So smart didn't necessarily 'coach up' nba prospect Jaxon Hayes, New Orleans pelicans? The argument being Hayes was a high energy talent, natural player with raw talent regardless of the longhorns' program.
This team is horrible. It's an embarrassing basketball program. Not sure how its even possible to have an argument anymore. This isn't Billy Obrien making it to the playoffs and winning a round regularly. They made 2 tournaments in 5 years (not making it this year, so 2 in 5). Both early in his tenure, so not fully his program. He has had a winning conference record 1 time in 5 years (again, not happening this year). This is his worst offensive team. Talent wise, he has recruited fairly meh, but worse done relatively nothing with the good talent he has recruited. This year in particular I have no idea wtf he's doing with Kai Jones, who is definitely RAW, but also oozing with potential. No tournament wins. In converse, in the 5 years before Barnes was let go, he made the tournament 4 times, getting to the second round twice and third round twice. He made the tournament 16 of 17 years. He made it past the first round 11 years. I was ok with the change at the time. Wasn't in love with the Shaka hire, but was ok with moving on from Barnes. He seemed "tired" and the program seemed like it wanted to take the next step. Fine. But CLEARLY... this hire has been an absolute DISASTER. Not just "well, could have worked out better"... the dude is sitting on a 35-49 conference record. It's not like a crazy amazing basketball conference. If he's let go, there's virtually no chance he finds a head coaching position at a respectable school for multiple years. I don't understand why folks are tip-toeing around this?? They need a HUGE SWING hire. Is Rick Pitino allowed to coach, lol? John Beilin... um, pass. Maybe Mark Few can be swayed away from Gonzaga? Dana Altman? Maybe there's a big name assistant NBA coach? I'm just not sure they can afford to go the "hot" but relatively new name this time. They need a super big name. I suspect the fact there is no obvious BIG NAME hire is as much the reason they'd be stalling a firing this offseason (or in season), as anything. I would have liked to have seen if Yaklich could do some in season turnaround magic - probably too late to make a tourney run even if Shaka was let go today and Yaklich did produce some magic (outside of winning the conference tournament), but if he could maybe go 4-2 over the final 6 conference games and at least make the semi-finals of the conference tournament ... then you might say potential candidate for a year.... but probably too late for that imo.
Agreed on all points. Texas basketball usually has the "luxury" of drifting beneath the gaze of the big money boosters if it does well, but the program is now a national embarrassment. The buyout is $10M and will be worth every penny to stop the bleeding Shaka has inflicted upon this program.
Sounds like something that would fit at UT right now... Havoc is something a lot of teams do - maybe not exactly how he did it, but isn't that Bob Huggins basic philosophy too at West Virginia? But regardless, if the intent was never to use havoc at Texas, I'm not sure the purpose of hiring him as coach. Just go get someone that excels at whatever it is you want to do philosophically. It would be like hiring Andy Reid (or Kliff Kingsbury) for a team that doesn't intend to pass the ball much.
I don't think Texas is getting a big name hire, regardless. After Barnes, you could get anyone you wanted because the program was a consistent top-25 team with Texas' resources. But today? Not sure why anyone would pick Texas over any other of a dozen other big name schools that suck at basketball, not to mention all the smaller schools that excel at it.
It's a fair point. I guess the counter-point is (1) money, (2) those other sucky big name schools won't all also be hiring (potentially) - maybe just a couple, (3) Austin...?? I mean it is a hip, "hot" city. (4) new arena coming, (5) money?? I mean it's not apples to apples, but the football program was able to get Herman... and indeed that might not be as amazing a hire as one would have hoped, but it was a "big" name better hire and is pointed at least in a decent direction, imo. This year was a step backward, but I think after 6-7, 5-7, 5-7 of Strong, the arrow is definitely pointed in the right direction and it's a big ship to turn. The problem might be coaches see this now. They can look at football and say even that's been a tough road to turn around, basketball doesn't get quite the same resources and attention, and their mediocre/bad coach has been there 5 years and the program is probably in an even worse spot than the football program was when Strong was fired (debateable). In short, I don't think it's quite yet to the point where there is just zero UT appeal. It's just one bad coach/regime to get past. And all that said... you don't get the BIG NAME... fine. Got to do better at getting the right HOT name.
Our program wasn’t really that bad The knock was the Barnes couldn’t get back to final four We were at least a tournament team every year
Well those resources are still there along with a brand new arena to boot. Also don't think there will be that many openings but in any case, Texas should be able to outbid them if they decide to go that route. But as @JayZ750 posted, don't think we are at this point yet. The program still has a TON to offer.
We send a good amount of players to the NBA. I think Jericho Sims and Kia Jones are prospects this year. However Shaka's basketball tenure might be worse than Tommy Penders
The next UT guard/wing that Shaka sends to the NBA will be literally the first one. Sims is out for the year, back problems. Are you ****ing kidding me about Penders? He was great early on, UT went from nothing to fun, then he got a little too proud of himself, and he loved Austin nightlife a bit too much, and he flamed out in spectacular fashion. SWC Penders vs Nolan Richardson were some ridiculously fun games.
TCU has lost six of their last seven, and eight out of their last ten games. They’re struggling big time. Should be a real **** show tonight!
They're shockingly playing their best ball of the year at the right time, they played a really solid game in Lubbock today. You can see a lot of Frank Kaminsky in Baker. Cunningham is gritty as hell, that's right, I said it. They get both Okies to close out the season. Gotta split those, and not lose in the 1st round of the conference tourney. Game @Norman next Tuesday is huge.
Greg Brown III (mostly his dad) says he'll only go to UT if they keep Shaka. Take that for what it's worth.