Joe on utepia | The place for commentary for UTEP athletics

UTEP BB recruiting

Now is the time to watch and see if Tim Floyd will cull his UTEP basketball roster. Two reasons:
1) He really doesn't look to have an NCAA Tournament-bound team with his present roster.
2) He's been known to cull. First  fill the roster (the 13 limit) then go get better guys, when they become available, and find ways to "disappear" some of the earlier signees before fall enrollment.

On 1: Recall three of Floyd's first signees never made it here, including 4-star 6-8  forward Rashanti Harris. Didn't make grades. The two others were the Heat Academy players, Michael Haynes and Desmond Lee. Those were three top talents.

Now the best newcomer is Julian Washburn, who has been enrolled at UTEP but couldn't practice with the team this past season. He's apparently really talented, too. He reportedly had early offers from six Big 12 schools, along with Arizona and others. They apparently backed off when he didn't project academically.

The other newcomers, to go with returnees John Bohannan, Gabe McCulley and Michael Perez aren't highly pedigreed by the recruiting pundits. But you never know. Neither was Tim Hardaway.

On 2:  There's no longer the NCAA's "five-and-eight rule."  For a few years it limited schools to a maximum of five scholarship freshmen in one year and eight over two years.

At Iowa State years ago, Floyd was known for oversigning, then dumping players if he could get better ones. Some in college basketball called the "five-and-eight" the "Tim Floyd Rule."

Reportedly, Floyd has said he has one roster hole to fill. That means one of the 13 he has now isn't coming back? Who?

There are still some players out there, who'll drift off major-school rosters and such. And there's no more five-and-eight rule. And Tim Floyd, one can be assured, isn't one to build a program with some three- or four-year plan. Recall the Gary Nord (football) six-year plant?

UTEP's Floyd: What's speculation, what's rumor

No, just because the Tennessee basketball job is open, it doesn't mean UTEP's Tim Floyd is the new Vols coach. But he's that high-level of coach. That is "speculation," not "rumor."

Just like the Oklahoma opening is specultion. He is, after all, that high-level of coach.

Some posters get really upset when a UTEP coach's name is thrown into somebody's mix. Expect Floyd's name to float on the wafts of speculation, unless he until he becomes "UTEPed," as has Football Coach Mike Price, who isn't going anywhere anymore. He's had five losing seasons in a row.

Since Floyd left here as an assistant in the early 1980s, he's coached at Idaho, New Orleans, Iowa State and "This is my last college job" Southern Cal. He's coached in the NBA (Chicago, New Orleans).

Obviously, yes, he'd move again. Wouldn't you think.

Word is Floyd, unlike some others in the business, isn't prone to applying for head coaching jobs. If somebody calls, and offers the job and a good living wage, that's when he gets into that mode of deciding yes or no. Recall he turned down Arizona's recruitment in 2009, saying Southern Cal is "my last college job."

Well, things happen, and now Floyd is one year into UTEP.

Don't think he won't go. My previous post meant it's possible he could go. After all, his UTEP salary is what Oklahoma pays for coaches' haircuts.

Floyd won 25 games, but will have a major rebuilding job to do next season. He lost eight seniors. And no recruiting addicts are giving Floyd's new guys a lot of ratings stars (***) next to their name.

Since His Coachency retired in 1999, UTEP has had five new head coaches in 12 years. They all "loved El Paso" and "will stay here as long as you will have me."

Bottom line: Don't get upset when a Miner coach's name gets on a "speculation list." That means he's a good coach.

The order of things:
1. Speculation (what's logical)
2. Rumor (Somebody reports something as having happened, but without official confirmation.
3. Bye bye (I still remember seeing that private jet over El Paso as Gillispie left for Texas A&M.

NOTE: It was "speculated here, before Texas Tech would fire Pat Knight, that Gillispie would be the top pick. It was logical. He was named to the job Sunday.

It's over for hard-fighting UTEP; Floyd to Oklahoma?

Losing 69-57 at New Mexico in the first round of the NIT? Yes, expected. In fact, it was almost like strict UTEP Coach Tim Floyd told the (25-10) guys to just go play hard and see what happens. Because, the Miners' defensive moxie was not there.

What happend was the Lobos (minus their team leader/leading scorer point guard)  mince-meated UTEP inside at will and UTEP's senior-dominated team could not hold their Conference USA  moxey.

Now comes questions: The Big 12 job at Oklahoma  is open. Is UTEP "national name" Coach Tim Floyd a candidate? Who better? Oklahoma needs a winner!!

And if any Miner fan thinks back, Assistant Coach Johnson has been doing a lot of the "face" time with the radio and other media people. Has this been a plan? Floyd's top aide takes over?

 Floyd's contract stipulates he can leave anytime without any penalty.

But he loves it here.

And BillyGillespie (to Texas A&M) "loved" El Paso, and so did Doc Sadler (Nebraska) and Tony Barbee (Auburn).

Also, by the way, NOTE:  Utepia blogger "Barry" predicts ex-UTEP Coach Gillsispie will be named the new Texas Tech coach Wednesday.

So the Miners' future (this team is virtually all seniors)?

So far, next year's UTEP's incoming list doesn't have any proverbial "diaper dandies." It's to be the return of frosh center John Bohannon (a talent, but sassy-to-coaches) and 6-7 enforcer junior Gabe Mculley (maybe he can add shooting touch to "tough?").

And? Is there a 20-game winner in that recruting class? And will UTEP fans buy tickets if it doesn't look that will be?

As usual, my bottom line:

UTEP ran out of adrenalin some three games ago,  back  in the Conference USA tournament. Too many guys played 39- to 40-minute stints, for too many games, for being a team with no real good big man. Legs give out, even young college-aged legs. And big beats smaller when that's the case.

Add to that: It appeared Tuesday, in Loboland, that Floyd gave the seniors ... well

It appeared the season's moniker of the disciplined defensve vs. C-USA teams was not there. UTEP was its former pre-Floyd self. Just shoot! Run. Shoot. Run some more.

End of Floyd "Season No. 1."

Will there be a Floyd No. 2?

 

 

 

Next for UTEP? The NIT?

Early blog on what the NIT historically considers when filling it's field (tonight):

Look for the selectors to set up the teams it wants to meet in the final four in Madison Square Garden. Ticket sales means more than who deserves an invitation. Look for the big-four names, one in each bracket. An Michigan State? A decent team out of the East? Colorado didn't get into the NCAA. Alabama? Just guessing here, not predicting.

Look for first-round games at a home site that WILL sell tickets. This is UTEP's best chance. UTEP will sell at least 8,000 tickets because the fans have fallen in love with Randy Culpepper, et al.

The NIT has been known as a East Coast-focused, snooty tournament. And here's an old example:

Remember when UTEP beat Houston in El Paso, and Georgetown won farther West in first-round games. It was some years ago, but:

It would have made sense to pit UTEP vs. G'Town in a second round game in El Paso,  for travel-cost reasons. G'Town and and legendary Coach John Thompson were already almost here. Easy, less-expensive flight.

No! The NIT pitted UTEP-Georgetown, all right. But it was in Washington D.C. And Georgetown didn't even have dibs on its normal arena. It was booked. So the game was played in a tiny, steamy gym on campus. The NIT wanted Gerogetown, not UTEP to reach New York City.

I'm thinking UTEP gets into the NIT, but that's not a lock. Recall UTEP, in the Tony Barbee recent reign as coach, the pretty-decent Miners got stuck why down in the third tournament - the dregs - the College Basketball Invitational. No NIT bid.

UTEP had a much-better-than-expected season (25-9) after losing its two big-man stars. This has been a truly over-achieving team, with great coaching under Tim Floyd and great responding to his coaching by eight seniors who gave up their old "raggish-taggish" ways and played a defense not seen here by half the Miner fans (who weren't born then).

I think Conference USA deserved three teams in the NCAA. But the NCAA did exactly what it did last year. Conference tourney champ (this year Memphis) with the automatic bid, and conference regular-season winner UAB.

Last year UTEP won the regular season title, and got in.

UTEP is an NCAA-caliber team. Conference USA and UTEP are not national names.

The NIT field sets up later today.

UTEP 8 seconds short of "unbelievable

UTEP made the unbelievable believable ... and then not. The Miners needed just eight more seconds of their fingernails clinging to the cliff's edge to have played its best conference tournament ever.

As it was, Memphis came from 13 points down in the second half to win 67-66, taking its only lead of the game with 7.9 seconds to play Saturday morning in the Conference USA Basketball Tournament title game.

UTEP (25-9)  fate as an at-large invitee to next week's NCAA Tournament? Maybe the tournament's Selection Committee, holed up like a jury panel, liked what they saw on the nationally televised game?

With UTEP's assignment of having three good teams to face in the C-USA tournament - and three wins in a row - one had to be a Miner fanatic to think a title could happen. It almost, almost did. For the record, it did, did, almost did.

UTEP has won some conference tournaments, all in the old WAC. That was back in the late 1980s. But the Tim Hardaway, Antonio Davis and Greg Foster team didn't have it this tough in 1988-89. Nor did the Davis, Foster, Prince Stewart and Marlon Maxey team in 1980-90.

And this year the Randy Culpepper, Julyan Stone ... Christian Polk and Jeremy Williams, would have pulled off ... Let's look back.

Against Marshall Thursday, UTEP showed that "tougher" beats huge. Against Tulsa Friday, UTEP showed that "tougher" beats real tough. And Saturday it was "tougher" whipping one of last year's top recruiting classes by double-digit points. "Tougher" was beating what looked like a delicate bunch of high-school all-Americans - stepped out of bounds four times in the first half and displayed hands of stone.

When Memphis got the ball inside to its bigs, Memphis scored. But UTEP built its lead by not allowing the ball inside that often. And it was a great UTEP shooting day.

Let's get to the shooting game: Polk scored 27 points and hit 11 of his first 12 shots. Alas, he missed his last two late when Memphis was catching up. Meanwhile, Culpepper was "clang" virtually all game. Polk, defense, and Stone being the general was enough to hold the lead ... hold the lead ... it's slipping.

Some think I've been wrong by saying said UTEP was running out of gas. UTEP ran out of gas in the last 2 1/2 minutes. That's when a 5-point lead went down, down, down. But that's still a pretty good miles-per-gallon.

And with 7.9 seconds to play, Memphis' Joe Jackson made two free throws for the eventual 67-66 win. UTEP had had a chance to make free throws with less than a minute to play, but didn't make 'em all. Memphis missed two with 12 seconds to play. Jackson didn't miss.

Now, does UTEP miss the NCAA field because it couldn't hang on the "unbelievable" for eight more seconds?

 

UTEP's mid-game run the game-decider

That UTEP run midway into the second half might have been its best sprint in a big game all season. It sure came at the best time, the semifinals of the Conference USA Basketball Tournament. Before that Tulsa seemed to have the momentum because it was playing on the side of "odds."

UTEP won 66-54 after trailing by a point at the half.

Tulsa would have had the "odds" edge because, in this close game, its players were intent on getting the ball inside for percentage shots. But UTEP's defense, great in the latter part of the season, had the Hurricane bumbling inside as the second half warmed up. Tulsa was definitely pushed out of its synch by UTEP.

Meanwhile, somewhat against the "odds," UTEP (Polk is red hot this month) was scoring outside to get the run going, and Randy Culpepper got some good dishes for some high-flying layups in the transition game. Culpepper was smart enough not to try and force his long jump shot; he's wasn't hot from 3-point range.

Bottom line: UTEP out-gutted and then out-ran Tulsa, a pretty good team.

UTEP wins, but check that gas tank

UTEP gutted out a 77-65 win over Marshall Thursday in the quarterfinal of the Conference USA Basketball Tournament.

Normally a 12-point margin is a decent spread. But UTEP had gone up by 23 late in the first half.

The good: After Marshall cut that lead to 7, UTEP played the "hare re-awakened" and its win was never in real jeopardy against the tortise.

The fear for Miner fans: UTEP has to win two more games, in two more days, to reach the NCAA Tournament. Did UTEP have to burn too much of his gas tank?

I'll go for UTEP once more, but then it's really time to remember that only a starting team, plus a guy or two, has been playing all the minutes in Conference USA games.

And I continue to wonder how long UTEP coach Tim Floyd can come up with some ingredient into the soup to put a tummy cramp on seemingly just-as-talented C-USA opponents.

Big win. Two more needed.

 

Miner basketball strategy, i.e. abra kadabra

It has been apparent that some of UTEP's big wins of late were manufactured on the proverbial chalkboard. It wasn't like the past three years where previous coach Tony Barbee basically said, "just shoot the ball." This year, under coach Tim Floyd, who inherited no talented big men, it's called excellent scouting of an opponent. And top assistant Phil Johnson has been kudoed for that.

You find flaws and you capitalize! It's not all just talent, you know. It's an age-old game; gotta do it to survive in big-time sports.

But the next game around ... the other team adjusts. THEN what? And if your not bigger or faster ... THEN what?

With that, some thoughts on a probable UTEP rematch with Marshall, and a possible rematch with Memhis in the ongoing Conference USA Basketball Tournament.

I recall UTEP determined some of the Marshall guys virtually always did the same thing with the basketball (such as always going to the right or always to the left). I know, it's way more complicated than that. But that's an example. UTEP found something on game films.

UTEP beat Marshall despite being outrebounded badly by the much-bigger Marshall guys.

I recall that UTEP noted Memphis had a game plan of pounding the ball inside and then pounding the boards in efforts to stuff missed shots back in. Sheer power.

UTEP, as most recall,  worked like yeomen and denied Memphis the ball inside in the first place. I recall Memhis got only 1 decent shot close to the basket in the entire first half. It was an amazing UTEP defensive feat. I don't think a Haskins team ever did that THAT well over an entire half.

UTEP beat the highly talented, but young, Memphis team.

What if Marshall (if they beat underdog Houston today) finds a neutralizer? Does UTEP have something to keep bigger, stronger Marshall off the boards and win ANOTHER  way?

Does Memphis, as it did in the second half against UTEP, use alternate plans to get the ball inside and thus have the big advantage with its height and muscle?

Bottom line, and here it is in a nutshell: How much new stuff can the smaller, not-at-fast Miner inside guys be coached to do?

The beginning of an adage? You can fool 'em once. You can fool em ... well, how much physical abra kadabra is left in Utepia?

UTEP: Every ounce of energy vs. SMU

Quick one because seeding for the Conference USA Tournament next week won't be determined until after tonight's (Sat.) games.

UTEP used all the energy it has for a single game, I thought.

Here's UTEP's 59-56 win over SMU Saturday afternoon:

When a 14-point lead was cut to 3 in the second half, UTEP stopped SMU from taking control and went up again by 10. Maturity (they're most seniors, after all)

When SMU put on a late-game run, and cut the score to 3, It was UTEP that played the most mature - again. For a second time on the other team's home court.

In the first half, UTEP "Memphis-ed" SMU. The Miners gave SMU and star big man Papa Dia few looks from inside the paint. SMU's baseline (back-door) game was shut off, just like UTEP did to Memphis.

UTEP could not keep up that pressure in the second half, but the Miners didn't buckle.

Here's the win; it came via play in the last 40 seconds.

UTEP had missed a chance to score when two shots were blocked, resulting in a clock violation (3rd shot never hit backboard).

But UTEP's Julyan Stone stole the ball from SMU. He made 1 of his 2 free throws for a 57-53 lead.

When SMU cut the score to 1 point with a 3-point basket with 4.9 seconds, and fouled Randy Culpepper, the Miner senior hit both his free throws for a 3-point lead.

UTEP's defense was good in the last 3.8 seconds. SMU's forced shot from way atop the key was short. The Mustangs would have needed two "Hail Mary" prayers answered in order to hit that one.

Big win. UTEP gets a bye into the C-USA quarterfinals Thursday. But facing the overall college basketball picture, the Miners (23-8) will likely have to win the tournament to get a bid to the NCAA. The "8' doesn't look good."

The heart is there to do that. The maturity is there, thanks to the new style of play introduced by new coach Tim Floyd.

Now it's time to see how much  adrenalin remains in the Miner engine.

UTEP's tournament odds?

Here's saying UTEP will have the best chance to win the Conference USA Tournament next week, based on its home-court advantage only. That's about the only difference in a big five-way tie for "best chance."

There are four other schools  just as good as UTEP; but they don't have the home-court advantage. And there are two others that are not necessarily for-sure wins should UTEP draw them.

UTEP has a better shot to win than any of the, say, next four schools. But can UTEP play the best for 1 .... 2 .... 3 games in a row?

Now, if UTEP loses at SMU Saturday, and doesn't get a bye into the quarterfinals (top 4 do), then UTEP would have to play the best for  1 .... 2 .... 3 .... 4  games in a row.

My clusters of strength:

Best chance
UTEP (home court)
————
Almost as good a chance
UAB
Southern Miss.
Memphis
Tulsa
———
Can't count out for sure
Marshall
SMU
———
Underdog against any of the above:
Central Florida
East Carolina
Houston
Rice
Tulane

Or how about this theory: Raffle-ticket draw:

UTEP has 3 tickets in the hat.

UAB, Southern Miss, Memphis and Tulsa each have 2.

Marshall and SMU each have 1.

Your theories, posters?