Texas A&M 74, Texas 70: Postgame press conference after a tough home loss

[CoachBobbyFinstock]

This team is just an inconsistent one and that is their DNA. They’ll do something well again and then do something stupid to negate whatever positive mojo they have.
 

Beat Alabama and freakin Vandy only to get beat at home my Aggy and MSU. Texas also got blown out Tennessee who has shown they are hardly invincible. 
 

Just a bad loss but this team is what they are. 

Edited 12 hours ago by CoachBobbyFinstock

[THookem]

 

[ChanmanV]

Miller didn't have the guys prepared well tonight. The zone completely slowed our offense down and at times the guys looked confused as to what to do and didn't even run an offensive set again it. Not going to win many games in the SEC scoring 70 points. 

Also I felt Miller maybe a pretty huge rotational mistake in the last 12 minutes of the game playing Heide and Welcher over Kendall Weaver more. Both guys were giving up buckets every time down the court when A&M ran pick and roll with them and Matas' man. Plus, they didn't contribute much on offense (which I think was why Miller chose to play them since we were down and needed buckets) at all so we were getting burned on both ends with them in the game.  Either those 2 guys need to start getting ALOT better on defense or start hitting more outside shots or Miller needs to sit them more. 

In the end, the A&M guys made some tough shots to win but our roster should have scored much more than 70 pts against that team. 

[davisxcole]

2 hours ago, Jordan91 said:

A&M has a brand new coach too and they have one loss. 

They have 4 losses and have only played 1 top 25 team and lost. While Texas has played 7 top 25 teams and is 3-4 Texas would be 17-1 with their schedule 😂

[Jordan91]

1 hour ago, davisxcole said:

They have 4 losses and have only played 1 top 25 team and lost. While Texas has played 7 top 25 teams and is 3-4 Texas would be 17-1 with their schedule 😂

Not even close. Did you watch how close some of Texas games were early in the year? He called his players out after two games against nobodies. A&M only lose was in overtime against Tennessee. That’s the team that blew Texas out. 

[MarkInAustin]

I am copying over what I wrote on the game thread.  If I had read this first I would not have written what I did because it would have been pretty much a rubber stamp here.  I wrote what I did on the other thread to point out how Jeff and Jordan's exchange, directly on point, fit my take on the game.  So here again:

 

I watched this game late last night from the recording I made while out to dinner with family. I have nothing specific to add, but I thought the more glaring shortcomings were on defense. 

Defensive focus is difficult to maintain.  The second half against Vandy was an example of how well it can be done by this same team, this second half was not.

In hindsight, I think Jeff's comment about lack of a strong 4 and Jordan's suggestion of a three guard lineup fit both the failures of the defense in the second half. Within the game and without hindsight there is the desire to keep enough outside shooting on the floor against a zone to keep up.  In hindsight, playing three out would have likely improved the defensive intensity, as would have playing both Traore and Matas together.  Would having more limited shooting options against a zone have made it worse?

IDK.

I think Miller will trot out these lineups situationally in other games to come and he and we will learn as the season progresses. There is this: were Wilcher or Weaver reliable shooters the whole problem would disappear because defensive intensity could be maintained without giving up outside shooting.

[harveycmd]

I want to start by saying I like Miller. I was skeptical of the hire, but watching him coach, I like him. Seems he's tough for some guys to take, so he's gotta get more of "his guys." 

Not enough shooting, and just not enough intelligent guard play on the defensive side. Wilcher has not panned out. Can't see him back next year. Heide is way too timid. Can't see him back next year. Mark, Pope and Weaver are out of eligibility if I'm not mistaken. I think Swain will be back unless he just wants to transfer. He's not a first or high second round pick. Be happy to keep Matas, but wouldn't pay him too much.

Don't think it's a good idea to go into the season counting on Goosby and Ogden to be big time guys as freshmen. Need a PG that can spearhead the offense and defense. Obviously need a wing or two that can bridge to Goosby and Ogden. Then you need a couple of consistent role players/glue guys.

Don't really care what happens the rest of this season as long as they don't collapse. 

[Beldar]

10 hours ago, HudGar1922 said:

we just won’t ever be a basketball school.  sweet 16 should be celbrated

Could be right but that is what folks in Indiana thought about football. Never know, Hopefully our fair weather fans will stay with the team and we can go get some help in portal. We have a proven coach, just needs time and support to get it done.

 

[harveycmd]

6 hours ago, Jordan91 said:

Not even close. Did you watch how close some of Texas games were early in the year? He called his players out after two games against nobodies. A&M only lose was in overtime against Tennessee. That’s the team that blew Texas out. 

I think this is true enough within the scope of the first five games of conference play. That said, Bucky ball is still gimmick ball and it won't pan out over the long haul. I'd lay big money that Bucky never wins consistently at a high level in high major basketball.

Miller's problems stem from defensive breakdowns by knuckleheads and inconsistent shooting. He can be blamed for the roster this season, and maybe failing to do enough to "adjust" to his players, but his goal is to build the program over the next couple of seasons, not maximize wins this season, which wouldn't do more than maybe get him into the tournament. 

[Jordan91]

1 hour ago, harveycmd said:

I think this is true enough within the scope of the first five games of conference play. That said, Bucky ball is still gimmick ball and it won't pan out over the long haul. I'd lay big money that Bucky never wins consistently at a high level in high major basketball.

Miller's problems stem from defensive breakdowns by knuckleheads and inconsistent shooting. He can be blamed for the roster this season, and maybe failing to do enough to "adjust" to his players, but his goal is to build the program over the next couple of seasons, not maximize wins this season, which wouldn't do more than maybe get him into the tournament. 

I agree on his style of play. However, I think with time he will move away from that style. I think he’s going to be an excellent coach there. I think Coach Miller is a very good coach. In his own words his players again, came out in the second half with no effort. There is a packed house, the game is tied, and you have guys having to be separated from each other. So with all that going on they come out soft. That’s on the players and him. Forget the talent right now. Don’t recruit or retain guys that do that. All that does is poison the locker room. Texas does not have a number one option. They have a few second options. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Jordan91

[harveycmd]

2 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

I agree on his style of play. However, I think with time he will move away from that style. I think he’s going to be an excellent coach there. I think Coach Miller is a very good coach. In his own words his players again, came out in the second half with no effort. There is a packed house, the game is tied, and you have guys having to be separated from each other. So with all that going on they come out soft. That’s on the players and him. Forget the talent right now. Don’t recruit or retain guys that do that. All that does is poison the locker room. Texas does not have a number one option. They have a few second options. 

Based on what I've heard Bucky say, he thinks gimmicky ball is the way to go in the "modern" game. While it's true that current rules and even the three point line itself are gimmicks, you can't coach your team to rely on gimmicks like 6'5" centers and "pressure" and still win big when you play teams that are both talented and fundamentally sound. Otherwise stated, physics and form can't be negated with gimmicks.

[davisxcole]

9 hours ago, Jordan91 said:

Not even close. Did you watch how close some of Texas games were early in the year? He called his players out after two games against nobodies. A&M only lose was in overtime against Tennessee. That’s the team that blew Texas out. 

I agree but Texas’ schedule has been way harder. Please go look at aggy’s schedule you’ll change your mind 

[Jordan91]

19 minutes ago, davisxcole said:

I agree but Texas’ schedule has been way harder. Please go look at aggy’s schedule you’ll change your mind 

Are we talking about the SEC schedule? Texas plays a weak non conference schedule every year. I will take your word for A&M schedule being weaker in the non conference. In conference they have one loss. And they owned Texas the entire second half. 

[Jordan91]

24 minutes ago, harveycmd said:

Based on what I've heard Bucky say, he thinks gimmicky ball is the way to go in the "modern" game. While it's true that current rules and even the three point line itself are gimmicks, you can't coach your team to rely on gimmicks like 6'5" centers and "pressure" and still win big when you play teams that are both talented and fundamentally sound. Otherwise stated, physics and form can't be negated with gimmicks.

Losing tends to make you adjust. I believe he will adjust. If he doesn’t then yes it won’t last long. Time will tell. 

[davisxcole]

10 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

Are we talking about the SEC schedule? Texas plays a weak non conference schedule every year. I will take your word for A&M schedule being weaker in the non conference. In conference they have one loss. And they owned Texas the entire second half. 

Don’t get me wrong they deserved the win, I’m just saying their record with the new coach looks really good bc how weak their schedule has been that’s all

[JohnGalt]

At the end of the day you gotta make shots. We didn’t all day and are lucky Aggy was missing too in the first half 

tough one to lose but we competed through it all and still only came up a couple buckets short 

Miller has proven he corrects and improves and this team of young and mismatched players will win some they shouldn’t and lose some that make you frustrated 

it’s all part of the process of climbing out of the ditch we were thrown in two years ago 

[harveycmd]

The defensive lapses in the backcourt are the truly mindboggling thing. Although Swain is not a backcourt player, he's guilty of it too. If you had shooting skill on the offensive end, you could mitigate that. Perhaps Miller could make an example of someone by benching them a few games. Problem is he doesn't have a reasonable option to fill in. That's why I don't care how many games they win from here out as long as they don't completely fall apart.

[JohnGalt]

31 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

Losing tends to make you adjust. I believe he will adjust. If he doesn’t then yes it won’t last long. Time will tell. 

Agree with you here 

Sean Miller is a high level big time coach. Past history always always equals future performance 

he will correct and win

just like all coaches past history equals their future performance. We’ve witnessed it here in tragic ways with Beard and totally predictable ways of failure with Terry and I’ll bet Miller gets this team in th high winning percentages and deep tourney runs just like he has at each and every stop he’s made. This time with the backing of more money, facilities and all the resources of our Texas machine 

Get on the bus !