Congrats Texas Basketball

[LegendaryHorn]

People saying Croaker can't find minutes here are crazy. Being around the same size =/= bringing the same things to the table. If Croaker gets it defensively, and no matter where he goes he will need to figure it out on that end(awareness and fundamentals on D were horrible this year) he is a much better option than Holland, who brings nothing offensively, and has somehow earned a reputation as a lock-down defender, he's good on that end but I have no clue where this "lock down" stuff started.

 

[BudreauReye]

Holland may not be quite the defender that some seem to think, but it seems to me that he was our first option to defend our opponents best guard for most of the year - and he has done a pretty good job as best I can see. I think people tend to throw out cliche statements like "lock down defender" and they tend to stick. I have probably used that statement meaning only that his strength is his defense and he is pretty good at it. You are right, LegendaryHorn, Holland does not bring much the to the half court offense. He is, however, pretty good at creating on the break. For discussions sake, who is to say that he cannot develop his half court offense in his remaining two years here?

I agree with you, LegendaryHorn, in that I see no reason why Croaker can't find minutes here. I do not remember where I saw the article but later in the season, I read about how it was hoped that they would see a defensive jump by him by next year and that the coaches were intrigued by his athletic ability and his offensive potential. With regards to his child, I have not read anywhere that he was wanting to go back home - not that it hasn't been said by some reputable source somewhere. Just all of a sudden, I started seeing posts stating it as a known or at least "near" fact that he was probably leaving. I was just wondering whether there was any substance to these statements. Heck, player's children and the children's mothers and the player's mothers move to where the young man goes to school all the time. Who is to say that that will not happen in Croaker's case rather than his going back to Florida? I agree with utisdabomb12, in that I would really like to see us have some taller options on the wing. Even though Croaker is not 6'-6", I think that his athleticism and leaping ability give him a presence bigger than the 6'-2" at which he is listed. If that is the case, and Croaker can make a "leap forward" next year, he, Walker, Yancy at 6'-3" 200 lb, Barnett, and our other guards can give us some mix and match possibilities on the exterior that will rival the mix and match possibilities that we seem to have in the making for the forecourt.

Come to think of it Texas has never had as much height at guard as we may have next year. Royal Ivey was 6'-4", Lance Blanks was 6'-4", Terrence Rencher was 6'-3", Cory Joseph was 6'-3", Reggie Freeman was 6'-6", and Kris Clack was only 6'-5" and he could out leap all of them. But, we usually only had one of them at a time. Of course, I did not list players that played the wing but were primarily small or combo forwards.

 

[beevomav]

Who you going to get to replace him? Give me a legit name we have a chance with, that's better then Barnes.

Finding a replacement is not my problem. I was just pointing out the only reason Barnes is being anointed this season is because of his miserable failures in the previous two seasons.

Let this sink in. Texas has 42 losses the past three seasons and Barnes is coach of the year?

It seems basketball is judged differently than football in Austin. I can make a hell of a lot better case for retaining Mack Brown than Barnes.

 

[beevomav]

No point in even looking. It ain't gonna happen. Ole Ricky is staying and we are gonna have to endure the indignity of at least a couple or so or more good years with him, no matter what the grinches say. Let's at least have the common decency to wait until the next horrific downward spiral. At least by then Ole Ricky will be one step closer to being old and feeble. THEN, we can string up Ole Ricky, tar and feather him, and run him out of town on a rail.

I repeat, 42 losses the last three years and you talk of the next downward spiral?

 

[streettopeschel]

Finding a replacement is not my problem. I was just pointing out the only reason Barnes is being anointed this season is because of his miserable failures in the previous two seasons.
Let this sink in. Texas has 42 losses the past three seasons and Barnes is coach of the year?

It seems basketball is judged differently than football in Austin. I can make a hell of a lot better case for retaining Mack Brown than Barnes.

of course basketball is judged differently than football in austin. that's not exactly news. not unlike football being judged differently in lexington, ky. oh, and there was really no case to be made for retaining mack.

 

[java]

After watching the tournament over the past few days I've come to one conclusion. There really isn't much disparity between these teams. 8 and 9 seeds aren't far off from the 1 seeds. Anybody can win the tournament IMO. Which is good news for Texas. There really isn't much ground to be made up. I only see 2 or 3 dominant teams this year, and they all have issues. College basketball is about as wide open as any sport I've ever seen. If Texas can develop and add a little talent, the door is wide open.

I agree with this, and would like to add maturity.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

Yes, congratulations indeed. This team far exceeded expectations and did themselves proud. Next year looks pretty rosy right now.

 

[java]

budreaueye, please keep posting.

Everything that you write is well-written and well-reasoned. beevomav loves to dump on everyone that has a positive view of one of our programs. bm either has the most negative Longhorn view that I have ever witnessed, or is a sock for one of our rivals.

This is a very civil site, and everyone has a right to their point of view. I think yours is particularly enlightening. Please, keep posting.

 

[java]

Yes, congratulations indeed. This team far exceeded expectations and did themselves proud. Next year looks pretty rosy right now.

Hi, rookie. Welcome!

 

[NLeininger]

Texas wants Croaker back, and Croaker wants to be back. The thing that could pulls him away is his kid.

Damarcus Croaker ‏@Dcroaker5 · 1h

I did a lot of thinking about the season. How much we accomplished as a team. I wouldn't trade these boys for nobody #squad #Texas

 

[beevomav]

of course basketball is judged differently than football in austin. that's not exactly news. not unlike football being judged differently in lexington, ky. oh, and there was really no case to be made for retaining mack.

It seems no other sport is judged at all. Look at the mess of a baseball team, and tell me how Augie keeps his job?

 

[streettopeschel]

It seems no other sport is judged at all. Look at the mess of a baseball team, and tell me how Augie keeps his job?

because he has a backlog of goodwill built up. they're also ranked top-15 this year so i'm not sure they qualify as a 'mess'.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

It seems no other sport is judged at all. Look at the mess of a baseball team, and tell me how Augie keeps his job?

The baseball team is 19-6 and improving. Try again.

 

[java]

It seems no other sport is judged at all. Look at the mess of a baseball team, and tell me how Augie keeps his job?

beevomav, could it be for the following reason:

"Five trips to the College World Series (CWS) in the last nine seasons. National Championships in both 2002 and 2005. Second and third-place national finishes in 2004 and 2003, respectively. Four Big 12 Conference Championships (2002, 2004, 2006 and 2007) and three league tournament crowns (2002, 2003, 2007)." UT Baseball Website

Of course, please tell us why you feel that the all-time leader in wins in college baseball should not be given a little latitude. I fell that Augie will resign if he thinks that he cannot field a successful team, because I believe he hates to lose. He has nothing to prove.

I feel that Augie has won all of those natty's at UT and elsewhere because he knows what he is doing and has a drive to win. I also think that when well-meaning boosters give him advice, he probably smiles patiently, then, goes home and gets a great chuckle out of it.

Would you argue with Bill Parcells or one of the Harbaughs about football? What about Belichick? Belichick last won a Superbowl in 2004. Do you think New England should fire him?

Please put your argument in an Augie vs Belichick context. Frame it properly, convincingly. Let's hear it.

 

[BudreauReye]

budreaueye, please keep posting.
Everything that you write is well-written and well-reasoned. beevomav loves to dump on everyone that has a positive view of one of our programs. bm either has the most negative Longhorn view that I have ever witnessed, or is a sock for one of our rivals.

This is a very civil site, and everyone has a right to their point of view. I think yours is particularly enlightening. Please, keep posting.

Thanks for your kind comments, java. I intend to keep posting. I have a passion for Longhorn basketball, which seems little odd to me since the sports that I participated in were of the rock'em sock'em variety - football, golden gloves boxing, taekwondo - other than track and field. The last year I tried to play basketball was my freshman year in high school when I realized that trying to play like a linebacker was not conducive to getting more playing time on the court!

Also, I am not so sure that I have a particularly enlightened view of the game, but thanks for the sentiment. I do have a bull dogged attitude about parsing the meaning behind so called "self evident truths", even those pronounced by me. LegendaryHorn's comment about the term "lock down defender" is a good case in point. I like to add to the conversation because, quite frankly, there is not enough of it to suit me. Perhaps, over time' as this forum grows, we can add to that. I do not have any pretense of any level of authority about basketball. That is why I sometimes will question what somebody says, re-ask, and then sometimes ask again rephrasing it a little bit different way to try and get behind some of these posts. Case in point. Some folks seem to think that Myles Turner is a near lock to come to Texas and that Croaker is as good as gone. I am all for the former and not so enthusiastic about the latter, but so far I have not seen or heard any substantiation for either, so I am just trying to probe a little deeper to see if there is any fire under there or whether it is all smoke and mirrors. I BELIEVE that I want Turner to be a Longhorn and Croaker to stay and realize his potential, but that does not mean that either is going to happen.

With regards to beevomav, I have no problem with him or her. I agree with you that everybody has a right to their opinion. I really appreciate the civil nature of this forum. However, his comment about Ole Rick, the genius, as you intimated, is a tad negative. His comment and his responses do not seem to be open much for discussion From an emotional perspective, it is a position that I do not understand and would not care to live with for any length of time. Wanting to get rid of Coach Barnes at this point in time is not a reasonable position from my perspective. Shoot, we seem to have the number of Roy Williams at North Carolina and I do not think he is going anywhere. That coach whose name I can never remember how to spell at Duke just had his comeuppance, and I would be willing to bet that he is going nowhere any time soon either. To me, it is just a little ironic that on the night marking the end of a pretty remarkable turnaround for the Texas basketball program, with a future that appears to be brighter than any of us could have imagined this time last year, that bevomav would choose to dump on the program. Of course, he is welcome to that opinion, but frankly, I do think that that opinion deserves a response in kind. It is all good in the end.

Java, don't think for a minute that I think that you are calling me out. I see your comments as being very supportive. I am just venting a little here. I was oddly enervated after yesterday's game. I think that we have a lot to look forward to next year. Hook'em Horns!

PostScript - "Rosy!" Sangre Naranjada said, "Rosy!" I like "Rosy"!

 

[BudreauReye]

Texas wants Croaker back, and Croaker wants to be back. The thing that could pulls him away is his kid.
Damarcus Croaker ‏@Dcroaker5 · 1h

I did a lot of thinking about the season. How much we accomplished as a team. I wouldn't trade these boys for nobody #squad #Texas

Now this is saying something. Looks like some cogitating is going on. I hope he makes the right decision for the right reason, even if t is not the one that I would want him to make. Hook'em, Damarcus!

 

[java]

Thanks for your kind comments, java. I intend to keep posting. I have a passion for Longhorn basketball, which seems little odd to me since the sports that I participated in were of the rock'em sock'em variety - football, golden gloves boxing, taekwondo - other than track and field. The last year I tried to play basketball was my freshman year in high school when I realized that trying to play like a linebacker was not conducive to getting more playing time on the court!
Also, I am not so sure that I have a particularly enlightened view of the game, but thanks for the sentiment. I do have a bull dogged attitude about parsing the meaning behind so called "self evident truths", even those pronounced by me. LegendaryHorn's comment about the term "lock down defender" is a good case in point. I like to add to the conversation because, quite frankly, there is not enough of it to suit me. Perhaps, over time' as this forum grows, we can add to that. I do not have any pretense of any level of authority about basketball. That is why I sometimes will question what somebody says, re-ask, and then sometimes ask again rephrasing it a little bit different way to try and get behind some of these posts. Case in point. Some folks seem to think that Myles Turner is a near lock to come to Texas and that Croaker is as good as gone. I am all for the former and not so enthusiastic about the latter, but so far I have not seen or heard any substantiation for either, so I am just trying to probe a little deeper to see if there is any fire under there or whether it is all smoke and mirrors. I BELIEVE that I want Turner to be a Longhorn and Croaker to stay and realize his potential, but that does not mean that either is going to happen.

With regards to beevomav, I have no problem with him or her. I agree with you that everybody has a right to their opinion. I really appreciate the civil nature of this forum. However, his comment about Ole Rick, the genius, as you intimated, is a tad negative. His comment and his responses do not seem to be open much for discussion From an emotional perspective, it is a position that I do not understand and would not care to live with for any length of time. Wanting to get rid of Coach Barnes at this point in time is not a reasonable position from my perspective. Shoot, we seem to have the number of Roy Williams at North Carolina and I do not think he is going anywhere. That coach whose name I can never remember how to spell at Duke just had his comeuppance, and I would be willing to bet that he is going nowhere any time soon either. To me, it is just a little ironic that on the night marking the end of a pretty remarkable turnaround for the Texas basketball program, with a future that appears to be brighter than any of us could have imagined this time last year, that bevomav would choose to dump on the program. Of course, he is welcome to that opinion, but frankly, I do think that that opinion deserves a response in kind. It is all good in the end.

Java, don't think for a minute that I think that you are calling me out. I see your comments as being very supportive. I am just venting a little here. I was oddly enervated after yesterday's game. I think that we have a lot to look forward to next year. Hook'em Horns!

PostScript - "Rosy!" Sangre Naranjada said, "Rosy!" I like "Rosy"!

I like Rosy, too!

I, too, dislike unsubstantiated, negative comments when I consider the improvements the team has made. It is different when a poster lists valid reasons. Otherwise, I get a little irritable.

Thank you for your insight. Our future is bright!

 

[Topstarr]

Texas should be a "DANG" good team next year

 

[utisdabomb12]

It seems no other sport is judged at all. Look at the mess of a baseball team, and tell me how Augie keeps his job?

A baseball team that's ranked in every single poll, and even ranked in the top 20 in most, is considered a mess? They are 19-6. Boy, really don't know what to say.

 

[ATX89]

I repeat, 42 losses the last three years and you talk of the next downward spiral?

Guess that's why they call it coach of the year and not coach of the last 3 years. I hear what you are saying. I think Rick earned one more year, but like Mack, Rick was the one who created the situation for the Hoops program to be in the past 3 years so we'll see if he coaches his way up or out of a job. Getting Turner would be awesome, but we better find some legitimate threats from the outside or we'll have the same issues next season. Watching teams completely sag off off Holland and Taylor and pretty much making it 3 on 5 got very frustrating.