Texas at ISU

[DenverSooner]

Cyclones up 36-25.

 

[usedtobe1]

I think the Cyclones are the best team in the Big 12 regardless of record.

The Turner kid for Texas is improving by leaps and bounds. If he comes out this year he will be a 1st rounder because he will get drafted for the future. He towers over Niang.

 

[stormspencer]

Year in and year out, you pretty much know what you're going to get from Texas. They usually play hard and are good defenders. But on offense, they are dysfunctional even though they have some good talent (Turner, Taylor, etc.)....and their lack of cohesion really comes out against the better teams on their schedule. They have size/length, but they haven't been taking advantage of it like they should this year. They really don't have a pure outside shooter (unless you count Felix) and that hurts their fluidity on offense as opposing defenses usually pack it in and dare Texas to shoot/win from outside.

 

[AdaSooner]

I have said it before and I'll say it again, Rick Barnes is one of the most overrated coaches in the country. He's a great recruiter, as evidenced by the talent he continues to sign in year after year, but he underachieves with the players he brings.

This year's team is a good example of that. Ridley and Turner were McDonald's All-Americans. Turner was the #2 ranked player in the country last year; Ridley was ranked #8 coming out of high school. And, it's not like they don't have any help. Six other players on that team were ranked in the top 100. Three of the six were top 75(one member of that group was a top 50 player).

Barnes has signed 14 Mickey D AA's at Texas. Think about the kind of teams Kelvin Sampson or Lon Kruger could have with that many burger boys. I say again, Barnes is no better than an average coach!

 

[stormspencer]

I have said it before and I'll say it again, Rick Barnes is one of the most overrated coaches in the country. He's a great recruiter, as evidenced by the talent he continues to sign in year after year, but he underachieves with the players he brings.

This year's team is a good example of that. Ridley and Turner were McDonald's All-Americans. Turner was the #2 ranked player in the country last year; Ridley was ranked #8 coming out of high school. And, it's not like they don't have any help. Six other players on that team were ranked in the top 100. Three of the six were top 75(one member of that group was a top 50 player).

Barnes has signed 14 Mickey D AA's at Texas. Think about the kind of teams Kelvin Sampson or Lon Kruger could have with that many burger boys. I say again, Barnes is no better than an average coach!

I don't follow recruiting that closely, but I didn't realize they had that type of talent on board this season. I knew about Turner last year, but good Lord, that is some serious underachieving with great talent. I mean, he did have Kevin Durant and didn't make it out of the first weekend of the NCAAs, so you certainly have good history to back up your point regarding Rick Barnes "average-ness".

 

[AdaSooner]

I don't follow recruiting that closely, but I didn't realize they had that type of talent on board this season. I knew about Turner last year, but good Lord, that is some serious underachieving with great talent. I mean, he did have Kevin Durant and didn't make it out of the first weekend of the NCAAs, so you certainly have good history to back up your point regarding Rick Barnes "average-ness".

Most people don't realize that Lon Kruger has won three games in a row (4 of the last 5) against Barnes. Three of the five were in Austin. Think about what Lon could do if he was bringing in that kind of talent?

 

[DenverSooner]

Most people don't realize that Lon Kruger has won three games in a row (4 of the last 5) against Barnes. Three of the five were in Austin. Think about what Lon could do if he was bringing in that kind of talent?

The one they lost in Texas they were up 20.

 

[campbest]

Not a Barnes' apologist, but they don't have the guard play to have consistent success this season...Taylor is overrated (was before the season).

All the top posts in the country can be at your disposal, but if you don't have the guard play to get them the ball and stretch a defense, it doesn't matter.

Iowa State and KU are separating themselves from the pack...and quickly.

 

[AdaSooner]

OU's record against Texas the last couple of years, and ISU's win against the Whorns last night, proves it's not always about the number of stars by a player's name. I'm not saying it's all about coaching. What I am saying is that the make up of a team and team chemistry are just as important, if not more so, than the talent level.

Otherwise, how do you explain the ability of an OU or an ISU to compete against what is clearly the most talented team on paper? The exception, of course, is when a team like Kentucky has so many burger boys on its roster, talent trumps every factor their opponents can throw their way.

 

[stormspencer]

Not a Barnes' apologist, but they don't have the guard play to have consistent success this season...Taylor is overrated (was before the season).

All the top posts in the country can be at your disposal, but if you don't have the guard play to get them the ball and stretch a defense, it doesn't matter.

Iowa State and KU are separating themselves from the pack...and quickly.

I think it is fair to say that Taylor hasn't been the same since his injury. I watched a few Texas games in November and they looked like a different team at that time....compared to now. Having said that, their competition has been upgraded so maybe we are seeing some warts that weren't exposed earlier. Guard play and post play aside, just from what I have seen, this team tends to go as Johnathan Holmes goes. He is not their best player, but when he struggles, the team seems to struggle. I don't understand the correlation, but when he plays well, everything else seems to fall in place with them.....rarely does Holmes have a great game and they lose or vice versa.

 

[campbest]

I think it is fair to say that Taylor hasn't been the same since his injury. I watched a few Texas games in November and they looked like a different team at that time....compared to now. Having said that, their competition has been upgraded so maybe we are seeing some warts that weren't exposed earlier. Guard play and post play aside, just from what I have seen, this team tends to go as Johnathan Holmes goes. He is not their best player, but when he struggles, the team seems to struggle. I don't understand the correlation, but when he plays well, everything else seems to fall in place with them.....rarely does Holmes have a great game and they lose or vice versa.

He is the really the only that can stretch a defense and exploit a mismatch. You put a quick guy on Taylor or run Felix off the line, they aren't nearly as effective.

 

[chuckb]

Texas lacks shooters but Taylor is good. I'm a fan of Woodard but Taylor would start at the point for us.