Shaka Smart on 2017 Season: “Needs To Be A Lot of Reflection”
It’s been 33 years since Texas Basketball experienced a season like this one under head coach Shaka Smart.
With only two guaranteed games left in the season, Shaka Smart knows there will be some serious reflection in the off-season.
Texas dropped to 10-20 overall and 4-13 in the Big 12 conference with Wednesday’s loss to Texas Tech. The last time Texas had this poor of a record was the 1983-84 season when the Horns went 7-21.
The loss against Tech also marked the end of Texas’ road schedule. And, they did not win a single road game this season.
The Horns have also lost all of their neutral site games this season. The last chance to win away from Austin is the Big 12 Conference tournament next week in Kansas City.
At this rate, it will take a complete turnaround and the lightbulb going off for the Longhorns to win a game not held at the Erwin Center this season.
Shaka Smart Still Waiting for Texas Basketball To Respond
Barring a miracle run in the Big 12 tournament, the Longhorns will not make the NCAA Tournament. Shaka Smart understands that is unacceptable and he spent a lot of time looking ahead to the off-season during his post-game comments Wednesday night in Lubbock.
"“It’s more disappointing than anything. I’ve not really been through a season like this, so I’m just trying to stay focused on helping our guys grow and trying to help them be in a good place. Anytime a team goes through a tough season like this, it’s hard on the guys on the team as well.” – Shaka Smart post-game comments at TexasSports.com"
The key items Coach Smart has stressed throughout the season are responding and understanding what goes into winning.
Too often this year, Texas failed to respond to plays made by the other team. It could be any number of things, but there was an instant snowball effect where one poor play led to a big run for the other team. And, without a true PG on the team, Texas lacked a player to get the team out of a tailspin.
The other aspect is knowing what it takes to win. Texas has played so many close games this season and more often than not left with a broken heart. Coach Smart cited an example of the team still trying to understand the principles of team basketball that go into winning.
"“I think hopefully we’ve been able to internalize this lesson of ‘Every second matters, every possession matters, every play, every pass matters.’ There was a play that we came out of a timeout tonight, and we had diagrammed a pretty simple play to get the ball inside. We came out of the timeout and just didn’t execute. I think, again, part of my job is getting guys to understand that those things aren’t acceptable. We have to get that play right. That doesn’t mean we have to score but … we’ve got a chance if our guys can make a lot of strides to be much better long-term. It doesn’t just happen, you have to do what goes into making that happen.” – Coach Smart post-game"
Shaka Smart Vows Time of Reflection After Texas Basketball Season
Coach Smart did not forget how to coach basketball between last season and this season. It comes down to having a very young team, no true PG, and inconsistency from game to game.
For example, Andrew Jones followed up an 18-point game Saturday against Kansas with only 3 points Wednesday in Lubbock. That cannot happen, but too often Texas’ players have not adjusted from game to game, almost as if they expect to play the same way each night. But, playing KU is different from playing Tech.
Coach Smart said Wednesday that he needs to take him in the off-season to reflect on what happened this season. And, make sure it does not happen again.
"“There is a certain set of things that go into winning that we have to get better at. That’s on all of us as members of the team. It starts with me as the head coach. To answer the question, it’s disappointing. You focus on one game, and tonight you try to come in and get a win. I think when the season gets done you can really reflect on the whole thing. There is going to need to be a lot of reflection that’s for sure.” – Coach Smart"
Fortunately for Shaka Smart, high school star PG Matt Coleman is waiting in the wings to run the show next season. But, will Jarrett Allen stick around for his sophomore season to play with Coleman?
Next: Why UT Basketball Will Be National Title Contender In Two Years
Regardless, Coleman’s arrival, along with this young Texas team growing up, should lead to a complete turnaround. And, hopefully winning road games.