Texas vs. Alabama

[Aaron Carrara]

Bama leads Texas 25-20, 7:09 left in the first half.

 

[Aaron Carrara]

At the half Alabama leads Texas 38-26.

 

[tejasrulz]

The good news is Texas is 100% on their FTs! They're also hitting the boards pretty good however they're only shooting 34% and you're not winning too many games shooting like that.

 

[tejasrulz]

That 3rd foul on Allen was a bad call.

 

[tejasrulz]

Don't look now but Texas is fixin' to pull out a nice comeback victory!

 

[RunRickyRun]

Nice win!!!!!!!!

 

[tejasrulz]

Smart must have had a great half time speech cause Texas was a whole different team in the 2nd half than they were the first. The one area they regressed on in the 2nd half was their FTs but when you're 8-8 as they were in the 1st half, you have to stay perfect or you will.

 

[BudreauReye]

Good win !!!   They came out in the first half once again like deer in the headlights.  What a difference a half makes.  The fog lifted in the second half, thanks to some well played pressure defense in the full and half court.  When the Horn's defense applies pressure, their offense follows.  When these guys play within themselves, they play well.  I saw a lot of promise in the second half.  It is going to be a lot of fun watching this team grow up.

 

[dillohorn]

Good win that I certainly did not expect the way things have been going lately.

 

[tejasrulz]

Good win that I certainly did not expect the way things have been going lately.

They started hitting their shots in the 2nd half. the 1st half they were around 30-33% on their FGs. The 2nd half I believe they were around 61% per a statement by the announcers. You shoot around 30%, you're not going to win too many games. You shoot around 60%, you have a chance in every game you play.

Oh, it also helped that Bama went cold but they appeared tired while the Horns didn't. That is Smart basketball (think the movie Coach Carter!) 

 

[BudreauReye]

They started hitting their shots in the 2nd half. the 1st half they were around 30-33% on their FGs. The 2nd half I believe they were around 61% per a statement by the announcers. You shoot around 30%, you're not going to win too many games. You shoot around 60%, you have a chance in every game you play.

Oh, it also helped that Bama went cold but they appeared tired while the Horns didn't. That is Smart basketball (think the movie Coach Carter!) 

Also, they used pressure defense more in the second half than I remember seeing in any other game so far this season.  When they did that, their transition offence naturally followed right along.  I do not know much and I may be way off here, but it seemed to me in earlier games, that Shaka was holding them back to let them internalize how he wanted them to play in the half court on both ends BEFORE he would turn them lose playing pressure defense with its' subsequent transition offence.  In other words, seems to me that you have to learn to play with each other with strong fundamentals before you can play effective Helter Skelter.

This reminds me how many times I have read and written myself of how they look like deer caught in headlights.  That has been all too common this season.  This reminds me of how little Bambis frolic around in such an uncoordinated way that belies their true coordinated nature that is about to erupt from their magnificent selves.

Jarrett Allen is a good case in point as an individual.  In my opinion, he is not a one in done, but he has a bushel basket full of potential.  Last night we saw some of that potential, yet during the UTA game, I saw him launch a jump shot from about six feet from one side of the basket that cleared both sides of the rim a whole three feet to the other side.

I think that the same kind of perspective applies to the team as a whole.  They are going to be exasperating to watch at times, but I think that it will be quite rewarding watching them grow.