This game is on ESPN, anyone else watching it? It's actually been a good game. Only 5min left. It looked like it was going to be a UT blowout early. But it's only a 6pt game right now. TAMU played well against UT last year when they got a win against them.
Billy Gillespie has been a great hire for them. I think it's wise that they play a really weak schedule early to help build confidence, untill they acquire the talent needed to start trying to take on good teams in the non-conference schedule. I think they'll be a solid big 12 team for years to come, if not elite. As much as I hate the aggies, I'd recognize it as a great feat if they could get to the point where they are competing to go to the NCAA tourney each year.
damn what's up with aldridge? he fell off. he needs to learn how to stay out of foul trouble/play with fouls. reminds me of how frusterating the early days of yao were.
aggies are definitely getting better but they need to start playing a tougher non-conference schedule. after last year, you knew you could beat a bunch of crappy teams, if they would have played tougher teams they would be more prepared come conference time. you don't have to play powerhouses but play some teams like Houston, St. John's, Virginia, etc. teams from top conferences that are competitive, therefore you really know how much progress you are making as a program. and as far as aldridge, it was just really fouls today. when you have foul problems you can't play the game the way you normally can, and the officiating was poor today as well. it's just an abberation for lamarcus. he's the real deal, just watch him more you learn.
I just got back from the game. This Texas team is very very good. I believe they will win it all this year. Tucker is phenomenal. Gibson is good, he wasn't that impressive today though. Aldridge and Buckman are so tough inside. I do believe Joseph Jones was the best player in the game though. The atmosphere was pretty cool and there were some great signs
Vince Young ran the point at Madison. I'm sure he could have ran point, or play some point forward for Barnes.
We are overrated. We don't have anyone who makes the other players better. Our offense cannot handle the press and our lack of depth will kill us.
Sadly I agree with RIET. If you replaced Gibson with TJ, this team would be a juggernaut, IMO. Our frontcourt is really strong, Paulino is a decent roleplayer, and Gibson is good, but he just hasn't become the general he should be. In a lineup with great finishers in the frontcourt with a little bit of range like PJ, Buckman, and Aldridge, and a good spot up shooter/cutter in Paulino, Gibson should be getting assists left and right. IC- This was normal Gibson today. I just don't think he's that good. (Aldridge, on the other hand, just had a bad game, but you could see how good he is.) I think we're really, really good, and may even make it to the Final 4, but I don't see us winning it all unless Gibson becomes a general quickly.
I agree with all of this. I think final four is a definite possibility. Paulino and abrams looked pretty decent too. Buckman is a beast. I have never seen a team with so much problems handling our press. It usually never works.
i agree that we're overrated as of now. remember when we beat memphis? there was a stretch when we couldnt even inbound the ball in 3-4 tries. that was just atrocious and borderline embarassing. duke absolutely destroyed us with their zone. our ballhandling is very erratic. aldridge needs to revert back to early season form. he doesnt even block shots anymore though hes still a badass defender. our bench is horrible. we need more out of mike williams but its promising to see abrams carve his niche in the team. the good news is that our defense is suffocating, but as of now i dont think we're a final 4 team. we definitely have potential to win it all but right now no.
Texas has no depth. Their starting 5 is as good as any but their bench is horrible. When Buckman was out eariler this year, they sucked without him. They also need to solve the PG situation. Daniel Gibson is a good player but is not a PG. Kenton Paulino is solid but he also isn't a true PG. Guard play dominates in the tournament. I also agree that Texas A&M needs to start playing a tougher non-conference schedule. Your not gonna get better by playing Southern, Miss. Valley State, North Texas, Grambling State, Savannah State, Northwestern State, and Texas Southern. Not to mention playing all those games at home. I believe you need to schedule at least two early tough road games. Even if you lose, it will pay off in the future. Aggies should make the NIT and they have a bright future with Acie Law, Joseph Jones, Josh Carter, and Martellus Bennett.
I believe Texas can have four true freshman starting next year. With Kenton Paulino and Brad Buckman graduating and LaMarcus Aldridge and Daniel Gibson likely to enter the NBA Draft, that will leave four spots open. I think nobody on the current roster is worthy of being a starter. They have a great recruting class coming in including the second best player in the country in small forward Kevin Durant from Suitland, Maryland. They also signed point guard D.J. Augustin from Fort Bend Hightower. They signed the big6-foot-10 300 pound center from Rosenburg, Dexter Pittman.
rikesh, the probability of both lamarcus and daniel leaving after this season, unless they win the championship, is very low. gibson has been exposed this year in scout's eyes becaues he hasn't handled the ball well and makes poor passing decisions. he's not tall enough to the play the nba 2, so if he leaves, he's a borderline 1st round pick. i see daniel coming back next year, he has too many areas to improve on. larmarcus could leave, but just ask rick barnes and he'll tell you how much larmarcus loves to learn and practice to get better. he saw how much improved from last year to this year and one more offseason like that will make him a much more complete and ready player for the nba. he still has injury concerns after the hip surgery last season and he still has to get stronger, he's stronger than he was as a freshman but he still needs to get even stronger to play post in the nba.
and it still doesn't matter...because texas will recruit great talent when any of these guys leave, anyway.
I agree about Gibson, he's had a disappointing season thus far. I have a feeling he might come back, unless he busts out and goes nuts the rest of the season. As for Aldridge, I think he will leave. He was planning on leaving last season before the injury so you know he wants to go asap. Plus, he will probably be a guaranteed top 5 pick, maybe higher if he has a good showing in the tourney. But with Durant and DJ coming in, along with the possibility of Gibson and Tucker returning, we could have a pretty good team next year, not as good as this year's though.
Its a joke that Daniel Gibson was talking nba before this season. forget t.j. ford, just imagine if the guy just consistenlty hit a shot, which he was recruited for, they would be damn near unstoppable. the impressive thing about him is he can always get a shot, he just doesn't shoot well enough.
Meanwhile CJ Miles is toiling with Albuquerque in the NBDL without a guaranteed contract. What the hell was he thinking?
