How good would 07 Texas be in this era?
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Durant's team had a 25-pt lead in both games vs KU and blew them both. 
Their biggest lead in the Big 12 Tournament championship was 32-10 and we'd cut that to a 5 point lead by half. KU won in 88-84 in OT.. I was at the game.Durant's team had a 25-pt lead in both games vs KU and blew them both.
The game in Lawrence was really good too but I think their biggest lead was 16. 90-86 (Durant rolled his ankle and missed some of the 2nd half getting re-tapped).
I was at the game in Lawrence. Durant is by far the best player I've seen in person.
I think they had 20+ leads in both but I could be wrong.
I just checked the box scores on espn. 51-35 in late in the first half was their biggest lead in Lawrence. 32-10 early first half was biggest lead in Big 12 T championship game.
Durant is the best college player I've seen by a wide margin and I was at the 08 final four with Love, Westbrook, Rose, etc. We had an elite defensive team in 07 and he just torched us. Brandon Rush probably did the best against him.
2007 Texas had potential to have all of these guys in their lineup on the assumption that nobody left early in 2006.
Kevin Durant
Lamarcus Aldridge
DJ Augustin
PJ Tucker
Damion James
Daniel Gibson
AJ Abrams
All of those guys at one point were either an All-American or All Big 12. I think they may have even had another 5 star or two on their roster that never played up to their potential. From 2005-2010, Rick Barnes was one of the 5 best recruiters in the game. They had so much talent coming in every year.
But to answer the OP, I think that Texas team today would've probably had pretty similar results that they had then. Their A game was on par with most top 5 teams that year but they would really struggle at times to play up to that potential. They clicked pretty well the following year without Durant. I think they had everybody back + more 5 stars and they were a Top 10 team losing in the Elite 8 to Memphis.
Thanks for the flashback. I was a hardcore CBB fan in the 2000's(10x what I am now) and those KU-UT games were some of the best I've ever KU play in. I miss Texas being really good.
Kevin Durant
Lamarcus Aldridge
DJ Augustin
PJ Tucker
Damion James
Daniel Gibson
AJ Abrams
All of those guys at one point were either an All-American or All Big 12. I think they may have even had another 5 star or two on their roster that never played up to their potential. From 2005-2010, Rick Barnes was one of the 5 best recruiters in the game. They had so much talent coming in every year.
But to answer the OP, I think that Texas team today would've probably had pretty similar results that they had then. Their A game was on par with most top 5 teams that year but they would really struggle at times to play up to that potential. They clicked pretty well the following year without Durant. I think they had everybody back + more 5 stars and they were a Top 10 team losing in the Elite 8 to Memphis.
Thanks for the flashback. I was a hardcore CBB fan in the 2000's(10x what I am now) and those KU-UT games were some of the best I've ever KU play in. I miss Texas being really good.
2007 Texas was #92 on D per KenPom (#25 overall). There was a lot of upside, but a crappy defense almost always causes problems in the NCAA Tournament. I'm a subscriber of the idea that the modern NCAA is as devoid of experienced talent as it's ever been, but 2007 was only 12 years ago and there was already an abundance of one and dones depleting the game. I think that would be a Sweet 16 team today, maybe, but not much more.
Alternative question: does Shaka make the NIT final four with that team?
Nasty team
DJ Augustin
Damien James
Kevin Durant
Dexter Pittman
Surprised they didn’t make the final four that year honestly.
But the sickest Texas team was right before that one, better than their 03 FF team:
PJ Tucker
Lamarcus Aldridge
AJ Abrams
Daniel Gibson
Mike Williams
DJ Augustin
Damien James
Kevin Durant
Dexter Pittman
Surprised they didn’t make the final four that year honestly.
But the sickest Texas team was right before that one, better than their 03 FF team:
PJ Tucker
Lamarcus Aldridge
AJ Abrams
Daniel Gibson
Mike Williams
Yeah, I mainly used them as an example of just how talented some teams were back in that era. the 1&done player was much more rare back then. I feel like after 2007 1& dones became more frequent.
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Cool list of all one and done players since the rule was enabled.
https://m.herosports.com/news/one-and-done-rule-list-college-basketball-nba-visualized
https://m.herosports.com/news/one-and-done-rule-list-college-basketball-nba-visualized
The 05-06 team lost to LSU in the Elite 8.
The Final 4 team had Royal Ivey.
He didn't put up many points but still today is a Top 3 defensive guard in the history of the Big 12.
Played 8 years in the NBA just on defense alone.
Him and TJ Ford in the backcourt were deadly.
TJ Ford was a better college player than Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge.
I’ve always felt those teams in 2006-08 were just so loaded with talent. The talent in the 07 tourney was siick. When I look back at the games there were a ton of future NBA stars in those games. Enough that if there was a “Zion” he wouldn’t have gotten so much love because there were so many sick players. Shit Durant wasn’t even the first pick in that draft!
Not sure about all that, but I do know that the UT-TAMU game between Durant and Acie Law IV that year was probably the most fun basketball game I've ever watched as a neutral observer.
OU and Texas had the best PGs in the country back to back years with Hollis Price and TJ. We struggled against both those years. Both went to final four with us in 02 and 03
Can't remember his name. Maybe LaFrentz who had a 20+ point 20+ rebound game against Texas in 2003.
Pretty much won the game himself.
Nick Collison
Collison
Collison, Gooden and Hinrich led us to our final fours then. Gooden wasn’t on the 2003 team tho. Our 2002 team was a dirty shame we didn’t win it all.
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According to KYJeff, Barnes has had better talent at Tennessee.
We saw the peak of Rick Barnes at Tennessee.
Sweet 16/Elite 8.
At Texas it was Elite 8/Final 4.
Rick Barnes biggest issue is Penny Hardaway at Memphis.
Durant's team had a 25-pt lead in both games vs KU and blew them both.
Surprised Durant didn't immediately try to transfer to Kansas after the game.
According to KYJeff, Barnes has had better talent at Tennessee.
We saw the peak of Rick Barnes at Tennessee.
Sweet 16/Elite 8.
At Texas it was Elite 8/Final 4.
Rick Barnes biggest issue is Penny Hardaway at Memphis.
I always liked Barnes
Aaron brooks was nasty for Oregon. Fl’s 2007 last three opponent’s PGs..Aaron Brooks, Collison/Westbrook, Conley.
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team would have no shot at winning a title today........... after all Rick Barnes was their coach.
Played terrible team ball. Probably similar to 2017 Kentucky. Forgotten that year was the Michael Beasley team at Kansas State. Beasley came in with as much hype. Still think he could’ve been as good.
That was the year after
2007-2008.
Bill Walker and Micheal Beasley.
Beasley averaged almost 30 PPG in college
https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/kansas-state/2008.html
It was early in the season and only by 2.
Problem with Rick Barnes was defense.
Great tournament coaches win with D.
Jim Boeheim, Jim Calhoun and Tom Izzo are the best examples the last 20 years.
All three usually went further than their talent should allow.
That Texas team loss a lot of close games and could have easily went into the tournament with 2-3 losses.
But in the second round they couldn't score and unless you make an effort to shut teams out on the defensive end you can't go through droughts.
Only time Rick Barnes went to the Final 4 the regional was in San Antonio and Barnes was truthfully outcoached by both Izzo and Calhoun.
The crowd provided enough lift for Texas.
Barnes is Coach January.
If you like being ranked and winning 25 games a year he is great.
Fanbases get hungry for more.
If Rick Barnes left your fan base hungry for more, y'all must be feeling emaciated with Shaka.
He's got them feeling downright emasculated. It's okay, though...apparently UCLA is willing to take one for the team.
Oh yeah, they're close to a deal, aren't they?
Guess they won't be taking one for the team.
Texas is in the same spot with Smart as they were in with Barnes.
Shaka Smart is still learning on the job. Hard for players to develop under him quickly because he has a quick trigger.
Players who have played for both have said that Shaka is a much tougher coach.
He expects his players to give 100% on both ends of the court.
These are usually older players who buy into the system.
The system he has in place gives Texas a much better chance at winning on a larger level than Rick Barnes.
Next year is make or break for him.
3 upperclassmen guards and Courtney Ramey who is closer to a sophomore.
Even without Andrew Jones next year they will have Coleman, Ramey and Febres.
With Jones who was a 5 star recruit and who before his illness started to develop Texas might have the best back court in the country next year.
The two teams that forced Texas to struggle...
Michigan State and Texas Tech could be games Texas wins next year.
Those two teams who are Final 4 teams are the reason Texas was 16-16 and not 26-6.
Texas is either going to be a Top 10-15 team next year or Shaka will be fired.
Thinking because of the backcourt Texas will be at least a Top 15 team in 2019-2020.
Maybe the best team in the Big 12.
Hahaha. Man, you went full on homer, didn’t you. What part of Shaka’s resume the last 5-7 years would lead you to believe his system puts Texas in a much better place to win on a national level than Rick Barnes? Dude hasn’t made it past the 1st round of the NCAAT since 2013. He’s 31-41 in Big 12 play.
