They gave the Dude a sponsor…
Very excited to say this week’s column is brought to you by WYLD GALLERY:
VISIT WYLD GALLERY AND SHOP UNIQUE, FINE NATIVE AMERICAN ART
WYLD GALLERY is a downtown Austin gallery featuring traditional and contemporary fine art by Native American Artists.
The gallery is the part-time retirement gig for Ray Donley, an Austin attorney who has been a lurker on OB since 2002. Ray has been collecting Native American art since the 1980s. He has made friends with a number of Oklahoma Native American Artists, and enjoys ribbing them for their fanatical support of a football team that honors the land thieves who took their land.
You’ll find many affordable options including some below $200. That’s an outstanding deal. Go see Ray this Saturday at 805 Brazos from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then, you can make the short trip to the Erwin Center to watch Texas Basketball. Well, maybe the better option is to drink some wine, buy some art, and head to a bar to drink more and watch Texas Basketball.
Contemporary Native American paintings are bold, bright, and never boring. And they will look great on the walls of your office or home. Many of the artists in the gallery have pieces in the permanent collections of museums, including the Smithsonian.
Please check out these unique, vibrant paintings at www.WYLD.GALLERY. Treat yourself to some cool art because everyone has that one wall in their home that could use some more character.
This week’s column:
1) What can Tom Herman learn from bowl game success?
Tom Herman loves trying to build a team that will be more physical, tougher and play harder than its opponent as much as I love sitting down with a big, frosty mug of draft beer, a plate of buffalo wings, and a lot of televisions in view. And make no mistake, that’s true love; well, just behind my wife and my dog. Anyway, we’ve now watched Herman’s teams in four bowl games, and we’ve watched them be the more physical, tougher team that plays harder and more focused than its opponent.
I know that’s not breaking news, but something we’ve all wondered at least once since the Alamo bowl is this: why didn’t we see that Texas team more often? Fair question.
Obviously, some factors helped influence Texas’s beatdown of then No. 11 Utah. The Longhorns altered their coaching staff; they played in front of a mostly home crowd; Utah wasn’t built to exploit Texas like teams successfully did during the season. Craig Naivar’s defensive plan, as @Alex Dunlap shrewdly labeled as a blend between Todd Orlando’s old stuff and some new wrinkles of his own, was very good.
That said, Herman is now 4-0 in bowl games, and each time he was an underdog. On three of those occasions, his team played a very talented team known for being very physical and tough. And yet Herman’s group won that battle each time. Actually, they didn’t just win that battle; they did so in an attention-grabbing way that makes people like you and I talk about it over a week later. So, they did so convincingly.
Herman’s teams have done this before in the regular season. The examples aren’t difficult to find. However, the examples the other direction aren’t difficult to find either, particularly during this most recent season when Texas encountered a slump during Big 12 action. At times, the fatigue – both mental and physical – appeared very real, and the injuries piled up.
While people are often fixated on who cares and who doesn’t in bowl games, they could overlook a few other key factors: the weight of school is lifted from players’ shoulders; the calendar forces players to take a break from the game; bodies and minds have time to heal, and a break in the practice schedule means a break from the physical grind of in-season practices, like the type Texas prefers.
What I’m getting at is I wonder if there is anything Herman and staff can take from the bowl preparation process and schedule that can be applied to the regular season? Texas looked noticeably fresher, more energetic, healthier, and more physical. Go back and watch how Texas tackled against Utah because that’s where it stood out most. It looked like a different football team in all the ways Herman wants it to look each week.
Winning four bowl games is one thing. Winning four bowl games as an underdog and being the more physical team is another. What can Texas learn from its successful bowl practice that is applicable during the season? Does it need to change the frequency of full-padded practices and their intensity? Does it need to pay more attention and dedicate more resources to evaluating the physical and mental state of players and keeping them fresh?
I’m not quite sure. But I do know whatever Herman and his staff do during bowl practices has worked four times against four favored opponents and has worked the most in all the ways Herman wants his team to be known for.
2) Joseph Ossai…
The holiday and bowl game schedule altered timing. So, I’m going to use this column space as a blend of Three Things After a Rewatch as well. Let’s start with the main man, Joseph Ossai:
--- It became obvious early in the game Ossai was going to be a major problem, and part of that would be because he was going to be used more as an edge player. On a third down and short, Utah pulls two offensive linemen away from Ossai, who still manages to help blow the play up with his effort and quickness.
--- He didn’t come up with a sack on this play, but he was too much for the offensive tackle to handle, which played a role in Tyler Huntley moving quickly out of the pocket. And how about Cort Jacquess with the big hit? Notice how fired up Sam Ehlinger is on the sidelines.
--- Later in the second quarter, Ossai is in the same position standing up on the edge. Instead of using an outside move, he goes inside this time and beats the tackle, which forced Huntley into an intentional grounding penalty.
--- Good luck asking a tight end on the backside to keep Ossai blocked long enough for the quarterback to pull the ball down and scramble. And why did Huntley pull the ball down? Notice how Caden Sterns perfectly slides right into the throwing lane for the slant.
--- How about single-handily blowing up an outside run? Ossai takes on one blocker, then takes on the lead blocker before smacking the running back in the backfield for a loss.
--- I’m not sure if this is a RPO or what, but Texas stacked the line with tight man coverage at the top. Huntley didn’t like the run read and tried to pick up the 4th-and-1 on his own. Ossai shrugged off a block and was waiting with some friends.
--- Ossai had help all night from his big friends up front. This was one of my favorite plays during a rewatch not just because it was Texas in a four-man front at the appropriate time. Rather, watch how the ends are playing their assignments to keep Huntley contained, and once the ends and linebacker see Huntley vulnerable in the pocket, they attack.
--- Reminder: Keondre Coburn was a redshirt freshman this season. Watch what he does to an offensive lineman prior to helping stuff a run:
3) Devin Duvernay…
I know the Texas receiving group returns a lot of talent. I like Jake Smith’s future as much or more than anyone. That said, replacing Devin Duvernay is going to be difficult. The senior didn’t get many targets his final game as a Longhorns, but he capitalized on them. Enjoy:
---
The coverage on those catches was excellent. Duvernay still beat it. Watching him develop into a complete receiver that was easily the team’s best, most consistent and dependable weapon on offense was a treat. When we discuss the best to ever do it at Texas, any receiver group better include him.
4) Defensive backs…
Remember how much preseason discussion was about the depth, talent and versatility of the defensive backs? Guilty. Many had good reason to pencil that group in as solid or better heading into the season despite inexperience. That didn’t prove to be the case for a multitude of reasons.
However, the Alamo Bowl performance looked like the defensive backs many expected this season even when multiple starters spent time on the sidelines during the game because of injury.
--- Anthony Cook came off the bench and immediately made one of the most impressive tackles of the game when he chased a jet sweep action and then tackled the ballcarrier.
--- A fully healthy Caden Sterns is fun to watch. He didn’t get the sack on this play, but he allowed his teammates to finish the job.
--- Who doesn’t love a good 3rd-and-17? This time, Texas dropped coverage, forced an underneath throw, and was in position to make the tackle. Funny how that works.
--- Shades of Orlando here as Texas only brought four but Utah found a 1-on-1 situation down the field with a safety against a receiver. Fortunately for Texas, Chris Adimora broke up the pass in textbook fashion.
--- Speaking of Adimora, early in the third quarter he made an excellent tackle on 3rd-and-6 to force Utah into a fourth-down situation.
--- Sterns made this play look way too easy. He correctly diagnosed what was going to happen before it happened and went low to bring the big tight end down.
5) Texas Basketball
While rebounding rightfully garnered a significant amount of the attention following UT’s loss at Baylor, a more concerning trend continued. Texas has an offense problem.
Currently, the Longhorns are scoring 102.4 points per 100 possession, according to KenPom.com’s adjusted offensive efficiency. No Texas team finished with a worse offense dating back to 2003. At BartTorvik.com, the number is worse – 100.5 points per 100 possessions. Last season, the numbers were 113.6 and 113.4, respectively, and ranked 29th and 25th nationally. We can probably assume Texas’s strength of schedule, ranked 15th last year and 190th currently, helped influence the adjusted statistics positively.
Why the big change? The Longhorns actually have a better effective field goal percentage right now than last season, and their three-point attempt rate is similar. The Longhorns shot 2.1% better from beyond the arc last season than they currently are this season, which plays into the efficiency and points per possession, obviously. Texas is actually a better offensive rebounding team thus far than last season. But where the Longhorns are losing key points is at the free throw line, beyond the arc, and with turnovers.
Texas ranks 340th in free throws attempted per field goal attempt, and by now we’ve seen even in games when Texas does get into the paint at a decent or better rate it struggles to get to the line or finish with strength. At the beginning of the season, Texas was shooting very well at the free throw line. Now, its percentage, after an awful night at Baylor, dropped all the way to 63.7%. Throw that in with a 3.6% increase in turnover percentage, and there are the missing points. It doesn’t even really matter much Texas has a much better two-point field goal percentage than last season because it’s shooting so many threes.
So, what will Texas do?
“We're constantly evolving stuff. It might not be something that you can see but hopefully some of it is. We just met this morning and talked about a few things we can do different,” responded Smart when asked if he and Neill Berry have made any offensive changes following another poor performance. “The first thing to be honest with you is who’s in the game. Because I think what you're doing on the offensive end first and foremost does have to be predicated on who's in, and you know that's one of the areas where we need to really, really kind of solidify over the next few games here is who can go in there and play well for us. Particularly, at the four position and kind of a rotation at some of the other positions because that does change how you play. I mean you're not running the same thing necessarily if Gerald's in versus Kamaka. But there's definitely certain things that we've talked about that we will emphasize... Kind of benchmarks that we have to go reach as a team.
“We've actually done much, much better at getting in the paint. Historically, and I think this is true for all teams, our points per possession is way higher when we've gotten into the paint. In those two games (Providence and Baylor) you mentioned, it wasn't even when we got in the paint. But I do think over time if we get in there, it will allow us to get to the foul line more, which was an area we certainly have to improve and allow us to get more high quality shots.”
Oklahoma doesn’t foul on defense, doesn’t force turnovers, wants to push pace on offense, and allows teams to take a lot of threes. So, we’ll see if Texas makes some minor adjustments tonight and is able to score enough to win a pivotal game.
6) Texas Baseball
When the calendar turns to January, it means Texas Baseball isn’t far away. A week from today, the Longhorns can begin group and individual work. Then on January 24th, the Longhorns will have their first official team practice ahead of the 2020 season, which begins February 14th in Houston versus Rice.
From what I’ve heard, Bryce Elder’s leadership is catching the attention of the pitchers. The junior righthander is setting a great example of what it takes to prepare and perform the right way, and young arms are noticing. If the young pitchers take to heart and pay attention, there’s no better developmental example to follow on campus.
7) Another sign-stealing story in Major League Baseball…
--- Are people in baseball finally tired of the bullshit? Perhaps.
The Athletic’s duo of Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal teamed to deliver another story about another team using technology to break the rules. By now, the two beats Drellich used to cover – Red Sox and Astros – probably feel like the NWO when Sting hung out in the rafters for a year and terrorized Hollywood Hulk Hogan and friends with a baseball bat. And if Drellich is picking a Starrcade opponent, it’s unquestionably Houston.
Anyway, the report states the Red Sox, according to anonymous sources from the team, illegally used the video replay room in 2018 to steal signs. Basically, think of it like this: the Red Sox used technology as a shortcut to steal signs from second base.
“It was like having an open-book test and the open book is right there next to you and the teacher says, ‘Don’t look at the book,’ said one former player in The Athletic’s report. “Whatever is available to teams, they’re going to take advantage of it. Major League Baseball knows that. If you have this technology that’s available where you have 20 cameras on the field, cameras that can look at signs, I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see: Oh, if I’m in the video room and I see the guy’s signs, you’re basically playing the same game now that was played when I first came into the league and there was a guy on second base. You’re trying to break the code.”
An important note is hitters can legally enter the video replay room during a game to study pitchers. As the report states, MLB didn’t begin staffing someone in the replay room until the 2018 playoffs, a playoffs that saw Boston win the World Series. More on that in a moment.
While Yankees fans will try to take victory laps today, they too were included in the report for allegedly, as far back as the 2015 season, abusing replay room access the same way as the 2018 Red Sox.
“I’m just telling you from a broad perspective, living it, it didn’t feel that wrong,” said one player who used the replay-room system with the Yankees as far back as 2015. “It was there for everyone, that’s all.”
Veteran players who were skilled at picking up tendencies by watching on-field action knew what to look for on video as well.
“If I could figure out the signs from the telecast, I was not going to hold on to that information,” that former Yankee said. “I was going to share that with whomever.”
Take a seat, Evil Empire. You’re in this mess too.
If the new report is true, and I have no reason to believe it’s not, the Red Sox should be punished. But you shouldn’t expect them to be hammered. As The Athletic’s report states, the video replay room is a bit of a gray area considering foot traffic was allowed in and out during a game. Plus, technology wasn’t directly used to steal a sign; rather, it was illegally used as a shortcut to allow for more efficient sign-stealing on the bases, which has been occurring since baseball’s beginning.
Frankly, what Boston did – or allegedly did – is cheating, but is it truly worth outrage or extreme punishment? Nope. There are two problems for the Red Sox, though: they were already disciplined for Apple Watch usage back in 2017, so they could be viewed as a repeat offender; cheating, or at least allegations of such, sure do seem to follow Alex Cora everywhere he goes. At this point, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t at least suspended.
The bigger story with today’s report might be overlooked. People inside baseball, and specifically players, are beginning to talk. That’s a big deal.
There have been whispers around baseball for years about the use of technology to steal signs or gain an advantage, and yet they were continuously swept under the rug. Hell, if the Yankees were using the video replay room since 2015 that meant at least four full regular seasons before MLB staffed someone in the room, and the reporting made it sound like it occasionally staffed Ralph from The Simpsons.
Once again, MLB was slow to react despite evidence around it. It’s almost like MLB has been through something similar before… oh, yeah. PEDs. Court rooms. Lawyers. BALCO. Tainted records. Perhaps the game’s best hitter ever unable to, so far, enter the Hall of Fame. Players watching other players get an advantage and wanting the same.
It wasn’t until players went on the record – most notably Mike Fiers, who won a championship with the Astros – that MLB’s hand was forced. And in The Athletic's new report, multiple sources were people on the 2018 championship Red Sox team. So, even the players or personnel winning titles are tired of the bullshit, which speaks to the prevalence of this around baseball. Baseball, like most professional sports, creates a culture of keeping things inside the clubhouse. For players to basically snitch on the team they played and won a championship for is a very big deal.
Shortly after The Athletic’s report, ESPN’s Jeff Passan dropped a report about upcoming punishment for the Houston Astros.
When MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred soon announces the punishment, it’ll be a pivotal moment for baseball and his tenure. If the punishment is severe and viewed around baseball as a fair – or even extreme – reaction, it very likely deters future cheating. If it’s viewed as weak and not thorough enough, get ready for the flood gates to open. Given Manfred’s public comments during Winter Meetings and past punishments, I’d bet on the former.
Players and front office personnel are already talking to reporters about incidents. They’re mad. They’re tired of the paranoia and cheating. They see where this is going, and they want it to stop. Manfred failing to step to the plate and deliver something strong could incite a riot inside baseball of irate people ready to bring it all into the open. Regardless, one thing is certain: people inside baseball view using technology to cheat as a very big problem.
8) Anything and everything…
--- Will Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Taron Egerton (Rocketman) lose any acting award they’re up for? Both won at the Golden Globes, and both were sensational in their respective roles. Speaking of Golden Globes, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to hear the words again without thinking of Salma Hayek.
--- Lately, I’ve been exploring the suddenly vast world of hazy IPAs. Like many people in a similar situation in Austin, it all started with Electric Jellyfish at Pinthouse Pizza, which remains the G.O.A.T. hazy IPA. Karbach’s Light Circus IPA is currently one of my favorites. Any suggestions from those who have sampled more products? Fortunately, I live near one of the greatest corner stores for beer in Austin. Well, perhaps that should read “unfortunately” for my wallet.
--- Willie hates getting out of bed, especially when it’s cold outside. Lately, he’s been crawling from his usual spot wedged between my wife and I in the middle of the bed to the top of my wife’s pillows. There, he wedges himself between pillows, always figuring out a way to take one of his blankets with him.
Time to wake up? Nope. Have to pick up the dead weight dog and move him down.
---
9) The best thing I read this week… is from Wired.com: The War Vet, the Dating Site, and the Phone Call From Hell
Visit WYLD.GALLERY and support a longtime Orangebloods.com member, and get something cool for yourself or someone else. This week's featured art:
Shaun Beyale is Navajo. He grew up without electricity or running water, so watching television or listening to a cd was not an option. He entertained himself by reading comic books, and the comic book genre has influenced his art. Shaun’s comic book characters are strong, confident women. And sexy, of course.
Would look good on an OB member’s wall, and it’s only $140. That’s a steal.
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Very excited to say this week’s column is brought to you by WYLD GALLERY:
VISIT WYLD GALLERY AND SHOP UNIQUE, FINE NATIVE AMERICAN ART
WYLD GALLERY is a downtown Austin gallery featuring traditional and contemporary fine art by Native American Artists.
The gallery is the part-time retirement gig for Ray Donley, an Austin attorney who has been a lurker on OB since 2002. Ray has been collecting Native American art since the 1980s. He has made friends with a number of Oklahoma Native American Artists, and enjoys ribbing them for their fanatical support of a football team that honors the land thieves who took their land.
You’ll find many affordable options including some below $200. That’s an outstanding deal. Go see Ray this Saturday at 805 Brazos from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then, you can make the short trip to the Erwin Center to watch Texas Basketball. Well, maybe the better option is to drink some wine, buy some art, and head to a bar to drink more and watch Texas Basketball.
Contemporary Native American paintings are bold, bright, and never boring. And they will look great on the walls of your office or home. Many of the artists in the gallery have pieces in the permanent collections of museums, including the Smithsonian.
Please check out these unique, vibrant paintings at www.WYLD.GALLERY. Treat yourself to some cool art because everyone has that one wall in their home that could use some more character.
This week’s column:
1) What can Tom Herman learn from bowl game success?
Tom Herman loves trying to build a team that will be more physical, tougher and play harder than its opponent as much as I love sitting down with a big, frosty mug of draft beer, a plate of buffalo wings, and a lot of televisions in view. And make no mistake, that’s true love; well, just behind my wife and my dog. Anyway, we’ve now watched Herman’s teams in four bowl games, and we’ve watched them be the more physical, tougher team that plays harder and more focused than its opponent.
I know that’s not breaking news, but something we’ve all wondered at least once since the Alamo bowl is this: why didn’t we see that Texas team more often? Fair question.
Obviously, some factors helped influence Texas’s beatdown of then No. 11 Utah. The Longhorns altered their coaching staff; they played in front of a mostly home crowd; Utah wasn’t built to exploit Texas like teams successfully did during the season. Craig Naivar’s defensive plan, as @Alex Dunlap shrewdly labeled as a blend between Todd Orlando’s old stuff and some new wrinkles of his own, was very good.
That said, Herman is now 4-0 in bowl games, and each time he was an underdog. On three of those occasions, his team played a very talented team known for being very physical and tough. And yet Herman’s group won that battle each time. Actually, they didn’t just win that battle; they did so in an attention-grabbing way that makes people like you and I talk about it over a week later. So, they did so convincingly.
Herman’s teams have done this before in the regular season. The examples aren’t difficult to find. However, the examples the other direction aren’t difficult to find either, particularly during this most recent season when Texas encountered a slump during Big 12 action. At times, the fatigue – both mental and physical – appeared very real, and the injuries piled up.
While people are often fixated on who cares and who doesn’t in bowl games, they could overlook a few other key factors: the weight of school is lifted from players’ shoulders; the calendar forces players to take a break from the game; bodies and minds have time to heal, and a break in the practice schedule means a break from the physical grind of in-season practices, like the type Texas prefers.
What I’m getting at is I wonder if there is anything Herman and staff can take from the bowl preparation process and schedule that can be applied to the regular season? Texas looked noticeably fresher, more energetic, healthier, and more physical. Go back and watch how Texas tackled against Utah because that’s where it stood out most. It looked like a different football team in all the ways Herman wants it to look each week.
Winning four bowl games is one thing. Winning four bowl games as an underdog and being the more physical team is another. What can Texas learn from its successful bowl practice that is applicable during the season? Does it need to change the frequency of full-padded practices and their intensity? Does it need to pay more attention and dedicate more resources to evaluating the physical and mental state of players and keeping them fresh?
I’m not quite sure. But I do know whatever Herman and his staff do during bowl practices has worked four times against four favored opponents and has worked the most in all the ways Herman wants his team to be known for.
2) Joseph Ossai…
The holiday and bowl game schedule altered timing. So, I’m going to use this column space as a blend of Three Things After a Rewatch as well. Let’s start with the main man, Joseph Ossai:
--- It became obvious early in the game Ossai was going to be a major problem, and part of that would be because he was going to be used more as an edge player. On a third down and short, Utah pulls two offensive linemen away from Ossai, who still manages to help blow the play up with his effort and quickness.
--- He didn’t come up with a sack on this play, but he was too much for the offensive tackle to handle, which played a role in Tyler Huntley moving quickly out of the pocket. And how about Cort Jacquess with the big hit? Notice how fired up Sam Ehlinger is on the sidelines.
--- Later in the second quarter, Ossai is in the same position standing up on the edge. Instead of using an outside move, he goes inside this time and beats the tackle, which forced Huntley into an intentional grounding penalty.
--- Good luck asking a tight end on the backside to keep Ossai blocked long enough for the quarterback to pull the ball down and scramble. And why did Huntley pull the ball down? Notice how Caden Sterns perfectly slides right into the throwing lane for the slant.
--- How about single-handily blowing up an outside run? Ossai takes on one blocker, then takes on the lead blocker before smacking the running back in the backfield for a loss.
--- I’m not sure if this is a RPO or what, but Texas stacked the line with tight man coverage at the top. Huntley didn’t like the run read and tried to pick up the 4th-and-1 on his own. Ossai shrugged off a block and was waiting with some friends.
--- Ossai had help all night from his big friends up front. This was one of my favorite plays during a rewatch not just because it was Texas in a four-man front at the appropriate time. Rather, watch how the ends are playing their assignments to keep Huntley contained, and once the ends and linebacker see Huntley vulnerable in the pocket, they attack.
--- Reminder: Keondre Coburn was a redshirt freshman this season. Watch what he does to an offensive lineman prior to helping stuff a run:
3) Devin Duvernay…
I know the Texas receiving group returns a lot of talent. I like Jake Smith’s future as much or more than anyone. That said, replacing Devin Duvernay is going to be difficult. The senior didn’t get many targets his final game as a Longhorns, but he capitalized on them. Enjoy:
---
The coverage on those catches was excellent. Duvernay still beat it. Watching him develop into a complete receiver that was easily the team’s best, most consistent and dependable weapon on offense was a treat. When we discuss the best to ever do it at Texas, any receiver group better include him.
4) Defensive backs…
Remember how much preseason discussion was about the depth, talent and versatility of the defensive backs? Guilty. Many had good reason to pencil that group in as solid or better heading into the season despite inexperience. That didn’t prove to be the case for a multitude of reasons.
However, the Alamo Bowl performance looked like the defensive backs many expected this season even when multiple starters spent time on the sidelines during the game because of injury.
--- Anthony Cook came off the bench and immediately made one of the most impressive tackles of the game when he chased a jet sweep action and then tackled the ballcarrier.
--- A fully healthy Caden Sterns is fun to watch. He didn’t get the sack on this play, but he allowed his teammates to finish the job.
--- Who doesn’t love a good 3rd-and-17? This time, Texas dropped coverage, forced an underneath throw, and was in position to make the tackle. Funny how that works.
--- Shades of Orlando here as Texas only brought four but Utah found a 1-on-1 situation down the field with a safety against a receiver. Fortunately for Texas, Chris Adimora broke up the pass in textbook fashion.
--- Speaking of Adimora, early in the third quarter he made an excellent tackle on 3rd-and-6 to force Utah into a fourth-down situation.
--- Sterns made this play look way too easy. He correctly diagnosed what was going to happen before it happened and went low to bring the big tight end down.
5) Texas Basketball
While rebounding rightfully garnered a significant amount of the attention following UT’s loss at Baylor, a more concerning trend continued. Texas has an offense problem.
Currently, the Longhorns are scoring 102.4 points per 100 possession, according to KenPom.com’s adjusted offensive efficiency. No Texas team finished with a worse offense dating back to 2003. At BartTorvik.com, the number is worse – 100.5 points per 100 possessions. Last season, the numbers were 113.6 and 113.4, respectively, and ranked 29th and 25th nationally. We can probably assume Texas’s strength of schedule, ranked 15th last year and 190th currently, helped influence the adjusted statistics positively.
Why the big change? The Longhorns actually have a better effective field goal percentage right now than last season, and their three-point attempt rate is similar. The Longhorns shot 2.1% better from beyond the arc last season than they currently are this season, which plays into the efficiency and points per possession, obviously. Texas is actually a better offensive rebounding team thus far than last season. But where the Longhorns are losing key points is at the free throw line, beyond the arc, and with turnovers.
Texas ranks 340th in free throws attempted per field goal attempt, and by now we’ve seen even in games when Texas does get into the paint at a decent or better rate it struggles to get to the line or finish with strength. At the beginning of the season, Texas was shooting very well at the free throw line. Now, its percentage, after an awful night at Baylor, dropped all the way to 63.7%. Throw that in with a 3.6% increase in turnover percentage, and there are the missing points. It doesn’t even really matter much Texas has a much better two-point field goal percentage than last season because it’s shooting so many threes.
So, what will Texas do?
“We're constantly evolving stuff. It might not be something that you can see but hopefully some of it is. We just met this morning and talked about a few things we can do different,” responded Smart when asked if he and Neill Berry have made any offensive changes following another poor performance. “The first thing to be honest with you is who’s in the game. Because I think what you're doing on the offensive end first and foremost does have to be predicated on who's in, and you know that's one of the areas where we need to really, really kind of solidify over the next few games here is who can go in there and play well for us. Particularly, at the four position and kind of a rotation at some of the other positions because that does change how you play. I mean you're not running the same thing necessarily if Gerald's in versus Kamaka. But there's definitely certain things that we've talked about that we will emphasize... Kind of benchmarks that we have to go reach as a team.
“We've actually done much, much better at getting in the paint. Historically, and I think this is true for all teams, our points per possession is way higher when we've gotten into the paint. In those two games (Providence and Baylor) you mentioned, it wasn't even when we got in the paint. But I do think over time if we get in there, it will allow us to get to the foul line more, which was an area we certainly have to improve and allow us to get more high quality shots.”
Oklahoma doesn’t foul on defense, doesn’t force turnovers, wants to push pace on offense, and allows teams to take a lot of threes. So, we’ll see if Texas makes some minor adjustments tonight and is able to score enough to win a pivotal game.
6) Texas Baseball
When the calendar turns to January, it means Texas Baseball isn’t far away. A week from today, the Longhorns can begin group and individual work. Then on January 24th, the Longhorns will have their first official team practice ahead of the 2020 season, which begins February 14th in Houston versus Rice.
From what I’ve heard, Bryce Elder’s leadership is catching the attention of the pitchers. The junior righthander is setting a great example of what it takes to prepare and perform the right way, and young arms are noticing. If the young pitchers take to heart and pay attention, there’s no better developmental example to follow on campus.
7) Another sign-stealing story in Major League Baseball…
--- Are people in baseball finally tired of the bullshit? Perhaps.
The Athletic’s duo of Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal teamed to deliver another story about another team using technology to break the rules. By now, the two beats Drellich used to cover – Red Sox and Astros – probably feel like the NWO when Sting hung out in the rafters for a year and terrorized Hollywood Hulk Hogan and friends with a baseball bat. And if Drellich is picking a Starrcade opponent, it’s unquestionably Houston.
Anyway, the report states the Red Sox, according to anonymous sources from the team, illegally used the video replay room in 2018 to steal signs. Basically, think of it like this: the Red Sox used technology as a shortcut to steal signs from second base.
“It was like having an open-book test and the open book is right there next to you and the teacher says, ‘Don’t look at the book,’ said one former player in The Athletic’s report. “Whatever is available to teams, they’re going to take advantage of it. Major League Baseball knows that. If you have this technology that’s available where you have 20 cameras on the field, cameras that can look at signs, I mean, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see: Oh, if I’m in the video room and I see the guy’s signs, you’re basically playing the same game now that was played when I first came into the league and there was a guy on second base. You’re trying to break the code.”
An important note is hitters can legally enter the video replay room during a game to study pitchers. As the report states, MLB didn’t begin staffing someone in the replay room until the 2018 playoffs, a playoffs that saw Boston win the World Series. More on that in a moment.
While Yankees fans will try to take victory laps today, they too were included in the report for allegedly, as far back as the 2015 season, abusing replay room access the same way as the 2018 Red Sox.
“I’m just telling you from a broad perspective, living it, it didn’t feel that wrong,” said one player who used the replay-room system with the Yankees as far back as 2015. “It was there for everyone, that’s all.”
Veteran players who were skilled at picking up tendencies by watching on-field action knew what to look for on video as well.
“If I could figure out the signs from the telecast, I was not going to hold on to that information,” that former Yankee said. “I was going to share that with whomever.”
Take a seat, Evil Empire. You’re in this mess too.
If the new report is true, and I have no reason to believe it’s not, the Red Sox should be punished. But you shouldn’t expect them to be hammered. As The Athletic’s report states, the video replay room is a bit of a gray area considering foot traffic was allowed in and out during a game. Plus, technology wasn’t directly used to steal a sign; rather, it was illegally used as a shortcut to allow for more efficient sign-stealing on the bases, which has been occurring since baseball’s beginning.
Frankly, what Boston did – or allegedly did – is cheating, but is it truly worth outrage or extreme punishment? Nope. There are two problems for the Red Sox, though: they were already disciplined for Apple Watch usage back in 2017, so they could be viewed as a repeat offender; cheating, or at least allegations of such, sure do seem to follow Alex Cora everywhere he goes. At this point, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t at least suspended.
The bigger story with today’s report might be overlooked. People inside baseball, and specifically players, are beginning to talk. That’s a big deal.
There have been whispers around baseball for years about the use of technology to steal signs or gain an advantage, and yet they were continuously swept under the rug. Hell, if the Yankees were using the video replay room since 2015 that meant at least four full regular seasons before MLB staffed someone in the room, and the reporting made it sound like it occasionally staffed Ralph from The Simpsons.
Once again, MLB was slow to react despite evidence around it. It’s almost like MLB has been through something similar before… oh, yeah. PEDs. Court rooms. Lawyers. BALCO. Tainted records. Perhaps the game’s best hitter ever unable to, so far, enter the Hall of Fame. Players watching other players get an advantage and wanting the same.
It wasn’t until players went on the record – most notably Mike Fiers, who won a championship with the Astros – that MLB’s hand was forced. And in The Athletic's new report, multiple sources were people on the 2018 championship Red Sox team. So, even the players or personnel winning titles are tired of the bullshit, which speaks to the prevalence of this around baseball. Baseball, like most professional sports, creates a culture of keeping things inside the clubhouse. For players to basically snitch on the team they played and won a championship for is a very big deal.
Shortly after The Athletic’s report, ESPN’s Jeff Passan dropped a report about upcoming punishment for the Houston Astros.
When MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred soon announces the punishment, it’ll be a pivotal moment for baseball and his tenure. If the punishment is severe and viewed around baseball as a fair – or even extreme – reaction, it very likely deters future cheating. If it’s viewed as weak and not thorough enough, get ready for the flood gates to open. Given Manfred’s public comments during Winter Meetings and past punishments, I’d bet on the former.
Players and front office personnel are already talking to reporters about incidents. They’re mad. They’re tired of the paranoia and cheating. They see where this is going, and they want it to stop. Manfred failing to step to the plate and deliver something strong could incite a riot inside baseball of irate people ready to bring it all into the open. Regardless, one thing is certain: people inside baseball view using technology to cheat as a very big problem.
8) Anything and everything…
--- Will Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) and Taron Egerton (Rocketman) lose any acting award they’re up for? Both won at the Golden Globes, and both were sensational in their respective roles. Speaking of Golden Globes, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to hear the words again without thinking of Salma Hayek.
--- Lately, I’ve been exploring the suddenly vast world of hazy IPAs. Like many people in a similar situation in Austin, it all started with Electric Jellyfish at Pinthouse Pizza, which remains the G.O.A.T. hazy IPA. Karbach’s Light Circus IPA is currently one of my favorites. Any suggestions from those who have sampled more products? Fortunately, I live near one of the greatest corner stores for beer in Austin. Well, perhaps that should read “unfortunately” for my wallet.
--- Willie hates getting out of bed, especially when it’s cold outside. Lately, he’s been crawling from his usual spot wedged between my wife and I in the middle of the bed to the top of my wife’s pillows. There, he wedges himself between pillows, always figuring out a way to take one of his blankets with him.
Time to wake up? Nope. Have to pick up the dead weight dog and move him down.
---
9) The best thing I read this week… is from Wired.com: The War Vet, the Dating Site, and the Phone Call From Hell
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Shaun Beyale is Navajo. He grew up without electricity or running water, so watching television or listening to a cd was not an option. He entertained himself by reading comic books, and the comic book genre has influenced his art. Shaun’s comic book characters are strong, confident women. And sexy, of course.
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