What to Make of the Cardinal

What is so scary about one little red bird? Well if you look closer, Cardinal also means of prime importance, chief; principal. That sounds a little fiercer. But what happens when you double it and make them both 7 feet tall? Then you have an incredibly formidable Sweet 16 opponent.

In only a short time at Palo Alto, Trent Johnson has returned the Cardinal to the status it had achieved under Mike Montgomery before he foolishly tried to resurrect the Golden State Warriors. Despite what his regrettable ejection will tell you about Trent Johnson, the man will be considered a top coach before his time is said and done. He built a Nevada program and managed to bring in top talent with Nick Fazekas, and now has done the same at Stanford, with the likes of the Lopez Twins. He is a good coach and Stanford plays a disciplined, physical style of basketball. They don't turn the ball over and pound it inside, and they don't force the turnover, but play a suffocating defense built from the inside out that focuses on forcing a one and done for their opponents.

I suppose we should start where CBS will start, by fawning over Babbling Brook Lopez. What can you say? He's 7 feet tall, big and strong, great technique and understanding for the game, and a mean streak inside. Put all of those together and despite such a pretty name, you have an NBA Lottery pick. He's averaging 19 ppg, 8.1 rpg/ 2.1 bpg and shoots an excellent 78% from the charity stripe. What is more, is the poise and creativity he showed with his game winning shot against Marquette. He is the focal point of Stanford's offense. They get him the ball and he knows what to do with it.

However, we musn't forget that Babbling Brook has a twin, lord knows CBS won't. "MY GOD, THERE'S TWO OF THEM. AND THEY'RE TALL. OH MY. F-YOU, I"M BILLY PACKER!" Yes, we musn't forget Red-Breasted Robin Lopez. While he plays second fiddle to his brother, he is the wild card in every sense of the word. His play has been impressive over the past two months and he is more firery and more of a douche bag than his brother, as he showed in the Marquette game with his constant trash talking. But he has averaged 12.4 ppg over the past 2 months and he averages 5.7 rpg and 2.4 bpg. He also is the focal point on defense as he takes the harder assignments to cover for his brother. He shoots a respectable 65% from the free throw line and is an equally firery competitor, though not as polished as his brother. He will likely be a lottery pick if he decides to return to school for his junior season.

The X-Factor for the Cardinal is definitely Anthony Goods. The 6'3 junior is the perimeter scoring threat that has kept teams honest all season long. He averaged 10.3 ppg this season, shooting 35% from three and a respectable 70% from the free throw line. However, it is worth noting that he has shot 29% from three in the month of March averaging 7.1 ppg and is 29% from the field in the tournament. If the Longhorns can keep Goods from getting on track, then it makes this Stanford team much more one-dimensional.

A player that shouldn't hurt the Longhorns but very well could is the steady hand of point guard Mitch Johnson. The junior does a little bit of everything for the Cardinal averaging 6.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, and 5.1 apg. While he doesn't get involved offensively much he had an unbelievable 16 assists in the Marquette game burning the Eagles with 3 of 3 shooting from three point range. A 40% shooter from downtown he can hurt us if given the opportunity. The only apparent weakness for Johnson is his 66% clip from the free throw line which could come into play late in the game.

The rest of the Cardinal is an experienced, solid role playing group that rounds out this team with smart, solid play and good defense. 6'5 senior, Fred Washington (4.5 ppg/4.1 rpg/2.3 apg, 53% FT) rounds out the starting rotation. He's there for rebounding, passing, and defense as he didn't attempt a shot in the Marquette game, but has filled up the stat sheet in every other possible way.

The first man off the bench as of late has been Taj Finger. The 6'8 senior has made the most of his swan song with 17 points, 13 rebounds on 8 of 11 shooting in his two games. He will come in to spell the Lopez twins and has been deadly for the Cardinal off the bench. He is a smart saavy post player that will cause problems for our inexperienced bigs.

The face you'll see in the backcourt off the bench will be that of Southlake native Kenny Brown. The 6'1" junior is returning home and is a threat from deep shooting 38% from downtown. He is 6 of 8 in two games from deep in the tournament. If he is given time he can hurt the Horns from deep.

The man who has seen his playing time dwindle over the past month is athletic 6'8 junior swingman Lawerence Hill. He's averaged 8.7 ppg/4.9 rpg and shoots 37% from deep and 75% from the line. But with the emergence of Taj Finger his minutes have fallen off a bit in the past month. But he is obviously talented enough to cause damage from inside and out.

The Cardinal is a pretty straight forward team. They get consistent point guard play, attack inside and play great defense. It is a formula for success in the tournament. This is a junior and senior laden team that understands its support role for the Lopez twins. In the absence of Anthony Goods, the rest of the team has stepped up in a big way, getting this team to where they are now.

It is an interesting matchup for the Longhorns. While we will struggle inside against the Lopez twins, we have the bodies (Connor, Damo, Gary, Dex, Wangmene, Chapman) to bang inside with the Lopez's. We will need our young bench to play over their heads and big games on the defensive end from Gary, Dex and Alexis would be huge for our chances. But Texas has been an underrated team defensively all season. The biggest test will be keeping the bigs out of foul trouble and keeping Connor on the floor. It will also be imperative for the Longhorns to rebound the basketball and limit the second chance points for the Cardinal. We will also need to keep Anthony Goods from getting on track and limiting the role players from hurting us. Damion James will need to dominate inside as he is the most athletic player inside and Texas has the edge with their quickness on the perimeter and inside.

The more intreaguing matchup is how the Cardinal will defend Texas. After watching the Marquette game, the perimeter defense of Stanford lacks athleticism. (Well, the entire Stanford team lacks athleticism. They are not a team to get out and run. Texas can steal some points if they can attack in transition.) But, the Texas guards will cause all kinds of problems for the Standford backcourt. Jerel McNeal, Marquette's slashing two guard, scored 30 points and got into the lane at will. DJ Augustin's mid range game will be essential against the Cardinal as getting to the rack is not the best decision against the interior presence of the twins. If DJ can get on fire with his mid range jumpers and fade aways, he can easily score 20 and control the game. Justin Mason will also be important in driving to the lane, drawing the big men over and dishing for baskets. This will get our bigs involved offensively and will also get the Lopez twins out of position and into foul trouble. Texas will get in trouble if they try to go right at the Lopez's but can be effective off the drive and dish.

The biggest weakness that the Stanford defense showed in the Marquette game was their defense on the pick and roll, a staple of the Texas offense. Neither Babbling Brook or Red-Breasted Robin looked comfortable or willing to jump out to cut off the guard. Both seemed to stay closer to the basket and just wave at the guard coming over the pick. If they do this against Texas, AJ Abrams will continue to put up his 26 points that he did in the first two rounds of the tournament. DJ Augustin will also recognize the problems it causes the twins and wreak havoc using the pick and roll. It should also give Damion James and Connor Atchley ample opportunity to get open looks from long range. Expect Stanford to employ the zone a lot which will give AJ Abrams and company several opporunities to get open looks as well as break down the zone with the dribble.

I think Texas will have all kinds of problems with the Lopez twins, but I also think Stanford will have an equally difficult if not more difficult time defending the perimeter players of Texas. It will be a true test of execution and coaching. I'm nervous about this game, but I think if Texas comes out and shoots well they can win this game. Foul trouble will play a crucial role and if the refs call it tight that will only favor Stanford.

I don't like making predictions, but I like our chances in front of a home crowd. Well a semi-home crowd. More on that later.

Sweet 16: East Region Preview

Not a lot of surprises in the East Region, other than how easily UNC manhandled their opponents. Tennessee was brought to the brink by both American and Drake, but in the end all 4 top seeds have advanced to the Regional semi-finals.

#1 North Carolina v. #4 Washington State

As mentioned, the Tarheels just ran over their first 2 opponents, averaging 110 points and winning by an average of 40 points. While a Washington State upset may not be very likely, look for the Cougars to put up a much better fight than anyone UNC has faced yet. The Cougars pride themselves on the defensive end and they will have their hands full with Tyler Hansbrough and crew.
Washington State does bring in an experienced team as they start 3 seniors and 2 juniors.They have only given up a total of 81 points in their first two Tourney games and held a dangerous Notre Dame offense to only 41 points. This game is going to be close, but in the end North Carolina's athleticism will be able to outmatch the tough defense brought by Washington State. Just don't expect UNC to score over 90 points in this win.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 82, Washington State 74



#2 Tennessee v. #3 Louisville

This may be the most anticipated matchup of the Sweet 16. Louisville has been a streaking team ever since they returned David Padgett and Edgar Sosa from injury. Tennessee, on the other hand, is an explosive team that has seemed to be misfiring so far in the NCAAs. They were taken to the wire against both Drake and American while Louisville cruised over Boise State and Oklahoma.
Tennessee likes to run and gun on offense while setting up a suffocating defensive press. However, Louisville has solid guard play in Andre McGee and Jerry Smith. The Vols will need for Chris Lofton to be on from down town while Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism will have to keep the Cardinal's David Padgett and Earl Clark off the boards.
Both teams run out very athletic teams and both are lead by flashy, flamboyant coaches in Rick Patino and Bruce Pearl. I trust Rick Patino more than I do Pearl, and Louisville has been on the rise while Tennessee as not put together a great game in the Tourney. In the end Padgett, will be pivotal in the middle and Louisville will be able to keep the Volunteer 3-point shooters down just enough to pull out the win.

PREDICTION: Lousiville 88, Tennessee 84

Sweet 16: West Region Preview

This years West Region has been filled with upsets and almost upsets. The highest seed no longer alive is #2 Duke. The Blue Devils survived a one point win over 15 seed Belmont only to lose to West Virginia in the 2nd round. Even top seed UCLA had to stop (or foul) a driving Donald Sloan in the last seconds to move on to the round of 16. But Western Kentucky and San Diego pulled off the biggest upsets of the bracket as the 12 & 13 seed both advanced to face each other in the 2nd round. In a bracket full of upsets, UCLA could get down to the Final Four without facing any higher than a #7 seed. That must be nice.

#1 UCLA v. #12 Western Kentucky

While this may not be as big a marquee matchup as if UCLA were facing UCONN, but Western Kentucky certainly comes into this matchup having already provided some huge drama in their first round game against the Drake Bulldogs. Ty Rogers hit a 30 foot jumper as the clock expired to lift the Hilltoppers to a 1 point win over the higher seeded Bulldogs.
UCLA comes in with an obvious talent advantage, but W. Kentucky's Courtney Lee is a bonafide NBA draft pick and Tyrone Brazelton dropped 33 points against Drake. This guard combo might give UCLA some troubles on the perimeter. But in this game, UCLA's superior talent is going to win out in the end. Even though A&M brought them down to the wire, the Bruin's defense was still present as they held the Aggies to 49 points. UCLA has big time scorers in Kevin Love, Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook. With UCLA's strong defense it just doesn't seem as if the Hilltoppers are going to be able to score enough points to beat the Bruins. Add the fact that the game is being played to a "home" crowd in Phoenix, AZ and you have all the makings of a UCLA trip to the Elite 8.

Predicition: UCLA 78, Western Kentucky 68



#3 Xavier v. #7 West Virginia

The West Virginia Mountaineers were able to beat a Duke team that had little perimeter defense and struggled to shoot the ball from the outside. Quite honestly, most would not even call that win much of an upset, as many thought Duke came into the Tourney with a lot of weaknesses. Xavier on the other hand was able to hold of strong pushes by both Georgia and Purdue to advance to face the Mountaineers.
Xavier is a pretty balanced team as they get great perimeter play from Drew Lavender, Stanley Burrell and C.J. Anderson. Josh Duncan and Derrick Brown provide a strong inside presence. But the Musketeers make their living on the defensive end as they are one of the strongest and most athletic teams on the defensive end. They are led by Burrell who is one of the best all around defenders in the nation. They are going to need all of their defensive efforts as Joe Alexander and Alex Ruoff are big time scorers for the Mountaineers. Alexander has come out of almost no where this year to become a top scoring threat in the nation. But since Bob Huggins has taken over, there has been more focus on the defensive end to complement West Virginia's potent offensive threats. Look for Xavier to be just a little too athletic on the perimeter and too strong on the defensive end for West Virginia to handle. This will be a close game, but in the end the Musketeers will make the plays to get them into the Elite 8.

Predicition: Xavier 82, West Virginia 74

Tournament Notes

Thoughts and observations from the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament...

East Region:

North Carolina - Teams don't get 100 put on them in the second round. The Tar Heels ran Arkansas out of the gym. They are defending and their offense looks unstoppable. For the first time all year the most talented team in the country is focused. Everyone should be very very scared. What's more is the way Lawson has looked and the fact that Hansbrough has only had to score 21 and 17 in the first two games. Can't wait to see if they run Washington State, a team that hangs their hat on defense, out of the gym.

Washington State - Speaking of the Cougars, a great under the radar performance. Coming off a year where they lost early with high expectations, they have played great defense and dominated two straight games, only no one noticed. 40 points and 41 points given up in a 31 point and 20 point win. This senior laden team is playing great basketball and has no expectations going into a game against the tournament favorites.

Louisville - Another team that went about their business this weekend. I think they will beat Tennessee handily. They handled Oklahoma like a second teir team. Well, Oklahoma is a second teir team, and great teams handle teams that shouldn't play with them. They play a great team game, and have one of the best coaches in the game on the bench.

Butler - They probably should have won that game, as Tennessee is a team just waiting for someone to beat them. I was disappointed with point guard Mike Green. I was expecting more from him and he seemed to play out of control and get himself into trouble driving to the basket all night long. AJ Graves played as advertised, but everytime Butler had a chance to make their move it seemed Green would get to the rack, draw three defenders and throw the ball up looking for the foul that never came.

Tennessee - They look about the same as the first time they were a #2 seed. A team waiting for someone to beat them. They struggled with American and they struggled against Butler. They rely on playing games at a frantic pace and good teams will slow them down and force them to play a half court game. In the half court game, you'll find a team that has no consistency out of the point guard position, has to be shooting well, and can't defend. Anything further than the Sweet 16 will be overachieving for this team.

Midwest Region:

Kansas - They have looked impressive and have handled all the challenges that have been thrown at them. They play good defense, and they get scoring from everyone on their roster. But all season they have played an easy schedule and struggled in close games (outside of the Big XII Championship game). The games are about to get serious and what will Kansas, a team that is notorious for collapsing, going to do in a close game with a lot on the line. Who gets the ball?

Villanova - This team continues to overachieve. They hung around in a tough conference and snuck into the tournament. Once they got there, they reminded everyone that you win with good defense and point guard play. Scottie Reynolds has been great in the tournament, and the Wildcats play with a physical intensity despite the fact that they're not great inside.

Wisconsin - I've seen the Badgers on TV a few times, and once in person against the Longhorns, and I will say two things. I have yet to be impressed by them, and I've yet to see them lose. This team plays ugly Big Ten basketball to perfection and Bo Ryan is one of the most unsung coaches in America. Which I guess its fitting at one of the most unsung schools in college basketball. They will beat Davidson and Stephen Curry will struggle. They play disciplined, physical, boring basketball. And they have a chance to knock of Kansas to get to the Final Four.

Georgetown - This is a team that didn't look impressive at any point this season. They played with teams they shouldn't have but they kept winning. Well they some how managed to blow an 18 point lead to a less talented team, and their season is over. Roy Hibbert was extremely disappointing for the second tournament in a row. He should have turned pro last season because I think is stock peaked last year.

West Region:

Duke - We should have seen it coming. They play high pressure defense and can't defend. They have no interior presence and rely on three pointers. Yet it's still weird to see Coach K teams lose early in the tournament. What was more disturbing is to see Coach K's expressions throughout the tournament. I know he had been sick, but he looked tired and understanding of his team's fate. Is the program suffering from the marketization and his team USA commitments?

Drake - It should be a rule that every mid-major should get screwed with 9 and 10 seeds for one or two years before we give them a five seed. It seems like mid-majors need tournament experience before they can handle something other than being the underdog. Everyone got our hopes up with this Drake team, and we were all let down.

Texas A&M - It was a underachieving and sometimes painful to watch season for the Aggies. Then the tournament roles around and they turn into a solid shooting team that has a great inside presence and plays tough defense. If they didn't choke from 10 minutes left until 4 minutes left in the UCLA game, they are thinking about the Final Four after pulling off the upset of the tournament. Even with that let down, they still got hosed. But after seeing that and the two Pac-10 tainted wins, I'm convinced John Wooden is working over the refs telepathically.

UCLA - I have not been impressed with this team the last two weeks. They got huge breaks in the Pac-10 Tournament and haven't looked that impressive in the Dance. They should have lost to A&M, but Collison and Love made insane plays down the stretch. The A&M game will either be their turning point that wakes them up and gets them to the Finals, or it will be the beginning of the end in a region that should be a cake walk. Shipp has fallen off the face of the earth and may be hurt now, and Mbah a' Moute isn't himself. I don't see how they can play with a North Carolina or Kansas.

South Region:

Memphis - Much like Tennessee, I dont' think they play the type of basketball that is condusive to winning the title. They rely on creating a hectic pace and getting out in transition. If you pack in defensively and force them to shoot and take care of the basketball I think they will crumble. They are more talented than Tennessee and have a better coach, but I still don't think they play the kind of basketball it takes to win championships. They will get their chance to prove me wrong as Michigan State will do all of those things and give Memphis their first test since the Tennessee game.

Michigan State - You have to give Tom Izzo credit. He has them focused for the right part of the season. They have played two good games in a row for the first time in a long time and they have the talent to play with Memphis. If Izzo can pull off the upset it will be one of his most impressive coaching jobs. If they do hang with Memphis it will be a physical game and Neitzel will torch Memphis from deep.

Pittsburgh - Pitt had a good point guard in Levance Fields, talent inside in Blair and Young, and a deep, physical team. It was a team that was primed to make a deep run in the tournament. Only they ran into a team with a better coach that had more experience in playing that grinding tough March style of basketball. An unlucky draw and an off night sent them home early.

Stanford - Trent Johnson is an idiot. To get tossed in the first half of an NCAA tournament game with a lead? Idiotic. Inexcusable. Especially when your assistant coach that takes over is going to bench your best two players for 5 minutes in the second half. I understand what he was doing. Both Lopez twins had 3 fouls, and he had an 8 point lead. Rest them from 11 minutes until the 8 minute timeout and then you have them fresh and not in grave foul trouble the rest of the way. Only when it went to 6:45 before he called a timeout and had watched the lead completely disappear did it become a horrible idea. They let Marquette back in the game and when you let a team back in the game that late, they're going to stay in it the rest of the way. Stanford should feel fortunate. And if Trent Johnson says he wouldnt' change a thing after that incident, then he's an even bigger idiot. Because no matter how good a coach Trent Johnson is, he doesn't help his team if he's not on the court. And no point made halfway through the first half is going to benefit your team over the 25 minutes that you're not going to be there.

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.

Any Advice From Duke?

Duke pulled their latest magic trick last night, angering a majority of the nation, as they escaped the 15 seed Belmont 71-70, with a last second layup. Duke shouldn't have won that game, and it's a shame that Belmont couldn't PICK UP THE MAN WITH THE BALL ON THE FAST BREAK!!!! It's only the first thing they teach you when defending the fast break, man! But that's another gripe for another day.

The bigger question is what we can learn from the Blue Devils after their run in with Belmont. I think they would tell you that you must watch out for a small conference, small school, with a bunch of white guys from Middle Tennessee, that just shoot threes. Oh well good, fortunately, what are the odds that we're going to run into another #15 seed with those credentials. Oh wait, where's Austin Peay from? Oh damn.

The Governors hail from somewhere in Middle Tennessee. I suppose I should know this since I now reside in Tennessee, but I was too lazy to look it up. Hopefully the Longhorns will not be too lazy to do their homework against Austin Peay. Hey! It's in Clarksville, TN. See Longhorns, we must not overlook any detail!

But when the Longhorns lineup today they will be looking across at a lineup that for once makes theirs look big. With a front line that stands 6'5", 6'5", and 6'4" you would think Texas has the ability to dominate inside. However, Drake Reed and Fernandez Lockett (Yes, I'm aware he has two last names) are physical and play above their small stature inside. Combined they're averaging 25.5 ppg and 12.5 rpg. Since Texas traditionally doesn't attack inside, they should be spared somewhat. But Texas needs to attack the lane and DJ Augustin has to take advantage of a lack of height inside to contest his drives. Also, Damion James should have a field day on the offensive and defensive boards, and Connor Atchley should be able to cause some problems defensively with his length inside.

So you are probably thinking, finally Texas can match up well with somebody. Well, that would be the case until you realize that outside of their 5'9" point guard Derek Wright (11.7 ppg/4.8 apg/41 % 3P) they have 6'5 guard Todd Babington, 6'5" swingman Kyle Duncan, and 6'3" gaurd Wes Channels coming off the bench. This could mean that AJ Abrams will be drawing an assignment against a taller guard, which fortunately he has only been dealing with that since the 2nd grade.

However, I have yet to address the number one concern with Austin Peay. They shoot threes. Alot of them. And they happen to make a lot of them too. Derek Wright and Todd Babington are the leading culprits shooting 41% and 38%, with Babington coming off a 9 of 14 3-point performance in the OVC championship game (The Ohio Valley Conference, fyi). But don't count out Kyle Duncan who will also shoot some threes at a rediculous 57% (42 of 71) and Channels also shoots a healthy 36% from three. If Texas leaves them open looks, lets them gain confidence, and get on a roll, this game could be close the entire way. And the longer the Horns do that, the longer Austin Peay will look an awful lot like Belmont.

Texas will probably have to rely on DJ Augustin, Damion James, and AJ Abrams for much of the game. Though any continued support from Justin Mason who has been amazing over the last ten games, offensively, defensively, and intangiably would be greatly appreciated. It would be nice to see Gary Johnson back and healthy and contributing after a lower leg injury sidelined him for all of the Big XII Touranment. But most importantly it would be nice to see a shread of confidence return to the shooting stroke of Connor Atchley. Unfortunately, unlike AJ Abrams, he won't keep jacking it if it isn't falling. Connor is a great weapon inside and out and it takes away an offensive weapon when his shot isn't falling.

What we need from the rest of the kids, is solid defense, hustle, and rebounding from Wangmene, Pittman, and Chapman. But as a whole, Texas needs to come focused, with intensity and put this game away before it even gets started. I wasn't really concerned about this game, until I watched the Duke game. I don't know if I should thank Duke for the wake up call, or hate Duke for making me nervous as hell for a 2 v 15 matchup.

I know.

I hate you Duke, you should have lost.

And it Begins.....

The greatest 2 days of the year are upon us; the first round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. 32 games in a pair of days. To get it going hear are 2 classic "One Shining Moment" videos from 1989 and 1990.

1989
This year had Michigan beating Seton Hall in the Finals 80-79. Duke and Illinois rounded out the Final Four.



1990
This year UNLV slaughtered Duke 103-73 in the finals, while Arkansas and Georgia Tech were in the Final Four. Texas lost to Arkansas in the Elite 8 that year. One cool thing about this clip was the shot of Bo Kimble shooting the left-hand free throw in honor of Hank Gathers.

NCAA Bubble Watch: 3/5/08

Texas A&M (21-8, 7-7) v. Baylor (20-8, 8-6): This is easily the biggest game in the Big 12 this week. A&M has played themselves onto the bubble as they have lost 4 of their last 5. The Aggies RPI is 48 and only have a 74 strength of schedule rank. A&M finishes with Kansas, which makes this game a MUST win against the Bear. If Baylor can win tonight they will add a huge notch to what already is a pretty solid tournament resume.

(4) Tennessee (26-3, 12-2) v. Florida (21-8, 8-6): While Florida has won 21 games, the reigning back-to-back champs have a strength of schedule of 104 and are 60 in the RPI. The SEC is not as strong a conference as it usually is. Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi and Arkansas are all looking good for the tournament. It seems unlikely that the SEC will get 5 or more teams in the NCAAs. They really only have one solid win, over Vanderbilt. Florida may have to knock off Tennessee and Kentucky in their last two games to ensure a tournament bid.

Oklahoma (19-10, 7-7) v. Oklahoma State (16-12, 7-7): OU is looking good for the tournament right now. But it would be really nice to have a win over a solid OSU team to pad the resume. The COwboys have been hot of late as they are making a very late run at the post season. A win against the Sooner may put this marginal team near the front of the bubble teams. OSU really needs to win their last 2 games and maybe 1 or 2 in the Big 12 tournament, but a win over the Sooners will be a nice step forward.

South Florida (12-17, 3-13) v. Villanova (17-11, 7-9): Nova needs to finish 9-9 in the Big East and win some in the Big East tournament to make the Dance. That means a win over S. Florida and Providence are a must. Nova is definitely on the outside looking in. They are going to have to win tonight and hope for a great showing in the conference tournament to make it to March.

Central Florida (16-12, 9-5) v. Houston (21-7, 10-4): The Cougars are a very controversial team on the bubble. They have a great record but play in a really weak Conference USA. Their SOS is a unflattering 152 and a 60 RPI. Tom Penders and the Cougs beat Kentucky earlier in the year but lost to a hapless East Carolina team last game. UH is right on the cusp of the tournament, but need to finish really strong to get a look. With Memphis a lock and UAB looking okay, it is unlikely that CUSA will get 3 teams in the tournament.

Boston College (13-14, 4-10) v. Miami (FL) (20-8, 7-7): Right now the Hurricanes and former Texas assistant, Frank Haith, are looking really good for a NCAA bid. They got a big win over Virginia and have wins over Clemson, Georgia Tech, Duke and Maryland. Unless Miami losses to both BC and Florida State to close the year, look for them to be in the Big Dance.

Syracuse (17-12, 7-9) v. Seton Hall (17-12, 7-9): Both of these teams are in serious trouble of missing the NCAAs. In fact, they most likely will not get in. The loser of this game is absolutely eliminated from consideration. Both have to win and and then have A LOT of work to in the Big East tournament. This game will go further in eliminating a candidate than it will in getting someone in the tournament.

Kentucky (16-11, 10-4) v. South Carolina (13-15, 5-9): It has been a tale of two seasons for Billie Clyde and the Wildcats. They have made up for a horrendous early schedule with a great conference record. Kentucky is most likely not getting in, especially with top player Patrick Patterson out for the season. If Kentucky has any hope they will have to win tonight and against Florida to end the season. A 18-11, 12-4 Wildcat team will have to get a long look from the NCAA selection committee. The fact that they are Kentucky won't hurt either.

Volleyball: The California Sport

The Lady Longhorns road towards a National Title came to an end this weekend in a way familiar to many NCAA teams, at the hands of a California school. The Lady Longhorns fell 3-0 to #2 seed and #5 Nationally ranked USC in the Elite Eight of the tournament.

After defeating #10 Florida 3-1 on Friday, Texas ran into the buzz saw that is California Volleyball. The Lady Trojans will be joining Stanford and California in the Final Four. Stanford beat UCLA to get there. Sensing a theme? Me too. California defeated #2 Nebraska 3-0. So #1 Penn State will be the rest of the country's lone hope to derail the California volleyball train. We will all be rooting for you Lions.

This season was a breakthrough for the Longhorns. After losing early in the season to Penn State twice and Nebraska, the Longhorns didnt lose again for 23 straight matches, winning a share of a Big XII Title in the process.

While the Longhorns lose senior middle blocker Brandy Magee and setter Michelle Moriarty, they return the stars of their team in Julianne Faucette (FR), Ashley Engle (SO), Destinee Hooker (SO), and Lauren Paolini (JR). Throw in what will surely be another top recruiting class, and the Longhorns will be in the mix again in 2008.

An Anti-Climatic Finish

The 2007 season came to an unceremonious end for the Lady Longhorns soccer team as they were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament at the hands of the Florida State Seminoles, 4-0, on Sunday. A season that was full of accomplishment for the Horns ended rather quietly in the third round of the NCAAs. With an early season win over UCLA, to a second consecutive Big XII Tournament Title, and two victories over top five Texas A&M in the span of six days, the second coming in round two of the NCAA tournament in College Station, this season has been all about accomplishment for the Longhorns.

But they didn't come ready to play in round three and got outplayed by a very good team. They were never really in the game, as they were out shot 29-5, and while they were only down 1-0 at half, Florida State had controlled the entire time. The second goal pretty much sealed the deal a minute and a half into the second half. This was the Longhorns third appearance in the third round of the NCAA tournament, and ended the same way as the last two, with a loss.

The Longhorns ended the season 16-4-5, and spent most of the season ranked in the Top 15. The Longhorns will lose three starters to graduation and one reserve. Forward Kelsey Carpenter will be sorely missed as she has been a force for the Longhorns since her freshman season. Scoring 39 goals and 20 assists during her four seasons on the Forty Acres, she was a second team All-American in 2006, and a participant with the US U-21 National Team this past summer. Carpenter has been a constant star for the Longhorn attack and she will be extremely difficult to replace.

Midfielder Caitlyn Kennedy is one of the most talented players to ever step foot on the Forty Acres, but she never achieved her full potential as she was plagued by injuries her junior and senior seasons. When she was on the field she was a scoring threat as well as a creative spark plug for the offense, registering 16 goals and 13 assists over her four seasons as a starter. Her best season was her sophomore campaign, and hopes were high her junior and senior seasons as she was Preseason All-Big XII selections both years. Unfortunately, she could never stay healthy, and her mark on the Longhorns was never what it could have been.

Defender and Midfielder Greta Carter came to the Longhorns in 2006 as a Junior transfer from SMU. In her two years she appeared in 49 games, starting at defense and midfield. This year she played an important role as the Longhorns relied on her constantly to step up her game after injuries to Caitlyn Kennedy and Stephanie Logterman. She responded, having a solid season, scoring a goal and registering two assists. Her flexibility and ability to play multiple positions will be missed.

Leslie Imber spent her four years with the Longhorns as a quality role player who played forward, midfield, and defense. She was always able to step in at multiple positions and log quality minutes. She appeared in 74 games for the Longhorns over 4 seasons and scored 2 goals her junior season. With the amount of talent Texas brings in every year, she could never lock down a starting role, but her ability to play multiple positions made her a valuable commodity off the bench.

With much of the team returning for 2008, and another top recruiting class coming in, the Longhorns will once again be ranked among the top teams in the nation. The Longhorns will be lead by on of the top players in the country in Kasey Moore, who will lead the team from the central midfield and will be a front runner for National Player of the Year. The entire defense will be back led by U-21 National Team member, junior, Stephanie Logterman, junior goalkeeper Dianna Pfenniger, junior defender and three year starter Jill Gilbeau, and freshman Erica Campanelli who emerged this year as a freshman. The offense will be lead by freshman sensation Nikki Arlett, who scored 10 goals and recorded 5 assists this season. She will be joined by freshman Emily Anderson and Alisha Ortiz who both flashed great talent in their inaugural campaigns. The real question marks for this Texas team is who will step up and fill the holes left in the midfield by the graduating seniors. Texas will need bench players like freshman Kirsten Birkenhold and Stephanie Gibson to step up and fill the void.

Texas had a great season, but going out the way they did has to leave a bitter taste in the mouth of a program that looked poised to make a run towards their first Final Four appearance. While it was disappointing finish, the Longhorns cleared many hurdles and built confidence for what should be a promising 2008 campaign.

A Season of Firsts

The Lady Longhorns came into the 2007 soccer season much like they have every year, a top ranked team filled with talent and expectations. Typically the hype has fallen short of performance and the Longhorns have fallen short in the conference tournament, the NCAA tournament, and against Texas A&M.

This season has been different as Texas defeated #2 UCLA in a neutral site game early in the season and have continued with a season of firsts. Texas added their second consecutive Big XII Tournament title with a victory over #2 Texas A&M. Heading into the tournament Texas got a tough draw, ending up in College Station with a second round rematch with the Aggies looming.

Texas accomplished another first on Thursday, defeating BYU in the first round. Texas to that point had never won a match in College Station, against the Aggies or anyone else. The win put the Longhorns in the second round, with a match up against the Aggies, whom they had never beaten in College Station.

In a game that faced adverse weather conditions, throughout, Texas A&M controlled the first half after a 50 minute weather delay, and took a 1-0 lead into the half. The second half is when the magic happened as Texas overcame the weather, the opponent, and the atmosphere, and did something they've never done before. Three straight second half goals put them on top 3-1, and they held on for the 3-2 victory, defeating the Aggies for the first time ever in College Station, and their fourth win in the last five matches against the Aggies.

Freshman Erika Campanelli picked the best time for her first career collegiate goal tying the game at one. And then seniors Caitlyn Kennedy and Kelsey Carpenter scored the second and third goals, respectively. Then the Longhorns played defense and held on, as Dianna Pfenniger had 7 saves, as Texas A&M had 23 shots.

The win is huge for this Texas program and one can only hope that the Longhorns can build on this victory and take on the only other hurdle standing in this program's way; they have never made it out of the third round. The Longhorns will try and fix that this Friday as they head to Tallahassee, Florida to take on the #3 seed in the region, the #6 nationally ranked Florida State Seminoles. The winner will meet the winner between the #5 seed in the region Connecticut and the #1 seed in the region and #9 nationally Stanford.

Mormons Will Not Break Us, Bring on the Aggies

Texas opened up their quest for the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship on Thursday afternoon in College Station, Texas. Facing the #22 BYU Cougars, Texas had their first challenge in what was a horrible tournament draw.

Early on Texas looked like a focused and driven team, as freshman forward Alisha Ortiz scored two goals in the first 20 minutes of the match. The first goal was scored in the 10th minute as Ortiz dribbled through the box, around the keeper and passed the ball into an empty net to give the Horns a 1-0 lead. The score didn't stay like that for long as Ortiz picked up a loose ball outside the box and drilled a strike to the back upper side of the goal to give the Longhorns all they needed for a 2-0 victory. The outburst by Ortiz was a surprise as she only had one goal on the season coming in.

After the early lead, Texas was content to take the pressure off, sit back, and play defense. And defense they played, as BYU had 17 second half shots, forcing keeper Dianna Pfenniger to make 7 saves. However, Texas was able to keep the Cougars off the board and will advance to the second round for only the third time in school history.

There they will face #2 in the nation, Texas A&M who advanced with a 4-1 victory over Stephen F. Austin. Texas has split two meetings with the Aggies, losing 2-0 during conference play in College Station and defeating the Aggies 2-1 in a neutral site victory for the Big XII Tournament Title just 6 days ago.

The Longhorns have won 3 of their last 4 meetings with the Aggies, but have never beaten A&M in College Station.

It's Not Just Football, the NCAA is Stupid in Every Sport

The NCAA tournament field of 64 for women's soccer was announced on Monday, and the Longhorns got screwed. After winning the Big XII Tournament over the weekend, and maintaining a top 12 national ranking the entire season, the Longhorns will not be hosting one of the 16 sub-regionals. Instead the Longhorns must make the trip to College Station where they face a potential second round match up with the #2 Texas A&M Aggies.

I'm not really sure how the NCAA justifies putting teams from the same conference in a potential second round match up, let alone two teams that are among the top 12 in the country. I thought there was some sort of seeding process that went on, apparently I was wrong. But who knows, I'll look forward to that Duke/North Carolina second round NCAA tournament match up.

Not only will it be the second match up between Texas and A&M in a week, it will be their third on the season, between arch rivals, one of which will be ending their season, unfairly premature. But, I suppose before we can worry about this great injustice, Texas will actually need to get by BYU in the first round, and with Texas, tournament wins are hard to come by.

The Longhorns will take on the Mountain West Champions BYU (17-3-2) on Thursday, with the winner advancing to the sub-regional final on Saturday. Most everyone else plays Friday/Sunday, but you know, Mormons, can't play on Sunday, won't do it. The game should be a difficult one for Texas, since there will probably be 3,000 Aggies in attendance for the sole purpose of cheering against Texas.

If the Longhorns do manage a victory they will move on to the second round match up with the Aggies, to face an Aggie team that is ranked in the top 5 of the country, that the Longhorns have never beaten in College Station.

Thanks, NCAA, you work so hard to try and have yourselves taken seriously, and make women's soccer a relevant and legitimate sport, and then you go and do this crap. Seriously, I hope you're glad you saved the couple hundred dollars on travel in sacrificing the legitimacy of your sport.

Longhorns Best Brown, Await Anteaters

The Longhorns made it interesting, but eventually left the Brown Bears in the dust in Texas' first game of the NCAA Regional series. The Horns struggled early to get their offense going, but finished the game with a 8-2 victory. Texas was rescued by the relief pitching of Joesph Krebs and Randy Boone who combined to go 5 inning, give up 4 hits, no runs, while striking out a combined 12 batters.

James Russell got the start for Texas, but struggled early as the Brown Bears were able to touch him up for 7 hits and 2 earned runs in only 4 innings of work. This was a disappointing start for Russell, who had struggled to get batters out in his last appearance. Augie Garrido and the Texas staff was hoping to get a good, long outing from Russell so they could preserve the relief pitching for tonight's all important match-up against UC-Irvine, who destroyed Wake Forest 13-0 earlier on Friday. As is, the bullpen was required to pitch 5 innings, leaving Krebs' and Boone's availability for tonight in question.

As shaky as Russell's start was, he did not receive much help from the Longhorn offense early in this game. Texas was able to put a runner across in the 1st inning as Kyle Russell blasted his 28th homerun of the year off Brown starter Jeff Dietz. After that, however, the Longhorn's ability to plate runners disappeared until the 6th inning. Texas left two runners on the 2nd, left a runner on second in the 3rd, Nick Peoples was thrown out stealing second in the 4th, and left two on base in the 5th. Texas' clutch hitting early on was characteristically absent.

The Longhorns broke things open the the 6th inning, though. Chase Fuller hit a 2 run homerun, his second of the year, to put Texas up for good 3-2. Russell Moldenhauer plated Chance Wheeless with a double in the 7th and then the game was broken open in the 8th as Texas put four runs across to go up 8-2. Texas was lead at the plate by Travis Tucker who went 4-4 and scored and run and Nick Peoples who went 3-5 on the night.

Despite giving up 5 runs on 14 hits, Brown starter Jeff Dietz gave the Longhorns all they could handle. Dietz finished the night, going 7.0 innings and logging 131 pitches. Texas was stymied by his change of speeds and multiple arm angles for much of the night. But once Texas was able to break through with timely hitting, Dietz hit the showers, but not without a standing ovation from the sellout crowd at Dell Diamond.

Although collecting 11 hits, the Brown offense was held in check most of the night with a majority of the base traffic coming off Russell in the first few innings. Brown was able to get on the scoreboard and take the lead, scoring two runs in the 4th inning off of Russell. Matt Nuzzo, Ryan Murphy and Robert Papenhause each collected 2 hits with Papenhause collecting 1 RBI.

Texas moves on to face UC-Irvine in tonight's winner's bracket matchup, as Brown looks to stave off an early exit in the first elimination game against Wake Forest, Saturday morning. Texas will play at 6pm as Adrian Alaniz will take the mound against the Anteater's Scott Gorgen.

(Picture Curtesy of Texassports.com)

Preview: NCAA Baseball Austin Regional

It's time again for another race to Rosenblatt for the best 64 baseball teams in the land. The Texas Longhorns start their question to be 'Back Home in Omaha' this weekend at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. The 3 other teams that will vie for a trip to the Super Regional are the UC-Irvine Anteaters, Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Brown Bears (Not literally Brown Bears, but the Bears from Brown University, though their mascot is a Brown Bear. So you figure that one.) Anyway, here is a small preview of each team and their chances in the regional:

Brown Bears 24-18 (14-6 Ivy League, Roulfe Division):

The Bear finished the year in 1st place of the Roulfe Divison in the Ivy League. However, they are the lowest seed in the bracket and are not expected to make much of a splash this weekend. Brown will look to play the role of upset team against the likes of Texas and UC Irvine.

On offense, Ryan Murphy, Devin Thomas, Matt Nuzzo and Jeff Dietz are all batting above .333 on the year with Thomas providing 16 HR and 64 RBI to lead the team. The Bears can put some runs on the board. Thirteen times the have put up over 10 runs and four batters on their team have double digit extra base hits on the year. However, you must view these offensive numbers along with the somewhat week competition they have faced. When playing against South Carolina (their most difficult opponent of the year) the Bears were swept 13-1, 11-2 and 9-4.

The Bears only have 2 pitchers with over 10 starts made. Jeff Dietz (who I might add is the same Jeff Dietz batting .337 on the year) is the leading starter, going9-3 on the year with a 2.53 ERA and 7 complete games. James Cramphin is the other regular starter at 6-3 with a 5.12 ERA. Dietz is the only pitcher on the roster with an ERA under 3.00, meaning the Bears will struggle to compete this weekend.

Prediction: The Bears will be 2 and out. They start facing Texas and then the loser of the UC-I v. Wake game. It's been a nice year for Brown, which will come to an end by Saturday.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons 33-27 (14-16 ACC, Atlantic):

While Wake Forest did not finish with winning record in ACC pla, the tough competition in the league will prove helpful this weekend as they try to pull off the upsets to advance in the tournament. Five teams in the ACC are currently ranked in the top 25, but Wake only went 6-13 against those 5.

At the plate, the Deacons only have 2 players hitting over .300 on the year, but 4 players who have banged 7 or more homers. Allan Dykstra (no relation to Lenny as far as I can tell) leads Wake batting .316 with 18 HR. Brett Linnenkohl follows, batting .294 with 7 HR. Nobody else seems to stand out on offense. It looks as if there are several good, but not great, hitters on the team, but there doesn't seem to be a glaring weakness in the lineup. Wake will have to have more offensive production to contend.

Similarly, Wake Forest has a deep pitching staff (six player with at least 7 starts) but a lack of greatness by any one starter (one pitcher under 3.00 ERA). Josh Ellis has a 2.74 ERA, but sports only a 5-3 record (oh yeah, Zero starts and 8 saves). Wake starters are but a mere 24-22 on the year. It seems though that the starts have lack of decision when they take the mound. Garrett Bullock and Brad Kledzik have made a combined 28 starts but have only a collective 8-6 record on the year.

Prediction: It seems Wake Forest has some holes in both its hitting and pitching rotations. A lack of batting average mixed with a lack of consistent pitching could make for a short stay in Round Rock this weekend. Don't look for the Demon Deacons to go out without a fight as its tough schedule has prepared the team for hard fought competition.

UC-Irvine Anteaters 40-15-1 (16-6 Big West):

UC-Irvine is just flat out good. The Anteaters are ranked in the Top 10 in many national polls and could easily be hosting a regional themselves. And its not like UC-I has racked up wins against a bunch of low rated teams. UCI is 7-3 against Pac 10 teams and 6-5 against all ranked teams. The Anteaters will pose the biggest threat to the advancement of the Longhorns.

On offense, UCI has 10 players that are batting .300 or above. Cody Cipriano leads the way batting .342 with 12 HR and 52 RBI. UCI is solid from top to bottom on offense and there is no dip in hitting prowess throughout the lineup. Ollie Linton has the highest batting average at .372 and Bryan Petersen has the 'worst' average of a starter at .308. The Anteaters not only hit for average, but also pack a bit of power at the plate. The teams has totaled 91 doubles and 28 triples this year. This lineup is going to be a test for any pitcher and teams will need a solid rotation to tame their bats this weekend. If the Anteater bats get hot for a weekend, it might be hard to stop the offense.

A solid pitching staff follows on the heels of the potent offense. Wes Etheridge and Scott Gorgen are the top two starters for UCI. They have combined for a 21-6 record in their 30 starts and have posted a 2.88 and 3.06 ERA respectively. Cody Hamilton will most likely see the 3rd start this weekend as he has started 5 games, going 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA. Blair Erickson will close and has the only 13 saves of the year and has posted a 2.57 ERA in 24 appearances. The rotation can be deep as six pitchers who have seen over 10 appearances have under a 4.00 ERA.

Prediction: The Anteaters are very much like the Longhorns, with a hard hitting offense and solid pitching. UCI will give Texas all they want and will challenge them to represent the Region in the Super Regional. I see UCI putting up a fight and possibly taking Texas to the brink, but I do not see them winning the Region. Texas is too experienced and too seasoned for the UCI Anteaters to win a weekend series. Do not think for a minute, though, that UCI will not challenge the Horns to take the Regional title.

Texas Longhorns 44-15 (21-6 Big 12):

We are all pretty familiar with the Horns this year. After winning the Big 12 regular season title, Texas failed to advance to the Big 12 tournament championship with an untimely loss to Texas A&M. Despite the loss, Texas is playing as well as any team in the country, is the favorite in the Rregional and expected to advance to the Super Regional. Texas won't has an easy time, however, with UC-Irvine being placed in the same bracket.

On offense, Texas is lead by All-American Kyle Russell who batted .341 on the year and lead the NCAA with 27 HR on the year. Texas offense packs a powerful punch with Russell, Chance Wheeless, Bradley Suttle, Jordan Danks, Nick Peoples and Travis Tucker all batting over .300. It seems as though Texas will not have to worry much about producing runs this weekend, but with their shaky pitching of late, the Horns' bats may be counted on to out score a few teams in the Regional.

Adrian Alaniz is the gem of a Texas rotation that is solid, but small. Other than Alaniz only Austin Wood and James Russell have made more than 6 starts on the year. Russell has been shaky of late going 6 innings and giving up 6 runs on 7 hits in his last start against A&M. Texas is going to count on these three starters to carry them through the entire playoffs with Joseph Krebs available to make a start in a pinch. Randy Boone has made the majority of relief appearances with 37. He has 13 saves, but no other Horn as recorded even 1 save. Boone is the only legitimate closer with Kyle Shinaberry and Hunter Harris receiving a few appearances in relief. Overall, the pitching staff has been solid despite giving up 10 runs to K-State and 7 to A&M in the conference tourney. Depth is the key issue, so if Texas has to play a 4th game this weekend, it might be a committee effort or an appearance on short rest for the game 1 starter.

Prediction: Texas will advance to the Super Regional. This is not an easy bracket, but the Texas bats, along with a few good starting pitching performances should propel the Horns to Corpus Christi to play for a trip to Omaha. UCI will be be the toughest competitor, but the Horns are seasoned and experienced and are looking forward to erasing the memory of last years early exit from the Region tournament. Texas looks to make it to the College World Series this year, and this weekend will be the first step in that journey.

Thanks....No Really, Thanks.

It's the morning after and still there isn't too much to say about a game that wasn't close, really at any point throughout. USC showed up ready to play and attacked, and had a successful game plan for combating Kevin Durant. Texas left their intensity, hustle, fire, and game somewhere in Spokane. Perhaps in the coming days we will hear more about the on-going investigation as to the circumstances involving the disappearance of Texas' game. If the Trojans sent their cheerleading squad to our hotel, I'm going to be pissed...that we didn't think of that.

After a game like that, you wonder whether you should even address it, but really, if we really were going to do that, why have a blog. It seems like Floyd knew how to attack the Texas defense, and had a successful game plan for pushing Durant away from the basket. Also, one of the first teams all year to double Kevin Durant outright, showed that it was a good decision. But, as we've known all year, this team lives and dies with DJ Augustin. And with DJ having one of his worst games of the season, we had no chance.

Many are going to point the finger at Barnes. He's been under a lot of scrutiny this season for the way he gets Durant involved, for the team's cohesion on the offensive end, and for at times the lack of defense. He will probably be questioned a lot after this one as it seemed that we had no answer for anything USC was prepared to do, and appeared to lack intensity and focus. While I agree with some of the criticism that Barnes has taken this year, I don't know how much of the blame he can take for this one. Barnes was working with Kevin Durant and AJ Abrams. DJ Augustin was having the worst game of his life, but even then you have to leave him in. In times like these, we have to rely on someone else on the roster to step up and fill the void. Justin Mason, Damion James, and Connor Atchely have come through at different points throughout the season. Yesterday, on the biggest stage, no one stepped up. Barnes tried different combinations of Mason, James, Atchely, Craig Winder, JD Lewis, and Matt Hill to try and find some combination that gave us 4 basketball players on the court. No matter what Barnes tried, he ended up with two, Durant and Abrams.

I could talk more about the game, but that would only result in me wanting to jab something sharp in my eye even more. This game wasn't close at any point. We didn't' come to play, perhaps we were looking ahead to North Carolina, but either way, the point is moot. It's pointless to break down a game when no small adjustments would've affected the game in any sort of way.

Instead, it's interesting to look ahead the future. The number one question on everyone's mind will be, is Kevin Durant done? The answer has to be yes. I hope you enjoyed it. There can't be any reason why he would come back. What does he have to work on? What does he have to prove? Why would he turn down that much money? It just doesn't make any sense for him to come back. Though if we were trying to get him to come back, losing so convincingly in the second round might leave enough of a bad taste in his mouth that he'd want another shot at it. Durant has been an unconventional guy all his career, from his loyalty, to his high school choice, to his college choice, to the way he handles himself on and off the court. But, still, why would he come back?

The more interesting question is with what other parts of the roster will be back? We thought early on that we were losing Durant and James after the season. Well I think the first 3/4 of the season for Damion James took care of that question and he will be back for another season. The other question that emerged was the status of DJ Augustin. While he is ranked high on some draft boards, I think the last few weeks of marginal to sub-marginal play pretty much showed many people, and hopefully DJ himself that there is still room for lessons to be learned and things to be improved on. I think the disaster that was this USC game was just the icing on the cake that will lead to a hungry Augustin coming back for his sophomore season.

Another interesting aspect will be the biggest change from this year to next (Given that Durant is gone) will be the style of play. With 3 power forwards coming in next season, and the expanded roles of Matt Hill and Dexter Pittman, Texas should and will return to it's more recognizable role as a physically dominating inside-out team. I think both Hill and Dexter will have impact seasons along with Connor, who has shown this season he is getting close to breaking through, and I think one of the freshman will be ready to contribute. That's just the law of averages, I think. But Justin Mason will have to make some strides in the off-season and come back playing well to justify his spot in the starting lineup, as the makeup of next season's team kind of makes you think that you will see Damion James playing some small forward to allow Connor and Matt Hill to play the power forward spot, with Dexter at the center spot. I think we will be very versatile next season, though we will be a little thin in the back court, with Augustin, Abrams, Mason, and JD Lewis, depending on the strides, if any, that Harrison Smith makes. Just shows how important DJ Augustin coming back is for this team next season.

The last interesting question in the off-season will be what will the coaching staff next season look like? Several of the assistants have been named in head coaching searches over the past few seasons, and each has been with the program for a few years. Potentially, we could see the departure of one or two assistant coaches, which should cause an interesting shift in the make up of the staff.

The ending to the season left something to be desired, as everyone in Longhorn nation and around the country were captivated to see what Kevin Durant could do. To go out the way we did is a disappointment and leaves a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. Some would say it's times like these that you must stick together, put in the work, and come back with a renewed fire next season. I don't totally agree with. I think you need to find one person that you can focus all that anger and pent up rage on, and just fully with all your heart, despise that person.

I think it's safe to say our 2007 "Thanks...no really, thanks, jackass" Award goes to Mike Williams. Thanks Mike. We didn't need a 6'10" 240 pound forward who is a defensive presence and had an offensive breakthrough last season in the tournament, and would've been a starter all season. Thanks, hope you enjoy Cincinnati. Oh, just in case you didn't realize it...you actually have to make the Big East Tournament each season. Good luck with that. Thanks....no really, thanks.

vs. USC (24-11) - Sunday, 5:15 pm ET, Spokane, WA

Not looking pretty at any point in particular, Texas advanced past New Mexico State with a 79-67 victory. Texas got a glimpse into how most tournament teams will attempt to attack them. New Mexico State forced the ball inside with their two centers Martin Iti and Passos. While neither player had played a huge role for the Aggies this season, both were extremely effective scoring inside and on the offensive and defensive glass. New Mexico State also effectively slowed down Texas' offense and disrupted their rhythm by denying DJ Augustin the ball throughout the game. Finally, the Aggies attempted to limit Durant's touches and frustrate him when he got the ball by keeping an off the ball defender in the vicinity of Durant. This forced Justin Mason, Connor Atchely, and Craig Winder to beat NMSU more often than any Texas fan would like.

Texas will most likely continue to face these problems from every opponent the rest of the way. Texas will probably not have as many problems getting Augustin the ball as USC is not a team that will press as much as NMSU did. But USC will probably find different ways to deny Augustin the ball as Texas doesn't operate as effectively without the ball in DJ's hands. The weakness that we've been worried about all season showed up with Damion James in foul trouble, as New Mexico State had their way inside against Connor Atchely and Matt Hill. Texas will need Damion in the game and playing larger than his 6'7" stature. As for team's trying to limit Kevin Durant, I think it's foolish to hope that Justin Mason will find his early season form, and we will need to continue to rely on solid, confident play from Craig Winder and Connor Atchely making himself a presence on offense and defense. Though we could benefit from Kevin Durant demanding the ball a bit more offensively and figuring out his spots in the game to attack.

USC comes into the game off a solid 17 point win against Arkansas, in a game that they controlled from start to finish. USC is led by their junior small forward Nick Young. Averaging 17.4 points a game shooting 45% from 3 point range, Young is an inside-outside threat that will be a challenge for Mason, Winder, and Durant who should draw the defensive call against him. Also, Texas will have its hands full inside against freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.0 ppg/8.4 rpg) who had a great first round game against Arkansas. Matching up for Texas shouldn't be too much of a problem as USC will run three to four guards at all times. Point guard Gabe Pruitt (Jr. 12.5 ppg/4.1 apg) and Lodrick Stewart (Sr. 13.9 ppg/3.5 rpg) are the backcourt for USC. Pruitt runs the show and Stewart is dangerous from long range where he shoots 45%. While USC is a team that does not shoot a lot from outside they do shoot it well and will take advantage of open looks. The rest of USC's roster is made up of youth and athleticism as guards Daniel Hackett (Fr) and Dwight Lewis (Fr) play important roles. USC also has a lot of size off the bench as they will use Rousean Cromwell (So. 6'11"), Keith Wilkinson (So. 6'10"), and Abdoulaye N'Diaye (Sr. 6'11").

The one area that Texas will really have to deal with is the size of USC. With Pruitt and Stewart at 6'4" and Hackett and Lewis at 6'5", Augustin and Abrams will have to deal with more size then they are used to offensively and defensively. Though Augustin and Abrams should be able to cause problems with their quickness. Also, Damion James should be able to cause some problems with his size and quickness on the offensive end. Really, this game will come down to Kevin Durant and how USC is able to defend him. They will have to be creative in how they defend him as any of the guards will not be able to handle him inside or contest his shots on the perimeter. Also, USC will not want Young covering Durant because of the potential foul trouble, and any of the front court players will not be able to handle Durant inside or out. USC will most likely try to run a lot of players at Durant and use their guards to try and deny and use their quickness to harass him, and try and double team and make the other Texas players beat him.

Texas matches up well with USC and as long as Texas doesn't let USC get hot from the 3 point line and stays out of foul trouble, they should be able to handle USC and move on to a match up with North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen.

Prediction: Texas 81-77.

vs. New Mexico State (25-8) - Friday, 7:25 pm ET, Spokane, WA

The dream begins Friday, and hopefully the legacy continues. Kevin Durant will lead the Texas Longhorns (24-9) into Spokane, Washington to take on the WAC champions, the New Mexico State Aggies (25-8).

New Mexico State earned an automatic birth into the tournament courtesy of their 72-70 win over Utah State. NMSU should have already put their thank you note to Utah State in the mail since the Aggies managed to avoid conference powerhouse Nevada thanks to Utah State's upset in the semifinals. The Aggies have won 7 of their last 9 and are lead by second year head coach Reggie Theus who has continued to improve each season. After a 3 game improvement to last year's 16-14 mark, the Aggies took the leap this season improving 9 games in the win column. Theus, an NBA veteran, spent 2 seasons at Louisville as an assistant to Rick Pitino before coming to New Mexico State. Much in the Pitino style, New Mexico State likes to push the tempo, which considering the Longhorns style could put this game in the upper 80s and low 90s in scoring.

New Mexico State is led by 1st team all WAC performer Justin Hawkins. The 6'7" junior led the team in scoring and rebounding (15.7 ppg/6.8 rpg) and is built much in the PJ Tucker mold. He could force Texas into more zone and larger lineups as Damion James should likely draw the assignment. The other front line threat for New Mexico State is 6'9" junior forward Tyrone Nelson who is averaging 11.8 ppg and 6.5 rpg. New Mexico State will rotate 6'9" junior center Hatlia Passos (8.5 ppg/6.5 rpg) and 7'0" junior Martin Iti (6.3 ppg/4.3 rpg). The Aggies back court is led by senior guard Elijiah Ingram (10.4 ppg/2.5 apg/42% 3P%).

New Mexico State will use 8 to 9 players in their rotation and Coach Theus does not hesitate to mix things up. Junior guard Fred Peete, a starter much of the season (9.7 ppg/4.1 rpg) did not play in the last three games of the regular season and has played sparingly since. He was replaced in the starting lineup by senior guard Ted Knauber (44 % 3P%), had only been averaged 12 minutes a game until his move into the starting lineup. Theus will call on his senior forward David Fisher and senior guard Shaun Davis off the bench along with Iti. Also, freshman guard Jonathan Gibson will see minutes off the bench.

Texas will be tested on the front line with the size and rebounding ability of New Mexico State. They are a team that is led by their front line and they attack inside and they attack the boards. Look for Texas to sit in a lot of zone to help combat their size and keep Texas out of foul trouble. If Texas is in man to man, look for New Mexico State to try and go at Durant to get him in foul trouble, since that is the only way they will be able to stop him. New Mexico State while not an outside shooting team by nature, has a few players who shoot well from the perimeter and NMSU as a team has been shooting well recently. New Mexico State should try to run several players at Durant to keep their top players out of foul trouble and to try and at least slow down Durant. Texas should be able to control the pace with superior back court play. Augustin and Abrams should be able to get free and wreak havoc on the back court of NMSU.

With Texas, you know what you are getting from Durant. He hasn't been in foul trouble all season, and Texas does a good job of putting him in a position where he will not pick up many fouls. Texas needs Abrams to be on-track from the get go. He's one of the few guys on this team who has played in a tournament game and his poise will be crucial. Most importantly, Texas needs DJ Augustin to get back on track. While his play has not been terrible, he hasn't been shooting the ball well and has been careless at times handling the ball. He is the key for Texas in this game and this tournament. He should be able to get to the rim a lot and get some of NMSU's front line in foul trouble.

Don't look for Justin Mason to get back on track in this game as his play down the stretch has been unimpressive and Craig Winder has been stealing his minutes and playing well in that role. Look for Texas to be in zone more often with Mason and Winder in the game since match ups defensively will be difficult with NMSU's size. Connor Atchely should play an important role if he can stay out of foul trouble and play effectively. He would allow Texas to match up with Damion James on Justin Hawkins. Also, look for Dexter Pittman and Matt Hill possibly stealing some minutes on the centers of the Aggies. Texas could see some extended time in the zone, and if that is the case, the rotation will need to significantly improve as teams got open looks from the perimeter during the tournament.

If Texas can at least stay close in the rebounding margin with New Mexico State and keep out of foul trouble, they should be able to dictate the pace of play, as New Mexico State will have trouble stopping the guards of Texas and that guy, Kevin Durant, he's kinda good. Look for Augustin and Durant to have a big day.

Prediction: Texas 87-79.