Longhorns Update: One And Done, Or National Powerhouse?

The University of Texas men’s basketball program seems to be stuck in a bit of a rut these days. There seems to be a bit of an identity crisis. Is this a program that promotes the “one and done”, NBA farm club mentality? Or does it truly desire to be one of the elite programs in the NCAA?

The problem has existed in earnest over the past decade, but the impact has been felt dramatically over the past 4 years. Sure, there are 14 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Numbers like that are reflective of a developing national program. But look a little deeper. Since the Final Four appearance in 2003, what has happened? Worse yet, over the past 4 years they have advanced to just the First Round twice (2010 and 2012) and the Second Round twice (2009 and 2011).

Maybe this is the question that needs to be asked of coach Rick Barnes before the 2012 – 2013 season. Is the goal to be a fertile ground for wannabe NBA players? Or is the goal to truly develop players and build a program?

If you consider NBA draft choices as a benchmark for success, then you are in the right place. If your desire is a program that has multiple and consistent Final Four appearances, and perhaps even National Championships, then you need to look elsewhere. These should not be viewed as mutually exclusive goals. Just look to Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski and you will find a program that develops both. Student athletes not only play more than one season for Coach K, but they contribute to the success of the whole program - a true model of collegiate basketball success.

The University of Texas has had plenty of NBA players over the past decade or so. The list is long: LaMarcus Aldridge, D.J. Augustin, Kevin Durant, T.J. Ford, Daniel Gibson, Royal Ivey, Tristan Thompson, Chris Mihm, Corey Joseph, and P.J. Tucker. And more.

Coach Barnes has continued to hold to his stance of “recruiting the best players” as opposed to “recruiting the best program players”. But with that said, look at his overall tenure at Texas. He has won Big 12 regular season championships in 1999, 2006, and 2008, but has failed to win a Big 12 tournament championship thus far. The Longhorns made an appearance in the Final Four in 2003. Since then? One Sweet Sixteen (2004), two Elite Eight (2006 and 2008), three Second Round (2007, 2009, 2011), and three First Rounds (2005, 2010, 2012).

The Longhorns used to be able to get by as a well-coached defensive machine. Even that doesn’t make an appearance consistently enough anymore, and it’s not just because of the freshman players. Let’s face it – Clint Chapman and Alexis Wangmene didn’t evoke looks of fear out of Perry Jones III, Quincy Acy, Thomas Robinson, or countless other big men across the Big 12 landscape. Add to that the fact that, more often than not, the Horns languished in no-offense-land.

I would far prefer a team full of 3 or 4 star recruits that would actually play together for 3 or 4 years, than to have a bunch of one-and-done players that develop no cohesion and no program.

Of course, the bottom line here is that I am not making $1 million (or more) per season to make these decisions. But given our recent status, I am certainly left to wonder what the future holds for this basketball program.

Photo credits: wjarrettc