This is not Tim Floyd!

UTEP was blown out at Houston Wednesday, 79-61, perhaps because the Cougars were hot early from trey-point range.

There is a big however, however. Perhaps it wasn't just early 3-point swish shots by Houston.

In season 3 of Coach Tim Floyd, the offense is still not there, perhaps raw with a lot of young guys with athletic talent but not enough physical power.

Now to the negatives:

This is the second year in a row the Miners a missing too many shots while driving to the basket. Even free-throw shooting has lost games. C'mon, get the ball in the hoop from point bland and from the 15-foot free-throw line.

And it gets worse.

Hey, there's supposed to be defensive toughness in Floyd teams. This year's guys are not getting back on defense, which is an unpleasant surprise. Floyd has been pegged as a defensive coach. What's up with lah-de-dah on getting back?

Houston, only 15-8 now, hit some early 3-pointers. A 19-5 run in the first half set the pace, and UTEP could not make up much - and lost going away.

Thoughts on UTEP's beleagured junior (star?) John Bohannan: After not playing in two of the last three games (coach-player feud) , this team's stats king (he can score and rebound sometimes) makes too many ball-handling oops.

 

 

Comments

[Figmund Sreud]

Joe,

I beg to differ. It is exactly Tim Floyd, unless he wasn't on the bench tonight. In two years though, look out! The Miners will definitely be a top three CUSA team (if a couple of the better teams decide to defect to other conferences before then).

All joking aside, the reason for this loss could very well be that Houston is actually better than people realize, having improved a lot in the last two months. Plus, Houston was playing at home.

As for our Miners, the CUSA tournament will be their time to shine.

[Henry]

I think this team is getting ready to implode. I dont think Bo is the problem. This team is better with him than without him. I think Floyd is not getting through to this bunch. Having the Bo blow up in public is a bad sign. I think the team needs to have a players only meeting and decide how they will do their part to fix this. Coach Floyd's ole school type of coaching is not working with these new school type of players.

[Jay]

It seems like the Miners are headed down hill in conference play. Not sure if the tough games early in the season did them any good. There is no toughness under the boards, no offensive rebounding, no help when the Miner big men get double teamed under the boards. I don't even want to mention the free throw shooting. I love and will always back my Miners but it's tough living in San Antonio Tx and watching a very talented Miner team struggle and fall apart.

[EPKnight]

Thing to remember is that Coach Floyd said that last year and this year were going to be rough. He said it was going to take time to rebuild the program which he is doing. With the next years recruits coming in we should be alright on the offensive side of the ball.

[Pascal Fortran]

EPKnight: This team was not broken when he arrived. Recall, they were in the tournament and competing f/the CUSA title.

As much as an appreciation I have for discipline, kids these days don't have it, and don't respect it. In fact, you will lose a Gen Y kid by being prickly.

I really backed Floyd when he was hired, but it (his hire) appears to have been a mistake. Perhaps change is a good idea - Floyd will work again, and the program should progress w/o him. One of Stull's downfall is he sticks with coaches way too long.

There's no excuse, especially playing in a weak conference like CUSA, that UTEPs b-ball program should struggle. It's such a weak conference - a coach like Floyd should be able to recruit El Paso kids and still be competitive (in CUSA). Absolutely no excuse.

His handling of Bohannen upsets me as well - Bo's not a bad kid, excelled under Barbee, and has turned into a team "cancer" under Floyd's coach. What the heck happened between now and then?

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Funny how Mike Price was criticized for being too much of a players coach but Tim Floyd is too strict. Players need to follow the rules set forth by the coach. Calapari may have more lax rules than Floyd but I'm sure he requires his players to follow his rules. There is no room for insubordination under any system.

This Miner team is flawed and their weaknesses are being exposed. Streeter and Tucker allow dribble penetration. Lang is slow and plays under the rim. Julian hasn't found his offensive flow. Bo is weak and is not a leader. Mac Moore is still getting his feet wet. Jalen, Chris and Thymond are not mature D1 players yet.

We have a decent team that can look really good at times but really bad if they get exposed. The influx of talent we get next year will help along with the improvement and maturity of the underclassmen we have now. I don't see a reason to panic and dump Floyd. Too many people just had unrealistic expectations.

[EPKnight]

If you think about it the only reason they were contenders was due to that they had Derick Character. As you can see when he left they were a different team. Bohannon is a Barbee guy which he let them do what ever. Everyone wanted to a fast turn around but it takes time for it to rebuild and set the foundation. If he started to win like Price did right out of the gate we be in the same situation in a couple of years.

[Bob]

Coach Floyd's predecessor did a good job but never won anything. He recruited well and so has coach Floyd. Remember Moultrie wasn't happy his sophomore year under Coach Barbee. Also Character left the first chance he got. Those things hurt what should have been a great senior class. Everything will come together for the Miners. Bo is a distraction. The coach will handle him. They will solve their problems. This an NBA coach, a college coach of the year and Don Haskins favorite son. A lot of posters think that the game passes coaches by as they age. Not at Duke or Syracuse.

[a Fan]

I'll give coach a pass on this year. In year four, should be enough of his players playing his game that we should see a conference championship.

If not, maybe we can bid on UNM's Alford or NMSU's Mensies.

[Prospero]

Issaac Hamilton our incoming recruit was named a McDonalds All American today.

This is only the 2nd one in UTEP's history that we have signed.

Floyds recruiting class next year is supposed to be one of the better ones in the country.

Issaac Hamiltons little brother was spotted on twitter wearing a UTEP basketball sweatshirt.

Im still excited about UTEP basketball!

If we are not in the sweet 16 in the next couple of years, well then I won't have anything else to look foward to in life..

[Ed]

I hope it doesn't happen, but don't be shocked to see kids decommit prior to next year. When they get an ear full about this guy from other players, they will bolt.

As far as the stupid comment about the game not passing the Duke and Syracuse coaches - UTEP doesn't have the tradition of those programs, which is what draws them to those schools - plus, Coach K isn't a prick.

Comparing UTEP & Floyd to Syracuse & Duke coaches, academics, and athletics, is like comparing a Volkswagon to a Cadillac. Not the same class or caliber of coach. Totally apples and oranges; however, if you want to compare UTEP to NMSU (or any other subordinate state university), that's a fair comparison.

[Figmund Sreud]

Ed has a point. I hadn't thought about the decommit possibility for next year's team. Unless a miracle happens, and the Miners win the CUSA tourney, we might be looking at UTEP staying home during post season, or getting into one of those noname tourneys like the CBI, CBT, CBZ. Add to it player unrest and the reputation of the program possibly having player problems, the other vulture programs might have some opportunity to cherry pick our recruits.

Ouch.

[RJ]

The biggest issue I see with these guys is the lack of leadership on the court. Gabe McCulley didnt put up great numbers but he was the heart and soul of last year's squad, which i think somewhat overachieved. Hopefully Ike Hamilton has it in him because he's gonna be thrust into that role as a freshman. We need him to be as good as advertised because none of these other guys have shown they can be leaders.

[Bob]

Hey Ed - Players are signing because Coach Floyd recruited them. You think Duke, Syracuse, Northe Carolina, Indiana, et al don't insist players get with the program. I bet you have trouble at work because you don't believe in TEAM! Too much is made is of Bo's difficulties. We don't know all of the problems associated with him but if you ever played sports you know the coach insists on you practicing. Also John needs to play tougher inside. So far he has been pushed and shoved at will by the opposing centers. The only problem with this team is that it is make shift. The entire team left at once two years ago. Wake up and look at the bright side and for heavens sake buy a ticket!

[Longhorn Alumnus]

Fans, this is still effectively Floyd's second year. He should not be evaluated on his first year AT ALL for several reasons. First, none of the players were his. Second, and worse off, the players that departed with Barbee happened to be two pros in the paint, so the Miners went from having one of the best front-courts in the country to having one of the most inexperienced over night. Third, the entire team, effectively, was composed of seniors, so they were all gone a year later, leaving Floyd with a blank slate.

Why is the notion of the blank slate important? It speaks to the fact that Barbee was building this team to win in the short-run and bolt as soon as he had a better offer. He did as he set out to do. He developed Culpepper, Stone, and Moultrie, and brought in some transfers in Polk, Williams, and Caracter. It was the perfect storm to have a ready-team in the right time frame.

Coach Floyd is not looking at bolting. He is truly invested in this team and is looking at the program being something special when he retires and hands off the reigns to someone else. That's why you don't see mega eight-person recruiting classes right now. That's why he can afford to not put up with any nonsense. This is not a quick fix--this is for the long haul.

Thus, in Floyd's "effectively second season," fans have a lot to look forward to, as Hamilton, January, Wilms, Hunter, etc. come in next year (not to mention guys like C-Wash and Howard improving into next season). You don't need a team poison like Bohannon when you have guys just as good if not better lined up and wanting to play by the rules.

From a management perspective, the cliche "one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch" holds true. If Floyd makes an exception for one player, he implicitly communicates that that exception can be made for everyone. Ultimately, discipline would be lost, and the program would be in shambles. Everyone knows that if you want to play Division I ball, you have certain expectations. Division I players attend their film sessions. If you're not going to show up to your film sessions, you're obviously not fit to play Division I ball. Period.

Floyd should be heralded, if anything, for upholding the rules and setting the tone for a successful program. Frankly, I'm shocked at fans for turning against Floyd on this one, ESPECIALLY for John Bohannon. Looking into the annals of UTEP history, we've had a lot more heralded players (Charlie Brown, David Lattin, Foster, Davis, Maxey, Wolfram, Tofi, etc., etc.) who are more worthy of turning on the coach for for being both better players on the court and better gentleman off the court.

Fans, be patient. Like with any cancer, you cut it off. Don't be surprised to see John-Bo gone if he continues to break the rules. The program doesn't need it anymore. In the meantime, look forward to a team rich with juniors and sophomores next year. We'll have our freshmen studs, but the experiences of the Washburns, Lang, Howard, and the rest of the returners will suddenly pay off.

[Ed]

Thanks for the book Longhorns Alumnus. Bloviate somewhere else next time.

College basketball is inherently short-term. He's had ample time to perform with good players - Floyd is an arrogant arse & first class prick. He either performs now, or should be sent on his way.

[desert_mouse]

Ha! Ed is either a troll (which would be weird if UTEP sports had a troll) or a Tim Floyd hater. My guess is the latter.

Basically, if Ed were a coach and practiced what he is preaching here he would have players who showed up to practice late and only three days a week. While on the floor they would play street ball and win games simply with their "superb" talent.

Fantasy. World.

[Ed]

A troll.

[ScoutWest]

Tim Floyd(UTEP) and James Dickey(UH) were both hired approximately the same time, three years ago. Its interesting to compare the success of both head coaches to date......Bottom line, after three years, both coaches have not produced winning teams; Under Floyds leadership, UTEP has been to one NIT and UH has been to zero post season tournaments.

maybe its a reflection of how difficult it is to win consistently year in and year out in cusa but Memphis is the exception to the rule.....

Dont know the solution for either school but for me Memphis sets the standard BUT most people I speak with say that UTEP, UH and TULSA should always be able to recruit good players, be near the top of their conference standings and in post season play every year whether NCAA, NIT or CBI.....

so hopefully next year, in Tim Floyd's 4th year, he will have the UTEP Basketball program winning BIG TIME.....