Three takeaways from Texas grinding out an 84-75 win over South Carolina

If you want big improvement next season, better hope for a point guard. Casual basketball fans understand the game about as much they understand thermonuclear dynamics. Like goobers talking about Luka as some kind of savior. Reminds me of one of my favorite film lines from Revenge. "They're no doubt expecting a common, reliable stud, which he ain't."

1 minute ago, harveycmd said:

If you want big improvement next season, better hope for a point guard. Casual basketball fans understand the game about as much they understand thermonuclear dynamics. Like goobers talking about Luka as some kind of savior. Reminds me of one of my favorite film lines from Revenge. "They're no doubt expecting a common, reliable stud, which he ain't."

We know who we are Harvey, just having fun talking about it. But, we do know enough to know that a good Point Guard changes lives. 🙂

14 minutes ago, harveycmd said:

If you want big improvement next season, better hope for a point guard. Casual basketball fans understand the game about as much they understand thermonuclear dynamics. Like goobers talking about Luka as some kind of savior. Reminds me of one of my favorite film lines from Revenge. "They're no doubt expecting a common, reliable stud, which he ain't."

I have a feeling PG is the first think we are looking at in the portal 

Jeff you've pretty much summarized how the team has consistently played in the SEC schedule and what we should expect the rest of the year. It's matchup dependent to an extent but this team lives and dies by Swain shooting efficiently and Mark not having an off night.  Matas will be in foul trouble (minus a bad game plan by the opponent not to attack him) every game and Pope will be invisible 50% of the time. We just got to hope that these hot nights by Pope or Heide pop up at the right times. 

That said, we look like we're tournament bound which is more than I could say a month ago which speaks to the job Miller has been doing of late. 

5 hours ago, MJW2327 said:

We need to stop letting the other team's best player go off - Meechie Johnson scored a career high 35 pts and was getting way too many and-1s at the rim. Reminiscent of the Miss St. game where Josh Hubbard went off for 38 points, the only difference being we lost that game (and Ja'Kobi Gillespie going off for 34 when we got destroyed @ TN). I think the issue of letting the other team's best player throw together a highlight film against us would have been harder to conceal had we lost that game but it needs fixing because it's become a pretty standard playbook for a team like SC to be competitive against us.

That’s the one thing I haven’t seen from Coach Miller. Make somebody else beat you. I am sure he has his reasons but I haven’t seen that yet. 

5 hours ago, Robbin Antono said:

If we can get Wicher, Matas, (ans Swain hopefully) back, we should be good for tournament next year.

Wilcher has looked better but he is not the shooter with length Texas needs, and he  is not a guard that can get downhill. Would be great coming off the bench. 

Edited February 4Feb 4 by Jordan91

If you want big improvement next season, better hope for a point guard. Casual basketball fans understand the game about as much they understand thermonuclear dynamics. Like goobers talking about Luka as some kind of savior. Reminds me of one of my favorite film lines from Revenge. "They're no doubt expecting a common, reliable stud, which he ain't."

7 hours ago, LonghornFan4Ever said:

They're 5-5 in SEC play now with 8 games to go.  Looking at their remaining schedule, I think a tourney bid (without having to participate in the play-in game) is a lock if they can win their next 3 games (Mississippi, @ Missouri, LSU) and they win at least one of their last 5 games.  Texas would finish the regular season 9-9 in SEC play if that scenario pans out.  A win at home against OU is the most likely of those last 5 games, but this team has shown they tend to play up and down to the competition, so I could see them getting an upset @ Georgia or @ A&M.  I don't see them beating a red hot UF team at the Moody or winning @ Arkansas, but you never know.  That's why they play the games.

I don't think you guys understand. Kobe told Mikey he was better. He was. I don't think you can get more than that. You tell MJ you're better than him. And you are. I don't know what to say other than "Amen, brother." Nash sucks. Dirk sucks more than anyone. 

12 hours ago, MJW2327 said:

We need to stop letting the other team's best player go off - Meechie Johnson scored a career high 35 pts and was getting way too many and-1s at the rim. Reminiscent of the Miss St. game where Josh Hubbard went off for 38 points, the only difference being we lost that game (and Ja'Kobi Gillespie going off for 34 when we got destroyed @ TN). I think the issue of letting the other team's best player throw together a highlight film against us would have been harder to conceal had we lost that game but it needs fixing because it's become a pretty standard playbook for a team like SC to be competitive against us.

You nailed it -- all three of those players have something in common.  We cannot defend a really quick, strong, mobile guard.  Well, maybe if we played Chendall Weaver the whole game.

3 hours ago, harveycmd said:

If you want big improvement next season, better hope for a point guard. Casual basketball fans understand the game about as much they understand thermonuclear dynamics. Like goobers talking about Luka as some kind of savior. Reminds me of one of my favorite film lines from Revenge. "They're no doubt expecting a common, reliable stud, which he ain't."

How did we get to the NBA on this thread? Basketball is constantly changing. Luka, Joker have virtually no athleticism at all. They have perfected the high release point. And even though basketball is constantly changing the only thing that remains the same is Kobe is not better than MJ and if he did say that he took it back. This was 2022. 
 

Kobe Bryant Claimed He’d Never Say He Was Better Than Michael Jordan

“I will never say I am better than Michael. In all honesty, he taught me so many things, by observation, and also through conversation,” Kobe said in an interview. “It’s a bit of an unbalanced comparison too, because when he came to Chicago, he was able to do things individually that I didn’t have the freedom to do, coming to Los Angeles. I came in playing a support role for Shaquille, which was very hard for my personality to do. That would be like asking Michael to do the same thing. Our careers tracked on different paths, but I would never ever say that, just because I learned so much from him.”

Edited February 5Feb 5 by Jordan91

On 2/4/2026 at 9:39 PM, Jordan91 said:

How did we get to the NBA on this thread? Basketball is constantly changing. Luka, Joker have virtually no athleticism at all. They have perfected the high release point. And even though basketball is constantly changing the only thing that remains the same is Kobe is not better than MJ and if he did say that he took it back. This was 2022. 
 

Kobe Bryant Claimed He’d Never Say He Was Better Than Michael Jordan

“I will never say I am better than Michael. In all honesty, he taught me so many things, by observation, and also through conversation,” Kobe said in an interview. “It’s a bit of an unbalanced comparison too, because when he came to Chicago, he was able to do things individually that I didn’t have the freedom to do, coming to Los Angeles. I came in playing a support role for Shaquille, which was very hard for my personality to do. That would be like asking Michael to do the same thing. Our careers tracked on different paths, but I would never ever say that, just because I learned so much from him.”

True as far as it goes. Kobe never said publicly he was better than Michael. He almost certainly wasn't when you talk about the peak. Kobe did tell him he could kick his ass when he was 20 years old. I don't know of anything else similar. The thing is that there have been probably 40-50 players more physically gifted than Kobe as basketball players in the history of the world. There might be two or three that were actually better than him at his best. There weren't any who were tougher or worked harder. There weren't any more technically skilled.

Edited February 8Feb 8 by harveycmd

"Based on historical performance and accolades, Kobe Bryant is often considered the greatest 22-year-old NBA player, having helped lead the Lakers to another title while demonstrating elite versatility and scoring in the 2000-01 season. Other top contenders for best 22-year-old include LeBron James (2007) and Tim Duncan (1999). "

Mikey ain't listed. Now we got 25 year old pansies wanting to play college. This is why sports sucks now.

4 hours ago, harveycmd said:

True as far as it goes. Kobe never said publicly he was better than Michael. He almost certainly wasn't when you talk about the peak. Kobe did tell him he could kick his ass when he was 20 years old. I don't know of anything else similar. The thing is that there have been probably 40-50 players more physically gifted than Kobe as basketball players in the history of the world. There might be two or three that were actually better than him at his best. There weren't any who were tougher or worked harder. There weren't any more technically skilled.

He patterned his game after Jordan. His attitude and how he approached the game and practice were identical to Jordan. It doesn’t surprise me that they were friends. 

2 minutes ago, Jordan91 said:

He patterned his game after Jordan. His attitude and how he approached the game and practice were identical to Jordan. It doesn’t surprise me that they were friends. 

That again is true as far as it goes. Kobe was more skilled. He was a better shooter. He had a better handle. He had more post moves. He couldn't hold the ball as strong at the rim. That's the only thing that made Mikey better. But that was as big thing. 

Mikey and Kobe is as good as it gets. These chumps today can't hold a candle. They literally have nothing in terms of work ethic, clutch play and pure balls. 

Since I can't stand Cuban and Mavs fans, this is my all time favorite. Only player in NBA history to outscore an entire team through three quarters. This is why the Mavs will eternally suck ass. 

Five day Camping trip Palo Duro Canyon May 1991 when I was 19. Pansies got nothing on me. 

After listening to America Horse With no Name, I listened to Isaac Hayes Shaft. Both were from a radio station in Estelline, TX. 

Why would an idiot like JR Smith talk to Kobe? Like Satan talking to Jesus. 

Penny

Vince

McGrady

Iverson

Duncan

Kidd

Nash

Melo

Shaq

Garnett

I like Miller, but I didn't like his answer to Gerry's question about point guard play. Magic is universally recognized as the greatest PG ever. He wasn't traditional in the sense that was literally the biggest point guard to ever play, but he ran the team like a QB and didn't worry about shooting first. You can't be a PG and think you need to score before anyone else. Magic could score as well as anyone, but he didn't try to do it first. I hope Miller gets a true PG and doesn't fall into the BS of combo nonsense.

You could take Magic, Kobe, Worthy, Kareem and whomever you want and beat any combination of five other players in the history of the world. There's three reasons for that. The key is Magic couldn't be stopped at point. Kobe defending any perimeter you can think of and beating any player you want one on one. Kareem the best post player ever. None of this is combo crap. Magic running point. Kobe was a shooting guard who could defend any one else who was also skilled enough to score on any other wing in the history of the world. Kareem was the best post player ever. But Magic as a true point is literally the linchpin. I don't wanna hear no combo crap. 

If the Lakers would've had 2001 Kobe in the 1991 NBA Finals, they would have killed the Bulls. The reason: Magic and Kobe's defense.