Posted March 27th, 2011 by Ross
Filed under: Basketball
As we conclude another Longhorn basketball season, we are left again unfilled. The men’s basketball team was a crucial moment away from a visit to the Sweet Sixteen which is seen by many fans as a benchmark for success. I am not going to lament the fact that we have only reached this plateau 5 times under Rick Barnes. We need to realize what we have in Austin. There is an NBA team playing on the 40 acres. Let’s take a look at the NBA players that have been drafted while playing for Rick Barnes:
| Player (*active) | NBA Draft | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Clack | 1999 | 55th |
| Chris Mihm | 2000 | 24th |
| Chris Owens | 2002 | 48th |
| T.J. Ford* | 2003 | 8th |
| Royal Ivey* | 2004 | 37th |
| LaMarcus Aldridge* | 2006 | 2nd |
| P.J. Tucker | 2006 | 35th |
| Daniel Gibson* | 2006 | 42nd |
| Kevin Durant* | 2007 | 2nd |
| D.J. Augustin* | 2008 | 9th |
| Avery Bradley* | 2010 | 19th |
| Damion James* | 2010 | 24th |
| Dexter Pittman | 2010 | 32nd |
This is a very impressive list of NBA players especially if you compare it to other schools. Currently there are only 6 other colleges that have more players that are active in the NBA (bet you could name the schools without looking at the next sentence). Those 6 teams are the true blue bloods of college basketball: UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, and Connecticut. We are tied for 7th with the team we just lost to which is Arizona. Oh yeah, everyone of these schools has won a NCAA championship in the past 15 years while Coach Barnes has been at the helm for 13 of those years. I know that Barnes was quoted by ESPN saying “We would love to win a national championship, but we’re not obsessed with it because we’re obsessed with these guys trying to live their NBA dreams”. I share the same feelings of Jay Bilas who was quoted that “Coaches will down play the importance of winning the title, until they actually win it”. But you can understand the frustrations of Longhorn fans when so many players are at the elite level with no NCAA championships to validate your program.
The Horns program is very similar to many NBA franchise. Go to a men’s home basketball game with the suites, the lack of attendance and the lack of electricity unless the scoreboard calls for noise or a highly ranked team has to make a visit. The brand of basketball played here is entertaining like you would see at any NBA game. The problem is that this team looks like the team you would travel north on I-35 to see which are the Mavericks. The team is fun to watch, entertaining, great in the regular season but nothing substantial to speak of in regards to conference or league titles. I wish the Horns were more like the NBA team that is located just south of us that brings home the championships.
Thanks for following my WTH articles throughout the season. I appreciate the opportunity to rant about the greatest University sports program in the country. You can continue to follow comments on all of UT sports on twitter at 40AcresSports or follow me at Horns1991. HOOK EM!!
reply to #1
Ross
June 13th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
Well, the Mavs proved me wrong. Horns your turn!
reply to #2
Theo Theo
December 25th, 2012 at 9:54 pm
Thanks for share. Good luck for you
reply to #3
Texas Men’s Basketball… Mirror, Mirror. » 40 Acres Sports
April 5th, 2013 at 1:09 pm
[…] Many fans have a looking glass that tells them a Big 12 championship and a deep run in the Tournament is coming closer with this group of talented players. Unfortunately, this is a rear view mirror approach on what it used to be around here. The biggest reflection needs to be taken by Rick Barnes to see if he has the stomach to continue fighting like another coach on the 40 acres. Barnes has created some great moments and recruited some unbelievable talent that went on to the NBA. […]