Glass Joe

Is Osborne loose limbed and flexible, or wound way too tight and easily knocked off balance on contact?

Maybe this time, our AD will have the replacement identified and a deal vetted with the coach instead of getting hefty raises for every credible P5 coach that would be a target of a program like Texas. I know Perrin was an interim in a difficult situation, but this is how we wound-up with a mid major coach who simply doesn’t have a skill set to steer an organization at the highest level of his sport.

Tennessee Tech at home in the Supers was a minor miracle, as we would’ve otherwise been on the road at Ole Miss when they were a top 5 program. And we were very fortunate to win Game 3 against TTU. Then, swept out of Omaha. Then we somehow get USF at home for the Supers after they somehow got through the Miami regional with Miami and UF in the Regionals. Finally, we get East Carolina in the Supers (a program that’s never made the CWS in their history) and we prevail with the big sticks in Game 3. Well earned trip to Omaha. I realize some will say “but Pierce has 3 CWS trips in 7 years”….that’s what the record says! But context should matter in evaluating the “achievement” of making the CWS. For instance, Texas has made HALF of all CWS played in the past 76 years (38), and we are the winningest program (percentage) in college baseball history. So, is the goal for Texas to be a top 8 team when matched against the Tenn Tech, USF, and ECU programs of college baseball? (Top 8 meaning we make the 8-team CWS by beating those programs)? Texas has elite facilities, elite brand, elite history, top shelf resources, great fan support, and is located in the heart of the most talent rich high school baseball players / programs in the nation. Why shouldn’t we aim higher than ending the season #8 in the country 3 out of every 7 seasons? If our program “inputs” (resources) are top 3 annually, shouldn’t our results measure up? Maybe our metric of success should be higher than finishing in the Top 8 (against non-elite competition) and getting swept out of the CWS twice? Pierce feels like a solid mid-major baseball lifer whose success at Texas is as much due to context and inherent advantages of the Texas program than any causation he’s bringing to the program. Similar to Shaka, Herman, et al of the Patterson / Perrin era. Can Pierce really maximize an elite P5 program consistently? Don’t get me wrong…I love Texas baseball, and Pierce’s 2021 and 2023 teams accomplished things that made me a damn proud Longhorn, regardless of not winning a title. But I see a really bad storm coming next year, and there’s no place to hide. I hate the thought of listening to SEC fans mock us for being a bottom third team in “our sport” next season, particularly the LSU fans. Humbling isn’t a good look for the Texas brand. I hope I’m wrong, we shall see.

Memo to Porter: get an interpreter next time.

Hunter needed to develop in two key areas to allow Abmas to maximize for the Texas offense. One, Hunter needed to develop into the primary ball handler (with M.Carr leaving from last season). Obviously, that didn’t happen as Hunter is a ball handling liability. The result is Abmas had to burn lots of energy being the primary ball handler and this sub-optimized Abmas is an off ball shooter from distance. Two, Hunter needed to develop as the guy who can run a P5 offense and get his teammates the ball where and when they needed it to score. Again, that didn’t happen, and poor Abmas bore the burnt of having to initiate the offense. I will give Tyrese props for his on-ball defensive improvement and improving his shot from distance when open. He’s effectively got an off-guard game trapped in a PG body. That said, I would prefer to move on from Hunter and get a true PG in here who can get Tre Johnson the ball where and when he needs it to optimize his scoring ability next season. As well as a PG who can coordinate the other parts of an effective offense (getting Weaver the ball off cuts, getting Alexander the ball on the low block, etc).

Disappointing. I was hoping the SEC would allow Texas (and OU) to play the other 7 SEC schools that we didn’t get to play in the 2024 season (plus the Tx-OU game, of course).

Hi Trev. Welcome to your first day on the job here in aggyland. Here’s your first crisis to handle. (In seriousness, RIP to the poor victims)

As long as he brings C.Carrington with him 😀

Gerry, do you have any thoughts on the future of Ignite / G-League in general, and the possible impact of the Ignite program ending, and what that all means for college basketball? Adam Silver and team will be reviewing the future of Ignite in the next few months, due to the NIL impact on college basketball.

Wow, that tops the Lane Kiffin firing on the airport tarmac following a loss to Arizona State. At least Kiffin got to do the obligatory postgame presser before getting fired.

His brother has played for Minnesota and Tech (Brady Boyd), and was Ewers’ go-to guy when he was QB at SLC.

Do you think Texas is a 7 seed for the NCAA tourney right now? And if we lose to KSU in the first round of the Big 12 tourney, do we drop to an 8 seed, or stick at a 7 seed? Lastly, what would Texas need to do in the Big 12 tourney next week to secure a 6 seed in the NCAA tourney?

Sidenote on some NBA history: Tom McMillen played on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team that was robbed by the Societs for the gold. He was then a first round pick of the Buffalo Braves (NBA team). The Buffalo Braves moved to San Diego and became the Clippers, and Tom McMillen was traded away to make room for Bill Walton. Eventually, the Clippers moved to LA.

NCAA with a Friday afternoon news dump, conceding defeat in the courts and (weakly) suggesting their own leadership needs to “do something!”. What a profile in courage the NCAA leadership is!

My 5 most difficult (or worrisome) games: 1. UGA - easily the best opponent 2. Michigan - at Big House, top 10 team 3. OU - They live and die for this game 4. Kentucky - classic trap game on schedule before the aggy game 5. UTSA - A program defining opportunity for a well-prepared team with some talent and Texas coming off the biggest non-conference game in the nation (UM)

Another intangible that Texas has entering the first weekend of the NCAA tournament is we are very experienced in playing big games on one days rest. Texas plays so many games on ESPN “Big Monday” after also playing on Saturdays that we are experienced in the short turnaround game prep (one days rest) - and particularly so against top level competition. Since the NCAA tournament requires teams to play on this same short turnaround timeframe, this is a subtle advantage for Texas.

I strongly suggest that @Gerry Hamilton make the drive to Goodland, KS to do some in-person scouting. Just look up where Goodland is on Google maps and let me know whatcha think 😀.

Do you think USC convinced him to take his OV on June 22 in order to prevent him from attending Texas’ preferred OV weekend? If so, may be indicative of which school really has his ear right now.

Any chance that the local Jasper aggy cabal is making sure that Armstrong doesn’t get to Austin on April 6th?

Yeah, I’m of the belief that NIL contracts will become the de facto way of binding players to schools, and eventually of governing the current transfer (“portal”) process for player movement. i hope the powers that be think far enough ahead to avoid a process where high schoolers are pressured into signing NIL deals long before they’ve actually gone through the full recruitment process. For example, I have little doubt that Hugh Freeze would sign every one of his current 2025 commits (and even not-yet-commits) to an NIL deal tomorrow if this new regulation has any holes or gray areas enabling him to do so. Heck, he’d bind 9th graders to Auburn via NIL if he could. My biggest concern is DK Moore being contractually bound to LSU long before any June OVs take place.

Miami Utah Georgia Ohio State

@Gerry Hamilton @CJ Vogel what position do you guys project Michael Terry to in college (and is Terry okay playing that position)?

It’s amazing he can play hoops while also being the Chairman of the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank.😜

@Bobby Burton Question on a separate but related issue…does this at all change the concept of having LH Foundation donations redirected to NIL purposes? I believe the legislature green-lighted this in their NIL law, but we chose to refrain from using the donations in this way until some other NIL issues were settled. Thoughts? This would be one mechanism for Texas to really separate its NIL program from most others.

I just hope the TV barons push the P2 conferences (SEC, B10) to cull the weakest members within their own ranks as part of this process. Grandfathering a school like Vandy makes zero sense in a top 48 structure. Ditto Northwestern. Does the state of Indiana really need 3 teams in the top 48 football programs (ND, Purdue, IU)? Is there really a world where Maryland earns a playoff spot…ever? I’d love to see 3-4 teams culled from the current P2 (Vandy, Nothwestern, one of IU, Maryland, or Rutgers). Then, add 17 schools from the remaining ACC and Big 12, and keep ND “independent” as the 49th team in the top 48. So, effectively, a 48 + 1 structure. I would also strongly emphasize a national footprint consideration in adding schools from the ACC and Big 12, and not so much historical football / brand considerations. From the ACC: FSU, Clemson, UNC, VT, NC State, Louisville, and Miami are seven no-brainers. My “maybe” tier would be: GT, UVA, Pitt From the Big12: Utah, CU, ASU, BYU, Tech, KSU, and Iowa State would be my top 7. All big state schools with 50,000+ annual attendance (typically). My “maybe” list would be TCU, Okie State. As a note: these are football ONLY structures / “conferences” and basketball is a completely separate structure and organizational model. Lastly, I would organize the other ~ 80 schools currently in Division 1 football into 6 “conferences” of 12-13 schools each, align those conferences geographically to approximate the regions of the top 48 schools (themselves divided into 6 divisions of course), and create a biennial relegation structure so that these non-top 48 schools have a mechanism to continue developing their football programs to earn a seat at the big kids table (top 48). There’s no reason a school like Minnesota or Rutgers deserves a permanent $80M membership in the top 48, while a school like Iowa State or Pitt is permanently barred from the top 48 club. Just kicking around an idea but perhaps we have “relegation / play-in” weekend every other year on the third Saturday of December (the CFP teams are off that week), where the best conference record over the preceding two years for each of the 6 “relegated” conferences plays the worst cumulative conference team from each of the six Top 48 divisions? This would rely on regional alignment of the non-top 48 conferences to the Top 48 divisions. For example, Minnesota or Illinois would have to play and beat Okie State or KU to retain its membership in the Top 48 division. If Okie State or KU wins the game, they move up to the Top 48 replacing the loser. And repeat this process every two years. Effectively, you’d be forcing the worst programs of the Top 48 to constantly earn their right to $80M membership at the big kids table while providing a path to the big kids table for the current G5 programs that are serious about their football programs and willing to spend $$ to continue building their programs. I’d guess the TV powers that be would love the idea of the lowest members of the Top 48 to be forced to continually invest in their programs competitiveness, as it assures of the most quality viewing product for TV viewers. Think of the relegation possibilities: UCLA vs Oregon St for a spot in the western division of the Top 48 Illinois vs KU in the Midwest region UCF vs NC State in the Coastal region UH vs A&M in the Southwest region 😂😂