Longhorn ThoughtZ™

[RichZ]

1. Like the strong start. Would love to see that kind of effort early every game.
2. Early on, Ball went behind the back with the dribble. Not because he could. Not a show-off move at all. He did it because it got him and the ball clear of a defender that was pressuring him bringing the ball down court. Just looked so natural doing it.
3. 8 minutes in, we're up 24 to 11, and somehow, I'm still sitting on the couch worrying.
4. Johnson's shot at 3:35 to go in the half got "blocked". Clearly a goaltend. The ball was on the way down AND slightly over the rim.
5. Donovan's 3rd foul was a ridiculous call. He never touched the shooter. We need better refs. But while I'm thinking about Clingan, WHY does he almost never dunk? It should be natural for him to dunk instead of taking flat footed layup attempts. I understand he was under the weather these last two games. But his hesitancy to dunk the ball isn't something new.
6. Note to Coach. Tear up the halftime speech you used at this game, and never use it again. After the way they played in the first half, the lack of effort following the break was dumbfounding.
7. It's almost like Karaban lives for the buzzer beater. He's done it an inordinate number of times over his year and a few games here, but last night was something else entirely. 3 shots went through the hoop as or after the shot clock expired.
8. How many times were we tortured with the "Game Day Sign" and "In-Season Tournament" commercials last night. A few times, they showed them each twice in the same break.
9. Ball is starting to look comfortable out there, and his athleticism is off the charts. The extra minutes he's getting with Castle out are really beneficial to his comfort level and confidence.
10. Shooting almost 90% from the FT line, is great to see. So is 7 blocks for the game. But only 18 dimes on 29 baskets, not so much.
11. Tristen had 8 of those 18 assists. Good thing, as his shot was definitely not falling. He, Diarra and Stewart combined for an 0 for 7 night from deep. Spencer wasn't a whole lot better going 2 for 7 from deep. Fortunately, Alex and Stewart shot 50% from three.
12. Announcers spent way more time talking up Texas than us, and raving about how well Texas was playing without Shedrick, ignoring the fact that we have been playing without Castle.
13. At about 5-1/2 minutes left, when TX got within 4 (71-67) that worrying I'd been doing when were were way up 8 minutes in didn't seem so unwarranted.
14. Another game, another W, and that's a good thing. We should be 7-0 when we visit Kansas on the first.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

1. Like the strong start. Would love to see that kind of effort early every game.
2. Early on, Ball went behind the back with the dribble. Not because he could. Not a show-off move at all. He did it because it got him and the ball clear of a defender that was pressuring him bringing the ball down court. Just looked so natural doing it.
3. 8 minutes in, we're up 24 to 11, and somehow, I'm still sitting on the couch worrying.
4. Johnson's shot at 3:35 to go in the half got "blocked". Clearly a goaltend. The ball was on the way down AND slightly over the rim.
5. Donovan's 3rd foul was a ridiculous call. He never touched the shooter. We need better refs. But while I'm thinking about Clingan, WHY does he almost never dunk? It should be natural for him to dunk instead of taking flat footed layup attempts. I understand he was under the weather these last two games. But his hesitancy to dunk the ball isn't something new.
6. Note to Coach. Tear up the halftime speech you used at this game, and never use it again. After the way they played in the first half, the lack of effort following the break was dumbfounding.
7. It's almost like Karaban lives for the buzzer beater. He's done it an inordinate number of times over his year and a few games here, but last night was something else entirely. 3 shots went through the hoop as or after the shot clock expired.
8. How many times were we tortured with the "Game Day Sign" and "In-Season Tournament" commercials last night. A few times, they showed them each twice in the same break.
9. Ball is starting to look comfortable out there, and his athleticism is off the charts. The extra minutes he's getting with Castle out are really beneficial to his comfort level and confidence.
10. Shooting almost 90% from the FT line, is great to see. So is 7 blocks for the game. But only 18 dimes on 29 baskets, not so much.
11. Tristen had 8 of those 18 assists. Good thing, as his shot was definitely not falling. He, Diarra and Stewart combined for an 0 for 7 night from deep. Spencer wasn't a whole lot better going 2 for 7 from deep. Fortunately, Alex and Stewart shot 50% from three.
12. Announcers spent way more time talking up Texas than us, and raving about how well Texas was playing without Shedrick, ignoring the fact that we have been playing without Castle.
13. At about 5-1/2 minutes left, when TX got within 4 (71-67) that worrying I'd been doing when were were way up 8 minutes in didn't seem so unwarranted.
14. Another game, another W, and that's a good thing. We should be 7-0 when we visit Kansas on the first.

Remember in the not-too-distant past when getting above 9 assists was a major accomplishment? How our standards have changed!

 

[husky429]

Remember in the not-too-distant past when getting above 9 assists was a major accomplishment? How our standards have changed!

Recruiting ball movers and teaching our guys to move it has really revolutionized our offense. We're maybe the best passing program in the NCAA. Night and day from our early teams with Hurley. I won't even think about his predecessor.

 

[nomar]

1. Like the strong start. Would love to see that kind of effort early every game.
2. Early on, Ball went behind the back with the dribble. Not because he could. Not a show-off move at all. He did it because it got him and the ball clear of a defender that was pressuring him bringing the ball down court. Just looked so natural doing it.
3. 8 minutes in, we're up 24 to 11, and somehow, I'm still sitting on the couch worrying.
4. Johnson's shot at 3:35 to go in the half got "blocked". Clearly a goaltend. The ball was on the way down AND slightly over the rim.
5. Donovan's 3rd foul was a ridiculous call. He never touched the shooter. We need better refs. But while I'm thinking about Clingan, WHY does he almost never dunk? It should be natural for him to dunk instead of taking flat footed layup attempts. I understand he was under the weather these last two games. But his hesitancy to dunk the ball isn't something new.
6. Note to Coach. Tear up the halftime speech you used at this game, and never use it again. After the way they played in the first half, the lack of effort following the break was dumbfounding.
7. It's almost like Karaban lives for the buzzer beater. He's done it an inordinate number of times over his year and a few games here, but last night was something else entirely. 3 shots went through the hoop as or after the shot clock expired.
8. How many times were we tortured with the "Game Day Sign" and "In-Season Tournament" commercials last night. A few times, they showed them each twice in the same break.
9. Ball is starting to look comfortable out there, and his athleticism is off the charts. The extra minutes he's getting with Castle out are really beneficial to his comfort level and confidence.
10. Shooting almost 90% from the FT line, is great to see. So is 7 blocks for the game. But only 18 dimes on 29 baskets, not so much.
11. Tristen had 8 of those 18 assists. Good thing, as his shot was definitely not falling. He, Diarra and Stewart combined for an 0 for 7 night from deep. Spencer wasn't a whole lot better going 2 for 7 from deep. Fortunately, Alex and Stewart shot 50% from three.
12. Announcers spent way more time talking up Texas than us, and raving about how well Texas was playing without Shedrick, ignoring the fact that we have been playing without Castle.
13. At about 5-1/2 minutes left, when TX got within 4 (71-67) that worrying I'd been doing when were were way up 8 minutes in didn't seem so unwarranted.
14. Another game, another W, and that's a good thing. We should be 7-0 when we visit Kansas on the first.

Good Ztuff.

I've always regarded a 67% assist rate as "good," and we weren't much lower than that (62%).

 

[JakeTheDog]

Donovan's 3rd foul was a ridiculous call. He never touched the shooter. We need better refs. But while I'm thinking about Clingan, WHY does he almost never dunk? It should be natural for him to dunk instead of taking flat footed layup attempts. I understand he was under the weather these last two games. But his hesitancy to dunk the ball isn't something new.

Maybe I am misremembering but it seemed like Donovan dunked everything last season.

 

[RichZ]

Maybe I am misremembering but it seemed like Donovan dunked everything last season.

No, he layed it in more often than he dunked last year, too.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

Maybe I am misremembering but it seemed like Donovan dunked everything last season.

He did.

Sanogo was laying the ball up while Donovan would come in and dunk everything.

DC’s lacking 6 inches to a foot in hops this year.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

1. Shooting almost 90% from the FT line, is great to see. So is 7 blocks for the game. But only 18 dimes on 29 baskets, not so much.

Haven’t seen it mentioned on the bone yard after the game, but I thought our offense was stagnant from the middle of the first half on.

Newton, playing 38 minutes, looked like he deliberately slowed the game down to keep himself rested.

He didn’t look to move the ball; instead he pounded the ball for 20 seconds of game clock, and then look to drive throwing up a shot. Or dish if the shot wasn’t there.

After we built that 14 point lead, getting lots of good looks at threes while whipping the ball around, the ball then became stuck with Tristan the rest of the game.

Having played a game the night before, and TN needing to play the full 40 minutes at point guard with Castle out, maybe it was the smart move. Almost cost them though. When Castle is back the offense should ramp up again.

 

[JonnyRI]

I almost lost it on the goaltending. That was soooooo obviously a terrible call.

But my wife made me feel better when pointed we still got the two points on the free throws and drew a foul as well.

 

[caw]

We're maybe the best passing program in the NCAA.

I don't think this is a "maybe" as a program, year to year it may change. However, with the emphasis Hurley puts on it, I don't think there is any room for argument as a program.

I think Hawkins was leading the NOP in hockey assists a few games back. Hurley just knows how to teach ball movement.