MarkInAustin

Bobby, is it possible that is a limit to PWOs? The Service Academies are technically all walk-on, correct?

Self got 2 real good 'uns in the portal but they were a different team when McCullar went down. But then he took Arterio, as well...

I think Mitchell improved quite a bit from his freshman season. On offense, he increased his FT % significantly and was aggressive on the boards. That he did not develop the 12-15' shot he needed to become a threat was certainly not on the coaching staff, and he may never become much of a shooter. On defense, he was called to guard all shapes and sizes of opponents and did so well, without committing the many fouls he was charged with as a freshman. There was a lot of development there, but I think many of you are mistaking failure to become a shooter as failure to develop.

Tre. right. Brain fart.

Chris Johnson is no longer with the team. I worried this would happen when he was not played enough in the pre-conference season to get his feet wet. Chris was actually a tall PG, not a wing, and we were without the benefit of a tall PG late in the season when the two smurfs were sometimes overwhelmed by big guards. I would compare Kent with Timmy Allen for his ability to move without the ball and his moves near the basket, but he does not appear to be as sturdy. He can shoot an open trey. I agree that Larry is a PG, but we need a second distributor who can also run the ball club and I have not seen Mark come near being that, in fact, in the only two games I saw him play, he was turnover prone like Hunter. Pope, or a near facsimile of Pope, would be suitable. Garrison is a good take, I think, with this crew of shooters, and I also think a healthy Shedrick can play the stretch 4-5, if a rim protecting rebounder is in the post. If you saw several Indiana State games do you think if Texas secures Garrison as an inside banger and rim protector that Kent provides enough rebounding and interior defense to be played as a stretch 4? Mitchell, were he to return, could provide the interior defense, but he would remove credible shooting from the position.

Assuming Hunter and Mitchell do not return and Tre stays with Texas, then: the team is now one PG and one BIG away from a potentially decent eight man rotation. Gerry has pointed out that if it is the Okie Lite Big he is a back-to-the-basket guy who must be surrounded by shooters, and these three fit that description. Better, as Gerry has also pointed out, would be adding two BIGs, one of whom is a stretch 4. Question for Gerry: Can Kent suffice as a stretch 4? [I tend to think not, but a versatile long wing is still a good mix on the floor]. If Hunter returns I think he becomes a situational sub and not even the 7th man. He does not solve for the lack of a good PG, as he is a shooting guard in a small package, wildly inconsistent on offense and a poor decision maker. His defense is generally very good and he hits his foul shots. Good energy, but no Weaver. Pure sub on a balanced team. If Mitchell returns I think he may become a situational sub as well, but with more possibilities to play than will remain for Hunter. He is an excellent defender and a fine rebounder, but a limited shooter, as we all know, not a true stretch 4. If everyone else on the floor with him can make space he becomes dangerous on offense because he moves very well without the ball and can take advantage of spacing. There might be a mix and match combination among the new three, Tre, and Shedrick that would showcase Mitchell's offensive talent. Weaver will probably get starter minutes next season even if he is the anointed gem of a sixth man. He will make his own upside. If Weaver's range on his shot improves, and there is some reason to believe it will because he shot better as a freshman, he would become a star. If it does not, spacing provided by the others will still spin gold for Weaver on offense. Summary: these three additions should seal Hunter's decision to leave. The right 2 [or 3] additional in - portals will determine the ceiling for next season. I think a decent floor has been set.

Another lawyer and I watched the trial and second guessed it all the way through. We did this long distance. He was in San Jose and I was in Austin. Our first joint realization was how different criminal trial procedure was then in CA from Texas. California did not enforce a cumulative evidence rule in state criminal proceedings. This meant that the defense in CA could carry on virtually forever, with multiple experts, where in Texas each party would have been most likely limited to one expert for each technical proffer. The prosecution started well and made a solid case. But then the case spun out of control from a Texas perspective, and even my San Jose buddy thought that the trial judge was allowing a circus by California's easier standards. After closing arguments, we thought a hung jury would result, the prosecution's clear prima facie case then having become merely a distant memory. Compared to that prosecution that somewhat lost control of its own messaging we later saw a different result in the civil case, in which the very experienced lawyers for the victim's family rode herd on the trial and won easily, and with no doubts whatsoever. This is just a random historical comment from an old retired lawyer who thought the trial came to a predictable outcome because of how it was tried and not because OJ wasn't actually guilty, and not even because the jury was "unfair." I don't know what CA criminal trial procedure is like today, but at that time what would have taken five days of testimony in Austin would have required five weeks in L.A. -- really.

Majors' compliment to Bryant is worth noting. Have any of us heard that sort of lavish praise about AB from anyone else? Has Majors let a secret cat out of the bag? Inquiring minds want to know.

Does he punt, too?

I assume the coaches know whom they want to have move on. Surely, that will be how it works.

re: Chris Johnson. I think this is a painful loss. Am I wrong? All pre-conference season I wanted him used more so that he would begin to mature as a reliable tall PG who would relieve the team of the burden of relying on Hunter as the main ball handler and distributor. I never understood the minimal minutes CJ played in those games although I read some rumors of injuries. I have yet to have read anything that clarified my understanding.

If the expected guys return Texas needs a minimum of three inbound portal players. First, a true distributing and ball handling PG, preferably not a smurf, preferably with a dangerous jump shot, and definitely willing to defend; second, a tall agile wing who can shoot and defend multiple positions [think Mitchell with three point range or at least range out to the perimeter, or think a Timmy Allen]; and third, a rim protector BIG. That's the minimum. I would bet that we all agree on this, btw. Keep watching this space!

I think Chris O. was a RS in '05, right?

I have been watching NBA live and on TV since 1957, when I was in HS. It is actually easier to recall fantastic performances then streaks. Gerry certainly is correct about the firepower of the Twins, KD, Draymond team in the three point era. Personally, I never saw that team have a single game like Jordan and the Bulls had against Stockton and Malone, or the clincher the Spurs had in 2014, or the game I watched live in Houston as Magic led the Lakers by making 46 absolutely correct decisions with the ball with no TOs. I only watched Magic in that game and kept count. But the greatest single performance by a team in a game for me was in the western conference championship of 1972 which I watched on TV. The Lakers led the league in rebounding, assists, and scoring. The assists were the golden key to how smooth the team was on offense. The rebounding and blocked shots were the keys on defense. Against Kareem and Oscar, Wilt blocked Kareem 17 times in the series. He was 35, but perhaps the greatest athlete who ever lived, with measured 48" hops in the NBA and a track and field background at Kansas. He unselfishly gave up scoring to West and Goodrich and McMillan and West led the league in assists with about 10 per game while being among the scoring leaders and a great defender and athlete in his own right. In one of those games, Wilt blocked Kareem's skyhook from near the foul line toward the baseline, Kareem got the deflected shot and put up another skyhook which Wilt then blocked to a teammate. You have to understand how often Kareem was blocked in his entire career. Once by Olajuwon, and the announcers went crazy over it. I think he was not blocked on his skyhook as many times in the next 15 years as he was in that series. Wilt got about 20 rebounds each game in that series and all season, actually. This may be part of that 2 block sequence:

I am too old for this conversation. Several iterations of the 60s Celtics, the 72 Lakers, the 80s Lakers and Celtics, Jordan's Bulls, the 2014 Spurs...all were great teams. They all had great stretches and great teamwork. Not dissing the the 2001 Lakers at all. Just suggesting it is not really possible to pick one.

Is there any news on the weight loss candidates? Or, have you or CJV personally seen anything from Blackshire or Red that is encouraging? You have reported on Sydir, of course, and I am not asking about him.

...Choice is going to be slept - and shouldn't be. You meant something else, I am certain. What?

We saw both Hunters last night. Six or more lazy passes, and then some [too] late heroics. I think Terry and the staff coached well this season. We saw some very exciting games. RT needs two more years to build a core roster not dependent on one and done portal players [or one and done freshmen, but that era is rapidly coming to its end]. The NCAA tournament did not showcase it but the team played fast most of the season - it was seldom like watching paint dry. He is not a perfect coach, but there are FEW WRIGHT Ks to go around. I think he was too patient with players on several occasions, including with Hunter last night. I think he missed an open opportunity not playing Chris Johnson extended minutes in the pre-conference, so that he would have become a factor as a tall PG for the team rather than an end of the bench guy. Gerry, am I missing something about CJ? Did he not have the skills I thought he had and that I thought he flashed a few times in limited minutes early? Was he a bad teammate? And, Chendall Weaver! I am most sorry to see the season end because there will be no more Weaver moments for eight months. In the rear view mirror? I was unhappy with Beard's hiring for two reasons. I didn't like his preferred style of ball or his penchant for running guys in and out of programs. Then I had to swallow an "Arterio Morris." Well, Morris transferred to Kansas but Self kicked him off the team before fall practice because he was charged with a rape soon after he got to Lawrence. If we can keep RT, Haith, Chris, and that staff largely in tact for a couple more years I think Texas hoops will thrive. I think they will both recruit and game plan well. Of course, if Mark Few really wants a warmer climate to finish out his career...

Thanks to NIL, two down roster upperclassmen may either stay to graduate as PWOs, or transfer out. They are Merrill and Juan. There are some other guys on the squad who may prefer NIL fueled PWO status to outbound transfer, as well. Recall that the Pancake Factory is worth more than a scholarship. The point is that there is another way to relieve the pressure of the scholarship limit, for guys who are weighing immediate playing time at Podunk Directional State against possible or probable later playing time and a degree from Texas.

Re: Chris Johnson. In hindsight, I think RT's only true misstep this season was not using CJ aggressively in the pre-conference. Chris, by now, could have become a suitable sub for Hunter during Hunter's zero offensive games. Without a suitable sub for Hunter, Max becomes both the scorer and the primary distributor in too many games. That is, unless I have completely overestimated Johnson's potential, and RT gave up on his development accordingly.

I rec'd your comment, Wabi Sabi, for the form it took, but not necessarily the suggestions. I do think the question for the team is "whose breakouts would have the biggest positive impact?" I would have to go all in on the defensive unit. I believe the offensive unit is two deep in high level talent and is in no particular need of a "breakout." On the defensive unit, the breakout need is greatest for two interior DTs and an inside LB. So I would go with Bledsoe and Bryant as DTs, although a surprise from the less experienced Sydir or January would be welcomed. Then I would pick Gbenda as the high breakout potential inside LB, but all the others you named plus a role for Trey Moore at ILB [the other position he played at UTSA] would be quite welcome. And I would not discount the possibility of Blackwell as a breakout ILB, either. I don't think the team needs a breakout star DB or Nickel, so I would choose my last two breakout stars from my honorably mentioned ones, above. Say, January and Gullette. YMMV!

GH wrote: If Texas were to beat K-State and Iowa State, sit Disu vs. Baylor. That underlines how important DD is to any competitive game and how worried all of us are, including Agentmule to whom you responded, regarding DD's health. Perhaps another Big 12 Tournament strategy would be to limit DD's minutes in each game, on the assumption that Shedrick has about 15 minutes worth of stamina per outing. However, that option may actually be limited by Brock's right hand and thumb. He has no shooting ability now. He should not be on the floor with Shedrick. I think it is a dilemma. Sitting Timmy Allen last season was not as disabling to that squad as sitting DD would be now. One more question, for Gerry: What would be the NCAA seeding upside from three consecutive wins in the Big 12 Tournament?

Moore played LB snaps at UTSA as well as Edge, and I have read, but not seen for myself, that he was effective in coverage. If Trey can play Will as readily as the seldom used Sam the flexibility of the defense without changing personnel on the field increases. I am suggesting the possibility of replicating Anthony Hill with Moore, which would be a Good Thing.

Texas ran 12 sets last season without giving away offensive strategy. So I was surprised that CJV suggested 12 sets might provide too much a tipped hand in 2024. On reflection I could take this to mean that if the new group of WRs were not willing blockers the 12 set would become primary and 11 sets could provide a tipped hand. Or did you have some other distinction from 2023 in mind?

How short is Sark? If Red is 5'10" Sark is 5'8" and has shrunken 5" since his listed height as BYU's QB.😀