The Pressure is on Texas Now

[Tonyc]

With Collier decommitting and going back to Texas it makes you wonder why? Was Texas still recruiting her? It all really doesnt matter now shes gone and back with Texas who has alot of very good players. Now what happens if TX doesnt win it all? What happens if they struggle? Will recruits look at TX for a school have second thoughts about winning a NC? Will those players at TX have second doubts about winning a NC? I would think so. The pressure is on Karen now to produce a NC. However we have seen many big named schools with alot of top AAs never win a NC and some of the schools have lost and not competed for a NC consistently. Only UConn is a real threat.

For those of you who hurt or are upset with Collier leaving. Dont be. She left TX and came to UConn and left UConn to go back to TX. IMO when you decide to leave you cant go back and have it the way you wanted it or the way it was, of the way you thought it was. When you know its over, its over. Geno doesnt work that way. UConn is Great because of Geno's ethics and expectations. Every player has to work for what they get. Thats one of the big differences in UConn.

So dont worry about players leaving. EDD left and UConn still won NC's. Wilson didnt come and UConn still won NCs. Way back when there were some people behind the scenes working to get Tina Charles Jayne Appel and Kia Vaughn to UConn and Tina still won NC's. So dont be concerned. Geno is in charge and so far he's done a pretty good job and this year without a paycheck.

 

[Charliebball]

pressure is a relative thing...........there's only one school that is almost always expected to win a national championship and that's UConn...........will there be pressure on Aston............sure but if they were to loose to UConn along the way nobody would even give it a second thought...........if UConn lost it would create big headlines just like it does when ever UConn looses a single game...........now that's real pressure..............

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Aston has recruited well, even very well. But they have under performed Aston's lofty ambitions. Texas has a sports culture which will continue to draw very high quality recruits and Texas hardly needs to win the NC for Aston to keep her job.

 

[stwainfan]

Is this the year Texas over takes Baylor in Big 12?

 

[Charliebball]

Is this the year Texas over takes Baylor in Big 12?

let's hope so..........

 

[gamer]

Thanks Charliebball, whatever your reasons. I agree.,,, Everyone makes good points, but there is one statement above I don't agree with, that Karen Aston has underperformed her ambitions. (Only in the sense that every coach's ambition is to win the NC every year.) This will be her sixth year. When she came in, she had a very weak team who had not made the NCAA playoffs the year before under former coach. Didn't make the playoffs that year. From then, it has been in this yearly order ....second round, sweet sixteen, elite eight, and elite eight again last year. I think that's pretty fast progress. However, the point will come soon when, if we don't make the final four, it will seem like underperforming, with all out great recruits. My hope is that Texas will keep rising and one day have a rivalry with UConn like you all used to have with Tennessee (but nicer in tone).

 

[Canuck]

I think the pressure has shifted to Baylor...rumour on Sicem is that Grayson and Decosta gave verbal to Mulkey...only time will tell if this is true.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Is this the year Texas over takes Baylor in Big 12?

I would not be surprised, but I have the impression that Texas disappoints on the road.

 

[swimswam]

Pressure is self inflicted. I’m pretty sure Karen doesn’t feel any pressure because this is what she’s wanted. Pressure is when you don’t have any talent trying to complete against the best.

 

[Alydar]

It may seem a little arrogant but getting to the sweet 16 isn't much of an accomplishment. The first game is usually against the winner of the "Southwestern River Valley Conference" and the second against a mediocre mid-range P5 team. Sure, it's a big deal for a team like Quinnipiac but Texas has a long history of being in elite company, despite GG's record. I was at the regional games in Albany a few years ago and watched Texas get embarrassed by about 50. They were young and had injuries but it was a lack of execution and not a lack of talent that led to the lopsided score.

Aston is obviously a fantastic recruiter whose ability as a coach has yet to emerge.

 

[stwainfan]

Well Texas has come a long way. From where they were when Aston took over. I like McCarthy I think she is pretty good.

 

[pinotbear]

Is this the year Texas over takes Baylor in Big 12?

DUCK!

 

[swimswam]

It may seem a little arrogant but getting to the sweet 16 isn't much of an accomplishment. The first game is usually against the winner of the "Southwestern River Valley Conference" and the second against a mediocre mid-range P5 team. Sure, it's a big deal for a team like Quinnipiac but Texas has a long history of being in elite company, despite GG's record. I was at the regional games in Albany a few years ago and watched Texas get embarrassed by about 50. They were young and had injuries but it was a lack of execution and not a lack of talent that led to the lopsided score.

Aston is obviously a fantastic recruiter whose ability as a coach has yet to emerge.

Then I’m pretty sure you were at the Elite 8 the next year where Texas played well against the same team basically on their home floor AGAIN. Karen is not a great x’s and o’s coach offensively, and that is the area that she has needed to work on since she’s been at Texas. Having said all of that, her teams since she’s been at Texas have always been flawed. Their inability to shoot the ball consistantly from the perimeter has always been an issue. And although she’s had good post players none of them could score with their back to the basket consistently in the post. This year those flaws will be strengths for the team. Some folks on here have wrongly compared Karen to Holly.

Yes, neither are great offensive coaches, but the difference is that Karen’s program has gotten better every year for the most part. And Holly’s program has gotten worse since she’s taken over. Also, their has never been any question whether or not Karen’s teams play hard for her and embrace the winning culture that she’s instilled in the program. Which something that has always been questioned with Holly and the Tennessee program.

 

[pacific 44]

Anyone notice the symbolism in the above KM picture as she rids herself of the burnt orange jacket(Texas colors), leaving her clothing as pure white as the driven snow.This symbolizes the purity of the above board athletic dept. at Baylor vs. their arch rivals in Austin.

 

[huskeynut]

Texas and Aston are recruiting very well.

But the log jam for playing time is coming and coming fast. A lot of front line players. So the questions Texas and Aston have to answer:
1. How consistant is the 3 point shooting of the guards/ perimeter players?
2. Can the guards get the ball to the front line players consistently?
3. How skilled are the front line players? Can they play with their back to the basket? Do they have a 10 foot jumper?
4. How effective are these players on defense? Can they play team defense by switching and giving weak side help?
5. Do they have 3 or more players who will consistantly score double figures in every game?

 

[Charliebball]

Thanks Charliebball, whatever your reasons. I agree.,,, Everyone makes good points, but there is one statement above I don't agree with, that Karen Aston has underperformed her ambitions. (Only in the sense that every coach's ambition is to win the NC every year.) This will be her My hope is that Texas will keep rising and one day have a rivalry with UConn like you all used to have with Tennessee (but nicer in tone).

I have relatives in Austin............a very fun town and have always rooted for Texas in their battles against Baylor..............however, the Charli Collier episode, even if it's on the up and up means that I will be rooting for an especially bad beat down against UConn this season.............

 

[southie]

I would not be surprised, but I have the impression that Texas disappoints on the road.

What does that mean? Texas actually won at Baylor last year, and lost to them at home.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

As I have often said, the UConn viewpoint is unique, because it is from fans of a program that would be disappointing if they miss the F4, go a couple seasons with no NC, etc. - and a team that doesn't believe in disappointing.

Sweet 16's and Elite 8's - while fans may want more - are pretty much acceptable at most schools, even good ones. Often, after the Sweet 16 (and sometimes, actually in the Sweet 16) teams not named UConn are marginally separated from their opponent and games could go either way regardless of anticipation and prediction.

No question that Texas and other really good teams are aiming for more, but as long as they are constantly in the mix, not too many complaints to be had.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

What does that mean? Texas actually won at Baylor last year, and lost to them at home.

Well, as far as last year goes, they did lose more at home. So it means my impression for last year was wrong. They dropped games to unranked teams at home. So they were less reliable at home.

 

[southie]

Let me start out by saying that I really enjoy visiting this board; and, no doubt that Geno is the greatest coach off all time in women's hoops, and what he has accomplished when it comes to championships will never be repeated.

But, as I'm sure most of you have forgotten (or didn't know since you didn't start following UConn women's hoops until 1995), it took Geno ten seasons before he won his first national title. Didn't even make the NCAA tournament until his fourth season. And, didn't reach his first Final Four until his sixth season. In his first 15 seasons, he earned 2 national championships and 2 additional Final Four appearances. Nothing to sneeze at after 15 seasons; not sure anyone could have predicted what heights he would reach after that.

While some posters on here don't like losing recruiting battles, it happens. Perhaps it happens to UConn a lot less than to other programs. But, instead of wrinkling your noses at other head coaches who are early in their head coaching careers and working extremely hard to build their programs (and probably using UConn and Coach Auriemma as a model), just remember the time and energy Geno gave in those early years to set the foundation for what was to come. Success for him didn't come early, and there were definitely ups and down for several years until he held his first trophy after 10 seasons at UConn.

Coach Aston is proving she can recruit against the big dogs. Now, she has to mold her talent into a serious challenger and championship contender. She is a competitor. I will never forget watching her on the sidelines in the Georgia Dome in 2003 after UConn beat Texas in the Final Four; she slammed her clipboard on the court in frustration immediately after our last second shot missed its target. The only pressure on her right now is the pressure she and her staff place on themselves to achieve their conference and national championship goals.

 

[Charliebball]

Let me start out by saying that I really enjoy visiting this board; and, no doubt that Geno is the greatest coach off all time in women's hoops, and what he has accomplished when it comes to championships will never be repeated.

But, as I'm sure most of you have forgotten (or didn't know since you didn't start following UConn women's hoops until 1995), it took Geno ten seasons before he won his first national title. Didn't even make the NCAA tournament until his fourth season. And, didn't reach his first Final Four until his sixth season. In his first 15 seasons, he earned 2 national championships and 2 additional Final Four appearances. Nothing to sneeze at after 15 seasons; not sure anyone could have predicted what heights he would reach after that.

While some posters on here don't like losing recruiting battles, it happens. Perhaps it happens to UConn a lot less than to other programs. But, instead of wrinkling your noses at other head coaches who are early in their head coaching careers and working extremely hard to build their programs (and probably using UConn and Coach Auriemma has a model), just remember the time and energy Geno gave in those early years to set the foundation for what was to come. Success for him didn't come early, and there were definitely ups and down for several years until he held his first trophy after 10 seasons at UConn.

Coach Aston is proving she can recruit against the big dogs. Now, she has to mold her talent into a serious challenger and championship contender. She is a competitor. I will never forget watching her on the sidelines in the Georgia Dome in 2003 after UConn beat Texas in the Final Four; she slammed her clipboard on the court in frustration immediately after our last second shot missed its target. The only pressure on her right now is the pressure she and her staff place on themselves to achieve their conference and national championship goals.

true enough but Geno never had the resources of a school like the University of Texas when he started..............or now for that matter

 

[easttexastrash]

Is this the year Texas over takes Baylor in Big 12?

Everyone has to be overtaken at some point. Nobody would know that better than a Lady Vols fan.

 

[southie]

true enough but Geno never had the resources of a school like the University of Texas when he started....or now for that matter

Gail Goestenkors had a winning reputation and a great offensive philosophy, but she couldn't win at Texas like she did at Duke. I thought she would succeed, but she didn't understand the Texas recruiting landscape and didn't make the right coaching hires. So, not every coach wins at a school just because it has tremendous resources. Just look at a school like Florida.

Coach Aston is succeeding where Coach G failed; she has steadily increased the talent level exponentially from what she inherited. She didn't come with the big-name reputation like Coach G, but she is a dynamic recruiter who obviously relates very well to recruits and their families. She is signing great recruits despite not having won the conference title yet, or reached a Final Four. When she achieves those milestones, then hopefully things fall into place and her squads are serious national championship contenders annually.

 

[Plebe]

I recall reading a quote from a very wise man who said: "There are two types of coaches: those who recruit great players, and those who get fired."

Aston in just a short few years rescued the Texas program from the doldrums of mediocrity. In her first season as head coach on "the Forty Acres," in 2012-13, her team went 12-18 overall and finished 8th in the Big 12 with a 5-13 record. She has now taken Texas to at least the Sweet 16 in each of the last three seasons.

More than just a recruiter of elite talent, Aston must be credited for reestablishing a winning culture, a culture that hasn't been this strong in Austin since the heyday of Jody Conradt. Last year they overcame a huge psychological hump by finally beating Baylor, the first time Texas had done so since 2010 (at a time when Griner was serving her suspension).

I hear people knocking her X's and O's coaching ability, but I recall that similar swipes were taken at, for example, South Carolina's and Mississippi State's coaches — at least until both of them had major postseason breakthroughs this past year.

 

[oldude]

Karen Aston clearly has Texas headed on an upward trajectory. As for pressure, the Lady Longhorns average a fairly pedestrian 3,000 + fans at home. So long as they play football in Austin, TX, I don't think Karen Aston has too much to worry about.

When the circus shows up in Austin on Jan 15, for the first time in many years, TX may have a sellout for a women's basketball game.