Ketch's 10 Thoughts From the Weekend (Defining success at a place like Texas...)
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You’re mixing the argument here. Obviously Milwaukee would be bad without Freak. You used team record as the basis for your argument and my point was that Harden has played the majority of these season with a patchwork lineup.
Bun is definitely on the list if you count influence, but he raps like he's in middle school.
His numbers are very good, but isn’t top 3 in any major category. Harden is scoring at a clip that’s almost unheard of. And doing so more efficiently than when Jordan scored 37/game. And on top of that he leads the league in steals per gme.
My first memory of Marcus Wilkins was playing church league basketball with him. It was either his junior or senior year and he was friends with one of the other guys on the team. In pregame warmup he said he’s not really a basketball player and said he can’t shoot a lick. Said he would just try to get rebounds and put backs. It was true he wasn’t all that skilled, but he’s the best athlete I’ve ever played with. All I had to do was throw it near the rim and he’d take care of the rest. It didn’t hurt that he was extremely humble.
This is a year when it is a runaway for NBA MVP. What Harden has done all year and without a lot of his support has been phenomenal. I just absolutely shake my head at your comment about MVP. It’s ok to hate but being downright dumb reflects badly on you.
While things are a little quiet as everyone on the 40 Acres shakes off the cobwebs from spring break, I've decided to use the opening section of my column to discuss something that connects to every athletic department that Chris Del Conte oversees ...
Expectations.
For the last 20 years, I've defined success in football at The University of Texas as follows ...
* Winning the conference title.
* Making a major bowl game.
The two things don't automatically occur in the same season (see 2018), but it sure helps. Even in a year when you've made a major bowl game, the amount of success one can claim about any season at a blue blood athletic program is limited if you don't win the conference championship.
From sport to sport, the making a major bowl game can be replaced by making the Sweet 16 (or Elite 8 depending on the sport) or a Super Regional or qualifying for the NCAAs, but winning a conference title is where the conversation almost always begins and when that achievement is coupled with post-season success, that's when the real magical stuff happens.
A decade ago, I would contend that the overwhelming majority of Texas fans would agree with such high standards. However, the football program hasn't won a conference title in a decade. It's been even longer in men's basketball. And even longer in women's basketball. Hell, until last year, it had been seven years in baseball.
Such failure has almost certainly changed the standard by which success is measured for some around these parts, but I refuse to drop the standards in my definition of success for Texas athletics in the face of those that might want to do so out of whatever motive that motivates them.
Any coach in any sport at Texas that has failed to win a conference title by year four or five is failing by the definitions of success and it doesn't matter if it's Bob Stoops or Lincoln Riley or Bill Self or Kim Mulkey blocking the path.
This is a go big or go home type of place, or at least it used to be.
Texas fans should never be bashful about high-level accountability. Once upon a time, it was the thing that Texas might have been best known for and I'll be damned if I let you guys lower the bar on my watch without a fight.
No. 2 - NIT MAGIC, BABY!
I'm not even sure what to say about UT's win over Xavier, except that for most of the game, I was convinced the Longhorns would blow it and the loss would serve as a microcosm of the entire season. After all, it had all of the signs, including multiple Kerwin Roach "YES!!!!" and "NO!!!!" moments throughout.
Yet, when the game ended, the Longhorns had somehow hung onto a win and at least assured itself of a winning record for the season.
I'm not going to tell you that it means anything, but the players that remain played their guts out and deserved the win. They clearly don't want the season to end and for now, it's not.
No. 3 - I don't know what you want me to say ...
I'm not going to beat you over the head with my thoughts on the Texas women's basketball team flaming out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against ... ahem ... 10th-seeded Indiana, therefore ending the season with losses in four of its last six games and five of its last eight.
I'll simply refer you to the top section of the column.
Any season that ends without a conference title is a failure at a school like Texas and not only has Karen Aston not won a conference title in seven seasons, but the program has been unable to build off of the one real piece of notable post-season success that she led the program to back when the Longhorns made the Elite Eight four seasons ago.
The product simply isn't good enough right now.
No. 4 - Disappointment in Fort Worth ...
The goal this weekend for the Texas baseball team was to go on the road at TCU and take two out of three.
Poor late-game pitching proved to be the thing that kept them from accomplishing the goal, both in the ninth inning of game one and in the eighth inning of game three. Because those two things happened it's hard to look at what transpired with much positivity, even if Texas played more good baseball than it played bad baseball over the weekend.
The little details matter in baseball perhaps more than any sport and the goal moving forward has to be to simply do the little details better because when this team does them, it can beat anyone. When it doesn't, it can give games away.
No. 5 - The word from Dallas...
Rivals held its camp series in Dallas on Sunday and in a world where Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all have recruiting momentum, I found the buzz from the camp interesting.
On Texas
"The Longhorns’ return to the national spotlight seems to be compounding, as optimism has taken hold in the fertile recruiting ground of Dallas. Texas A&M was mentioned a bit more often by DFW-area prospects, but Tom Herman is certainly closing the gap when it comes to buzz. One needs only look at the long list of underclassmen that seem high on the Horns. Texashas to love its chances with 2020 lineman Tommy Brockermeyer, who looked like a truly elite prospect at times during the camp and should be one of the state’s top players next year. Wide receiver Quaydarius Davis, a fellow 2021 prospect, also mentioned Texas as a team to watch. Class of 2020 receiver Collin Sullivan also seems extremely warm on Texas, but is awaiting official word on an offer."
On Texas A&M
Things are good on the Texas A&M front, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where Jimbo Fisher’s name was said more than another coach’s. Nearly every Texas-based prospect with Aggie offer mentioned visiting the campus or wanting to do so in the near future. And while the camp was short on hard A&M news, as most of the players interested in the Aggies have been interested in the program for months, the buzz round the program remains palpable.
On Oklahoma
The headline news for Oklahoma, of course, was that wide recei commit Devon Graham left camp with the event’s MVP award, but the Sooners’ fingerprints were all over the event. In addition to Graham’s big day, a number of elite prospects mentioned OU in interviews. Class of 2021 tackle Tommy Brockermeyer, who already lists major offers, mentioned the Sooners prior to the camp. Javian Hester, who is seen as a heavy OU lean, also had a nice day on Sunday, as he was in contention for MVP honors for much of the event. It should shock nobody that OU’s brand is strong in Dallas, as Lincoln Riley’s program has produced the last two Heisman Trophy winners while qualifying for the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons. Listing every prospect who mentioned OU at the event would be a tedious exercise.
No. 6 - Story-time with Uncle Ketch ...
With Texas hosting its Pro Day on Wednesday, I thought I would share my five favorite UT Pro Day memories.
5. VY's Pro Day
It was just wild. Hundreds of people crowded inside of the Bubble watched every pass against air as if it mattered tremendously in the grand scheme of things. It was an absolute zoo.
4. State Secrets
This actually happens every year, as members of the Texas SID office break their backs in an effort to treat 40 times like the Mueller Report heading to the DOJ. Of course, an hour after warnings/threats are made about reporting the information in real time, Gil Brandt posts every number at NFL.com and it becomes a moot point, except for the local reporters simply trying to do their job. It happens every year.
3. Marcus Wilkins' Pro Day
He was just kind of a freak, which is one of the reasons why he played in the NFL for six years. As he posted one crazy athletic number after another, everyone just kept thinking, "How in the hell has this guy not been able to play more in college?"
2. Casey Hampton's Pro Day
I cannot remember the coach Hampton worked out with in individual drills, but part of those drills consisted of the coach repeatedly slapping the fire out of Hampton's chest for no other reason (so it seemed) other than to find out if he could take it. I just remember walking away thinking Hampton was a total bad ass that shouldn't be messed with. Nothing like that type of physical assault on a human being has ever happened at any other Pro Day I have ever attended.
1. Priest Holmes' Pro Day
Nearly an hour after Holmes' Pro Day ended, he was in the upper deck of DKR's west side of the stadium, just punishing himself by running stadium steps. After nearly 30 minutes went by, Holmes was still running the steps in the upper deck in the stadium. Thirty minutes later, he was still running steps in the upper deck. I remember thinking to myself, "If want-to matters at all, nothing or no one in the NFL will deny Priest Holmes."
No. 7 – BUY or SELL …
BUY or SELL: In the Sunday Pulpit thread on Sunday, you called Tim Beck the perfect Robin to Tom Herman's Batman. You really believe that?
(Buy) As I said in that thread, in a world where Herman is truly leading the offense in a way that everyone hoped he would do when he arrived, Beck checks a lot of boxes as a shotgun riding sidekick. I don't think nearly enough has been made of how critical Beck's role in seamlessly transitioning to a new role without so much as a public sneeze about it. At a school that does drama better than anyone, he just kind of went with the flow and the offense took off in the process. Say what you want about Beck, but he's a good soldier that does his work without flashing much of an ego. On top of that, he might not be a dynamic recruiter, but he's a tireless one that is truly valued within the coaching offices. If Texas needed Beck to lead the offense in a way that Charlie Strong needed his offensive coordinators to lead, his history suggests he wouldn't be the right guy. However, that's not what Herman needs. It can be argued that for Herman's needs, Beck is the perfect Robin to his Batman.
BUY or SELL: Tom Herman has sold everyone on the idea of "collaborative" play-calling to the point where no one will be calling for Tim Beck's head this year?
(Sell) There will always be people calling for the offensive coordinator's head. It's as tried and true as chili without beans.
BUY or SELL: Casey Thompson never starts a game at UT at quarterback?
(Sell) I think there's a better chance that he starts a game this year than him never starting a game at all.
BUY or SELL: Texas Basketball wins 20 games next season?
(Buy) I'm not sure I view winning 20 games as a major achievement. I think the bigger question is whether they'll win 25 games, which I wouldn't buy.
BUY or SELL: Jordan Whittington finishes second on the team in touches this year behind Ingram?
(Buy) Yup.
BUY or SELL: Bru finishes with more than 30 receptions (assuming he is declared eligible)?
(Buy) Yup. Maybe not 40, but I think he can get 2.2 per game over 14 games.
BUY or SELL: Texas will average more points per game than OU this upcoming season?
(Sell) I'm going to need to see that happen before I give it the benefit of the doubt. Lincoln Riley has earned that, whether anyone likes it or not.
BUY or SELL: In 2020 Texas is poised to be the kind of offensive juggernaut the Longhorns were in ‘05?
(Sell) The 2005 offense was one of the greatest offenses in the history of the sport, while averaging nearly 50 points per game. I used to make bets with Sean Adams on how many plays it would take for Texas to score in any given drive for sport. It rarely seemed to take more than five.
BUY or SELL: Garrett Gilbert will make an NFL 52-man roster next season (practice squad doesn't count)?
(Sell) Because most teams only keep two quarterbacks on their 52-man roster, it makes landing a back-up quarterback job almost as difficult to land as staring jobs. I think he'll certainly be in an NFL training camp and he could get a call up at some point like he did a year ago with Carolina, but I don't think he makes a team out of training camp. Hope I'm wrong.
BUY or SELL: B/S Texas yards per rush attempt will be 4.3+ or top 65 in the NCAA next season.?
130 teams
2017 Texas 107th (3.6ypr)
2018 Texas 97th (3.8ypr)
2017 65th place was 4.3 yards per rush attempt
2018 65th place was 4.3 yards per rush attempt
(Buy) Yup.
No. 8 – Eternal Randomness of the Spotty Sports Mind …
... I rooted for Duke today because I want to see more Zion. Don't judge me.
... It's a good thing Chris Beard is at Texas Tech, otherwise the Big 12 would be ghosted from the tournament.
... Tennessee almost stole defeat from the jaws of victory, but it manned up in overtime and did the damn thing against Iowa. Good for Rick Barnes. It's been a hot minute since he was last there.
... I haven't watched much SEC basketball this year, but those teams looked damn good this weekend.
... After one weekend, I wish I had selected the Zags to win it all.
... North Carolina/Auburn is going to be a lot of fun.
... The Rockets and the Bucks play this week, which will highlight the closeness of the current NBA MVP race. I'd give it to the Freak right now, but James Harden makes it harder and harder by the day.
... Perhaps I understand that Robert Kraft is sorry, but I'm not sure why he's sorry. Maybe he can explain that for us all.
... Good for Gronk. Enjoy retirement ... I know he will.
... Upon further inspection, no, I don't really like the addition of George Iloka at safety for the Cowboys. To be perfectly clear, Iloka used to be one hell of a player, but the Bengals released him for a reason and there's also a reason why he started only three games a year ago. The dude can absolutely destroy anything he can catch, but he just doesn't catch dudes like he used to. Like Randall Cobb, the Cowboys have signed a player that's simply multiple years beyond his best years.
... The Golden State Warriors should refund every fan that purchased a ticket to Saturday's game against the Mavericks. Good grief.
... I missed my EPL this weekend. I may or may not have watched more MLS soccer this weekend than NCAA Tournament basketball in an effort to solve my need for a fix.
... My goodness, what Anthony Pettis did to Stephen Thompson was hard-core enough that I actually felt bad for Thompson.
No. 9 - The List: Top 10 Luda songs ...
If you haven't heard, Texas announced Ludacris as the Longhorn City Limits postgame concert headliner following the spring game next month.
As a primer for that event (I hear Trace Adkins was unavailable), I've put together a top 10 list. Memorize it.
Full disclaimer: I was never a huge Ludacris fan to the extent that I purchased his music, but as someone that spent a LOT of time on Devil's Cove from 2003-2008, my memories are shaped by the bangers he was in that contributed to lawlessness on the lake. I will not argue with anyone that my list is the best list ... it's just my list.
10. Welcome to Atlanta
9. My Chick Bad
8. How Low
7. Area Codes
6. Get Back
5. Roll Out
4. Diamond in the Back
3. What's Your Fantasy
2. Move B****
1`. Southern Hospitality
No. 10 – And Finally ...
In the event you were wondering, the results proved to be much closer than I expected.
You literally don't know what you're talking about
From the Ringer today about the MVP discussion:
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the frontrunner for the 2018-19 MVP award and he is among the cluster of four or five deserving DPOY candidates. His credentials are a testament to Occam’s razor: He’s the best player on the best team in the NBA; he’s the best defender on the best defense in the NBA. His explosive, ever-expanding game is like rocket science, but his impact is as easy to comprehend as basic arithmetic. Antetokounmpo is the only player in league history to average at least 27 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists per game since Oscar Robertson’s sophomore season in 1961-62; the only other player in recorded history to average at least six assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game is Kevin Garnett in 2002-03. At only 24, Antetokounmpo has forged an unprecedented standard for the league—and he is still years away from his ball skills, court awareness, and instincts fully catching up with what is arguably the perfect NBA frame.
Those stats are pretty arbitrary. Like Harden will be the first in NBA history with 35+ and 7+ assist.
Dwyane Wade was the only player to record 2000 points (lead league in scoring), 500 boards, 500 assists, 100 steals (2nd in league), and 100 blocks in NBA history. All while being under 6'4. Finished 3rd in the MVP.
Being the best on the best team is usually a big factor, but 3rd in the West without another all star is just as good, if not better, as 1st in the East with another All Star imo.
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This will be my last post on the subject since you're getting a bit condescending; and I'll let Greeny speak for me. Both players are deserving.
"Harden leads the league in scoring by 8 points a game over Paul George, who is second. That would be the largest differential, since they started keeping track of that 50 years ago"
"If we take seriously the "V" in MVP, he has to win it again.
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reply is ignorant at best. i don't even follow the NBA that closely & this response is ridiculous
I agree with this. The bottom line is they are still playing basketball. You think those seniors want to stop playing? This is it for them. It would be real easy to look at a 75% empty Erwin Center and say "F it" but those guys are playing hard. And it's more court/practice time for the young guys so hell, I'll take the NIT and every game it gives us.
Milwaukee is the best team in the NBA, with the best offense and the best defense.
He's the best defensive player on the league's best defense and a monster on offense.
Take your confirmation bias glasses off.
Maybe you should sit this one out, considering you've already admitted you don't know what you're talking about.
Milwaukee is the best team in the NBA, with the best offense and the best defense.
He's the best defensive player on the league's best defense and a monster on offense.
Take your confirmation bias glasses off.
They have the best record but they're not the best team. I'd be shocked if the Bucks won a title.
The rest is all true, but still not enough when compared to James.
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