a black aesthetic

Juan Pattillo's non-functional baseline windmill (Baylor, 18:57) marks a new ethic for a program so defined by a dogged and drab competence since the early 90s. This team has consistently displayed swagger and (functional) flash, on display in whatever Blake does and the brassy penchant for 26-foot field goals through Johnson and Willie. But Pattillo's invention--not at the end of an empty fast break, mind you, but in presence of defenders--embraces a new aesthetic (wilfully disregarding Crocker's cardigan at this point).

I'm not going to complain about the long defensive winter; you do what you have to survive and, on occasion, advance. But we can enjoy this without guilt. The down payment was hefty.