Glad To See Shaka Smart And Texas Off To A Good Start
- Thread starter gymman1031
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He's been there 5 years.
Exactly! Often, it takes that long for a team to be composed of all the current coaches players.
Yeah, I'm also glad to see he's doing well this year thus far. Good person and a pretty good coach. He definitely needs a lineup of athletes that go at least 9-10 deep for success in his system. I haven't looked at their roster or watched a game this year. But maybe he finally has that this year.
I disagree. UL changed coaches and they were fine. When Cal got to UK they were good in a hurry and when Roy got to UNC he won a title 2 years after he got there.
I didn't say "always". But there have been multiple times in which what I said above has been the case.
I know a lot of people here in Houston who coach and are involved with HS and AAU basketball
People say Shaka is one of the smartest basketball people they have been around
Shaka hasn't done everything perfect and had some bad luck with injuries and players leaving early
Shaka had no idea Jaxson Hayes was going to be a lottery pick after his first year
Still made mistakes with Will Baker..
I don't even know why they even offered him
But we will see. Hasn't proven anything yet.
Needs to make a deep run and be consistent
Shaka is somewhere that he can win a NC If he creates a program
People say Shaka is one of the smartest basketball people they have been around
Shaka hasn't done everything perfect and had some bad luck with injuries and players leaving early
Shaka had no idea Jaxson Hayes was going to be a lottery pick after his first year
Still made mistakes with Will Baker..
I don't even know why they even offered him
But we will see. Hasn't proven anything yet.
Needs to make a deep run and be consistent
Shaka is somewhere that he can win a NC If he creates a program
Pretty sure he has had a plethora of talent. Shaka is also a total self absorbed shithead
Not saying he hasn't had talent and that he definitely is a nice person. I am just saying that he could be the latest example of a coach who has his breakout season when the talent is finally his.
PS-Don't get me wrong. I am not making Shaka "king of the mountain" if he DOES have that breakout season. It isn't like he inherited a program in shambles like some of the other coaches who fall into the category I mentioned above.
Not athletic
If you want to play with a stretch 5 maybe. But wasn't coming together and was never going to be a guy who can put the ball on the floor
Shaka likes guys who are bouncy. Bigs who may not be able to hit the 22 foor shot but who can play on the perimeter with the pick and roll.
Mainly wants a rim protector more than anything.
Texas will 100% give kansas trouble this year based off of their roster make-up vs ours.
Do you remember the talent that those guys inherited in those situation? Particularly UNC. Not to mention that all three of your example are considered college basketball BB/powerhouse programs. Texas was on the decline and had very little talent. Not saying that someone could not have come in and done better in a shorter amount of time. But your examples should be with a comparable program and situation.
Wait...Texas was on the decline? Barnes was always a threat---just couldnt get over the hump in the tourney. Ut was our biggest rival most of barnes time in the big 12---Am I not remembering correctly? IMO firing barnes was a terrible trade off to go to Shaka
UK was on the decline when Cal got there and his first recruiting class was Wall/Cousins/Bledsoe. UNC was a trainwreck with Doherty even though he recruited May/Felton/McCants he couldn't win with them. Roy changed that. What I'm saying in CBB it shouldn't take you 5 years to establish yourself especially at Texas because they have the resources and the in state talent to be competitive.
Shaka won in his first year with Rick Barnes players
The issue with Shaka was those first two recruiting classes.
Shaka has gotten better about the players he is bringing in.
Inexperience and relying on the wrong people hurt Shaka
Recruiting at VCU is very different than recruiting at Texas
The issue with Shaka was those first two recruiting classes.
Shaka has gotten better about the players he is bringing in.
Inexperience and relying on the wrong people hurt Shaka
Recruiting at VCU is very different than recruiting at Texas
| 2008–09 | Texas | 23–12 | 9–7 | T–4th | NCAA Division I Round of 32 |
| 2009–10 | Texas | 24–10 | 9–7 | T–6th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 |
| 2010–11 | Texas | 28–8 | 13–3 | 2nd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 |
| 2011–12 | Texas | 20–14 | 9–9 | 5th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 |
| 2012–13 | Texas | 16–18 | 7–11 | 7th | CBI First Round |
| 2013–14 | Texas | 24–11 | 11–7 | T–3rd | NCAA Division I Round of 32 |
| 2014–15 | Texas | 20–14 | 8–10 | T–6th | NCAA Division I Round of 64 |
Next year is probably the key for him
Who returns?
What about the freshman? Joplin the recruit from Wisconsin could come in and make noise early
But it will be about keeping the ball rolling
His problem will be having a big year and then not following it up
That was the issue with Barnes. Barnes is a good coach and brings energy to a program but only consistent thing Barnes did was get into the Tournament every year
He wasn't much of a threat after about 2008.
Who returns?
What about the freshman? Joplin the recruit from Wisconsin could come in and make noise early
But it will be about keeping the ball rolling
His problem will be having a big year and then not following it up
That was the issue with Barnes. Barnes is a good coach and brings energy to a program but only consistent thing Barnes did was get into the Tournament every year
He wasn't much of a threat after about 2008.
Crean had IU #1 his 4th year. Look how that worked out.
Texas isn't Indiana...
The amount of people who are basketball 365 days out of the year is very low.
So Shaka has that benefit. Not saying he has it easy because for the most part he has come under attack constantly...
But Shaka has the ability to make mistakes just as long as he fixes them.
If he had to do things over he would have done them differently.
2015 recruiting class would have been difficult regardless
But 2016. He would have went with Carsen Edwards over Jacob Young.
Jacob Young is Micheal Young's son. Micheal Young was one hell of a player for the University of Houston and people in the Houston area especially around Jack Yates HS think the world of that family...
Looking back at the decision Shaka knows he made a mistake...
Nothing against Jacob Young. He is a good player. Big part of Rutgers.
But he wasn't Carsen Edwards
When Andrew Jones went out.
Shaka didn't have much in the backcourt except a young freshman Coleman.
He tried to get Kerwin Roach's head straight.
But didn't have that impact player...
With Andrew Jones on that team in 2017-2018 Texas was legit..
You need guards. .
Can't babysit players every game. Have to show them what to do and how to win
But you can't hold their hands...
If you look at the guards. .
Shaka needs guards. His style of basketball needs guards and a long athletic front court.
But now those guards are older who see how much of an impact Shaka has on them
If he continues to find himself without his guards he will lose his job.
But like I said Shaka has the chance at Texas to learn from his mistakes.
If he goes 4 years again without accomplishing much of anything he most likely won't have a job.
Probably even after 2 of those years.
The amount of people who are basketball 365 days out of the year is very low.
So Shaka has that benefit. Not saying he has it easy because for the most part he has come under attack constantly...
But Shaka has the ability to make mistakes just as long as he fixes them.
If he had to do things over he would have done them differently.
2015 recruiting class would have been difficult regardless
But 2016. He would have went with Carsen Edwards over Jacob Young.
Jacob Young is Micheal Young's son. Micheal Young was one hell of a player for the University of Houston and people in the Houston area especially around Jack Yates HS think the world of that family...
Looking back at the decision Shaka knows he made a mistake...
Nothing against Jacob Young. He is a good player. Big part of Rutgers.
But he wasn't Carsen Edwards
When Andrew Jones went out.
Shaka didn't have much in the backcourt except a young freshman Coleman.
He tried to get Kerwin Roach's head straight.
But didn't have that impact player...
With Andrew Jones on that team in 2017-2018 Texas was legit..
You need guards. .
Can't babysit players every game. Have to show them what to do and how to win
But you can't hold their hands...
If you look at the guards. .
Shaka needs guards. His style of basketball needs guards and a long athletic front court.
But now those guards are older who see how much of an impact Shaka has on them
If he continues to find himself without his guards he will lose his job.
But like I said Shaka has the chance at Texas to learn from his mistakes.
If he goes 4 years again without accomplishing much of anything he most likely won't have a job.
Probably even after 2 of those years.
Even if Texas has a really solid year, it doesn’t mean that Shaka has “turned the corner.” Let’s be honest, Barnes had them at this level in most years.
It’s pretty widely agreed upon that Texas has one of the best rosters in the nation, in what looks to be a down year.
It’s pretty widely agreed upon that Texas has one of the best rosters in the nation, in what looks to be a down year.
You could argue that Texas has the most talented roster in the country. They had 11 top 100 guys before Will Baker left the program. As a comparison, Duke has 9 and Kentucky has 8. I'm not buying the whole "he didn't have success, because they weren't his players" argument. This is his 6th season. A career 40-50 in the Big XII with 0 NCAAT wins. That argument may hold up for the first two years, but by season three, most of those guys are yours. I think Texas will finally break through this year and reach the second weekend, but I see that more of the fact that they are supremely talented. Texas has the most profitable athletic department in the nation. There's no reason why they couldn't be competing right alongside Kansas every year.
Calling that a "program in horrible shape" is absurd. Barnes made the tournament in 6 of his final 7 years. Beilein took over a Michigan program that had missed the tournament 10 straight seasons.
Rick Barnes success hurt him
He wouldn't have lasted that long without it but he gave people I believe 3 Elite 8s in a 5-6 year period and then nothing after that.
The team Shaka inherited was decent. Those guards weren't Shaka's guards but they were experienced.
Had a decent season. Bad luck cost him that game against Northern Iowa.
Any person who knows basketball knows Shaka is a good coach...
You give Shaka his team he will win a lot of games
The question becomes can Shaka have his team almost every year.
Barnes team ..
Weren't ever going to win anything.
He wouldn't have lasted that long without it but he gave people I believe 3 Elite 8s in a 5-6 year period and then nothing after that.
The team Shaka inherited was decent. Those guards weren't Shaka's guards but they were experienced.
Had a decent season. Bad luck cost him that game against Northern Iowa.
Any person who knows basketball knows Shaka is a good coach...
You give Shaka his team he will win a lot of games
The question becomes can Shaka have his team almost every year.
Barnes team ..
Weren't ever going to win anything.
Just Shaka...
Last year he had complete control of that basketball team at the end of the season.
You want to win you do everything the coaches tell you.
But if you want to be embarrassed you go out there and do your thing.
There is more to the story than Shaka is telling you.
Last year's end hurt him as much as anyone.
Because what you see is how that team was to finish the season.
Then Shaka reinforced that in the Oklahoma State game.
Last year he had complete control of that basketball team at the end of the season.
You want to win you do everything the coaches tell you.
But if you want to be embarrassed you go out there and do your thing.
There is more to the story than Shaka is telling you.
Last year's end hurt him as much as anyone.
Because what you see is how that team was to finish the season.
Then Shaka reinforced that in the Oklahoma State game.
