OK Rick Barnes..I am officially Off Your Ass

[beevomav]

Anyone reading my posts for any length of time, has probably noticed I tend to get on Rick Barnes ass at every turn. Well that ended today. I needed to come to terms with the reality of basketball in Austin and admit I was wrong about Barnes.

Some background on the head coach:

His career record is 541-268 with a 0.669 winning percentage

@ UT he is 1998-2012 339-134 (0.717)

In 14 years at UT his teams have never failed to make the NCAA Tournament

In 25 years his teams have only failed to make the tournament twice

Today I watched one of his best coaching jobs. I know it was lowly Texas Tech but the team played horribly and shot just as bad. Still, late in the game, every time he called a play it worked. This is another young team and he is bringing them along as fast as they can be taught.

So coach..Here is to you and many more, from a late arriving believer.

 

[bbdude]

I wasn't expecting a conversion from a performance like today but nonetheless,

Julien Lewis is progressing nicely! Oklahoma on Wednesday (in Austin) and then we close the season in Lawrence against rock-chalk. We are 18-11 and I think we will get in if we beat OU and win a game or two in the conference tourney. We have had some help with teams we beat upsetting other teams, but I think a 19-win regular season in the Big XII is good enough. Wishful thinking at least!

 

[HorninHouston]

We were 8 for 24 in the second half. Horrific shooting. We were very lucky to win today. Barnes needs to pull a Bobby (or Pat, for that matter) Knight and get pissed off. These guys need an ass chewing!

 

[beevomav]

Barnes must have been pulling his hair out? His team was playing badly and not responding but he kept coaching and every play he drew up, late in the game, worked. He does not have his most talented team but he is having one of his best seasons as a coach. It was just time I got off my "one and done" rant and paid more attention to his coaching.

 

[HorninHouston]

His players are supposed to listen to him and if they do not it is insubordination! I hang this season on Barnes. They better make the tourney or else!

 

[bbdude]

His players are supposed to listen to him and if they do not it is insubordination! I hang this season on Barnes. They better make the tourney or else!

Dude, this isn't the military. It's college bball. Not an excuse for Barnes but he has a pretty good track record of tourney appearances. Lunardi has us as one of the "Last 4 in" as of yesterday. We beat OU tomorrow and play decent against KU on Saturday then we might be ok. Losing to Tech in the conference tourney would be a killer tho...