What's frustrating is to see all this talent come through the program and our inability to ever do a damn thing with it.
We're all sensing a pattern. Baker won't leave after 1, I'd almost guarantee. Why can't he recruit guards who can handle the ball defend and shoot? That was his ******* m.o. when they hired him. Not even mentioning the total lack of wing players.
How are you guarantee'ing that on Baker? I can easily envision a scenario where after year 1 it's clear he needs more seasoning. He's currently projecting as a multi-year guy. But I can also envision a scenario where he holds his own athletically and rises up potential draft boards as a multi-dimensional big - something different then the more recent bigs out of Texas. Just curious if you were commenting based on where you think he'll be as a prospect, or if you have some insider info. As to their class overall... 247sports has their class ranked 1st in the Big 12 and 13th overall with their 3 signees: Baker (25th overall, 8th ranked center) Williams (58th overall, 6th ranked SG) Jones (53rd overall, 14th ranked center) But Shaka always has an "ok" class that underperforms. Obviously next year is huge for him...
Shaka can sure recruit. I do wonder if he actually learn to coach. The NIT gives me some hope. He also gradually started playing his best players more as the year went on.
College basketball is all about excellent guard play. Texas has been extremely disappointing under Shaka with regards to recruiting and developing guards. I'm not optimistic about grabbing a couple more centers and a shooting guard but maybe I'm wrong.
What happened to his "havoc" style of play? I thought it was the the basis for his success at VCU and the reason he got hired at Texas.
Just because he gets a lottery pick every couple years doesn’t mean he is a good recruiter. Look at the players that have left early for the NBA from UT under Smart... all bigs and all projects that didn’t really make a major contribution in their short college careers. Impact at the college level and NBA potential are not always the same.
Work to re-route Red River starts this December to make room for the new UT Basketball arena which will also start construction around that time.
Well, @Buck Turgidson you're near guarantee on Baker could have been an absolute guarantee. I've watched a bit, and he definitely has "wow I'm in college and playing for UT!" nerves out there, but still... he's got a LONG way to go. Still early... Donovan Williams has been "ok", and the sophomores seem to have improved so that's good.
That's what I saw from him in HS, man among boys and needed to bulk up and get used to better competition. He's got skills though, it'll come eventually. eta: outside of a few players, the Austin area is not rife with top-shelf basketball competition for a guy like Baker.
Just left a 2 point squeaker against McNeese State. Ultimately I think it comes down to the same problem the football team has. Solid enough recruiting. Lack of development and lackluster coaching. Absent a crazy recruiting class I’m not sure Shaka gets there. Which is strange - he got the job by being a great coach of so so players. His in game decisions from rotations to when he calls a timeout to adjustments to offensive and defensive systems are all just meh. The upside imo is there is some talent. Kia Jones has NBA upside if he could develop his game. Donovan Williams and Greg Liddell have potential. And even Will Baker - I cant understand why or how he’s being used/ not used. He got 2 random minutes today and got pulled for no obvious reason (he gave up an offensive board but was rotating) - in any case he’s got real upside. I’m not in love with Sims. He’s just tall. He’s not hadn’t but doesn’t really do much. Don’t get me wrong. He’s pretty important to the team especially with rebounding and boards and especially if Shaka can’t develop Baker.... he’s just kind of meh. It’s less that he’s not good. He does his role well.... you just wish he was more ala the big screen before him. Kai Jones is the real potential player. Shaka needs to be better.
Well, if the current trend continues, CDC will be able to hire a new coach as the Moody Center opens. Shaka is about to get, somehow, even more outclassed and embarrassed in conference play this year.
I don't understand what he's doing with Kai Jones? Relatively highly ranked recruit. Seeing him in person its clear he's got huge upside potential. He got 7 minutes against Providence and 3 minutes against Baylor. Of course, that said, not sure what he's (Shaka) doing generally. Do they run a system? What are they known for? Also, comment above aside... the cupboards are relatively empty talent wise. I mean, they may actually surprise and do better this year than last and heck, make the tourney, just based on no name guys playing hard - which seems to be all they can do - but either way, do that, or finish outside looking in again (which seems more likely just based on talent and coaching), no clue what Shaka is doing and the program seems at a relative low point...
I have to say, I'm extremely surprised Shaka hasn't worked out. I thought he was a tremendous hire with a name that would make it easy to recruit.
right. Even more confusing given what he was good at previously. Which was getting scrappy guards to disrupt and cause chaos full court and outcoaching. Here it’s been more of big recruit factory and lack of coaching.