Securing Home Court

The Longhorns did what was expected of them in the first two rounds, making their way through Little Rock and securing home court advantage for as long as they stay in the tournament. Texas defeated #15 Austin Peay on Friday and #7 Miami (FL) on Sunday.

In both games the Longhorns came out of the gates very quickly and seized control of the game, jumping out to early leads and shooting well. The defensive pressure was intense in both games, and they were focused early. This was a great sign as most teams pick up the confidence to hang around and pull upsets in the first 10 minutes.

In both games, AJ Abrams led the way scoring, getting free and knocking down open looks. It almost seems like both Austin Peay and Miami (FL) didn't exactly understand that you can give Abrams any space. And with his quick release, any free space he will get off a clean shot. It will be interesting to see if Stanford makes the adjustment, because with the amount of time Abrams got in the first two rounds he will continue to put up spectacular shooting numbers.

Damion James and Connor Atchley also had great games in the first two rounds. Damion has been active on the boards and been aggressive around the rim. Connor's play was a breathe of fresh air as he got back on track shooting from three point range and played some solid defense, though he got in foul trouble in both games. Damion's performance against Miami was especially impressive as he pulled down 16 rebounds and added 16 points to the cause.

Justin Mason continued his spectacular play over the last month as he played great on the offensive and defensive end. He limited McClinton of Miami, who had 38 in round 1, much of the game, and in the process disrupted much of Miami's offense. Offensively he continued to drive and dish, slicing the defense and creating easy baskets for the Texas bigs. But most of all he once again is setting the tone for Texas' intensity, flying around the court and out hustling every other player on the court.

The other pleasant surprise was the play of Dexter Pittman who added solid minutes off the bench. In the Austin Peay game it helped that he was 5 inches and 50 pounds bigger than everyone else, but he continued his solid play in the Miami game. If Dex or any of the other big men continue to contribute it takes a ton of pressure off the starting lineup to stay out of foul trouble and carry the load. It was also a welcome sight to see Gary Johnson return to the floor after missing the last week with a strained calf muscle. Getting Johnson back into the rotation will become more and more important in the upcoming games.

For as well as Texas played, a few concerns came up after the first two games. For as well as the Longhorns came out and seized the momentum of the game in each of the first two games, they didn't put their opponents away. Against Austin Peay, they took the Governors out of their game, quickly erasing any hope of their upset. But after jumping out to a 15 point lead, it stayed there for much of the game, leaving Austin Peay at striking distance throughout. The same thing happened against Miami, as the Hurricanes stayed within about 13 points for most of the second half. Then our worst fears came true as Miami went on a run, seized momentum and almost stole a game they had no business being in.

The frantic comeback attempt made by Miami brought to light a concern that hadn't really reared its ugly head in the past month, but it apparently was still there. Texas' free throw shooting down the stretch was pretty much atrocious and will be a major concern from here on out. Atchley, James, and Augustin were all exposed at the line late in the game, and Mason missed 3 of 4 earlier in the game. Probably from here on out, Texas is going to find itself in close games, and free throw shooting down the stretch will be essential. And right now, AJ Abrams is the only one that anyone feels comfortable with on the line.

The interior defense was also a bit of a concern against Miami. The perimeter defense was solid, but early on, Miami's big men were able to score inside and cause problems for the Texas defense. It got a little bit better as the game went on, but with Stanford's twin towers on the horizon, Texas' interior defense will need to be nothing short of spectacular if Texas hopes to advance against the Cardinal. Connor Atchley desperately needs to stay out of foul trouble and Gary Johnson, Wangmene, Pittman, and Chapman need to play solid, consistent defense. Brook Lopez shoot free throws extremely well and if he gets too deep he will score. But if you can get him 8 or more feet from the basket he becomes a decidely less effective player. Texas players will need to out work him in the post.

I'm not sure if this last one is a concern, but with the play of Abrams and James in the first two games, DJ Augustin hasn't needed to do much. But it also makes me a little bit weary that he hasn't shot well, has made some poor decisions, and hasn't been extremely effective. He has played well, but I think that DJ will need to give even more to the Longhorns if they hope to advance. Especially with Stanford's size inside, DJ needs to be more judicious in when he goes to the basket and when he relies on his mid range game. DJ Augustin hasn't played like an All-American yet, and we need him to be an All-American if we hope to continue the march to San Antonio. And it would help if he didn't air ball any free throws.

All in all, Texas looked impressive in the opening weekend, except for five minutes against Miami. So let's say that things are looking good, and that was a pre-arranged agreement between Rick Barnes and his old friend Frank Haith.

Bring on the Cardinal.

The Underdogs are Back

Last night was a great game between two outstanding teams playing basketball at a high level. It was an exciting back and forth game to watch, and after watching the Longhorns in their previous five games, it was like seeing a different team out on the floor.

Lost in all of the post game write ups from the different outlets, is that the Longhorns got back to one thing that they thrived on early in the season; being the underdog. In their wins against Tennessee and #1 UCLA early in the season, Texas was the underdog. They thrived in that role, outhustling their opponents, playing intense defense, and attacking on offense.

After a 13-0 start, the nation started to take notice and all of a sudden, Texas became the favorite. They got outworked against Michigan State, Wisconsin, Missouri, A&M, several conference games they should not have won. But coming off several lackluster performances, DJ Augustin's game on a temporary leave of absence, and the Texas front line continuing to make opposing big men look like NBA first rounders, Texas was expected to get run out of the gym by a deep and talented Kansas team. And apparently that was what the Longhorns needed.

Texas executed an excellent game plan, played suffocating defense, and outhustled the Jayhawks in the second half to earn the victory. Connor Atchley's four blocks and post defense was by far his best performance of the season. AJ Abrams hounded Brandon Rush all night long holding him to 10 points and just three shot attempts in the second half. DJ Augustin, despite another horrendous shooting night, managed to hold Russell Robinson and Sharron Collins to a 2 of 12 shooting night and 4 points, making the point guard battle a draw. Gary Johnson, Justin Mason, and Damion James were everywhere the entire second half, hustling to every rebound, every lose ball, and playing outstanding defense and dominating the paint on offense. It was the second good performance for Johnson who looks like he is starting to get it. Mason continues to thrive as the utility man and has found his niche on offense and defense. And Damion James was the X-factor in the second half, creating all kinds of problems and out working every player on the floor.

Of all the things Texas did right last night, the biggest difference between this game and previous poor performances was Texas' attitude. They played this ball game like they were not the better team. They played like they needed to earn a victory and out play their opponents. They came in with a sense of urgency that allowed them to overcome the slow start that had plagued them the last few games, and they turned it up even more in the second half. Kansas is a phenominal team, that is deep and talented around the rim, but Texas wanted it more, and Texas went out there and outplayed them for it.

This is the Texas team that we saw go 13-0, and it was the whispers of Final Four that derailed that hunger. It was the realization of how could they could be that caused Texas to go out and play with an attitude that they were better than their opponents and could win by just going out and playing. But for one night, Texas got back to being the underdog, and the results were just the same as the 19 point rout of Tennessee and the road upset #1 UCLA. But it remains to be seen if they can carry that underdog attitude with them, when they are clearly not the underdog.

Post Game Points: Texas v. Iowa State

1. A CONFERENCE ROAD WIN... Is nothing to be upset about. When you're in conference play, your first goal is to win all your home games and be able to win a little more than half of your road games. And historically Texas has had a tough time winning at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. The fact is Texas played poorly and DJ Augustin had the worst game as a Horn and Texas was still able to win. AJ Abrams and Gary Johnson were able to step up and carry the horns to another 2nd half comeback. While the game was frustrating and unbearable to watch at times, lets just enjoy not losing for a minute before Kansas comes to town.

2. DJ AUGUSTIN... Continues to struggle getting good looks and hitting shots. There are several things that have concerned me recently with DJ. First, I am afraid teams have figured out how to neutralize him enough to disrupt the Texas offense. Iowa State had a great game plan which was to not let DJ have a path to the basket and then meet him at the rim with big man help to force a bad shot. DJ just didn't finish at the rim the way he was early in the year. That leads to the next concern, which is that DJ is not drawing the contact that he used to on his drives. One of DJ's biggest strengths was his ability to get to the rim and initiate the contact. Recently, his finishes around the rim have been fade aways and step backs. I am not sure if he is getting beat up, worried about injuries or if Barnes is worried about injuries. But I feel like DJ is losing one of his biggest assets in not forcing fouls and getting to the line.

3. GARY JOHNSON... Might be getting it. What a game for Gary. Great hustle, great post position and great defense. Johnson played 34 minutes and had his best game this season. Gary was able to establish a much needed inside presence as he got great post position and was able to finish around the basket (though a few more kind rolls on the rim and he could have scored 20). His defense, and especially his perimeter defense was exceptional. Gary switched on screens and was able to take his man back away from the basket and just seemed to be more comfortable, overall, on the defensive end. I think he is showing the player he can develop into as Big 12 play progresses. By tournament time Gary could be a 15 point 12 rebound guy in the starting lineup.

4. TEXAS STILL LOOKS... Infinitely beatable. Another slow start, another poor shooting game and another questionable performance by DJ. When I look at this team, I look at it in terms of how they would stack up in the NCAA Tournament at this moment. Right now.... Not good. if you go into March with shaky PG play, low % shooting and little inside presence, your chances look pretty grim. Somehow Texas is going to have to figure out how to start games actually hitting shots. Unless they do, they are susceptible to being run out of the gym by a hot shooting tourney team. We already know that Texas is going to struggle with teams with 2 bug guys inside (A&M). But the Horns are starting to have trouble with ANY big man, not just multiple big men. Lastly, DJ is going to have to figure a way to get his shooting % to at least 40-45 and that starts with better shot selection. Fewer fade aways and shots off one leg would be a nice start to that. If you're taking to the hoop, take it and finish it strong.

5. HERE COMES KANSAS..... Yikes...

Texas Survives the Griffin Brothers

The Texas Longhorns survived the Griffin brothers, Blake, Taylor, and Eddie, and held on to win 64-54 in Norman last night. Blake and Taylor combined for 41 points and 24 rebounds as Eddie chipped in with several jokes and all-around bad acting.

The Longhorns once again let their opponent jump out to an early lead, as Tony Crocker hit three, three pointers early as Oklahoma had an early 10 point lead. The Longhorns were able to battle back behind the play of their guards. And when I say guards, I mean all of them as AJ Abrams led the way with 22 points, DJ Augustin had 19, and Justin Mason had 11 points! Oklahoma's game plan of leaving Justin Mason wide open for shots, backfired for the first time in the history of Justin Mason being left wide open for shots, as he hit all 3 of his attempted 3 pointers, 2 of which came late in the second half.

While Texas had no answer inside for the Griffin brothers inside, they were spared the trouble of dealing with Longar-Longar who was a surprise scratch due to an injury. No word on whether he was injured while accepting a ride from Eddie Griffin to the stadium. It was a good thing Longar-Longar did not play as the Griffin's were enough for the overmatched Texas front line. Damion James, Gary Johnson, and Connor Atchley combined for 12 points and 12 fouls in doing pretty much nothing to stop the Griffins.

It was a great game plan for the Longhorns as Coach Rick Barnes decided the best way to catch the Sooners off guard was to become "pretty intimate" with Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops. Hey, whatever works. It also probably helped that only four of the Sooners' 8 players scored points in the game. Has there ever been a game before where no one scores in single digits?

While it was a disappointing performance for the Texas front line, the Longhorns played great defense and shot the basketball well. The Longhorns improve to 5-2 in conference, and will head to Iowa State this Saturday to face another team that is strong on the interior. After the difficult test against the Griffin brothers, the Longhorns are confident that they will be able to handle all future challenges including their scheduled bout against the Hanson brothers.

Horns Prepare for a Dog Fight

The Longhorns got back on the winning track this past weekend against the Baylor Bears. They will look to improve to 2-1 on a 10 game stretch where they will face the top 5 teams of the Big XII in 9 of 10 games, including, A&M, Baylor, and Oklahoma twice. Tonight they head into Norman, Oklahoma where the Sooners will look to be physical with the Longhorns.

The Longhorns have known all season that their weakness is in the paint. Losses to Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Texas A&M have shown just that. In the most recent defeat, the Aggies abused the Longhorns in the paint and kicked out to three point shooters when the perimeter was forced to collapse.

The Longhorns rely on their guard play to lead them, but have been seeing slightly improved play from the likes of Gary Johnson, Dexter Pittman, Alexis Wangmene, and Clint Chapman. They still have a ways to go to contend with the likes of Texas A&M, but if the Longhorns can become decent to solid on the inside defensively and on the boards, Texas' chances to go deep in the tournament increase dramatically.

Oklahoma will be a difficult test for the Longhorns. Norman is always a difficult place to play and this Capel coached team still carries the physical style of play that it was known for under Kelvin Sampson. Oklahoma is still young and rebuilding, but they still have the talent to give the Longhorns fits. They are led by all-freshman power forward Blake Griffin who is an absolute force in the post averaging 14.3 ppg and 8.7 rpg. He is complemented inside by senior center Longar-Longar (13.2 ppg/5.9 rpg). The Sooners have won 3 of their last 4 in large part to the emergance of Griffin's older brother, small forward Taylor Griffin who has averaged 11.3 ppg and 6.8 rpg in his last four games.

The problem that Oklahoma has had this season lies in the play of their guards. Sophomore Tony Crocker has been a pleasant surprise, as the 6'6" guard is averaging 10.9 ppg and shooting 46% from 3-point range. The disappointment comes from point guard Austin Johnson who is only averaging 2.6 apg and senior guard David Godbold who was supposed to be the leader in the back court this season, but is only averaging 7.9 ppg and 32% from 3-point range, though he did score 22 on 6 of 10 3-point shooting against Texas A&M this weekend.

Texas will need to play strong interior defense if they hope to succeed against Oklahoma. They need to disrupt Blake Griffin early and make the freshman think by coming at him from different angles. I don't know if there is any player on the Longhorns squad that can cover him straight up. If Texas is forced to double down on the interior they must to a better job of it than when they played the Aggies. Texas A&M was able to move the ball with ease out of the double team and get their best shooters the ball wide open. Texas can't afford to leave Crocker or Godbold with wide open looks.

Texas will also need to play with intensity on the defensive end. They have let their opponents jump out to big leads in their last two contests, and were only able to come back from it once. AJ Abrams seems to have come out of his shooting slump just as DJ Augustin appears to be entering one. Texas right now is a team that lives and dies by their outside shooting and needs to work harder at getting Damion James and Gary Johnson actively involved on the interior. The Longhorns also need to get back to attacking the paint early in games and using turning to their outside shooting once defenses have made adjustments to account for driving. DJ Augustin is not getting to the paint as easily as he was earlier in the season and he is not looking to pass as much once he gets into the paint.

This is a game that Texas needs to win and should win. But they need their young front line to play well as this will be a difficult challenge for them against the physical front line of the Sooners. But if the Longhorns didn't figure it out from the Baylor game, they need to for this one. This team has to win basketball games on the defensive end.

Searching for the Positives

It's easy to see the negatives in Texas' 69-67 home win over lowly Colorado on Saturday night. The first half defense and intensity was again atrocious. The offense was out of sync and couldn't hit anything. Gary Johnson played even worse, and less than in the Missouri game. The bench produced 4 points on 10 shots and missed both free throws they attempted. And up 10 with 4 and a half minutes to play, Texas packed it in, not scoring again as Colorado ended the game on an 8-0 run coming within two of sending it to overtime. Given all of the negatives, there are a few positives that stick out, that may be signs of Texas turning the corner on these mid-season doldrums that have seen us go 3-3 over our last 6 games.

Most importantly, regardless of how it looked, a win, is a win, is a win. 0-2 against the likes of Missouri and Colorado would have been a disastrous start to conference play. The win puts us in 5th in the Big XII looking up at three teams (Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor) that are catchable in the conference race. (On that note, I will only refer to our chances at 2nd in the Big XII, because Kansas is scary good. I have conceded the title to them. We are playing for second. I'm fine with that. They'll still lose in the 2nd or 3rd round of the tournament anyway.)

The second half of the Colorado (or the first 15:30 of the second half) is something that we've been waiting to see. Texas outscored the Buffaloes 41-22 over that stretch including a 23-2 run early in the second half. Texas played with fire and intensity, and most importantly they played defense. Texas was aggressive on the defensive end and forced turnovers and ran. It is the type of defense they played early in the season to jump out to their 13-0 start.

What triggered this defensive resurgence? The play of Justin Mason, who was left for dead on the Texas bench over the last few games. Mason's play combined with the lack there of from Gary Johnson, allowed him to log 36 minutes, and while he was 1-5 shooting, he recorded 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 steals, and 2 assists and played great defense on Richard Roby. His play has earned him the starting job against Oklahoma State tonight, and if he can make his presence felt defensively, he gives this Texas team a defensive identity that has been sorely lacking over the past few games.

The struggling play of Gary Johnson also seemed to allow Connor Atchley to rediscover his place in the offense. He once again provided the Longhorns with an efficient scoring threat as he logged 15 points on 6 of 7 shooting. He also contributed 5 rebounds and a block. Gary Johnson is a great player and will be great to have once he figures everything out, but his presence seemed to throw off the cohesiveness of the offense and it made Connor Atchley disappear from the offensive end. He is a reliable scoring threat that can get his points without a lot of touches, which is a nice thing to have with guards that can sometimes throw up some shots.

While the overall result and game as a whole is nothing to hang your hat on. The play of Justin Mason and Connor Atchley, along with the second half intensity is just the kind of performance that Texas has been missing over the last few games. They head into Stillwater tonight on short rest to take on a weaker than usual Oklahoma State game. But Iba-Gallagher Arena is still one of the toughest places to play in the country, and Oklahoma State will make this game close. With James Anderson at less than 100%, the Cowboys will once again rely on Terrel Harris and Marcus Dove to lead the way. Texas will have to defend on the perimeter as Byron Eaton and Obi Muonelo both provide back court scoring off the bench. When Texas' defense has been lacking this season, it has been on the perimeter. Oklahoma State can shoot the three, and likes to drive. They need to cut off penetration and cover the three point shot. But if Texas comes out and plays with some intensity and outworks OSU on the defensive end, then they should be able to win this game without too much trouble.

Just Like Mike?

We waited 15 games to see. We were told that he was going to be the answer to our front court problems. Finally after 15 games, Gary Johnson was cleared to play and his 5 points and 5 rebounds in 21 minutes against TCU was a promising start. Something to build off of. And build he did as he had 15 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes against St. Mary's, shooting 7 for 10 from the field. We found our power forward. We found our inside presence. We found our missing piece to a complete basketball team.

Since that game. Since that feeling. The Gary Johnson Project has fallen apart at the seams. Conference play began and Gary looked lost. 19 minutes at Missouri. 0 points, 1 rebound, absolutely no defense and was completely lost on the floor. 10 minutes vs. Colorado. 2 points, 1 rebound, and still nothing on the defensive end. The last two games, Gary has looked lost defensively on assignments and on help and rotation. He has been such a liability that he has seen his minutes disappear. It also hasn't helped that he is 1 of 8 shooting the last two games, and 2 of 11 from the free throw line in his first four games.

Needless to say, Gary Johnson is overwhelmed. Conference play is a different beast, and you can't just walk in off the street and tame it. You need non-conference play. You need those games against UC Davis, Arkansas-Monticello, and Texas Southern. It is like a learners permit for college basketball. It lets you get your feet wet before the games get tough, before the games really matter. Gary missed all of that, and it shows.

What will this mean for Gary? The last time we had an incoming freshman miss the beginning of a season was in 2005, with a McDonald's All-American named Mike Williams. Williams was a highly touted five-star recruit ranked 20th by rivals.com. Johnson was a 4-star recruit ranked 61st by rivals. Mike just missed the first five games of that 2005 season with questions regarding his AAU program in high school, but with a deep front court of PJ Tucker, Buckman, Aldridge, and Jason Klotz, Mike had a tough time finding minutes to make up the learning curve, and he was never the same player. After two underachieving seasons, Williams started to find himself in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, but transferred to Cincinnati after the season. Since then he sat out the 07 season, and tore his ACL to miss all of this season.

Will the same fate befall Gary Johnson? It's too early to say. He is going to certainly get his opportunities to play since our front court doesn't boast any of those four players that it did in 2005. But I think we will see his minutes reduced into the 10 to 20 range as Barnes tries to bring him along slowly. I think best case scenario, Johnson might turn the corner towards the end of conference play and start to get some extended minutes into the conference tournament, but that will definitely be a difficult road to follow. Missing the first 15 games as a freshman is like sitting out all of the NFL Preseason and trying to be the starting quarterback week one. It just doesn't happen. Hopefully, we will scale back what is asked of Johnson and bring him along slowly so we don't blow his confidence, and blow his career as a Longhorn.

Two Games In, Johnson's Impact Being Felt

In his second game back from his undisclosed heart condition, that caused him to be a liability to play on December 29th and completely healthy on January 2nd, Gary Johnson looked like the player that we had been hoping for for much of the season. With Johnson's impact, Texas looked a lot like the team that we can expect the rest of the season.

Defensively, the impact of Gary Johnson is immeasurable. It allows Texas to more adequately matchup against teams with size and allows Damion James to play at the more suitable small forward position. His impact is also seen on the offensive and defensive boards where his size and energy have given Texas the rebounding and interior boost that they needed. His defense and rebounding will only improve as he becomes more comfortable with the nuances of the college game.

Offensively, it finally gives Texas the balance it so desperately needed. It gives Texas an offensive post up threat which does several things. It takes some pressure off the guards to produce everything for the offense. It allows Damion James to be a more versatile offensive threat, attacking defenses from inside and out. This change in role has benefitted James the most of any Longhorn as was evident by his 29 points and 14 rebounds against TCU and his 15 and 8 against St. Mary's. It also takes the pressure off of Connor Atchley to score night in and night out, and allows our young front court players in Wangmene, Pittman, and Chapman to develop at their own pace and not demand consistent contributions.

However, the place that Gary Johnson has affected this team the most is on the bench. The flexibility that Johnson allows Coach Barnes with his lineups is what could possibly save the season and Barnes' sanity. The Michigan State and Wisconsin games showed some weaknesses offensively and defensively. Mainly, that Justin Mason had once again suffered his offensive disappearence just in time for conference season and the lack of a reliable offensive and defensive threat forced Damion James to play out of position and put undo pressure on the offense. Johnson's move into the starting lineup allows for Justin Mason to move to the bench, a role that he should be able to thrive in as a defensive specialist. Whether it is a coincidence or not Alexis Wangmene has played a lot better since the return of Johnson. Either way, Gary's presence gives Barnes many more options and allows the players that we have to better fit into the roles they are capable of filling.

Texas heads into conference play this Saturday at Missouri. It will be their toughest test of what should be a very winnable first four games for the Longhorns. A fast start could give the Longhorns the confidence they need to battle Texas A&M and Kansas for the Big XII title. With Gary Johnson in the mix, this Longhorns team becomes a definite contender in the conference as well as the NCAA tournament.

Around the 40 Acres Update

Jamaal Charles and Larry MacDuff.... Gone. Texas running back Jamaal Charles has officially declared for the 2008 NFL Draft. This seems like a pretty poor decision for Charles, who looked to have a break out senior season and set himself up for a decent draft spot in 2009. Assistant Defensive Coordinator, Larry MacDuff, is leaving after just one season of disappointing defense. No one was too impressed with the Texas defense and likely no one will miss MacDuff's absence.

Gary Johnson In, Justin Mason Out. Texas will finally have their top recruit, Gary Johnson, on the floor. He has been cleared to play after sitting the first half of the season with a heart abnormality. As soon as Gary was cleared, Justin Mason saw the bench. Mason has preformed very poorly thus far this year. He added to that, going 0-7 from the field against Wisconsin.

Texas Women Open Season 11-2. The Texas Women's team won the Maggie Dixon Surf 'N Turf Classic after beating San Diego in the finals. Texas needed a last second bucket to top Torreros. Texas moved up to #16 in the AP poll.

Texas Wins Holiday. After a season of disappointment, the Longhorns showed they had the potential to be a force on offense and defense, beating the Sun Devils 52-34. It will remain to be seen if Duane Akina was able to save his job as the Offensive Coordinator. But Colt McCoy and the offense ran and threw all over the out matched Arizona State defense.

The Holiday Season

The Holiday season means some much needed time off from work or a break after a long semester. In the sports world, it means a slow down of epic proportion, as meaningless bowl games begin, the NBA has yet to start mattering, college basketball teams schedule as many cupcakes as possible before conference play starts, and you sit around waiting for Sunday's NFL docket of games.

On first glance the Longhorns appeared to have followed suit. The football team awaits for their titanic struggle, that I can't seem to get myself excited for, against Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl and the basketball team looked to be in cruise control after wins against North Texas, Rice, and Texas State, the most recent in the least impressive fashion. But that is where the #5 Longhorns holiday ends, as the rest of their holiday schedule is a treat for fans.

A rundown of the Longhorns holiday docket reveals 4 strong opponents out of 5 in the remaining games before conference play.

12/18 vs. Oral Roberts (6-3)
- Yes, a team of dentists is coming to town. However, these aren't your everyday dentists. A 23-win team in 2006 that made the NCAA tournament as a #14 seed that returned all five starters for 2007. And in today's Cinderella world, a #14 seed means you can play some ball. Their three losses this season come on the road against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (06 tournament team) by 5, #15 Texas A&M by 14, and Arkansas by 11. While it should be a game that the Horns should win, you have to look at the things that make this difficult. This is a good team, it's hard to get yourself excited for Oral Roberts, since I'm going with zero Longhorn players and a few fans that know that Oral Roberts is in Oklahoma (I had to look it up to make sure), and last, this Longhorns team might be looking ahead to a road tilt against #10 Michigan State a mere 4 days later.

Oral Roberts has a balanced attack led by junior SG Robert Jarvis, creator of the artificial heart, (and you thought they were just dentists) who is averaging 16.8 ppg. They also have some size inside with junior PF Marcus Lewis (6-8/245) averaging 11.2 ppg/4.2 rpg and senior C Shawn King (6-10/220) averaging 10.4 ppg/6.7 rpg. The Longhorns will have to play much better than they did against Texas State if they hope to prevail. You know, actually try. But this has all the makings of an upset.

12/22 at #10 Michigan State (9-1)
- This is not the team that lost to Grand Valley State in their exhibition. This is a team that plays some of the most physical basketball in the country boasting wins at Missouri by 3, at Bradley by 5, and at #22 BYU by 7. Their only loss comes on a neutral court against #1 UCLA by 5. This will be another hard road test for the Longhorns, and Michigan State may be a tougher place to play than UCLA. Michigan State's grinding, physical style of play will be a real test for a Longhorn team that isn't strong inside and isn't deep at all.

The Spartans boast arguably the best point guard in the country in Drew Neitzel. Since the Longhorns boast the other candidate in DJ Augustin, this will be a matchup to watch. Neitzel has become a true leader, floor general, and lights out shooter in his senior season, averaging 14.6 ppg and 4.7 apg. However, he might not be the most important player to his team. Sophomore swing man Raymar Morgan (6'7) averages 16.8 ppg and 7.6 rpg and is the most athletic player for Michigan State. He will be a defensive test and will be guarded by Damion James and Justin Mason. The other defensive test will be Goran Suton (8.8 ppg/8.7 rpg) who will pound Connor Atchley and the bench forwards inside all game long. Michigan State will go at the Longhorns and attack them inside and try to get them in foul trouble. This game will be a slugfest and should be a preview of how several teams will attack the Longhorns in conference play this season.

12/29 - vs. Wisconsin (8-2)
- The Longhorns continue their Big Ten Conference Challenge a week later at home against the Wisconsin Badgers, another team that will test the Longhorns physically. Led by 6'11 senior Brian Butch (13.3 ppg/7.9 rpg) and sophomore point guard Trevon Hughes out of Queens, NY (15.2 ppg/4.3 rpg/ 3.0 apg). The rest of their team is made of experienced talent in senior guard Michael Flowers (9.1 ppg/4.0 rpg) and junior forwards 6'7, 230 Marcus Landry (9.7 ppg/4.9 rpg) and 6'7 Joe Krabbenhoft (7.3 ppg/5.8 rpg). With Wisconsin teams, you know you're getting physical, disciplined teams that play skilled basketball. They will play slow and make you grind it out.

They have impressive wins against Georgia (by 19) and Colorado (by 26) with a tough loss against #15 Marquette (by 5). They also fell apart at #7 Duke by 24 earlier this season. But Wisconsin is an experienced team that is going to test our depth and try to dominate on the glass. They will struggle with Texas' athleticism, but they will try and dictate the pace of the game to counter act that. Foul trouble could also be a factor in this game.

1/2 vs. TCU (5-3)
- TCU is the easiest opponent of this stretch, but hey, you've at least heard of them. With their losses coming against Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and SMU, they're not terrible, but certainly not of the same caliber of the previous three opponents. They pretty much have three players who are of threat in junior shooting guard Henry Salter (13.9 ppg/5.6 rpg), senior guard Brent Hackett (12.6 ppg), and junior forward Kevin Langford (12.4 ppg/5.6 rpg). TCU shouldn't be too tough a game, but if Texas comes out flat and looks past TCU, this could be a game all the way down to the end.

1/5 vs. #24 St. Mary's (7-1)
- A team that went 17-15 a year ago has turned it around with youth. The emergence of sophomore center, 6'11 Omar Samhan (13.1 ppg/7.6 rpg) and freshman sensation Australian National point guard Patrick Mills (15.5 ppg/4.4 apg) have led St. Mary's to a #24 ranking and a favorite in the West Coast Conference. They have wins against #11 Oregon (by 12) and Seton Hall (by 15) this season, and their only loss comes on the road against Southern Illinois (by 15).

The Gaels have been sparked this season by the play of Mills who is a scoring threat from three point range and a threat to get to the basket. Inside the Gaels are led by the play of Samhan and junior forward Diamon Simpson (12.6 ppg/8.9 rpg). The Gaels are a team that is physical inside and carries the gritty nature of their point guard. They will try to outwork the Longhorns and will be confident coming into this game. But the longer the are able to play with the Horns, the more they will believe they can pull off the upset, and the more dangerous they will become. It is another trap game for the Horns against a team that is extremely capable.

#5 Texas Longhorns (10-0)
- The Horns, only 10 games into the season have figured out their rotation, and offensively, look as good as any team in the country. Led by DJ Augustin (19.5 ppg/6.8 apg) and AJ Abrams (19.2 ppg) the Horns will score. Damion James (11.8 ppg/10.0 rpg) and Connor Atchley (12.6 ppg/5.7 rpg) are relied upon to give this team their inside presence offensively and defensively. Justin Mason (10.2 ppg/3.6 rpg/3.4 apg) has emerged as the defensive stopper and glue guy for this lineup. Depth is the one question mark for this team as the Horns only use three bench players, all in the front court. Freshman forwards Alexis Wangmene (14 mpg) and Clint Chapman (10 mpg), and sophomore Dexter Pittman (7 mpg) are the only ones that are seeing any time off the bench, and it is limited. They have proved capable while in the game.

It will be interesting to see if highly touted freshman forward Gary Johnson (13 pts, 6 reb, 2 blks in 19 min in exhibition game) will make any kind of impact on the rotation when he returns, which is rumored to be soon, and could be during the 5 game holiday stretch. I think the impact he could have on the Longhorns would be huge for the rest of the season, giving the Longhorns a dynamic offensive post threat. But it took Mike Williams a long time to recover from missing the non-conference season his freshman year, and it hampered his development throughout his Longhorn career. Hopefully, Johnson will not run into the same problems if, and when he returns.

This five game stretch will test the Longhorns depth and interior and will determine if the Longhorns have an Achilles heel that teams will be trying to exploit the rest of the season. I don't think the Longhorns will come out of this test 5-0, as Michigan State appears to be the most obvious pitfall, but 2 or 3 losses in the next five is not out of the question, but going 4-1, I would deem a success.

Surprisingly, Gary Johnson Cleared to Play in Exhibition

In some both unexpected and great news, top Texas Basketball recruit, Gary Johnson was cleared to play in the teams exhibition opener. Up until now, it hasn't even been clear that Johnson could play this year, due to a heart ailment. At one point, some thought he may never play again. So good news for Rick Barnes and the Horns as Johnson was their top recruit from last year and now looks to be as productive as everyone expected.

JOHNSON TO PLAY



Texas hosts Xaiver of Louisiana this Friday.