Texas Longhorns Basketball: Horns Still Searching for Identity

With their heads hanging in disgust, the Texas Longhorns shuffled off the court Saturday after a last second 67-63 loss to Michigan State at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Spartan sophomore guard Durrell Summers sunk a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in the game to send the Longhorns home empty handed.

Though the Longhorns held the lead for a majority of the game, it never seemed that they had control. Goran Suton and company gave the burnt orange fits all afternoon, forcing 15 turnovers.

Perhaps the most shocking numbers (or lack thereof) were those of Texas shooting sensation AJ Abrams. The senior guard went just 3-10 for eight points. Coming in to the game, Abrams was averaging just over 20 points per game.

Michigan State's Travis Walton harassed Abrams all game, making sure he never had a clean look at the basket.

For the most part, the Texas defense played well, but it collapsed in the final minutes when the game was on the line.

Rick Barnes had to have known a day like this was coming, as his squad has struggled as of late against inferior opponents.

On December 13th, the Longhorns pulled away from lowly Texas State in the last few minutes to win 81-73. A week later, Texas faced an 0-8 Texas Southern squad. The Tigers hung punch for punch with the Horns until midway through the second half. The Longhorns went on to win 88-72.

Texas has been doing just enough to win every week, walking a fine line between between victory and stunning defeat. The cautious, conservative play cost the Horns against Tom Izzo's Spartans.

Where have all of Texas' recent struggles stemmed from?

1. No proven PG

The Longhorns are missing DJ Augustin more than ever. Without his slashing ability and his passing prowess, the Horns have struggled to create a consistent offense. There is too much pitch and catch on the perimeter and not enough penetration in to the paint.

Justin Mason has served as the de facto PG this season, sharing time with Abrams and Dogus Balbay.

While Mason is a superb athlete and perhaps the best defensive guard in the Big 12, he is not a pure PG.

Abrams is better when he is able to catch and shoot. He isn't a sound decision maker when passing the ball around.

Balbay is another great athlete, but he isn't a good shooter. He provides no real offensive threat to opposing defenses, making him very one-dimensional.

2. Turnovers

Last season, the Longhorns only committed about nine turnovers per game, which was tops in the nation. This season however, the Horns are giving the ball away about 13 times per game.

This problems goes back to the lack of a real PG. Without a solid facilitator, the offense makes too many mental errors. The Longhorns must cut down on the number of times they give the ball away if they want to avoid more close calls.

3. Conner Atchley

Does anyone know where Conner Atchley has gone? He seems to have disappeared and the Longhorns are missing him.

A year ago, Atchley had a breakout season, averaging about 10 points and five rebounds per game. He also led the Big 12 in blocked shots. This season, Atchley only scores about six points per game to go along with just three rebounds.

A great deal of the Horns 2007 success came with solid play from Atchley, who proved to be an effective perimeter shooter and one of the better defenders on the team, but he has failed to be either this year.

He isn't nearly as effective from 3-point range and he often blows assignments on defense. It's simple: Conner Atchley needs to step up and start playing some better basketball.

Despite the recent poor play, Texas has very good squad filled with talent and experience.

Junior forward Damion James has been excellent all season, averaging 15 points and eight rebounds per game. He continues to develop his perimeter game and by seasons end, he should be one of the top players in the nation.

Sophomore Garry Johnson has made huge strides offensively this season, scoring 10 points a game to go with six rebounds. Johnson was the lone bright spot on the Texas squad against Michigan State, as he scored a career high 20 points.

Big Dexter Pittman is finally tapping in to his potential as a dominant inside man. He averages eight points and five rebounds per game. If he stays out of early foul trouble, he will be a force to be reckoned with in March.

Oklahoma is the class of the Big 12 at the moment, with the Baylor Bears cracking the top 25 for the first time in a very long time.

Texas has got to start playing at a high level week in and week out if the Longhorns want to compete with their rivals and win the conference.

Texas travels to Madison, Wisconsin to play the Wisconsin Badgers Tuesday night.

Question of the Week: Which Non-BCS Bowl Game is the Most Intriguing?

As I looked through the list of bowl games, not too many of the match ups jumped out at me (of course, I always look for the ones with two highly ranked teams playing each other).

I then stumbled upon the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, which annually is one of the most entertaining bowls of the season. It pits the Big 12 against the Pac-10 in a holiday fireworks display.

This season, the #13 Cowboys of Oklahoma State head in to San Diego to play the #17 Oregon Ducks.

When you look at this match up you think lots of offense, but very little defense. The Cowboys and Ducks are among the top 10 nationally in scoring offense, with both teams scoring above 40 points a game.

Oklahoma State (9-3) finished second in the Big 12 South behind the big three. Quarterback Zach Robinson leads one of the most balanced offenses in the nation, averaging 240 yards passing and 260 rushing yards per game.

Oregon (9-3) averages well over 470 yards of offense per game, much of which comes on the ground (277 per game). The Ducks offense was somewhat stagnant at the beginning of the season, but the passing game did pick up late with quarterback Jeremiah Masoli making vast improvements.

Ironically enough, this game will come down to who plays better defense. Neither team ranks in the top 50 nationally and both have struggled to stop high powered offenses.

Oklahoma State will prove to have more balance, with stud receiver Dez Bryant stretching the Oregon defense and running back Kendall Hunter gashing them up the middle.

Oregon will have to get running back Jeremiah Johnson rolling early if they hope to hang punch for punch with the explosive Poke offense.


Prediction: Oklahoma State 42 Oregon 31

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Longhorns, Buckeyes Collide for Third Time in Four Years

Alright everyone, you can come out now. The smoke is finally clearing from the battle over the BCS.

We now have a set National Title game: Florida v Oklahoma.

Whether these two teams deserved to be there is seemingly irrelevant now as there is nothing that can be done to change the mind of the six BCS computers.

For the Texas Longhorns, this last week, in short, has been a nightmare. Just a few weeks ago, Texas was preparing for its second National Title appearance in four years, and then the computers spoke: Oklahoma, not Texas, was to be the representative in the Big 12 title game, guaranteeing Bob Stoops' squad a trip to Miami on January 7th.

Despite a 45-35 victory over their rivals back in October, the BCS felt OU was the better pick because of the Sooners' recent success.

But alas, the 11-1 Texas Longhorns were awarded a spot in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against the Buckeyes of Ohio State. These two teams are familiar foes as they have faced each other twice in the last four years.

The first meeting between these two storied programs came on Spetember 10th, 2005 in Columbus. Vince Young led the Longhorns to a dramatic 25-22 victory, cementing Texas' run at the National Title.

The two teams would meet again the following season in Austin. The Buckeyes, led by soon-to-be Hesiman Trophy winner Troy Smith, defeated a young Texas team, 24-7. Like Texas the year before, Ohio State would end up in the National Title.

This season, the Longhorns finished at 11-1 (7-1), tied with Oklahoma and Texas Tech for first in the Big 12 south.

The Longhorns are led by their fearless quarterback, Colt McCoy. The Heisman trophy finalist has been the do-it-all guy for the Horns this season, throwing for 3,445 yards and rushing for 576 yards, giving him 42 total touchdowns on the year.

His gutsy play has earned him the respect of his teammates and a burnt orange nation seeking another hero to lead them back to the promise land.

With McCoy at the helm, the Longhorns are averaging 43 points a game and 487 yards of offense, both of which are in the top 10 nationally. The Red Raiders of Texas Tech were the only team all year to slow down the Texas attack, and even then Texas had the lead with one second left in the game.

McCoy's two primary receivers, seniors Jordan Shipley and Quan Cosby, have been very reliable season long, grabbing 19 touchdowns between them and nearly 2,000 yards receiving.

Shipley has been especially good at returning kicks and punts, as he has taken three to the house this season.

The Texas defense, led by the always entertaining Will Muschamp, has steadily improved over the course of the season. The traditionally stout run defense held for this season, holding opponents to a mere 73 yards the ground, good for second in the nation.

The defensive line, led by the Bronco Nagurski award winner, Brian Orakpo, has had a fantastic year, sacking opposing quarterbacks 42 times, which is tops in the nation.

Though the secondary is incredibly young, starting two freshman safties, it has steadily improved over the last few games of the year. Senior corner Ryan Palmer has been the anchor of the secondary and has become a reliable play maker.

Ohio State's season has been a bit of an enigma. The Buckeyes boast a 10-2 record and own a share of the Big Ten title with Penn State.

However, in the two Prime Time games the Buckeyes have played in this season, they have faltered. Against USC in September, the Buckeyes were demolished 35-3. The Buckeyes would lose a defensive battle with Penn State 13-6 in late October.

Apart from the blunders, Ohio State has been a consistent football team all season. Though the offense isn't all that explosive, averaging 28 points per game, the Buckeye attack is led by freshman quarterback, Terrell Pryor. The young single caller is both physically imposing (6'6, 230 lbs) and one of the most gifted athletes in the nation.

Pryor's running ability is his best weapon (553 yards on the ground) as he improves on reading defensive coverages.

Tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells is one of the nation's premier running backs and before his early season injury, many believed he was a Heisman front runner. The Buckeye bruiser hasn't missed a step since returning from his injury, as he has rushed for 1,091 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

The strength of this Buckeye team has been its defense, which is annually one of the best in the nation. The Buckeyes have held their opponents to 13 points per game and a mere 279 yards of offense.

The Buckeyes rely on senior linebacker, James Laurinaitis who leads the team with 121 tackles. Texas quarterback Colt McCoy should be familiar with Laurinaitis, as the linebacker disrupted the Longhorn offense in their 2006 meeting, picking off McCoy during a crucial part of the game.

Cornerback Malcolm Jenkins has been stellar as well, making a huge impact on both defense and special teams.

Texas and Ohio State have combined for 1,639 victories all time, a very impressive figure. These two storied programs are feared nationally and will get the chance to add yet another chapter in their short, but entertaining history.

If Texas is to win, Colt McCoy will have to be himself. It's that simple. If he lets the game come to him and doesn't force any plays, he should be successful behind a stout Longhorn offensive line.

On the flip side, the Buckeyes must find a way to get pressure on McCoy and you've got to figure Laurinaitis will be a key factor in doing so.

Terrell Pryor must not let the pressure get to him. Because he is not yet an expert thrower, he will have to rely on his athleticism a little more than Jim Tressel would like. If The Buckeyes aren't able to get Beanie Wells moving to keep pressure off Pryor, the Texas defense will have an easy assignment and will take the game over.

Look for another classic game between these two power houses. The Buckeyes will stay competitive until early in the third quarter, when Colt McCoy and his explosive offense will take hold and pull away for good.


Prediction: Texas 38 Ohio State 24

Question of the Week: Will Mike Leach Be in Lubbock Next Season?

According to the Seattle Times, Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach spoke with officals at Washington regarding a vacant coaching position.

Following an impressive 11-1 season for the Red Raiders, Tech AD Gerald Meyers is prepared to extend Leach's contract and raise his pay.

The Washington Huskies finished with an abysmal 0-12 record, only managing to score a mere 152 points total on the season. Head coach Tyrone Willingham has seen his last Apple Cup at Washington, as he will be out the door at season's end.

The question is will Mike Leach leave the program he has built from the ground up? After his most successful season yet, would he leave all the media attention and recruiting opportunities behind to go work his magic in Seattle?

Only time will tell and at this point, it's mere speculation as to what Leach will do, but wouldn't it be something if the "Mad Scientist" took his high-flying passing attack out to the Pac 10 and let USC and Cal get a taste of it?

BCS Standings: Austin Awestruck

The BCS has spoken.

The tie has been broken. The Oklahoma Sooners will travel to Kansas City to take on the Missouri Tigers for the Big 12 Championship.

The Sooners, after defeating the No. 12 Cowboys of Oklahoma State 61-41 Saturday night, made their case to all of the coaches, reporters, and other voters in the two human polls that tie into the BCS rankings.

Oklahoma has been the "hot" team as of late, scoring 60 points in each of the last four games, including an impressive win over Texas Tech, 65-21.

It's true, Bob Stoops has got his squad on a roll and everything fell into place in his favor.

Yep, all that whining Mack Brown did paid no dividends in the end. What a classless guy that Mack Brown. I mean geez, who keeps their QB in during the fourth quarter of 66-28 blow out anyway? Colt McCoy has no business being in there throwing touchdowns late in the game.

How dare Mack Brown call a running play with 36 seconds left in a game where his team is already up by 13! He already had the game won, but I guess the voters who don't actually watch the games would respond better to a 20 point margin as opposed to 13.

Bob Stoops believes in sportsmanship and acknowledges the fact that a 40 point victory is enough of a slaughter to impress people. Who needs to score 60?

Oh ya, and Bob Stoops' Sooner team won the Red River Rivalry Game on top of everything else. Right? I mean they must have won considering they are the team that's advancing to Kansas City.

You see, head to head match ups are key in solving tie breakers. The Big 12 got it exactly right in using the always reliable BCS rankings to break a three way tie between OU, Texas, and Texas Tech.

In other words, a flip of the coin is the best way to determine the best team in the Big 12 South, and it did. When choosing between two teams that slaughter their opponents, you must look at the head to head between those two power houses and the BCS clearly did.

Voter bias doesn't exist and the coaches are very honest and trustworthy, thus making them the best people to be polled.

I also fully trust six very intelligent men who rank websites for a living to rank College Football teams using a simple computer program. Who in the heck needs a playoff? We've got the perfect system.

So Longhorn fans, stop the whining. Face it, your team doesn't deserve to be in the Big 12 title game. After all, the Longhorns lost to both OU and Missouri, so what makes any of you think you could beat either team in the title game?

I swear, Longhorn fans are the biggest babies and their coach Mack Brown has no class whatsoever. Bob Stoops has to defend his team week in and week out because their accomplishments have been overlooked.

Texas ALWAYS goes to the BCS and ALWAYS gets beaten by a top tier opponent each time. Look at the facts:
2003: L 14-21
2004: L 19-55
2006: L 48-49
2007: L 21-41

Case closed. OU deserves a shot this year, so it's only fair they get one.