The Longhorn loss to Cincinnati on Friday was essentially their season in a nutshell. Like the Kansas, Baylor and Missouri games in Austin the team started slowly, falling behind by 19 points, rallied to tie the score and failed to execute in the final minutes.
Coach Rick Barnes went back to his mantra that this is about more than just this season – it is a process. He then talked of how he had only three returning players from last season.
After the game junior guard J’Covan Brown said he had to think about his one year old daughter before making a decision to return for his senior year. Â Myck Kabongo talked of thinking over his options. If it goes like it has in the past and these two players leave, that will leave them with only one or two returning starters next season, depending on how it shakes out.
Now it is highly possible UT could have all underclassmen AND J’Covan Brown returning next season. The problem with this is Rick Barnes has been at Texas for 14 years. There is no reason to be constantly rebuilding year in and year out. Someone has to step in and stop this insanity. Even Kentucky, which plays the one and done game better than any other university had players return. We are simply not getting the bang for the buck with this pattern. This is the fourth straight year Texas has lost in either the first or second round of the NCAA tournament.
This policy is bad for Texas basketball and bad for the kids. J’Covan and Myck are not ready for the NBA any more than Corey Joseph and Avery Bradley were last year. Barnes should step in and tell these young men the truth, that they are not ready and they are messing with their future as potential NBA players. If he can’t do that, the cycle will keep going for another 14 years.
