Hoops: Texas at No. 5 Florida Game Thread

[bierce]

3 minutes ago, TexasFanatic said:

Texas has made about 15-16 M in athletic revenue just by playing 3 extra games. 
 

Money is not an issue 

Money will not be an issue, but it very well may be a factor if CDC decides to make a move at season's end and finds himself choosing among several excellent candidates.  $10 million less in a buyout translates to $2 million a year more in NIL for 5 years.  That can go a long, long way to giving candidate 2 a better chance to quickly build a powerhouse. 

And it's not like Otzelberger has proven to be a tournament wizard at this point.  His first ISU team did make a surprise visit to the S16 as an 11 seed, but it got there by beating a mediocre LSU team and a hideously overrated Wisconsin team that was in a bad slump.  Then he lost to worse seeded teams the last two seasons.  I've always said the tournament is a crapshoot, so for other reasons Otzelberger is still my #1 choice at present if a move is made, but I don't necessarily see him as so far above the competition that he is some kind of must hire. 

But for now, I'm going to focus on our upcoming games against Missouri and A&M.   The season is far from over, even if we can all see the issues.  Let's see how the next few games play out. 

[harveycmd]

We can't run an offensive set. We dribble and shoot a bad shot.

[Jordan91]

5 hours ago, pinkman_90 said:

I think the team has no offensive identity, no defensive identity, no cultural identity, and poor roster construction.  There is some talent but it doesn’t fit.  

Out of those, maybe one you can blame on NIL (roster construction).  And that’s still primarily on RT.    You seem to use this “Texas is poor” narrative.  Do we spend like the blue bloods or a some new money schools?  No but we’re in that next tier.  
 

“Finding a coach that can do more with less was doable pre NIL and pre portal. Can that work now?”

I also have no idea what you mean here.  So coaches that overachieve will no longer be a thing because of NIL?  I think you’ve tried so hard to defend RT that you’ve completely lost the plot.   

I am supporting a coach and team. Will do the same if another coach comes in. To answer what you highlighted I don’t think in the NIL world and the SEC conference it’s possible to win at a level I want. I would like to get to a final four, elite eight and some sweet sixteens. So yeah I want a lot. I don’t think Texas will ever send enough money to compete with bluebloods of basketball no matter the coach. I would like Texas to look a lot like Alabama. I agree on poor roster construction. They have no point guard and no center. Texas had a center but wouldn’t match Texas Tech price. How’s that RT’s fault or any coaches fault for that? They have no identity? I agree with that. How do you build a culture when players can leave on a yearly basis? Players don’t even have to go to college, they can go overseas. You can declare after one year, which is different from football and baseball. My defense of RT would be the same no matter the coach. I don’t know how you can field a top ten team on four or four and a half million. Particularly when other schools in the SEC can offer more. Would love to be wrong. I want Texas to win. Don’t care if I am right or wrong. Appreciate the response to my questions. 

[bierce]

1 hour ago, TexasFanatic said:

Texas has made about 15-16 M in athletic revenue just by playing 3 extra games. 
 

Money is not an issue 

 

Sark is the 3rd highest paid coach 

Schloss is 1

I fully expect us to pay top 3-5 for our next coach 

Now that you have amended this to talk salary and not buyout, then I will say the target should be Dan Hurley.  He gets a little over $8 million a year and the buyout is only $4 million as of April 1, 2025.  He's only 52.

But I said years ago, and I will stick by my prediction that Hurley has no interest in leaving UConn.  He is fully established at a basketball school in a basketball conference.  He is very, very, very well paid, even if he is behind Self and the squid.  He has spent his entire life in the Northeast.  I don't see him having much interest in leaving.

I don't see Wright leaving retirement.  I don't see any amount of money getting Few out of his fishing grounds.

Sometimes the ideal target for us might not find us the ideal destination no matter how much money we throw at the target. 

I was of a similar opinion when it came to Hoiberg years ago when we were discussing potentially replacing Barnes.  He wasn't leaving ISU for anything except the NBA. 

I think Otzelberger is a Midwesterner and wants to stay in the Midwest, but I also think he will be approachable.  So will be Tommy Lloyd. 

[bierce]

But Schlossnagle's top annual salary in his contract will still be under 3 million a year.  The top basketball coaches are getting salaries in the $8-10 million range.  Sark is now the 3rd highest paid coach after getting to the CFP in consecutive seasons.  He didn't start that high.  CDC won't pay the basketball coach Sark money, and that is what it would take to get someone like Hurley, or maybe even Lloyd, so I expect any hire will be more along the lines of what I suggested earlier--the guy pushing 50 with a great record at a lower level and some record of success at this level. 

[MarkInAustin]

When Beard was fired, I thought Royal Ivey was a serious candidate.  I know he has never been a head coach and his coaching experience has been in the NBA, but KD and Ford really liked him. 

 

If CDC rolled the dice with a young but knowledgeable and personable coach [Ivey, arguendo] and he had NIL support, I think it would go better than the Shaka journey.  A crap shoot? Sure.  Could be a big payoff, though.

[bierce]

11 minutes ago, MarkInAustin said:

When Beard was fired, I thought Royal Ivey was a serious candidate.  I know he has never been a head coach and his coaching experience has been in the NBA, but KD and Ford really liked him. 

 

If CDC rolled the dice with a young but knowledgeable and personable coach [Ivey, arguendo] and he had NIL support, I think it would go better than the Shaka journey.  A crap shoot? Sure.  Could be a big payoff, though.

Don't forget the contacts he has in South Sudan for recruiting among the Dinka.  Not joking here.  He coached South Sudan in the 2024 Olympics. 

[Jordan91]

15 hours ago, HudGar1922 said:

and beard has ok miss ranked and doing well and meanwhile we probably don’t make the ncaa tournament 

Yeah he is. But my response about the post was to explain why certain people with questionable past won’t be considered because of Beard. I am watching games and then coming to my own conclusions. Honestly I don’t really pay any attention to Beard unless somebody brings him up. Don’t really follow Barnes or Smart either. I focus on the current Texas coach. 

[Jordan91]

10 hours ago, harveycmd said:

This time last year it was clear that Texas couldn't run an offense. It was noted that the Longhorns needed to stop wasting time and change the leadership of the program. There was pushback by moderators here that Terry needed time to get "his guys." He has his guys and it's even worse now. 

He doesn’t have Toppin. I do agree all coaches are responsible for what we see on the court. 

[Jordan91]

30 minutes ago, MarkInAustin said:

When Beard was fired, I thought Royal Ivey was a serious candidate.  I know he has never been a head coach and his coaching experience has been in the NBA, but KD and Ford really liked him. 

 

If CDC rolled the dice with a young but knowledgeable and personable coach [Ivey, arguendo] and he had NIL support, I think it would go better than the Shaka journey.  A crap shoot? Sure.  Could be a big payoff, though.

Ivey has been out there for a while. The lack of knowing the coaches in Texas is usually the argument against it. He played at the school, played and coached in the NBA. Most players want to be in the NBA. I do think there would be more support as well. TJ and KD would be all in for sure. Would need assistance with deep Texas recruiting ties. 

[Steven Conant]

I always caution about coaching changes.  If you don't get a better one, and you never know going in, you can spiral a program out of control .  As Abe Lemons said " I came into this job the same way I am leaving...fired with enthusiasm."  He was of course right.

If you aren't familiar with Abe Lemons, get his book - https://www.amazon.com/scored-more-point-than-dead/dp/B0006CZ3SG.  Great stories that will have you in stitches.

[Jordan91]

1 hour ago, Steven Conant said:

I always caution about coaching changes.  If you don't get a better one, and you never know going in, you can spiral a program out of control .  As Abe Lemons said " I came into this job the same way I am leaving...fired with enthusiasm."  He was of course right.

If you aren't familiar with Abe Lemons, get his book - https://www.amazon.com/scored-more-point-than-dead/dp/B0006CZ3SG.  Great stories that will have you in stitches.

All basketball fans should check that out. I remember him well. Hard not to remember him. 

[bierce]

7 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

All basketball fans should check that out. I remember him well. Hard not to remember him. 

Says the guy who always ignores the impact of Tyrone Branyan on the history of Texas Longhorn basketball.

 

[Jordan91]

11 hours ago, bierce said:

Says the guy who always ignores the impact of Tyrone Branyan on the history of Texas Longhorn basketball.

 

I know he averaged 15 points a game, but I am quite sure there was a game when Abe  said “Congratulations you scored one more point than a dead man!”

[Steven Conant]

Branyan was the best rebounder who never left the floor.