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Saturday, January 29th, 2022- Rick Barnes returns. Texas hosts Tennessee


shadow_operative

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11 hours ago, ztejas said:

Hey... I kind of like this douche.

Pro tip - chill out a bit and act like you have the biggest dick in the room at all times. This is Surly. 

But actually Vince - sounds like you're killing it- if there are 50 bigger KD fans in the world I'd like to meet them. I may or may not rescind the negs I handed you. Depends on @Braff Zacklin's behavior tonight during this NT match.

I appreciate you for the welcome to Surly. I think KD is one of the nicest dudes on this planet. He's also incredibly good at basketball. I heard he will be in Austin this weekend with PJ Tucker and DJ Agustin. We would love for you to join us on discord, but appreciate your kind words. We are gonna have fun with it. Hope you had a great day my guy

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4 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

doesn't this game just feel like it's coming down to the very end? like 61-61 at the u4 TO type of a game. 

And will still be 61-61 to start the 4th OT with Rick’s end-game offense we all know and hate combined with what I’ve seen from Beard so far.

Edited by UTexasFight
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1 hour ago, CurlyDumps said:

The radio coverage on 104.9 has been pretty cool. Yesterday's beginning of hour 2 - Chad and Trey - 1/27/22 - Scipio Tex told a funny Barnes story. They also interviewed TJ Ford but it was kinda boring. And Craig Way and Jeff Howe did some reminiscing on their show today.

Barnes and Beard were both on Bucky and Erin this morning. 

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5 hours ago, Herpa Derpa said:

As one who has been a fan of the program since long before Barnes, seeing an NBA littered with Horns is truly amazing. Texas Longhorn basketball exists in the minds of today's utes because of one man, Rick Barnes. Even a couple of decades later it can still be said. There's no Arterio without Barnes getting T.J. on campus. He changed the entire trajectory of Texas Longhorn basketball.

Well said, Herpa. Thank you for posting this.

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5 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

The '05 Rose Bowl is / was the pinnacle for most Texas fans, justifiably so. But for me it's a (close) second to that March '03 afternoon in San Antonio.Texas basketball going to a Final Four was beyond a pipe dream in my mind. But Ford dribbled out the clock against Michigan State, he and Barnes embraced at midcoast and something I simply never could imagine happening was happening. I think we stayed in our seats for 15-plus minutes after the game just soaking it in and reveling in the moment. So sweet. 

I was at both of those in person and also at the Final 4 in New Orleans the week after San Antonio but the Rose Bowl was the pinnacle and it’s not real close. I say that as a bigger basketball fan than football fan and as the son of a Texas basketball player. He played in the 60’s and was at all the above games with me and he would even agree.

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1 minute ago, justhookit said:

I was at both of those in person and also at the Final 4 in New Orleans the week after San Antonio but the Rose Bowl was the pinnacle and it’s not real close. I say that as a bigger basketball fan than football fan and as the son of a Texas basketball player. He played in the 60’s and was at all the above games with me and he would even agree.

it's essentially impossible for CFB title game to ever match that one. that game truly is the GOAT.

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On 1/27/2022 at 9:25 AM, LTtxfan said:

 

The local sports guys get a lot of shit here on Surly, deservedly. But if y’all aren’t fans of Bob y’all are missing out. He’s a Mizzou grad but both parents are Texas grads and he was raised a Longhorn and is a huge, huge fan. His personality would also fit very well on Surly.

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I mean I was in LA with him for this game and he still brings it up. Dude knows his sports.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Right USC? <a href="https://t.co/XLrOaZ0IIr">https://t.co/XLrOaZ0IIr</a></p>&mdash; Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobBallouSports/status/1485095570775904256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

 

Edited by justhookit
Ok I’ve forgotten how to embed tweets again
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56 minutes ago, justhookit said:

I mean I was in LA with him for this game and he still brings it up. Dude knows his sports.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Right USC? <a href="https://t.co/XLrOaZ0IIr">https://t.co/XLrOaZ0IIr</a></p>&mdash; Bob Ballou (@BobBallouSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobBallouSports/status/1485095570775904256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 

 

This what you were referencing?

 

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Should be a competitive, close game that will go down to the wire, but man it is going to be a rock fight. These two teams are so similar, and offensive fireworks are not a part of their arsenals. 
 

As others have said, Vescovi is their biggest threat. Kennedy Chandler was thought to be a potential one and done recruit but hasn’t really developed yet. Uris Plasvic is a giant Serbian who has been a huge disappointment until recently when he’s shown a little life. The X Factor guy could be John Fulkerson, a 6th year big(ish)  man who is a fan favorite because he seems unathletic as hell and is a local boy. He was expected to be a significant contributor this year but has been moved to the bench, and now plays significant minutes as a sub. When Tennessee plays it’s best is when he becomes “The Incredible Fulk” like he did against Arizona, scoring 24. 
 

Tennessee looked like they were regressing after losing to LSU and getting blown out by UK, but has bounced back with wins against LSU and UF. This is around the time of year when Rick Barnes teams start playing their best before they peter out in March, so I expect a tough one. 

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4 minutes ago, SL Xpress said:

I had the pleasure of following both TJ Ford and Vince Young in high school their junior and senior years. That was a time in my life where I made sure to catch as many high school games as I could in both sports. The first high school football game I ever watched is when my Dad took me to the Astrodome to see Earl Campbell play in the state championship game, and I figured I'd never see another player as good as Earl. I saw a lot of dominating performances over the years, though. But Vince was the best high school player I ever saw. His improvement from his junior to his senior year was astounding. I assumed part of it was because of his time at the Steve McNair camp. I always wonder if McNair hadn't been murdered if he would have been able to be a mentor for Vince off the field as well as on. In any case, the Madison Marlins had never been anything on the high school scene before or after Vince. They went through a murderer's row in the playoffs, beating traditional powers Yates, Katy (a David v. Goliath matchup), a loaded Northshore (one of the best games I've ever seen at any level), Hightower, before losing to Westlake in one of those games that you just knew was going to the team that had the ball last. The Marlins couldn't put up a 4th and short stop, though.

In any case, I had mixed feelings about VY going to Texas, because although he was my favorite player I had serious doubts whether Mack and GDGD could use him effectively. I remember Ketchum coming to speak at a luncheon group, and when he told everyone he thought Chance Mock would be the starter I loudly proclaimed there was zero chance he would be able to hold off Vince.

I remember getting into proverbial text shouting matches on Hornfans and other sites at all the people conjecturing he'd be better at WR because of his struggles at the QB position, when I absolutely knew the reason he was struggling is because of the coaching staff. Watching dumbfounded as a group that would go on to be the highest scoring offense ever up to that point the next year, would be blanked by OU for the first Texas shut out in 20 years. 

Turning everything around after Missouri, the season he had the next year as a redshirt junior, culminating in the greatest college football game of all time, and the historic 4th and 5, I knew I had reached my peak as a sports fan, and nothing would ever duplicate that. Love ya, Vince. Always will. My favorite player of all time, and no one will ever equal it.

I saw TJ Ford's Willowridge squads play about 30 games over the course of his junior and senior years. They were amazing his junior year, but they were Phi Slamma Jamma minus NC State at the end of the season, as seniors. 75-1. Two state championships. I figure I'll never see a high school team that good ever again. Just loaded. They played at such a fast tempo, and with TJ Ford leading the offense, they were incredibly exciting whether in the half court or in transition. Just a ridiculous squad.

As much of a difference maker as TJ was on the court, he was an even bigger difference maker off of it. Texas never again had someone on their roster quite like TJ Ford, who understood Coach Barnes and what made him tick. TJ could both be supportive of coach while also taking up for his teammates, in a way that didn't anger Coach further. But of course he made a huge difference on the court, too. The neck injuries he suffered were so scary for all of us. Not as much as it was for him, of course, but scary in that helpless way. I'm convinced if he hadn't had the spinal stenosis he could have been another Allen Iverson. He was so quick on the court, had such great leaping ability, and then his unbelievable vision and handle with the ball was otherworldly. Plus he was such an amazing leader.

I thought for sure during that run from 2002-2008 we had made it finally as a basketball program. I just figured that's the way it would go for the rest of my life until Barnes won his multiple championships and had the arena named after him. I remember the frustration in Houston watching Memphis have their way with us to prevent another Final Four berth. Never did I dream I'd still be waiting on a return to the Sweet Sixteen 14 years later. 

In any case, I'm very grateful to Rick Barnes. He was the Anti Mack Brown for me in ways I needed at the time. I always say that Abe Lemons put modern UT basketball on the map, Bob Wetlich was a black hole, Tom Penders lifted the program to an exciting level, but Rick Barnes is the one who brought the program true legitimacy. Not to take anything away from all the coaches and players who came before, because there are many! But that run from 2002-2008 was a golden era for me. I remember for years Johnnie Moore and then LaSalle Thompson being the only Texas players in the NBA. Now there are oodles of them, including one of the best NBA players of all time. 

I'm also grateful for Chris Beard. He handles all of this in the right way. He makes these things special in the way they should be. He's always saying the right things. I just know he's going to be an amazing success at Texas, because he gets all the little things, as well as being an outstanding basketball coach, and knowing how to attract and surround himself with people who are going to help him win at the highest level.

BTW, I know many of you have already read this, but it's such a great essay written by TJ Ford. I feel very fortunate to have him associated with UT. He continues to do groundbreaking work, one of the latest his association with the Clark Collective for NIL purposes.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/tj-ford-i-cant-feel-my-body

 

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14 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

The '05 Rose Bowl is / was the pinnacle for most Texas fans, justifiably so. But for me it's a (close) second to that March '03 afternoon in San Antonio.Texas basketball going to a Final Four was beyond a pipe dream in my mind. But Ford dribbled out the clock against Michigan State, he and Barnes embraced at midcoast and something I simply never could imagine happening was happening. I think we stayed in our seats for 15-plus minutes after the game just soaking it in and reveling in the moment. So sweet. 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, SDG said:

Tonight should be fun 

 

 

So Tennessee is obviously staying at the J.W. Marriott?  Fancy pants.  Last time I ever saw Rick Barnes in person, he was leaving that hotel a few months after he resigned from Texas.  Circle of life, Simba.  Looks like ticket sales are pretty robust, not a sellout, but gonna be a big crowd.

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