting, snagged 10 boards, and only had 1 TO in a blowout victory last Monday. Don't expect these kind of numbers on a regular basis, but it was a very promising sign from a highly touted sophomore SG... key word, sophomore. I don't know if you expected him to go bananas a la KD after stepping foot on the 40 Acres, but Hamilton's time will come. He was forcing the issue last season, and trying to do too much in limited minutes. Tristan Thompson is a huge upgrade in the frontcourt... he's surprisingly polished on the offensive end, long and athletic, runs the floor, and has a soft lefty touch around the basket. He's a much more viable offensive option in the paint than Dexter Pittman, who was a complete waste of space, had terrible conditioning, and couldn't knock down a J to save his life. He was strong defensively, but Thompson blows him out of the water on the other end. This should benefit Hamilton, and the other shooters (Joseph, Brown), as defenders will be forced to double down on TT if he becomes a menace in the paint. I still don't understand Barnes' decision to start Dogus Balbay and Matt Hill. Balbay's an absolutely atrocious FT shooter, erratic with the ball in his hands, and a non-factor on offense. Sure, he's a great athlete and on-ball defender, but J'Covan brings so much more to the table. He average around 10 PPG last season, he was the team's best FT shooter, he has superb court vision (even though he may take too many risks), and he can knock down the 3 with ease. As for Hill, he should be on the bench behind Thompson. It just doesn't make sense... the numbers speak for themselves. Cory Joseph's the wild card... McDonald's All-American, great handle, consistent but slow release on his shot, and a solid defender. If he shows up big as a freshman, this team may very well take down the Big 12. Starting lineup should be: Cory Joseph J'Covan Brown Jordan Hamilton Gary Johnson Tristan Thompson
True that... I'm just hoping that they don't make the same mistakes they did last season. MourningWood's analysis is spot on.
I've also been impressed with the early returns on Hamilton's sophmore season. He appears to be substantially more disciplined, and actually willing to pass, which he never did last year. And i mean that almost literally, when he got the ball last year, he was shooting, end of story. He has an NBA skill set, hopefully he has turned the mental corner, but i'm not counting on it. But if he is the dynamic scorer he has shown signs of being this team could be great, because lack of a consistent go to option was what killed this team last year.
The reason that's not the starting lineup is because it's too young. You've got two rookies, two sophs, and one senior starting. I think Barnes is giving respect to Hill and Balbay, both seniors, by placing them in the starting lineup, and I don't think that decision's too bad. Also, yes, Jordan Hamilton will be our leading scorer this season, and I'm sure he might even be in the top 10 in the entire NCAA in scoring, I wouldn't be surprised at least. I just hope that he doesn't depart to the NBA after this season, although that wouldn't be too bad if Joseph and Thompson both stay and form a tandem next year. We're also getting Myck Kabongo, a top 5 PG recruit next year, so he'll help offset the losses of Balbay, Hamilton, and Lucas. Bleh, why am I thinking about next year though?? We're ready to win this year!!! Hook 'em Horns!!! Who thinks we'll beat Illinois?
I think Barnes is going to see what Jai Lucas can do early on. It's his junior year i think and he wants to prove he can play. Cory Joseph looks like a stud....he could be handed the starting job when the season progresses.
Jai Lucas is a senior, and don't expect Barnes to put much trust in to a 5'9'', 160 lb. PG that was absolutely manhandled in conference play last season. Dogus, J'Covan, and Joseph will be the primary ball handlers. Also, Joseph's started the first 2 games of the season alongside Dogus in the backcourt. Hopefully he bumps Dogus to the bench, and J'Covan earns a starting job with CoJo.
It's only a matter of time though before the Horns become the best collegiate bball team in Texas. If Hamilton can become that closer (and he has all the potential to be that guy) and the Longhorns can play that defense that they had in the 1st half of last season, I have no doubt that they'll be in the top 10.
The Horns have an awesome defensive team. Great win against Illinois tonight. Balbay and Thompson looked particularly good defensively.
Really great game... just got done watching it. Poor second half execution on offense.. I think this team will struggle with scoring but I love the two freshman. Thompson looks promising. Jordan Hamilton had a pretty good 1st half, not really a great 2nd half. The defense was pretty good also.
I love how Findlay Prep. became a hotbed for Texas bball as of late. Anyways, Cory Joseph needs more touches!!!
Man, Tristan Thompson does look promising. His fade-away is money in the bank, and he was enforcing around the rim to the delight of Dickie V... "Thou shall not enter, baby!" 20 points, 7 boards, 5 blocks, and 4 dimes... incredible performance. Joseph stepped up big with the mid-range J at the end of regulation, and Balbay locked up McCamey in the 2nd half. Strong showing for the Horns, let's hope they can carry this momentum over to the championship game tomorrow night against a gritty Pitt team.
Hamilton is silky smooth. Dude can ball. Thompson looks like a skilled big man.Athletic, Long and can really jump.
