First off, let's start with a lesson I learned Saturday. Never attempt to think ahead and get ahead in any kind of work. I had nearly a full post previewing Monday's game written out, but done so under the impression that Texas would be beating Oklahoma that afternoon. So, I had to scrap it all and start over. Let this be a lesson to you, too.
What can you say when your conference competition keeps laying down and giving you a bigger and bigger lead all the time? It's frustrating in the fact that you want to beat the best of the rest to be the best. You want to prove you deserve being called "champions." You want everyone to see you flex your muscles and show that swag. That was the original plan. All season long, February 8th was the day. The Kansas Jayhawks would make a quick turn around and go on the road to take on the preseason number two Texas Longhorns. It was to be for all the marbles in the Big 12.
Well, in a sudden turn of events, the 2009-10 Texas basketball team has gone all 2009 Kansas football team on us and basically given away any hope of a regular season title. Yes, it is great to know that just at the halfway point of conference play we are miles ahead of everyone else. But, still, where's the fun in that? Now, will the Jayhawks go another eight games that are partially meaningless and just all a part of the motions? (sans the trip to Columbia, because that is bigger than even the National Championship game - at least to one side.) With next to nothing on the line anymore, will the team keep their intensity up and continue to improve en route to the NCAA tournament? Or, will they instead relax and fall into complacency? Whatever happens, you can blame Texas. I know I will. Just couldn't beat Oklahoma, could you?
The way that I see it, (and the way I began to see it as non-conference play was winding down - before this recent struggle ever happened) is that Texas can score in bunches, but they fail to play good, tough defense and allow far inferior teams (North Carolina - which that win doesn't look nearly so great now - Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma) score 80-plus points against them, whether they won or not. Sure, they won all of those games, but let's face it - when you're playing a team that can run right alongside you and play defense and hold you to the 65-70 point range, you're going to struggle if you don't play better defense. You can bring in all of the glamorous high school recruits from around the country that you want, but as a coach, you have to a) teach them to play team defense, and b) play as a cohesive unit offensively, not just to "get theirs" and shoot when they want.
A team with that much talent just shouldn't be struggling the way they are.
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