BobInHouston

Yeah, I was going to go with, lost a NPOY-level guy. Lanier is good but not quite to Knecht's quality. But the roster is still solid. Last night, they couldn't hit their threes, and in the second half they actively looked for threes over twos. Cost them the game IMO. Were they a step slow on defense? Probably. The game they played Saturday probably will be the most physical, defense-oriented game this year (unless they repeat it in the SEC tournament). Edit: I just looked this up. They took 45 threes. In the handshake line, Mark Pope said, "Too many threes, Rick."

You'll have to help me out a little.

If you're defense-oriented, you might have recruited good shooters, but you tire them out on the defensive end. Beard has the same issue. But this was a tough turnaround for Tennessee, playing Auburn and then coming home to Kentucky. Texas wins tonight, they're tied with Tennessee (and Ole Miss, for that matter).

I've noticed that these games regularly last 2:15-2:20. As a conference, it just lasts longer.

Obviously that would change things a bit.

mred's SEC basketball standings generator says Texas will get to 10 wins, tied for eighth. But the schedule is such that they could win them all or lose them all. I expect something in between.

49 was a typo.

Indiana isn't gonna do anything this year, are they?

And Julian Larry just put his knees into Grill's face and got two free throws.

Texas owes Caleb Grill one.

I'm being a little sarcastic. Eight wins will not be easy. Doable, but not easy.

They landed in the 68th spot on Lunardi's bracket today, after being next four out. Bracket Matrix normally gets updated late tonight, right? They just have to get on track to eight wins to make the cut. That's all. Just that.

Kentucky fans will dominate, but if someone otherwise doesn't care, that person will root against Texas.

They can run a nationally prominent program without hurting football.

Yeah, I understand why they did it, but this was an embarrassment. It shouldn't happen again. Ever.

At this point in my life, I see the possibilities for each side and don't expect anything. That said, if you're not involved, it does. not. matter. Speculation makes the sports world go 'round.

2019?

KenPom had 9-1 in favor the SEC last night and today looks like 3-3 or so.

Turned out that the Challenge was no challenge at all.

Isn't his family your family? And they sided with him?

Yes, but after 0-5, for sale signs will fill RT's yard. No patience, here and most other places.

We've seen it now both ways. RB took on a game or two big-time, a strong tournament, and looked for potential mid-level D-I champs -- this is the Kansas approach, although Kansas usually goes a little higher on the quality. Beard scraped the bottom of the barrel and used it as team prep. Shaka showed the flaws of the RB approach by losing way more than RB did. Beard's problem was that if his team didn't perk up in the B12, he didn't have anything in the n-c that showed they were decent. This is the issue for RT if he sticks with this model. They lost to Ohio State, and if they end up striking out with UConn and NC State, they'll have to prove tournament quality in the SEC. That shouldn't be difficult in theory, but FWIW, right now KenPom has Texas losing its first five in the SEC (at A&M, Tennessee, Auburn, at OU, at Florida).

I heard his lawyer talk about this over the weekend. I was not especially impressed. A major point was that redshirt rules are quirky. If you get hurt after the fourth game (football), you've lost the year. However, now players can play in four games, plus the entire postseason, which now could be four more games. Additionally, JC shouldn't count because NIL isn't available at that level. What's missing is that you have to come in as a marketable player in order to be paid immediately. A high-D-I backup QB might get paid in Year one, but I think he's looking at what he is now and what he missed out on before and thinking he deserved it all along. That's wishful thinking.

FWIW, Julian Larry's stats are roughly comparable to A.J.'s. Not as good of a FT shooter. A tick better at threes, but nowhere near the volume. Much better on twos. He and Kent are making a big level jump but I think they're going to be converting quite a bit as the third or fourth option.

They pounded Arkansas a couple of years ago and that team turned out OK. I just want to be happy that they got off to a good start.