The conference titles thing is a bad point to get stuck on. It matters, winning the conference is a goal, obviously, but BK won probably the worst SEC of all time. This team and that team are very similar in the metrics rankings, but this is the best SEC of all time.

The '16 team won the SEC by winning just three top 50 games and with 4 losses to teams outside the top 50 (by Torvik).

This year we have 8 top 50 wins in league play and no outside the top 50 losses. Just a completely different world this team is playing in.

I get we need tourney wins this year. But too many people (not everyone) put too much stock in the postseason. Is our program dramatically different if Northern Iowa makes one more free throw or Houston makes one less?

It's not the ideology that's the problem. Or at least not the main problem. It's the fundamentals that we either can't recruit or can't teach, or both. Setting picks and screens, using picks and screens, passing guys open, etc.

This kind of offense can work but you have to be really good at those things. We're like an option offense that sucks at sealing the edge and pitching the football.

gunan01 said:

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Obviously you have more bona fides on this board than any other poster, so I respect your opinion. Buzz is a better coach than BK. But his lack of conference titles and poor postseason showings while at A&M is a glaring black mark on his tenure and his overall career. Hopefully that changes this year.

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Buzz is a very good postseason coach though, both at A&M and before A&M. This job isn't special, its just being a basketball coach, its the same job as almost anywhere else, way moreso than football is. If nothing else, the fact that counting conference championships and ncaa wins only at A&M leads someone to the conclusion that Billy Kennedy is the better coach by those metrics should show you that evaluating using them is garbage. You dont need bobinators word for it, the entire basketball world knows Buzz Williams is a great coach and would think that a comparison to Kennedy is laughable.

Luke The Drifter said:

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The sooner y'all realize Buzz is the best A&M will ever get, the better off you'll all be. Considering how awful A&M is at basketball NIL, facilities, fan support, and everything that's required to build a winning program, it's really pretty miraculous that Buzz (and Kennedy, and Turge, and BCG) have had the success they've had.

We are not Duke and never will be. Until our fans get as serious about basketball NIL as they are about football NIL, what we have now is our absolute ceiling.

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Dumbest post I've read in a while. What a loser mentality, not to mention you contradict yourself in your own post. We won't do better, except for the 3 guys before him who did.

Buzz was a top 10 paid guy and now is top 17. We see mid major coaches make the bump up every year that quickly get to buzz's level of success or better. Everyone says buzz does more with less, except he doesn't. This roster has a 5 star in manny and a bunch of 4 stars, as well as one of the most coveted transfers in Payne from the portal last year. Player development simply doesn't happen in a buzz system. It's a style of ball that largely strips out natural talent to fit a system and a weighting on defense, rebounding and tiring out an opposing team. It's also a system that largely strips out common sense and in game gut feel, which we regularly see when buzz shockingly puts the hot hand back on the bench, rather than taking advantage….which is infinitely more shocking with a roster that lacks consistent shooting.

If you think buzz is as good as we can do and that 1 tourney win in 6 seasons is as good as it gets….that's as BAS as it gets. Buzz is a great man. Buzz is a great developer of human beings. Buzz is a just above average in game coach and an average recruiter. We can easily do as good and IMO can do better. If he leaves, it'll only be bittersweet for me because of the great human he is. I prefer a different style of ball. It was fun for a few years, but I'm ready for something new. If he gets us an elite 8, I'll be a lot more sad, but I just lose more and more confidence in that by the moment.

bobinator said:

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It's not the ideology that's the problem. Or at least not the main problem. It's the fundamentals that we either can't recruit or can't teach, or both. Setting picks and screens, using picks and screens, passing guys open, etc.

This kind of offense can work but you have to be really good at those things. We're like an option offense that sucks at sealing the edge and pitching the football.

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Spot on

bobinator said:

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It's not the ideology that's the problem. Or at least not the main problem. It's the fundamentals that we either can't recruit or can't teach, or both. Setting picks and screens, using picks and screens, passing guys open, etc.

This kind of offense can work but you have to be really good at those things. We're like an option offense that sucks at sealing the edge and pitching the football.

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If only we didn't suck, we'd be good The prob with takes like this - we have one of the top 3 teams in school history this year.

It's still a team that 316th in effective field goal percentage. Imagine how good we'd be if we could make our first shot at even a mediocre rate instead of being one of the worst shooting teams in the country.

It's the reason were talking about about matchups being so important for us to maybe make the elite eight instead of us thinking we're a true national title contender.

Yep, we have the defense and rebounding to be a true final 4 and title contender…and the offense and shooting % to not even be worthy of the NIT. That's on buzz and coaching staff, full stop. It's not a formula for a title, it's a respectable ceiling and that's it.

Schloss was an atomic bomb gut punch, and I realize he preferred Texas over us. Buzz? I hope he stays, but we've had similar results with the last three HCs. The SEC is emerging as an awesome conference in basketball. We need an elite coach to compete. Buzz may get us there.

Bobaloo said:

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Schloss was an atomic bomb gut punch, and I realize he preferred Texas over us. Buzz? I hope he stays, but we've had similar results with the last three HCs. The SEC is emerging as an awesome conference in basketball. We need an elite coach to compete. Buzz may get us there.

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I can't accept another Kennedy level hire. Those were some miserable years.

Timberwolf said:

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I'm convinced this AD is on a mission to tear it all down like Musk is doing. That's all good for the federal government but not my universities athletic department. If we get bounced first game, it's happening. Losing Schloss was the canary in the coal mine.

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Schloss and Buzz are 2 completely different circumstances.
Schloss went to live the lifestyle he wants with his boyfriend.
Buzz is a lot like BCG in coaching style. Good luck if he leaves. I'm not gonna cry about it though.

Zero faith in this AD or the previous one to hire competent coaches for the men's Big 3.

Current Baseball HC may be the worst hire since Melvin Watkins. Taking us from #1 to Season Over before April has to be a record.

The baseball coaching hire was always a shortsighted gamble hoping the roster was good enough that he could learn on the job without too much trouble but that's obviously not happening.

Basketball will be a completely different situation.

Buzz is mid. We should pour more into bbal and baseball rather than our pathetic football team

whytho987654 said:

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Buzz is mid. We should pour more into bbal and baseball rather than our pathetic football team

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Honestly this is the answer

No Texas team truly prioritizes basketball. If we stopped chasing dreams of football and baseball greatness that will never happen and instead went full bore into top facilities, coaches and players, being THE premier basketball program in Texas we could probably actually do that and in the process become a truly perennial power.

But our egos refuse to allow that so we continue trying to kick the football from Lucy every year and never learn

Houston and Baylor do but I think it only further proves your point. You have to find the right coach first though.

If our rich fans stopped caring about the things they cared about and started caring about things they don't care about instead we could be good is a wild take.

Where, exactly, are we lacking in spending on basketball?

20ag07 said:

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Where, exactly, are we lacking in spending on basketball?

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I'm guessing NIL.

20ag07 said:

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Where, exactly, are we lacking in spending on basketball?

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Have you seen reed arena? Place is awful

We took a risk and I think it was a good one but we should absolutely act quickly if this season doesn't turn around quick.

Quote:

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Have you seen reed arena? Place is awful

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Spending $350M on an entirely new basketball arena, on what would have to be off campus, would in no way change our winning/losing.

zgolfz85 said:

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Yep, we have the defense and rebounding to be a true final 4 and title contender…and the offense and shooting % to not even be worthy of the NIT. That's on buzz and coaching staff, full stop. It's not a formula for a title, it's a respectable ceiling and that's it.

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that is true...but we can hope healthy dose of luck and have a hot shooting streak...E8 here we come...

or go home early...hope we make it S16...

There's a runway the width of the solar system between what Reed is now and a $350M off campus venue

Buzz is gone.

Very little faith in the AD's ability or motivation to spend on the next setup. We will likely go cheap route.

Enjoy the next few games They'll be our last in the tournament for at least a couple years

Mr.Milkshake said:

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Buzz is gone.

Very little faith in the AD's ability or motivation to spend on the next setup. We will likely go cheap route.

Enjoy the next few games They'll be our last in the tournament for at least a couple years

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What are the specific sort of investment will be needed to keep Buzz from your perspective? Also, is your statement about Buzz leaving based on stone legit insight within the basketball team or athletic department or just your general opinion?

20ag07 said:

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Quote:

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Have you seen reed arena? Place is awful

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Spending $350M on an entirely new basketball arena, on what would have to be off campus, would in no way change our winning/losing.

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We just need something more functional. Houston spent $60 million to renovate their arena in 2018 and another 4.2 million in 2024 to add some things. Likewise, tcu renovated theirs in 2016 for $72 million. Sure, I would prefer a brand new arena but that is not going to happen unless a&m makes an agreement with the cities of Bryan/college station to be part of a further development just like Baylor did with the new arena. The arena is part of a city development.

We are NOT winning or losing games, and not getting recruits, bc of Reed Arena.

That's a straight up fact.

You can be jealous of what someone else has, bc you want that too, (while disregarding what they gave up in other program facilities to get it).

But pouring millions of dollars into Reed ain't gonna change anything.

You're certainly welcome to write the check if you think so, though.

agtrevino07 said:

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20ag07 said:

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Quote:

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Have you seen reed arena? Place is awful

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Spending $350M on an entirely new basketball arena, on what would have to be off campus, would in no way change our winning/losing.

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We just need something more functional. Houston spent $60 million to renovate their arena in 2018 and another 4.2 million in 2024 to add some things. Likewise, tcu renovated theirs in 2016 for $72 million. Sure, I would prefer a brand new arena but that is not going to happen unless a&m makes an agreement with the cities of Bryan/college station to be part of a further development just like Baylor did with the new arena. The arena is part of a city development.

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you can forget anything that involves Bryan, CS, A&M agreeing on anything. They all try to screw each other over any chance they get. Then they turn around and screw us.

20ag07 said:

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We are NOT winning or losing games, and not getting recruits, bc of Reed Arena.

That's a straight up fact.

You can be jealous of what someone else has, bc you want that too, (while disregarding what they gave up in other program facilities to get it).

But pouring millions of dollars into Reed ain't gonna change anything.

You're certainly welcome to write the check if you think so, though.

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How do you know that's a fact? I do agree money should be invested in NIL over other avenues but I'd guess facilities still matter even though it's been marginalized in the last few years.

It's not a "straight up fact" just because you say it is.

Are we losing recruits because of the way Reed looks? No, of course not.

But, is Reed maximizing our ability to make money as a basketball program? Is it maximizing the fan experience in creating a fun environment that gets recruits hyped up when they attend games?

If a recruit goes to a sold out game at Baylor's new Foster Pavilion (great design, only holds 7500 people) and then comes to a game at Reed Arena with 9,000 people (so only 75% full) in a giant soulless cavern, which arena seems more like an environment you'd want to play in?

Reed also has zero luxury areas to bring in big time money, which in the revenue sharing era actually could make a difference in our getting players or not (or at least offsetting the cost of getting those players.)

This "reed doesn't matter" thing is so absurd when it comes from the same people that think we should be competing for national or conference titles. Baylor, Texas, TCU and Houston have all renovated their arenas or built entirely new ones in the last few years. Would we EVER allow ourselves to be behind schools like Houston or Baylor in football or baseball facilities?

I'm not saying we should put $200M into a new basketball arena, but these things do matter. Everything matters if you want to truly compete for titles.

i just don't see where the money comes from, even making reed into more fan friendly, suite boxes, etc more money generator, that doesn't pay for the renovation. It'll take the schools help and they aren't going to pay to make Reed smaller.

if yall want Reed upgraded, you better root really hard for Elko. Cause the only thing that can save things now is for football to be really good. Cause with **** show at Olsen, the money is about to stop flowing. YOu can only get so much blood from a turnip.

Yeah I'm not saying we're going to do it, or could even do it if we wanted to.

I just hate the "it doesn't matter" thing I've seen a lot on here. Of course it matters. And the "it doesn't matter" stuff usually comes from the same kind of posters that act like what Buzz has done here isn't good enough and that we should be expecting to compete for national championships or whatever.

If the support for the program is at a national championship level and you're getting second tier (or worse) results, then that's one thing. But if you're support is at a second tier level you can't expect national championship results.

Realistic take as always.

What, exactly, would you suggest doing to Reed to "bring in big time money"?

I sit right on top of the SEZ suites in Kyle. All the rows in front of me- demolished. No complaints from me. That brought in big time money.

Not sure what anyone thinks you can do to Reed that would bring in big time money, without over investing in the wrong spot