Texas

Clip of the Day: Justin Mason Jam

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:53:07 -0500

Clip of the Day

Thanks to the genius of YouTube, the world has access to thousands of great college basketball videos to keep us busy every second of every day. We'll be featuring daily movies to whet your college basketball appetite. Even if you've seen them before, some clips are just too good not to watch again and again.

Justin Mason: Meet the Rim

The Longhorn guard blows by Kyle McAlarney and throws it down with authority. A must see.

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GameNight: Texas vs Notre Dame (Maui)

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:49:59 -0500

Start: Nov 25 2008 - 7:00pm

Preview & Prediction: By Raphielle Johnson

The first semifinal in the Maui Invitational matches up a pair of undefeated Top 10 teams in Notre Dame (3-0) and Texas (3-0). The Fighting Irish, picked to finish fourth in the loaded Big East, beat in-state rival Indiana like they stole something on Monday afternoon (88-50). This is a balanced offensive team that can absolutely kill you either inside with Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody or outside with sharpshooter Kyle McAlarney. But those aren’t the only two weapons at head coach Mike Brey’s disposal, with solid point guard Tory Jackson running the show and a couple of bigs in Zach Hillesland and Luke Zeller who can also step outside and knock down perimeter shots. The question for Notre Dame regards their commitment to the defensive end of the floor, and even though Indiana isn’t expected to do much this season you have to give Notre Dame credit for holding the Hoosiers to 39.6% from the field (1-12 from three).

The Longhorns were even more impressive on the defensive end of the floor in their 68-50 win over St. Joseph’s. The Hawks shot an ice-cold 29.3% from the field (4-21 from distance) for the game, and also turned the ball over eighteen times. The man who came through for Rick Barnes off the bench in the win was forward Gary Johnson, who went for fourteen points and ten rebounds in twenty-three minutes off the bench. A.J. Abrams led the Longhorns with seventeen points, but it will have to be more than just him on that end of the floor if they’re to hang with Notre Dame. Can Texas bring the same level of play on the defensive end of the floor against the Irish? Can Notre Dame’s big men outside of Harangody rebound with the Longhorns? Those are the keys to this game, but look for Notre Dame to have the answers.

Winner: Notre Dame Margin: 5-9 pts.

Poll: Who Will Win the Maui Invitational?

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:50:12 -0500

GameNight: St. Joseph's vs Texas (Maui)

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:01:56 -0500

Start: Nov 24 2008 - 3:00pm

Preview & Prediction: By Raphielle Johnson

The first game of the 2008 EA Sports Maui Invitational matches up the St. Joseph’s Hawks (1-1) and the #8 Texas Longhorns (2-0). Texas, at the top of the Big 12 with rival Oklahoma in conversations as to who can win the conference, needs to develop the point guard position and they will be tested in Maui. The question for the Longhorns is who will take over the reins for departed All-American D.J. Augustin at the point. Justin Mason has moved into that vacated spot in the starting lineup, and he’s had ten assists to six turnovers in two games thus far.

Even though games against Stetson and Tulane haven’t been much of a test for Rick Barnes’ team, their balance is something that should be a strength throughout the year. Four players average at least ten points per game, with senior A.J. Abrams leading the way at 18.0 ppg. Connor Atchley and Dexter Pittman are both capable big men who will develop even more as the season wears on, and Damion James is an absolute beast all over the floor. But it would be a mistake to not admit that they’re in for quite a test in this one.

The Hawks feature one of the better big men in the nation that doesn’t have his name mentioned every five minutes on ESPN in senior Amhad Nivins, and his workload got heavier the moment last season ended. Losing the multidimensional Pat Calathes hurts, as it would any team to lose a player of that caliber, but Phil Martelli’s team has enough talent back to make a run in the Atlantic 10. Nivins is shooting a remarkable 83.3% in two games, and guards Tasheed Carr and Darrin Govens can play some basketball as well.

The area that the Hawks need improvement in if they’re to win this game is shooting from behind the arc. St. Joe’s is just 29.6% from distance in two games and shot just 40.3% overall in their loss at Holy Cross. In addition to improved accuracy, the Hawks need to stay out of foul trouble in the frontcourt, as they lack the depth that the Longhorns possess up front.

WINNER: Texas MARGIN: 10+

Big 12 Coach Ranking: Self-Esteem

Kevin McNeill — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:08:14 -0500

Continuing this week's Coach Ranking series: The Big 12

#1) Bill Self, Kansas

Being the head basketball coach at Kansas can be a little intimidating. One must not only excel in the midst of almost implausible fan expectations and media saturation year in and year out, but must coach in the constant shadow of the likes of Hall of Famers Phog Allen, Larry Brown, Roy Williams, and some guy named Dr. James Naismith. For Bill Self, however, those were the least of his worries.

Arriving in Lawrence after taking Tulsa and Illinois to the Elite Eight, Self had to fill the shoes of a beloved coach in Williams, who stunned fans with his departure to North Carolina soon after losing the national title game to Syracuse. He also had to work overtime to convince Williams’ recruits not to follow him.

While Self’s first season saw the Jayhawks come within a hair of returning to the Final Four in an overtime loss to Georgia Tech, he had to overcome constant distractions, not the least of which included reports of Williams contacting his former players during the season. Adding insult to injury, the following year Williams went on to win the national championship against Self’s former team, while KU lost in the first round in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1978. The Jawhawks again bowed out in the first round the next season – the first year in which Self was mostly playing his own recruits - leading the simmering “fire Self!” KU message board posts to rise to a dull roar.

Well, they’re pretty quiet now. Bill Self stands right alongside those great coaches in Kansas lore, sporting a national championship (just the third in KU’s history) and a ridiculous .816 winning percentage since arriving on campus. He is widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation, so much so that his Jawhawk team is currently ranked in the Top 25 despite losing five players to the NBA, and eight overall from last year.

He also turns all of 47 in December, which means he will be on the sideline and winning games for a long time to come.

# 2) Scott Drew, Baylor

It may be considered a stretch to label such a young coach as the second best coach in the conference, but the program he has built up from the smoldering rubble of the Dave Bliss fiasco is nothing less than astonishing.

To recap, after it was revealed Bliss committed some minor infractions, such as framing a murder victim to cover his illegal payments, the Bears were forced to play a half season in 2005-06, lost scholarships, and had paid recruiting visits reduced from twelve to nine for the 2006-07 season. Oh, and the program was placed on probation until June 22, 2010.

Despite all this, Drew has assembled top notch recruiting classes year in and year out, and last season carried Baylor to 21 wins and a NCAA Tournament berth, only their second appearance since 1950 (the other being 1988).

Seriously, how many coaches in America could have led a team to the Big Dance five years after the NCAA leveled the most severe penalties on a basketball program since the Southwestern Louisiana point shaving scandal? With a school with little to zero winning basketball tradition (unlike say Kentucky, who was able to rebound not long after the Eddie Sutton affair)? How many could talk a blue-chip recruit like LaceDarius Dunn, and others, into coming to Waco, despite the fact the school won’t be off probation until he’s a senior?

Going out on a limb, I’d say very few, which is why Baylor very wisely signed Drew to a 10 year contract extension after last season.

#3) Rick Barnes, Texas

In a conference that sports no less than nine coaches with two seasons or less under their belts with their respective teams, Barnes stands out for his consistency.

He is a three-time Big 12 coach of the year. In his ten years at the helm, the Longhorns have not missed a NCAA Tournament, with two Elite Eight appearances in the last three years, five Sweet Sixteen runs in the past seven, and a Final Four in 2003. Barnes also has three regular season titles to his credit, although he has not yet won the Big 12 Tournament.

#4) Jeff Capel, Oklahoma

Jeff Capel, as with some other relatively new coaches in the Big 12, have to be rated more for their potential than their achievements, due to their youth and experience. Still, after just two seasons, it is starting to look like the former Dukie could well be one of the best hires in school history.

After taking over for Kelvin Sampson, and subsequently losing blue chip-recruits Scottie Reynolds and Damion James to other programs, Capel has done an outstanding job of bringing in top notch talent to Norman, led by future stars Blake Griffin and now Willie Warren. He also engineered a remarkable turnaround last season, winning 23 games and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after finishing 7^th in the conference a year earlier.

Capel should stick around long enough to build the Sooners into a perennial conference contender…so long as Coach K doesn’t retire anytime soon.

#5) Mark Turgeon, Texas A&M

The Aggies got off to a great start in Turgeon’s first season, finishing with a 25–11 record and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The 25 wins matched a Big 12 record for the most wins by a first-year coach.

While they lost DeAndre Jordan to an ill-advised decision to enter the NBA Draft, the Aggies still look like they could build on that success this year. Turgeon, like so many new coaches in the Big 12, is an outstanding recruiter and is building the foundation for long term success, starting with incoming freshman David Loubeau and what is so far an outstanding 2009 class.

#6) Travis Ford, Oklahoma State

Ford arrives at Oklahoma State as one of the hottest coaching prospects in the country, having turned down an offer from Providence, and taking himself out of consideration at LSU before accepting the job in Stillwater. He led UMass to 49 combined wins in the past two seasons, and before that memorably led Eastern Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament where they gave his alma mater, Kentucky, all they could handle in the first round.

Ford is aggressive on the recruiting trail, likes to constantly push his players, and likes to score – a lot. With the three point line moving back, Oklahoma State fans may not see the Cowboys throw up as many threes as UMass did last year (they attempted over 900), but they will definitely see a far more up-tempo style than they are used to.

#7) Jeff Bzdelik, Colorado

Coach Bzdelik came to Boulder having just overseen the most successful season in the history of the Air Force Academy, with a 26-9 record and a NIT semifinal run. He led the Falcons to only their second NCAA Tournament appearance in over 40 years in his first season.

Not to belabor the point, but if you can coach and recruit at a US military academy – where sky-high SAT scores and academic requirements for admission all but disqualify 85% of applicants – you can coach and recruit anywhere. Colorado is very young and in the process of rebuilding, but they should begin to show signs of growth under Bzdelik in his second season.

#8) Doc Sadler, Nebraska

The Nebraska Cornhusker basketball team opened their first practice on October 17^th… in full view of about “30-40 Husker fans,” according to the school. By contrast, the Nebraska Spring football game drew a record crowd of more than 80,000 back in April.

Such is the life of college basketball at a football school. Still, having recorded a 20 win season last year, and an NIT berth, in just his second season, Doc Sadler looks like he has the program headed in the right direction. Losing Aleks Maric will hurt, but the Huskers could sneak up on some teams this year.

#9) Mike Anderson, Missouri

Mike Anderson showed glimpses of his potential after taking over for Quin Synder, going a respectable 18-12 in his first season. But the following year, just as Mizzou fans were starting to move on from the Ricky Clemons fiasco, off-court issues tripped up their season once again.

Right at the start of conference play, five players were involved in a bar fight that led to their suspension, and, eventually, the dismissal of leading scorer Stefhon Hannah – forcing the team to finish the year short-handed. Even before the season started, leading rebounder Kalen Grimes was dismissed from the team for smashing someone’s face with the butt of a shotgun, Darryl Butterfield – who was later one of the players involved in the bar fight - was arrested for punching an ex-girlfriend, transfer DeMarre Carroll was shot in the ankle, and Mike Anderson, Jr. – the coach’s son, had a DUI.

The Tigers have a lot of potential this season, especially with the arrival of transfer Zaire Taylor. But Coach Anderson will be judged not only by his ability to get his team back to the Big Dance after a five year hiatus, but also whether his strict new team rules can finally get this program under control.

#10) Greg McDermott, Iowa State

When Greg McDermott first began coaching, at Division II Wayne State, he compiled a losing record over his first two years at the helm. He then guided them to four straight 20 win seasons. At Northern Iowa, he endured a losing record in each of his first two seasons, then rattled off three straight 20 win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances before heading to Ames.

Iowa State has gone 29-34 under Coach McDermott in his first two seasons. Cyclones fans are anxiously awaiting his third.

#11) Frank Martin, Kansas State

It’s no secret that Coach Martin at least in part owes his job to his close relationship with Michael Beasley, specifically his ability to keep Beasley on campus after the shocking departure of Bob Huggins to West Virginia. Now that Beasley is gone, Martin has a lot to prove.

#12) Pat Knight, Texas Tech

Texas Tech fans are still stewing over the surprise mid-season resignation of Bob Knight, and the quick transfer of coaching duties to his son, whose only head coaching experience was a very brief stint in the USBL and IBA, with teams that folded soon after he arrived.

After taking over, the Red Raiders lost 7 of their last 11 games. Inconsistency was the main concern, evidenced by a great win at home against Texas followed up by a 58 point drubbing by Kansas.

2008-09 Texas Basketball Preview: #2

Joel Welser — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:27:51 -0500

Texas Longhorns

Overall Rank: #2

Conference Rank: #1 Big 12

2007-08: 31-7, 13-3, 1^st

2007-08 postseason: NCAA

No team in the Big 12 returns as much talent as Texas. But it is the talent that is not returning that has Longhorn fans worried. Point guard D.J. Augustin split for the NBA and that leaves some questions in the backcourt. However, as long as Coach Rick Barnes can find a serviceable replacement at the point, the Longhorns have a ton of other players ready to step up and play a much bigger role this year.

Who’s Out:

Augustin was not just a point guard. He led the team with 19.2 points per game, hit the outside shot with consistency and was never afraid to drive the lane. On many teams his point production would not be replaceable, but that is not the case with Texas. What this team needs to worry about is replacing his leadership. Little used J.D. Lewis and Ian Mooney are the only other departures.

Who’s In:

Matt Hill and Dogus Balbay were out with injuries last year and are expected to play some quality minutes this time around. Hill, a 6-10 forward, has struggled with a foot injury since his freshman campaign. However, during that freshman year in 2006-2007, Hill showed plenty of potential and is a solid rebounder and defender. Balbay could play a much more important role on this team. He is really the only true point guard on the roster and he would have been Augustin’s backup last year if it were not for a knee injury that kept his on the sidelines. That experience would have been huge, but instead Balbay has absolutely no collegiate playing time. What Balbay does have is international experience. He had a great tournament for Turkey over the summer at the U-20 European Championships. If he is ready to go, Texas will have the true point guard they are looking for. The lone incoming freshman on the roster is Varez Ward. Ward is a tough player who could see minutes on the wing this year due to his defensive tenacity.

Who to Watch:

While Balbay adjusts to life in the Big 12, the point guard duties will fall to returning starters on the wing, A.J. Abrams and Justin Mason. Neither are true point guards, but at least they are experienced. Abrams does not lack the quickness to run the point. Last year Abrams averaged 16.5 points and hit over three three-pointers per contest. Whether he is running the show or not, Abrams will be the team’s go-to-scorer. Mason was the do-it-all player on the wing last year. The 6-2 guard averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals. It is those 3.0 assists that make him an interesting prospect to take over the point guard duties. He may not look very natural doing it, but Mason can handle the ball and bring it up the floor in a hurry. Compared to Augustin, the trio of Balbay, Abrams and Mason will look like inexperienced and inept floor generals, but those three will handle the bulk of the minutes on the perimeter and have more than enough talent to turn the Texas backcourt into one of the best in the country.

Final Projection:

The frontcourt will be one of the best in the nation as well. Abrams might be the star of the team, but Damion James will not be far behind. The 6-7 wing averaged 13.2 points as a sophomore. James will use his size to shoot over the opposition and he hit 41.3 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. However, he is not just a shooter; James will get to the basket very effectively. If he could actually hit some free-throws his scoring output would be noticeable higher. But it is not his offense that makes James so good, or even his ability to block shots. James tallied 10.3 rebounds per game and is an absolute beast on the glass. Sophomore Gary Johnson could step into the starting lineup. He is a little undersized for a power forward, but the 6-6 sophomore is just waiting for the opportunity to become a major contributor to the team. After missing some time with a heart condition and being slowed with some other injuries, Johnson never hit his stride as a freshman. That will not happen again. The center spot belongs to Connor Atchley. He is not flashy, but the 6-10 big man is certainly productive. With Clint Chapman, Dexter Pittman and Alexis Wangmene, the Longhorns have a ton of options in the frontcourt.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Justin Mason, Junior, Guard, 7.1 points per game

A.J. Abrams, Senior, Guard, 16.5 points per game

Damion James, Junior, Forward, 13.2 points per game

Gary Johnson, Sophomore, Forward, 5.6 points per game

Connor Atchley, Senior, Center, 9.5 points per game

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