Texas

[sybarite]

The Longhorns were 24-11, 9-9 in conference play. They did seem to have more talent than their record suggests. But, they were a rather distant third in the conference.

Statistics: 2014-2015
http://www.texassports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=314&path=wbball

Roster: 2015-2016
http://www.texassports.com/roster.aspx?path=wbball

Nneka Enempkali is gone, and I thought she was either the first or second-best player in the conference. I don't know that Texas has anyone in that star quality this year, the player that you know will have a good game against you. They have a number of players who can have a good game, but not the one.

Kelsey Lang is their leading scorer that is returning at 10.6. She is also a fair rebounder at 6.4. Imani McGee-Stafford was more effective against us at 9.9 and 7.1. Her length gave us fits. It was interesting that she only started eight games but made All-Conference.

Ariel Atkins got a lot of publicity, and she could look good at times. But, I'm willing to let a 36% shooter (28.8% from three) shoot all day (9.1 ppg) if I have any effectiveness on the boards. Therein lies the problem. Brady Sanders (7.9) was about the same on percentages, but seemed to be more effective against us. Brooke McCarty (7.1) was slightly better from the field and from three. All three are sophomores this year. Empress Davenport was a 34.7% shooter (7.1) which is enough to give her the ball (10% from three). Brianna Taylor was actually a better shooter (5.8). Celina Rodrigo and Brady Sanders ran the point. Although individual players can have a good game, the Texas guards weren't good enough shooters to beat you. They needed the Texas rebounding.

Nekia Jones transferred.

Recruits:
http://www.texassports.com/news/2014/11/12/WBB_1112140646.aspx?path=wbball
Texas signed three highly-rated recruits, two of whom were forwards, and they need forwards. I wonder if the guard, Hosey, can break into their set of guards. After watching Texas prospects being rated so highly year-after-year with a team that was still only tied for third in the conference at 9-9, I wonder about any recruit. Baylor seems to do more with lower rated recruits, as did we.

Texas will have had a year getting a bunch of freshman guards integrated into D-1 ball, and they do have two decent interior players to work with. They will be formidable, but I'm not sure that they will be much, if any, better than last year. They got their big wins with Nneka. But, I don't know that anyone other than OU or Baylor can beat them in the conference.

Schedule:
http://www.texassports.com/schedule.aspx?path=wbball
They get Stanford and Tennessee again this year. This time, Stanford is in Austin, but Tennessee is in Knoxville. That will tell us a lot.

 

[GoWarriors]

The Longhorns were 24-11, 9-9 in conference play. They did seem to have more talent than their record suggests. But, they were a rather distant third in the conference.

Statistics: 2014-2015
http://www.texassports.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=314&path=wbball

Roster: 2015-2016
http://www.texassports.com/roster.aspx?path=wbball

Nneka Enempkali is gone, and I thought she was either the first or second-best player in the conference. I don't know that Texas has anyone in that star quality this year, the player that you know will have a good game against you. They have a number of players who can have a good game, but not the one.

Kelsey Lang is their leading scorer that is returning at 10.6. She is also a fair rebounder at 6.4. Imani McGee-Stafford was more effective against us at 9.9 and 7.1. Her length gave us fits. It was interesting that she only started eight games but made All-Conference.

Ariel Atkins got a lot of publicity, and she could look good at times. But, I'm willing to let a 36% shooter (28.8% from three) shoot all day (9.1 ppg) if I have any effectiveness on the boards. Therein lies the problem. Brady Sanders (7.9) was about the same on percentages, but seemed to be more effective against us. Brooke McCarty (7.1) was slightly better from the field and from three. All three are sophomores this year. Empress Davenport was a 34.7% shooter (7.1) which is enough to give her the ball (10% from three). Brianna Taylor was actually a better shooter (5.8). Celina Rodrigo and Brady Sanders ran the point. Although individual players can have a good game, the Texas guards weren't good enough shooters to beat you. They needed the Texas rebounding.

Nekia Jones transferred.

Recruits:
http://www.texassports.com/news/2014/11/12/WBB_1112140646.aspx?path=wbball
Texas signed three highly-rated recruits, two of whom were forwards, and they need forwards. I wonder if the guard, Hosey, can break into their set of guards. After watching Texas prospects being rated so highly year-after-year with a team that was still only tied for third in the conference at 9-9, I wonder about any recruit. Baylor seems to do more with lower rated recruits, as did we.

Texas will have had a year getting a bunch of freshman guards integrated into D-1 ball, and they do have two decent interior players to work with. They will be formidable, but I'm not sure that they will be much, if any, better than last year. They got their big wins with Nneka. But, I don't know that anyone other than OU or Baylor can beat them in the conference.

Schedule:
http://www.texassports.com/schedule.aspx?path=wbball
They get Stanford and Tennessee again this year. This time, Stanford is in Austin, but Tennessee is in Knoxville. That will tell us a lot.

Hosey will play the 4 spot. Ariel has the chance to be the MVP of the conference. She has that much ability. She will be scary this year. Brooke M. will step up into the PG spot. This team if Karen lets them play will probably get 2nd place and give Baylor a run for its money. Great athletes that can play ball. If Ariel plays up to her potential this year watch out! Brooke and Ariel will shoot a lot better than their freshman season and they have the bigs too.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Hosey will play the 4 spot. Ariel has the chance to be the MVP of the conference. She has that much ability. She will be scary this year. Brooke M. will step up into the PG spot. This team if Karen lets them play will probably get 2nd place and give Baylor a run for its money. Great athletes that can play ball. If Ariel plays up to her potential this year watch out! Brooke and Ariel will shoot a lot better than their freshman season and they have the bigs too.

I think it's very possible that Texas will split with Baylor this year. I think everyone else will be playing for 3rd.

 

[sybarite]

If I remember right, last year, some people were saying the same things about Texas, but that they would win the conference over Baylor, that they were the coming team. Then, they were lucky to finish in a tie for third, well behind Baylor and OU---well behind. We keep hearing how great Texas will be, ever since GG was hired. I'm waiting.

 

[Southie]

Obviously, sybarite doesn't like Texas; that's obvious in the jabs taken in that subjective write-up.

Injuries to Atkins and Enemkpali changed the direction of Texas' 2014-15 season; anyone who paid attention knows that. So, the fact that Texas made the Sweet 16 in spite of Enemkpali's season-ending knee injury was a huge stepping stone for a program trying to turn things around.

Jordan Hosey is not the freshman "guard" you list; Lashann Higgs is the guard. Hosey is expected to play SF/PF for Texas.

While Baylor won the conference and tourney titles, and Texas finished tied for third and runner-up, the season ended with Baylor advancing only one round further than Texas.

 

[sybarite]

Obviously, sybarite doesn't like Texas; that's obvious in the jabs taken in that subjective write-up.

Injuries to Atkins and Enemkpali changed the direction of Texas' 2014-15 season; anyone who paid attention knows that. So, the fact that Texas made the Sweet 16 in spite of Enemkpali's season-ending knee injury was a huge stepping stone for a program trying to turn things around.

Jordan Hosey is not the freshman "guard" you list; Lashann Higgs is the guard. Hosey is expected to play SF/PF for Texas.

While Baylor won the conference and tourney titles, and Texas finished tied for third and runner-up, the season ended with Baylor advancing only one round further than Texas.

Perhaps, you failed to notice a couple of things:

---in a span of 18 games to show who had the best teams, Texas was 9-9 in a four-way tie with TCU, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State. OU was 13-5, four games better. Baylor was 16-2, seven games better. There was actually more separation between OU and Texas than between OU and Baylor.

---For some reason, the fact that OU lost its best player, Whitney Hand, twice for a year and for a career, it's starting center, Kay Kay for a year, and key freshman point guard, Maddie, for two years doesn't seem to bother people. Texas losing a couple is a disaster. We had years in which we had Chelsi, Erin, Britney, and a couple of others go down with knee injuries, but the same people decry Texas' injuries ignore OU's plethora of injuries.

---this does happen to be an OU board, which might tend to favor OU, at least with OU fans.

 

[SoonerSpock]

Perhaps, you failed to notice a couple of things:

---in a span of 18 games to show who had the best teams, Texas was 9-9 in a four-way tie with TCU, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State. OU was 13-5, four games better. Baylor was 16-2, seven games better. There was actually more separation between OU and Texas than between OU and Baylor.

---For some reason, the fact that OU lost its best player, Whitney Hand, twice for a year and for a career, it's starting center, Kay Kay for a year, and key freshman point guard, Maddie, for two years doesn't seem to bother people. Texas losing a couple is a disaster. We had years in which we had Chelsi, Erin, Britney, and a couple of others go down with knee injuries, but the same people decry Texas' injuries ignore OU's plethora of injuries.

---this does happen to be an OU board, which might tend to favor OU, at least with OU fans.

I don't think OU losing Whitney Hand, Kay Kay had any impact on OU in 2014-15. Losing Maddie definitely had some impact as it takes a while to transition back from ACL's. How much may never be determined. But to draw an analogy with Texas losing Atkins and Enemkpali in 2014-15 is ludicrous. You are comparing apples to oranges as it applies to last season. What's new?

 

[sybarite]

I don't think OU losing Whitney Hand, Kay Kay had any impact on OU in 2014-15. Losing Maddie definitely had some impact as it takes a while to transition back from ACL's. How much may never be determined. But to draw an analogy with Texas losing Atkins and Enemkpali in 2014-15 is ludicrous. You are comparing apples to oranges as it applies to last season. What's new?

Perhaps you didn't notice that I also included Chelsi, Britney, Erin, and others, none of whom were in the program in the past five years which might have seemed to make it obvious that I was referring to the history of OU injuries. But, then, that wouldn't have been useful fodder for an attack. Would it?

 

[SoonerNorm]

Losing Enemkpali and Aikens last year was a killer for Texas last year. I wonder how many games OU would have won without just Peyton.

 

[sybarite]

As I remember, Texas was 3-3 in conference play at the time that Enempkali went down. They weren't invincible.

If OU had all the players that we have lost to ACL or Achilles injuries over the years, might we not have been more successful? Yet, despite our losses, we did make it to a couple of Final Fours after the injuries began to occur with frequency, and we remained in a dead heat with Baylor for the past few years. Given that, how much can you excuse Texas for having a bad result due to a couple of injuries? After all, to hear everyone tell it, Texas has signed twenty-seven All-Americans in the past few years while OU has lost every major recruit. They can't overcome injuries in a year? Got more excuses than Mack Brown.

 

[Sweetest OU Girl]

Injuries do hurt teams. But everyone has them - sometimes many over a short period. If you are recruiting better than everyone else in the conference, a few injuries in a given year - especially when it is only for a few games (as was the case with Enempkali) - should have minimal impact on the season record.

If Texas is recruiting s well as some on this board claim, they should be able to win 3 or 4 National Titles over the next few years. We will see.

 

[SoonerNorm]

Texas doesn't have the talent yet to win a NC. If they sign Holmes, they will be getting closer.

 

[GoWarriors]

Obviously, sybarite doesn't like Texas; that's obvious in the jabs taken in that subjective write-up.

Injuries to Atkins and Enemkpali changed the direction of Texas' 2014-15 season; anyone who paid attention knows that. So, the fact that Texas made the Sweet 16 in spite of Enemkpali's season-ending knee injury was a huge stepping stone for a program trying to turn things around.

Jordan Hosey is not the freshman "guard" you list; Lashann Higgs is the guard. Hosey is expected to play SF/PF for Texas.

While Baylor won the conference and tourney titles, and Texas finished tied for third and runner-up, the season ended with Baylor advancing only one round further than Texas.

A great point! Higgs is another dynamic player coming in for them. Her defense is out of this world. They will need that to try and stop Alexis Jones of Baylor. The matchup will be interesting.

 

[SoonerSpock]

Perhaps you didn't notice that I also included Chelsi, Britney, Erin, and others, none of whom were in the program in the past five years which might have seemed to make it obvious that I was referring to the history of OU injuries. But, then, that wouldn't have been useful fodder for an attack. Would it?

I noticed every injury you referenced in your post and none of that is germane to the impact of the injuries at Texas in 2014. I also recall fan and media reaction to the loss of every player you mentioned. I read the Norman Transcript, The Oklahoman, Tulsa World, Dallas Morning News, Ft Worth Star Telegram and The Austin American-Statesman at least five days a week and I have seen little difference in how each paper covers their local teams aside from The Oklahoman giving less coverage to all OU minor sports including WBB. The Oklahoma press does not dwell on the impact of Texas injuries nor does the Texas press dwell on the impact of Oklahoma injuries.

When we lost Whitney in 2012-13 OU finished 24-11 and 11-7 in the B12 seven games back of Baylor. Perhaps in '12-13 with Hand in the lineup we could really have been in a dead heat with Baylor as you stated we have been for the past few years (1-9 last 5 years).

For certain the loss of Emenkpali had an impact on Texas. The whorns went 1-5 immediately following her loss beating only OU. After their youth got experience without her they closed conference and post season 9-3.

 

[sybarite]

http://soonerstats.com/basketball/women/opponents/details.cfm?OppID=44#.VeOCdJfNPwI

You can pick your time frame in a series that tends to run in streaks. I mentioned Chelsi, and I don't even remember the year in which she, Erin, et al., suffered injury. But, the series is streaky:
11 for OU
4 for Baylor
6 for OU
2 for Baylor
2 for OU
1 for Baylor
2 for OU
9 for Baylor
1 for OU

Despite injuries, OU held its own during this period. But, if the press and nobody paid attention to OU's injuries or Texas' injuries, why is it so often brought up as an excuse on this board. Let's look at Texas during all these injuries to OU. I think OU is 25-20 against Baylor, 23-27 against Texas.

OU is basically about 15-8 over the past ten years with Texas. This is a period in which OU has suffered probably more injuries than Texas. Where is all of that great recruiting coming into play? At some point, Texas has to do more than win a game against Stanford when they have a new team or against Tennessee in OT in Austin. Why do some regard what happened to Texas last year as such a big deal that excused all of their losses? They supposedly had more than one or two great players.

I rather like what we have done with players who don't get rated as superstars every year.

 

[SoonerSpock]

http://soonerstats.com/basketball/women/opponents/details.cfm?OppID=44#.VeOCdJfNPwI

You can pick your time frame in a series that tends to run in streaks. I mentioned Chelsi, and I don't even remember the year in which she, Erin, et al., suffered injury. But, the series is streaky:
11 for OU
4 for Baylor
6 for OU
2 for Baylor
2 for OU
1 for Baylor
2 for OU
9 for Baylor
1 for OU

Despite injuries, OU held its own during this period. But, if the press and nobody paid attention to OU's injuries or Texas' injuries, why is it so often brought up as an excuse on this board. Let's look at Texas during all these injuries to OU. I think OU is 25-20 against Baylor, 23-27 against Texas.

OU is basically about 15-8 over the past ten years with Texas. This is a period in which OU has suffered probably more injuries than Texas. Where is all of that great recruiting coming into play? At some point, Texas has to do more than win a game against Stanford when they have a new team or against Tennessee in OT in Austin. Why do some regard what happened to Texas last year as such a big deal that excused all of their losses? They supposedly had more than one or two great players.

I rather like what we have done with players who don't get rated as superstars every year.

We can talk streaks and the absence of superstars but the only streak that matters to me and I think to most OU WBB fans is OU has not had a regular season conference or B12 Tournament championship in the past six years. During that time Baylor has had 10. You might say OU is a long way from being in a dead heat with Baylor for the past few years (0-2, 0-2, 0-2, 0-2 and 1-1). Furthermore who should be held accountable for the absence of superstars after making three Final Fours?

Personally I have never talked about how good Texas is or is going to be. I have said that since Texas hired Aston they have been getting better players and getting better on the court. But the jury is still out on where she will take them. We should know more after the 2016-17 season. I think they will be much better than they were last year.

I also think the next two years will tell us a lot more about where OU is headed. I think they too should be much better this year and next but they still have to do it first. Fail to do so and it will be eight years without a conference championship and that is not a positive trend for a team that wants to compete for the Final Four and a national championship annually.

Both schools need to win a conference championship or advance beyond the Sweet Sixteen within the next two years or they will not be improving to the level they should.

 

[sybarite]

We can talk streaks and the absence of superstars but the only streak that matters to me and I think to most OU WBB fans is OU has not had a regular season conference or B12 Tournament championship in the past six years. During that time Baylor has had 10. You might say OU is a long way from being in a dead heat with Baylor for the past few years (0-2, 0-2, 0-2, 0-2 and 1-1). Furthermore who should be held accountable for the absence of superstars after making three Final Fours.

Personally I have never talked about how good Texas is or is going to be. I have said that since Texas hired Aston they have been getting better players and getting better on the court. But the jury is still out on where she will take them. We should know more after the 2016-17 season. I think they will be much better than they were last year.

I also think the next two years will tell us a lot more about where OU is headed. I think they too should be much better this year and next but they still have to do it first. Fail to do so and it will be eight years without a conference championship and that is not a positive trend for a team that wants to compete for the Final Four and a national championship annually.

Both schools need to win a conference championship or advance beyond the Sweet Sixteen within the next two years or they will not be improving to the level they should.

I tend to agree with the latter part of your post. I don't put as much stock in the rise of Texas or the phenomenal aspects of their recruits just yet. We've been hearing that since Gigi. The wheels had begun to come off Texas before the Enempkali injury as they had lost to Iowa State and OU, rather soundly in Norman, prior to her injury in a game against Baylor. The early reputation had been built on a win at a rebuilding Stanford that wasn't at all set after graduation losses, and Nneka and Lang dominated an inexperienced Stanford front line in an OT win. They beat a Tennessee team that had some issues in Austin as Tennessee hit 13 of 25 from the free throw line, they only place they could hit any shot. But, the rest of the wins were rather lackluster except for a two-point home win against A&M.

But, they were on the way to their third defeat in a row when Nneka was injured. Then, they went into a real tailspin. It took two OTs and four OU players fouling out for a win in Austin. We didn't play well against them in the Big Twelve, but we were in some sort of funk at the time, having just lost to KU at home.

I'm just not buying into the Texas rise until they rise. Their plethora of superstars just haven't been as advertised yet, and they seem to be getting superstars every year for ten years. We were convinced that they would be totally dominant when they got two very highly-rated centers a few years back, but they didn't perform that well.

I figure that we lost a freshman guard for the year with an ACL, had a post recovering from and ACL, had another guard recovering from two ACLs, and a post still learning her position after missing a year with an Achilles. Yet, we finished second, four games ahead of Texas.

Baylor did win nine in a row in a streak. Let's face it. We didn't handle Griner well. But, like Bond's, Soto's, and McGwire, there probably should be an asterisk on those wins for Baylor. Notice that in the first year without Griner, OU did take one of two from Baylor, and it wasn't due to a great game on the part of some individual who went nuts. It was just a solid team win with a lot of workmanship.

 

[SoonerSpock]

I tend to agree with the latter part of your post. I don't put as much stock in the rise of Texas or the phenomenal aspects of their recruits just yet. We've been hearing that since Gigi. The wheels had begun to come off Texas before the Enempkali injury as they had lost to Iowa State and OU, rather soundly in Norman, prior to her injury in a game against Baylor. The early reputation had been built on a win at a rebuilding Stanford that wasn't at all set after graduation losses, and Nneka and Lang dominated an inexperienced Stanford front line in an OT win. They beat a Tennessee team that had some issues in Austin as Tennessee hit 13 of 25 from the free throw line, they only place they could hit any shot. But, the rest of the wins were rather lackluster except for a two-point home win against A&M.

But, they were on the way to their third defeat in a row when Nneka was injured. Then, they went into a real tailspin. It took two OTs and four OU players fouling out for a win in Austin. We didn't play well against them in the Big Twelve, but we were in some sort of funk at the time, having just lost to KU at home.

I'm just not buying into the Texas rise until they rise. Their plethora of superstars just haven't been as advertised yet, and they seem to be getting superstars every year for ten years. We were convinced that they would be totally dominant when they got two very highly-rated centers a few years back, but they didn't perform that well.

I figure that we lost a freshman guard for the year with an ACL, had a post recovering from and ACL, had another guard recovering from two ACLs, and a post still learning her position after missing a year with an Achilles. Yet, we finished second, four games ahead of Texas.

Baylor did win nine in a row in a streak. Let's face it. We didn't handle Griner well. But, like Bond's, Soto's, and McGwire, there probably should be an asterisk on those wins for Baylor. Notice that in the first year without Griner, OU did take one of two from Baylor, and it wasn't due to a great game on the part of some individual who went nuts. It was just a solid team win with a lot of workmanship.

Aston is not accountable for what transpired in Gigi's reign anymore than Lon is accountable for Capel's debacale. In fact their progress has been similar. Karen has gone 12-18/8th, 22-12/3rd and 24-11/3rd while Lon went 15-16/8th, 20-12/4th and 23-10/2nd in his first three years.

Both Lon and Karen are getting more quality players every year and both need to make the next step with a championship. Ditto for Sherri.

She needs to win a championship too. Sherri set the OU expectation standard with 6 championships and 3 Final Fours in the 11 years preceding her present slump. Our fans are not going to be content until we bring some trophies home at least 30% of the time over a decade. For certain potentially seven years without a championship does not make for happy fans.

 

[sybarite]

Aston is not accountable for what transpired in Gigi's reign anymore than Lon is accountable for Capel's debacale. In fact their progress has been similar. Karen has gone 12-18/8th, 22-12/3rd and 24-11/3rd while Lon went 15-16/8th, 20-12/4th and 23-10/2nd in his first three years.

Both Lon and Karen are getting more quality players every year and both need to make the next step with a championship. Ditto for Sherri.

She needs to win a championship too. Sherri set the OU expectation standard with 6 championships and 3 Final Fours in the 11 years preceding her present slump. Our fans are not going to be content until we bring some trophies home at least 30% of the time over a decade. For certain potentially seven years without a championship does not make for happy fans.

Aston and Gigi may well be different. But, the fan expectations is what keeps claiming Texas is on the rise, and they are no different. I had no opinion of either Gigi or Aston. The fans are what drives the discussion that Texas is constantly collecting superstars.

It has been five years since we went to two Final Fours in a row. That isn't exactly ancient history. It's been fifteen since we won a football title.

 

[SoonerSpock]

Aston and Gigi may well be different. But, the fan expectations is what keeps claiming Texas is on the rise, and they are no different. I had no opinion of either Gigi or Aston. The fans are what drives the discussion that Texas is constantly collecting superstars.

It has been five years since we went to two Final Fours in a row. That isn't exactly ancient history. It's been fifteen since we won a football title.

How long have you been exposed to and lived next to Texan. I would think you would have grasped their concept that all things are bigger and better in Texas. Reality ends when you cross the Red River going south. The only thing positive about whorns is their numbers.

Their football fans consider their program for the last sixty years to be the par with the Sooner program. They like to refer to us a trailer trash when Texas has about .75 million mobile homes which is a hundred thousand more than California. The only reference one needs make about Texas fans is they are whorns. Not unlike OSU fans are pukes.