Rest of season

At this point of the late season, wins will not pretty UTEP's basketball picture as much as losses will smudge it.

I admit that's a screwy way to make a point.

Perhaps this is better: UTEP, already 14-9, is not going to finish with a good record, but it's ever so important — for next year's hoo-hah — not to finish any worse than the present five games over the .500 mark.

UTEP can acheive that.

But the Miners are one loss away from double digits. Nine losses for a season looks a whole lot better than 10, even though 10 would mean a 20-10 regular season record. Don't count on the 10, though. It looks like a blah season of 18-12 or 17-13. For most of the season it's been the same story. UTEP doesn't win unless its shooters are hot. Stephon Jackson and Randy Culpepper, the only two real scorers on the team, are good shooters and thus will show up "hot" more than half the time — for an 18-12 record and no NCAA bid. The big men, biggest on record in Utepia, are not the force they're supposed to be.

This is not a good season. Tony Barbee, after three seasons, will not have taken the team to an NCAA Tournament. With a 64-school bracket, three straight years as a no-show does not bode well.

These UCFs, Marshalls — the UAB and Southern Miss types — would have been looked upon as pushovers for Miner coaches of yore. And, no, they're not getting better as much as UTEP is going downhill.

OK, I'll end the ranting. But it remains obvious — it's an unremarkable season. Just don't crash and burn and make it a bad season.

Comments

[Jon]

The season is not going downhill. Its not quite going uphill either but lets be real here. The Miners have only lost to Houston, Tulsa and UAB in Conference play this season. All are talented quality teams and natural conference rivals. They are also the top teams in the conference.

The first half of the conference schedule was the harder of the two halves. UTEP will not lose more than two games the rest of this season and those two games are against Memphis and UAB. Both games are also at home.

On top of that UTEP only has 3 games left on the road and it is against bottom feeder schools Rice, USM and Tulane.

And UAB a push over? UAB has never been a push over. they have always been one of the top teams in C-USA since the first year UTEP has been in the league.

Anyway, UTEP is going to finish either at 20-10 or 19-11. Not as good as everyone had hoped at the beginning of the season but not as bad as some of these pessimist have forseen the last couple of weeks.

[David]

Being the UTEP expert you are, could you at least spell Stefon right?

[BOOGIEMAN]

In order for UTEP to be successful, the big guys need to produce, and the rest of the players need to step it up and score more!
With Jackson and Culpepper the only scoring threats, the rest of the teams in C-USA know where to apply the pressure!
Why don't Moultrie and Jones, or any of the other players get more involved in the offense?
UTEP's big guys are about as useful as a stump on a tree!

[John A]

UTEP's basketball team certainly lacks the excitement and intensity of years past. I remember the days of SFD when the Strelz use to get the crowd charged up yelling DEFENSE, and the Bear prowling the sidelines.

Today, the primal antics seen demonstrated by team members, the individualism, lack of defense would not be tolerated by the Bear. To me, Coach Barbee just ain't got what it takes and the lack of a full house is living proof. This begs the question: Is there any way to resurrect Don Haskins?

[clauds]

This is by far the poorest shooting team i have seen in many years. How many games are they shooting in the 30s (percentage)?

[Jon]

Ok, thats it, I have just about had it with this unfair comparison of Coach Barbee to the late Great Coach Haskins.

First of all let me just say that coach Haskins will always be considered one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history and I have the upmost respect and awe of what he did here at UTEP.

But lets stop this shameless comparison and criticism of Babree to Haskins. The statements that Barbee can't coach and that "I remember the great Haskins years" statments....they need to stop. They are just not true.

First of all, it is unfair to compair a 3rd year coach to Haskins but sense everyone is doing it, I will too in a minute. Second, the comparisons that are being made aren't even true. People are comparing Barbee to the legend and Myth of Haskins, the the actual coach.

Here is some food for thought. Barbee went 14-17 his first year with a team that was a complete mess. The following year he went 17-12 (not including post season) This years team will more than likely go 19-11 or maybe 18-12. Not mind blowing numbers and no where near the same level as the Myth of Haskins (which many fans have created in their minds.)

However, compared to the Actual Don Haskins, there really isn't much of a difference. Compare Barbee's first 3 seasons to Haskins last 10 and you will see why I speak of the "myth" of Haskins that everybody keeps talking about in their posts.

Year Record Conf. Finish Postseason
1989-90 21-11 10-6 T3rd NCAA
1990-91 16-13 7-9 T5th None
1991-92 27-7 12-4 T1st NCAA
1992-93 21-13 10-8 4th NIT
1993-94 18-12 8-10 T5th None
1994-95 20-10 13-5 T2nd NIT
1995-96 12-16 4-14 9th None
1996-97 13-13 6-10 T6th None
1997-98 12-14 3-13 7th None
1998-99 16-12 8-6 4th None

(I compared the last 10 years because the game at that time resembles college basketball the way it is today. It was a different game 20 or 30 years ago)

So as everybody can see Barbee and Haskins are not as night and day as people proclaim it to be. At least when it comes to actual records.

If Barbee would actually sustain his current pace for the next 7 year he would have more victories in his first 10 years then Haskins had in his last 10. However, I think Barbee's teams are actually going to get better and that he will have the Miners back in the NCAA tourny real soon and maybe winning a conference championship or two. (Also take into account Haskins never had to go against a team in his conference as dominate as Memphis is in C-USA)

I know some of you think this is blasphemy but the numbers don't lie. You guys just need to stop comparing Barbee to this Mythical time in UTEPIA that never really existed.

[ruben rodriguez]

Utep basketball is just not the game it use to be. They are in a one team conference and if you cant beat Memphis you are not going anywhere. Loses to other conference members,who are not seen as ncaa tournanment type teams only diminish your chances of going anywhere,if you dont win the conference tournanment. There are players who constantly play out of position and lack the mentality to play disciplined basketball(they have to want it bad enough). They do not have the natural instints to play the game well,so they have to be taught, and if they dont follow the instructions of their coaches, well what can i say. I also am tired of seeing the arena half empty, even games against nmsu dont sell out anymore, i think the attitude the players send reflects out and the fans just dont like it. We have lost good coaches because of not having the finances to keep them, but most of all we have lost the soul of Utep basketball, which im afraid we will never see again.

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

The soul of UTEP basketball is it's fans. The kids are not that different from what we brought in during the 80's and 90's. The difference is the attitude of the fans. They are the ones who create atmosphere that the kids feed off of. It's not the other way around. UTEP sports are what you make of it. You attend games and cheer because it's UTEP. It should not ever be because you like or dislike particular players or attitudes. That's just a sorry excuse for being a sorry excuse of a fan.

[just a thought]

Round of applause for Jon and CLEOs posts. Good stuff.

[BOOGIEMAN]

Wait a second!
Didn't coach Barbee recruit these kids because they were such fantastic shooters?
Now we see that these poor kids couldn't hit the side of a barn, with the exception of course of Stefon and sometimes Randy!
Why doesn't anyone else on the team score more than 5, 6, or even 10 points?
Hmm!

[Toasted Whitebred]

Two things that need to happen right away is that the Miners have to improve defensively by limiting their opponents chances to score. That means they can't gamble to make a steal at mid court in lieu of picking a player up and getting in his face (the ABCs of basketball).

Secondly, our post players have to do more of the scoring work inside. I hate to say it but Joe is correct. CTB has to work the ball inside to our big guys and let them/encourage them to shoot more from in close. Why? Higher percentage shots, opens up the outside, get the opponents in foul trouble, gives us more scoring options than when Jackson and Culpepper are not playing well.

Also, the team has struggled without McCulley. He is expected back tomorrow.

[catman]

The reality is this, the fans are disappointed with the Miners' record after being convinced early in the season of how good this year's team would be. Beloved Stefon Jackson, all conference guard and all time leading scorer for the Miners, has only a handful of games left with the team and then he's gone. If the Miners can't win more than 20 games a season with Jackson in the lineup, then what is the chance the Miners will have a better record next year? I'd say not much.

Another disappointment is the supposed benefit of moving the team to CUSA. In basketball, Memphis is it. Memphis will be the only team from CUSA to make the NCAA tournament again this year. That's a step up? In football, we don't have a team regularly ranked in the top 25, and have never had a BCS representative. The BCS busters are from the MWC and WAC. Remember the WAC? We don't see the Miners on local TV like we did. I get to watch the NMSU Aggies on the tube play practically every week. In a city of 600,000+ people, the attendance in the Don is regularly announced at 7,000, but in reality is less. No interest, no feeling of connection to the team or the teams that come to play.

[JohnDooright]

20 wins will get utep into the CBI....

THE CBI will start to stand for THE COACH BARBEE INVITATIONAL sooner than people think.

[Bubba]

CLEOFITZWITZ and Jon make good points we must all consider. However, they fail to see that Haskins has set the standard and Barbee so far has not met it. The fans and season ticket holders expect it. This may seem unfair, but it's one of those facts of life in the sports world.

[JohnDooright]

or better yet, C.B.I. tourney will stand for...

The COACH BARBEE (job)INSURANCE tournament