Rick Barnes' problem starts with recruiting. He loves defensive oriented players that will go all out for him. The issue is he places little to no value to offensive efficiency. He's like an antithesis of the Rockets. Where are the spot up 3pt shooters on this team? Remember Sheldon McClellan and Sterling Gibbs? They are killing it... for other teams because Barnes either stupidly ran them off the program or simply didn't play them because they weren't defensive oriented.
It's possibly another signature Rick Barnes' coached team collapse. The players are regressing. What the hell happened to Cameron Ridley? How about the senior Johnathan Holmes 0/11 FG 0 point stinker @ OSU
McClellan left because he didn't buy into playing team basketball. When he was here, he shot a lot, and did a terrible job of it. He was part of the offensive problem here 2 years ago, and there was a reason the team dramatically improved by subtracting him and a few others. He's improved and presumably matured since then, as players should do from the Freshman to Junior years. Gibbs left because Kabongo (an offensive player) decided to stay and Javan Felix, a top 100 recruit, was coming in right behind him.
Imagine if LaMarcus, Gibson and Tucker has stuck around one more season when Durant had shown up on campus. Holy sheeet that would have been the most talented squad ever.
Yancy - 29 points (6-9 3pt FGs) Taylor - 23 points Holmes + Turner + Ridley: 10 points Holmes has 12 points in three games since returning from his concussion. I can't count the number of threes Taylor gave up getting stuck behind a screen. Turner can't seal off the post enough to catch a pass. He doesn't seem to have found his identity as a player. Ridley continues to struggle and looks more like a freshman than the improved player we saw at the end of last season. Our crowd sucked for a game we had to win against a top 25 opponent. Players are doing so many things wrong fundamentally; that's at least partially on Barnes and his staff.
I'm not sure how safe Rick's job is, especially with a new AD. His contract has a very favorable buyout so money is not a problem, not like it would be at UT anyway.
Last season was a masterful job but it's time to move on. It's become clear that Barnes has lost his mojo and UT will be nothing but mediocre going forward if he stays. Barnes should move on to a mid-major where the occasional great season is ok. UT, assuming Patterson wants to get them back on top, needs new blood.
Holmes was just ejected for retaliating and throwing an elbow. What a joke. As the only senior on the team, he should be leading. On another note, we are shooting 73% from the field, but our hot shooting has been completely negated by 12 turnovers.
The only thing this team seems good at is making games close with frantic play in the last few minutes of games. They need to figure out if they can play that way for more of the game, because they've done a great job with it in their last several games - but always too little, too late.
Barnes cant coach coach offense dude should have been fired after 2009... but ut doesnt care about basketball
He should have been fired 1 year after making the Elite Eight and after making 3 Elite Eights in the previous 7 years? I believe there were only 2 or 3 teams that did that over that period.
I wish Barnes would retire while he is (relatively) ahead. Don't make this a big deal like Mack Brown; just ride off into the sunset as the best coach in UT history.
I can't see him leaving voluntarily - I think he loves being in Austin. But I could see him quietly being forced out, assuming no miracle turnaround this season. Expectations were high coming in and there's no logical reason they should be this bad - these are types of players and recruiting style he wanted. I like Barnes a lot and thinks he deserves more credit than he gets, but it's hard to argue that it's not time for something new.
Agree with all of this. I have met Barnes personally, and he is very nice and professional. I just think sometimes you need a change - that's how coaching in college and the pros works. If he stays, I won't throw a fit, but he will definitely be working on borrowed time.
Refs did all the could to screw that game up. I'm a Kansas fan and even I thought it was just miserably officiated on both ends.
*On both ends for Texas. Case in point is the Oubre dunk and 1 where no one was within 5 feet of him. On the last drive by Taylor, the Kansas player's knee was in fact out enough to trip Taylor. I understand "let the players play," but not to that extent. Well, Rick Barnes is fired, which is probably a good thing. Texas has a huge size advantage inside and does nothing with it. Turner will never get the ball thrown to him on the block if he can't shield off his man. Throwing the ball down to Turner has resulted in numerous turnovers over the past few games.