SB Nation - Damion James

Another Ugly Win, as 'Horns Improve to 6-0

awiggo — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:39:04 -0000

More photos » by MIchael Thomas - AP

Dogus Balbay quicker than anyone on both ends. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

The No. 2 Texas Longhorns improved to 6-0 by outlasting USC, 69-50, at the Erwin Center. For the second straight game, the margin of victory does not indicate the closeness of the game. The ‘Horns led just 33-27 at the break, and in the second half, the Trojans twice trimmed the lead to just four points.

Like many of our first half dozen contests, Texas was too deep and too strong down the stretch. The Longhorn defense tightened, eventually holding USC to just 30% from the floor, and Texas cruised in the final quarter of the game. The Trojans scored just three points in the final six minutes.

As PB noted, this one was not pretty. Texas came out ice cold from the floor and from behind the arc. The Longhorns started like 9-of-33 before eventually improving their shooting to a respectable 41% on the game. Texas was 0-for-8 from three before J'Covan Brown and Justin Mason both connected late in the second half. Last, the free throw shooting went the other way. I think Texas was close to 80% early in the game before clanking their way home. The Longhorns finished a horrific, 19-of-34, 56%.

It's late, so bullet points will have to suffice:

Damion James was very good tonight (19 pts, 9 boards, and 7-of-10 FTs) and easily the offensive player of the game. He remains an effective trash man around the rim and fantastic off one or two dribbles.
Dexter Pittman was probably the defensive player of the game with his seven blocked shots. However, as impressive as that stat is, he tried to block at least ten more missing all of them and letting his man pick up easy second chance points around the rim. I would love to see Sexy Dex use a little more discretion when trying to block shots as a help defender. On the other end, with a foot in the paint, he is unstoppable at the college level. Perod.

More after the jump...

Rick Barnes thought Justin Mason played well. I'm not so sure that Varez Ward's injury didn't give Mase a senior campaign that he otherwise would be enjoying from the bench. Don't get me wrong, Justin plays his tail off, does things that don't always show up on the stat sheet, and is a great senior leader. However, I'm still not comfortable with him and Dogus Balbay on the floor at the same time-not enough outside shooting and too many opportunities for defenders' to cheat on Dex and DaMo. It will be interesting to see how Barnes works in Jai Lucas when he becomes eligible in less than two weeks.
Dogus Balbay is a pest, in a good way. I can't imagine how tiring he makes the opposing guards. He is simply faster up and down the court as well as laterally than anyone else I've seen in college basketball this season.
Avery Bradley must get stronger with the ball around the rim. He was 2-for-10 from the floor. A few of those eight misses were jumpers but he had at least four shots blocked on layups or breakaways dunks when he went weak to the rim. The defense was phenomenal though.
J'Covan Brown is never going to be the quickest player on the floor, but like DJ Augustin, his change of pace is something to watch. Brown is always already adept at creating contact in the lane and getting to the line. Thankfully, J'Covan is the one Longhorn at the line that doesn't cause me to look away in horror.
Brown and Balbay's passes are often better than the hands of the Texas bigs. Other times, they are a little out of control.
Jordan Hamilton plays defense like he's already in the NBA. Neither the focus nor the lateral quickness is there right now. Expect Rick to demand more.
Thirteen minutes for Gary Johnson is fine with me.
Our free throw shooting is an abomination.
The 14 man rotation is already a lot smaller. Varez Ward's injury and Jai Lucas's ineligibility put us at 12. Matt Hill and Clint Chapman put us at 10. Shawn Williams is not there yet and really not close, from what I've seen. That's nine for now.

I said in the comments after the Rice game, this game and the next three (Long Beach St, Texas State, UT Pan-Am) are more about us than they are our opponents. The defense was very good tonight. I still don't think we've put it all together more than just in stretches. It will get there and I'm not worried at all. The freshmen are coming along, the chemistry is improving, and James and Pittman are playing like stars.

To be an elite team, though, the free throw shooting must improve, our three-point shooting must improve, our focus must become more consistent, and our ability to execute in the half court, especially when Pittman sits, has to get better.

Box Score

Next Game: Monday, 12/7 HOME vs. Long Beach State 8 pm ESPNU

Texas vs. Pittsburgh Gameflow

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:40:38 -0000

Player	+/- (game)	+/- (per minute)
Gary Johnson	+23	+1.04
Dexter Pittman	+20	+1.11
Avery Bradley	+19	+.65
Damion James	+13	+.41
Jordan Hamilton	+12	+1.09
Dogus Balbay	+10	+.36
Alexis Wangmene	+6	+.35
Justin Mason	+5	+.29
J'Covan Brown	+5	+.22
Matt Hill	-6	-3

Previous Gameflows:

UC-Irvine

Western Carolina

Rice

A few thoughts after the jump, as well as the Four Factors, Gameflow, and Player Impact charts...

NCAA Basketball Stats

Barnes substituted much less frequently in this game than he did in the following game against Rice, particularly in the second half. It's hard to say that doing so less frequently resulted in the strong second-half performance, as it most likely had more to do with the team locking defensively and Pittsburgh getting fatigued, leading to easy transition opportunities for Texas.
Strange things happen with an unadjusted +/- rating and Gary Johnson is a perfect example -- looking at his four points and three rebounds, it's hard to say that he had a great game in any traditionally measurable way, except the team played extremely well when he was on the court.
In looking at the Four Factors chart, it's clear that the Longhorns had the biggest advantage in their eFG%, which adjusts for the higher value of three pointers. In looking at the box score, it's easy to see why -- the Longhorns shot over 65% in the second half, while also knocking down four of six from distance, good for 67%. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, shot only 37% in the second half and missed all eight of their three-point attempts.
Besides the strange +/- from Gary Johnson, Dexter Pittman had the strongest game by that metric even though he didn't score during the stretch in the middle of the second half when the Longhorns broke open the close game. Jordan Hamilton scored five points (showing the impact he can have on a game), James had an And 1, and Justin Mason had a layup -- the most important play Pittman made during that stretch was to set a crushing screen to free up Mason for his transition layup.
Though Mason and Balbay did reasonably well when on the court together in the Rice game, they were not good, as the Longhorns were -8 during the stretch at the end of the first half when they were on the court together. In that respect, the loss of Avery Bradley to fouls early in the game really hurt because he had only three negative stretches in the game, each of only one point. Damion James may have been the real culprit though, as he allowed his man to knock down two three pointers, turned the ball over once, and took a bad jumper in that period of time.
Alexis Wangmene had a pretty poor game, turning the ball over twice and fouling out of the game. In fact, he probably had the single worst second in the history of +/- in basketball -- checking into the game and promptly fouling Gary McGhee, who made both free throws, then checking out. Three of Wangemene's fouls resulted in free throws for Pittsburgh, of which they made five of six.
It would be nice to see the adjusted +/- numbers that they use for the NBA, but I don't have the available information to do that. Where are the college basketball sabermetricians?!?

Texas vs. Rice Gameflow (Updated)

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:36:59 -0000

Gameflow from the Texas/Rice game on Sunday. I haven't worked much with Excel, so I wasn't able to use +/- symbols because I couldn't get the program to stop adding and subtracting. If anyone knows how to get that to turn off, I would appreciate it. Otherwise, hopefully it's readable and provides some insights. Also, if anyone has any thoughts on the best way to determine the best five-man groups for the team, that would also be helpful.

Previous Gameflows:

UC-Irvine

Western Carolina

A few thoughts:

In a game that the Longhorns won by 18 points, any player with a negative +/- in the game didn't add much to the team. Throwing out Matt Hill, who ended up with a -2 after one minute, and Shawn Williams, who played two minutes, the three players who come out looking poorly in this metric are Jordan Hamilton at even, Justin Mason at +1, and Gary Johnson at +2. It's difficult to make direct correlations between the play of an individual to the results of the team, but the first two players listed aren't a huge surprise -- Hamilton shot 3-9 from the field and still failed to make entry passes to the big guy down low, while Mason missed both of his field goals and three of his four free-throw attempts. It's a broken record now -- he just doesn't add anything offensively. For Johnson, it's harder to figure, though he did only have one rebound in his 16 minutes and turned the ball over twice.
James (+21), Bradley (+18), and Balbay (+17) all had the best games by this metric. Most surprising of these three is James, who shot poorly from the field, but rebounded well and didn't turn the ball over. For Bradley, it was probably about playing good defense and playing efficiently, as he shot 3-7 from the field, 2-2 from the line and had four assists and no turnovers. Balbay is interesting as well, as he didn't score much and only had one assist, but rebounded extremely well and probably helped the team by pushing the ball in transition and playing good defense.
Despite what is seemingly a bad combination in Balbay and Mason, the two played five different stretches together and finished +4, with only one of those stretches a net negative for the team at -1. Something to keep an eye on, although the fact that neither can shoot and the amount that tangibly affects the spacing on the court probably trumps this data.
The amount of substituting that Rick Barnes does may also affect the data, as the longest that any group was on the floor together was the nearly three minutes that Brown/James/Pittman/Hamilton/Mason were on the court and registered a -5, by far the worst stretch of basketball during the game, when Rice climbed back into it, cutting the lead 12 to seven and then to five when Bradley replaced Mason. Does substituting so frequently hurt the rhythm of the team because the players on the court don't have time to establish a good dynamic and decide where they want to go with the ball? There's certainly accountability, but there may be side effects as well.
It's not surprising in some ways that the group of Brown/Bradley/James/Pittman/Hamilton registered a +4 in the first half, as that's probably the best combination on paper right now for the Longhorns, although that group also registered -2 in their appearance together in the second half, when Hamilton earned himself a spot on the bench for the rest of the game by jacking a step-back three pointer after making a three the previous trip down the court.
Context plays a factor here, as the needless fouling by Rice at the end of the game resulted in a +5 and +4 for the players on the court at the end of the game, despite not having to do anything offensively other than hold onto the ball long enough to get fouled and make free throws, which James and Brown did at a high rate -- 7-8 in the last minute. However, those two groups did also help hold Rice scoreless over the last 4:17 of the game.

[Update]: Here are some other charts from StatSheet for the Rice game. I'll try to post them after every game.

NCAA Basketball Stats

As a note, the last chart has J'Covan Brown's numbers listed as Varez Ward, hopefully they will get that changed.

Texas Uses Second-Half Surge to Top Pitt

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:55:13 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Browse more photos »

Game Recap: After the first four games of the season, the Longhorns have clearly written a script they are bound and determined to follow -- get a lead early, give it up with poor offensive play in the last minutes of the first half and equally poor recognition closing out on shooters, then surge past the tired opponent in the second half for an easy win. It works now, but there's an expiration date on such play and that expiration date is the start of the difficult non-conference schedule that includes North Carolina, UConn, MIchigan State, and Arkansas.

Within that script, the lack of recognition of three-point shooters is most disturbing. Lamar Patterson hit two three pointers late in the half to bring Pittsburgh back in the game and it was Damion James who was lacking recognition, a major mistake for a senior who should know better.

In the second half, the Longhorns played even with the Panthers for five minutes or more before a 14-3 run put Pittsburgh away. Defense fueled the surge, as the Longhorns got out in transition and finished around the rim, with two jumpers, one a three pointer, from Jordan Hamilton helping Texas gain separation. As Pittsburgh ran out of gas, Rick Barnes' club extended the lead unti the final score resembled a blowout at 78-62, even though Texas only won about 15 minutes of the game handily.

The outcome was: Acceptable. It appears that Rick Barnes has three primary objectives at this point in the season -- wear down teams by bringing in waves of fresh players, experiment with lineup combinations to find what works, and hold players accountable for mental mistakes on the offensive or defensive end. The first objective has been extremely successful, as neither of the four teams Texas has played to this point in the season have been able to keep up with more than 30 minutes or so. Pitt tired so much at the end of the game they were missing open jumpers and committing costly turnovers, leadng to easy Texas baskets. The accountability aspect led to Jordan Hamilton playing only 11 minutes, a paltry number when compared to the 17 minutes and two points provided by Justin Mason.

Overall, the result was merely acceptable because of the offensive struggles that kept Pittsburgh in the game far longer than necessary, but until Texas can consistently feed Pittman in the post, J'Covan Brown becomes more comfortable and Jordan Hamilton can fulfill the wishes of Rick Barnes offensively and defensively, this team will probably struggle on the offensive end at times. In some ways, the fact that the team has so much room to grow is cause for considerable confidence going forward, as the win over a solid Pittsburgh team demonstrates that this is already a top-10 team nationally with more room to grow than any other team as highly ranked, with the possible exception of Kentucky.

Stat of the game: 14-24 (58.3%) from the free-throw line. In about a week or two, this is going to start sounding like a broken record -- Texas struggles at the charity stripe and will no doubt continue to do so throughout the season. The biggest concern is that Dexter Pittman and Damion James, who will likely lead the Longhorns in attempts, no not look like they will be able to hit in the 70% range. In fact, it's likely that the only two good free-throw shooters on the team will be J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton, with rampant inconsistency from everyone else. Ulimately, the defense will probably have to make up for the lost points by forcing more turnovers and securing defensive rebounds, as the offense will no doubt continue to suffer through stretches of ineffectiveness.

The Offensive MVP was: Damion James. For James, the key offensively is to stay within himself. During the poor stretch at the end of the first half when the Longhorns failed to score for 4:44, a large part of the problem was the lineup on the floor, but poor selection by James was a major part of the problem, as he forced several long, difficult jumpers. Even though he's one of the best offensive weapons for Texas, he must play within himself -- that means spot-up three pointers and lay ups around the rim, with a few in-rhythm jump shots sprinkled in. For most of the game, James did that, converting on 8-13 shots, including 2-4 three pointers for 20 points to lead the team, and when he does plays within himself, he provides the Longhorns with an incredible boost.

The Defensive MVP was: Dogus Balbay. I've never particularly considered myself an advocate of Balbay, but this game may have converted me. Balbay finished the game with eight rebounds, second on the team to Damion James, while picking up two steals according to the ESPN box score. Those two steals sell Balbay's effort defensively completely short, as he deflected numerous passes and played lockdown man-to-man defense for the entire 28 minutes he played. It's simply spectacular right now to see him hound opponents on the perimeter and deflect the ball so often on passes or making it difficult to even dribble the ball. The best offense for Texas this season will remain a good defense and with his rebounding ablity for a guard and elite on-ball defense, Balbay, whatever his limitations as a shooter offensively, will be a major catalyst for the offense beginning on the defensive end.

A few more thoughts:

Rick Barnes is clearly sending a message to Jordan Hamilton right now -- if you continue to lose your man on defense by ball watching and if you continue to look off Dexter Pittman, you won't play much. Hamilton has had probably five to ten opportunities to enter the post this season, and unless he did so against UC-Irvine in the game I wasn't able to watch, he hasn't yet entered the ball once. Defensively, it's a lack of focus right now that is causing the problems and frankly, Hamilton probably doesn't have much experience exerting the amount of focus now required on the defensive end. Offensively, though he does find his open teammates, he's still hunting his shots and even the two that he hit against Pittsburgh were pretty ill-advised -- a contested jumper and a three pointer he made while Dexter Pittman was posting up in front of him calling for the ball. At some point he needs to play more to gain experience because the Longhorns desperately need his scoring ability, the Rick Barnes obviously has a point to make before Hamilton gets any minutes he doesn't earn.
J'Covan Brown has been impressive defensively, but still needs to work on fighting through screens, as he often got hung up on them against Pittsburgh, forcing a poor switch or getting his big man into trouble with dribble penetration.
Justin Mason needs to get aggressive offensively or there is no reason for him to be out there. As it is, pairing him with Dogus Balbay is a recipe for disaster, as the defense can sag into the paint without worrying about Mason hitting any long jumpers. Defensively, he's allowed way too much dribble penetration and although there is more reason to play him now with Varez Ward out, he just doesn't provide anything more than Avery Bradley, Brown, or Balbay. The regression in his game is almost sad to see.
Dexter Pittman needs to keep himself out of foul trouble. Against Pittsburgh, the fouls were mostly of the body control variety where he had trouble keeping himself from knocking into people. In fairness to Big Dex, some of the fouls were pretty marginal in a game that was physical overall, but the bottom line is that he needs to adjust to how the officials are calling the game because no amount of complaining about the calls will keep him from having to head to the bench. The Longhorns may be having trouble getting him the ball in the post, but he's still the major offensive weapon and needs to stay out there.
Texas did much better against Pittsburgh avoiding turnovers with only 10 on the game, but players who lower usage rates like Alexis Wangmene and Damion James need to avoid the costly mistakes, as they combined for five turnovers on their own, half of the team total. For James, he needs to make better decisions with the ball, a problem that plagued him last season and Wangmene needs to hold onto the ball better.
If Wangmene is going to be the replacement for Pittman when the big fella gets in foul trouble, Wing Man needs to stay out of it as well, as he committed several careless fouls -- he just dosn't quite understand right now how much contact is acceptable and the foul against Gary McGhee that led to a three-point play was unacceptable. Either foul the guy hard or don't foul at all -- any effort in between leads to And 1 situations.

More Thoughts on Texas' Win Over WCU

Peter Bean — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:47:03 -0000

More photos » by Erich Schlegel - AP

Browse more photos »

Continuing with thoughts on Texas' 73-41 win over Western Carolina.

REVIEWING THE KEYS

Foul control. [Grade: A] Texas went inside to Pittman on its first two possessions, one resulting in a made basket, the other in a foul by Richie Gordon. By halftime, Gordon had picked up two more fouls, while Big Sexy had drawn just a single foul. Of course, by halftime it was also apparent it wouldn't have mattered much if it had been otherwise, but hey, it's good seeing Dexy play with good body control.
Guard composure. [Grade: C] Texas' guards seemed to maintain a roughly 1:1 ratio of good to bad offensive possessions, finishing the night with 20 turnovers, struggling at times with the length of WCU's guards.
Don't settle. [Grade: B-] Post entry remains an issue for most of the guards, although Rick said in the post-game that the team focused exclusively on defense after the UC-Irvine game, prompting him to say he wasn't surprised by the sloppy offensive showing.

PLAYER NOTES

Damion James [29 mins, 4-9 FG / 2-3 3P / 8-10 FT, 18 PT, 7 REB (2 OR), 2 AST, 3 TO, 1 STL, 1 BLK]

Another very solid night for James, who is back where he should be -- near the rim for most of the game. He's playing strong on the interior and, outside a couple missed lay ups, giving Texas exactly what we need from him. I absolutely love the way we're looking for him on alley-oops. His hands and dribble still present some limitations, but those have greater implications for his future at the next level. If he's hitting 20-foot jumpers as he has been so far early on, he becomes an even more valuable asset than he already is.

Dexter Pittman [17 mins, 4-6 FG / 0-0 3P / 1-4 FT, 9 PT, 6 REB (2 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK]

This was a tough game for Pittman, through no fault of his own. As mentioned above, the team apparently spent little to no time working on offense leading up to the game, and it showed. Once Texas got a comfortable lead and it became clear the frenetic style wasn't going to provide much for Pittman, Barnes mostly rested him. Fine by me.

J'Covan Brown [21 mins, 3-3 FG / 2-2 3P / 2-2 FT, 10 PT, 3 REB (0 OR), 3 AST, 6 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK]

My oh my does he have a smooth scorer's stroke. Playing much more calmly last night, he was mostly solid, with two beautiful post feeds that suggest he can be more than a scorer only point. The turnover rate will probably remain high throughout the year, but Texas will live with them if he's adding 3-4 dimes a game to go with the 10-15 points he looks capable of contributing. We're so deep he may not get the chance, but he's capable of filling it up for 25 on a hot night.

Justin Mason [23 mins, 0-1 FG / 0-0 3P / 0-0 FT, 0 PT, 4 REB (0 OR), 1 AST, 2 TO, 0 STL, 0 BLK]

No, that stat line is not pulled from a box score from last year. Mason's defense remains solid, but it's not special. As Hamilton and Bradley bring their games along, it's just going to be impossible to justify 20-25 minutes a game for Mason. He's a great kid and a terrific warrior, but the mostly empty stat lines are more the norm than exception.

Varez Ward [25 mins, 4-6 FG / 0-1 3P / 2-6 FT, 10 PT, 2 REB (1 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 3 STL, 0 BLK]

It's nice seeing Ward come into his own on the offensive end of the floor, where he's learning to put his superior toughness and athleticism to use in getting to the rim as a scorer. He can score 10 points a game all year if he starts to hit his free throws. That said, he's still raw and at times seems uncertain running the halfcourt offense. I like what he adds, though, and think he'll continue to progress throughout the year. He's a big asset against some of the longer, athletic teams we'll have to beat to achieve our goals.

Gary Johnson [19 mins, 4-4 FG / 0-0 3P / 2-3 FT, 10 PT, 7 REB (2 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

It was Gary's best game in a while, turning in exactly the kind of performance we need from him -- some aggressive offensive play in the block, strong rebounding, and quality, physical defense. Without any creators last year, Gary struggled trying to get it on his own; it'll come to him this year, and if he stays within himself and ready, he'll get his.

Jordan Hamilton [14 mins, 2-7 FG / 1-5 3P / 0-0 FT, 5 PT, 6 REB (1 OR), 0 AST, 1 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

He's settling offensively right now, but I've seen enough of him with the ball in his hands to see whats ahead for him. Now having seen him for two full games, he's got better handles than I anticipated and while he needs to add upper body strength for his game to get where it's eventually going to go, he can pick up points near the rim right now. He's quick, fluid, and lonnnnnng. I'd love to see him start working his offensive game inside-out, and when he's mismatched against a shorter guard, we can iso for him. Defensively, he's trying, which is good, but you can see he's having to concentrate -- this is more than he's used to.

Dogus Balbay [20 mins 0-3-6 FG / 0-0 3P / 1-2 FT, 1 PT, 4 REB (0 OR), 3 AST, 3 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

The Dogus has sort of become for me what Chris Ogbonnaya once was: an important contributor who most underrate and I love a little too much. I'm fine with that, and his game will prove us both right, at varying times. If he were just a little bit better with being decisive as a creator on offense, he'd be a true force, but as is, he's our best on-ball defender, and an uncanny blur with the ball in his hands. His limitations with being decisive and translating his skills into buckets will keep him from being a guy that demands 30+ minutes a game, but I don't see him getting any less than 20, and he's a critical player for us, especially in the early going while the freshmen get up to speed.

Alexis Wangmene [11 mins, 1-2 FG / 0-0 3P / 2-2 FT, 4 PT, 4 REB (1 OR), 0 AST, 0 TO, 0 STL, 1 BLK]

The theme continues: he's got so much room to improve within this season. The strength and length are exceptional, but he's choppy and uncertain out there right now. He's just getting back into the flow of full-speed, full-contact basketball, and once he fully acclimates, he'll be a terrific 15 minute per game complement to Big Sexy.

Avery Bradley [17 mins, 2-4 FG / 0-1 3P / 0-2 FT, 4 PT, 0 REB (0 OR), 1 AST, 1 TO, 2 STL, 0 BLK]

From the pre-season roundtable: "I've developed quite a habit of scavenging rabidly for online videos of AB and the three things that stood out that elevated my excitement from enthusiastic to out-of-control were: (1) the quality, but even more than that the intensity, of his defense; (2) what Jay Bilas might call Rise-a-bility or Hop-tuitive-ness - an explosiveness in his leaping that allows him to finish 50% more buckets than any mortal his size would; and (3) his competitiveness and eagerness to seek out, and conquer, challenges."

As is true for this team for a whole... we haven't seen anything yet...

Longhorns Roll Past Anteaters in Season Opener

awiggo — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:26:21 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Rick may have his most complete Texas team yet. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Browse more photos »

Game Recap: The #3 Longhorns notched their first victory of the season, 89-42 over UC Irvine at the Drum behind strong performances from seniors Damion James and Dexter Pittman.

Along with James and Pittman, Varez Ward, Justin Mason, and freshman J'Covan Brown completed the starting lineup. Brown started slowly and sloppily at the point guard spot, and Coach Barnes was forced to sit him down after two early turnovers and again after a couple of more. After the game, Rick said this about his freshman point guard, "J'Covan wore us all out before the games. I've never seen a guy as amped up. Ever."

As will be a theme this season, the depth of this team allowed the ‘Horns to quickly find their stride. Dogus Balbay was inserted for Brown and helped the Longhorns turn a 19-18 deficit after the first ten minutes of action into a 42-21 halftime lead.

Balbay played solid on-the-ball defense and helped protect the ball in the halfcourt where James and Pittman could dominate. Both big men finished with 21 points a piece. Most of Dexter's 10-of-11 from the floor came off dunks or lay ins. James had a few buckets of length but most of his scoring came around the basket as well. The smaller Anteaters were simply overmatched in height, strength, and athleticism.

During the back and forth start, I thought Texas struggled to communicate on defense. There was some confusion on how to defend ball screens. Some players were also over running their pursuit on the pass and over committing on shot fakes. The substitution patters of three, four, or even five players at a time help explain the early defensive lapses. However, after that back and forth start, the Longhorn defense played more consistently and more together. Texas contested shots better, didn't allow second chance points or almost anything in the paint, and, for the most part, controlled dribble penetration.

The outcome was: Exciting. Exciting because this was the first game; exciting because I finally got to see the four freshman live and in a college game; and exciting because the potential of this team is clear.

Unlike last year, this year's Longhorns will not have trouble scoring from the perimeter. Jordan Hamilton and Brown can both shoot the ball from deep. They both have good form, which should help produce consistent buckets, and good size, which will allow them to easily shoot over zones.

Unlike last year, foul trouble, even if it's Dex, won't be an issue. The ‘Horns are deeper than any team in the country and can run as many as 14 different players on the court for double digits in minutes every game.

Unlike last year, Barnes does not have to play smaller, three guard lineups. While Texas did start three guards, that was by choice not out of necessity. Hamilton (6-7) and Williams (6-6) will give Texas excellent size from the wing, and I won't be surprised to see James (6-7) play some at the three too when Rick wants to play with an even bigger lineup. Texas has real size at the two guard spots also. Avery Bradley, listed at 6-2, and Brown, listed at 6-1, both played bigger and stronger than their listed heights. The days of playing two sub six foot guards plus Mason at the wing are thankfully over.

The biggest thing I took away from the ‘Horns first game was potential. Right now, they are so much less than the sum of their parts. And right now, they're pretty good. The parts are all there-talent, size, depth, and experience. There is no reason why Barnes shouldn't be able to mold this team into more than the sum of their individually talented parts and national championship favorites by tourney time.

Stats of the Game: 49-30 Texas on the glass. 54-18 Texas points in the paint. If you didn't get a chance to see the game, that is about all you need to know. As expected, Texas was able to dominate the smaller Anteaters in the paint on both ends.

The Offensive MVP was: Damion James. DaMo started his senior campaign in style-21 points (7-of-9 from the floor, 2-of-2 from three, 5-of-6 from the line), 15 boards, two assists, and a steal in just 22 minutes of action. James came back to Texas for a lot of reasons, but the big one was to play himself into a NBA first round selection. So far, so good. He looked confident, in control, and hungry. If he can produce the same smart and solid performances against the Michigan States and North Carolinas of the world, the NBA will be forced to take a second look at DaMo.

The Defensive MVP was: Texas in the second half. I don't have the exact stats but UC Irvine was something like 9-of-18 to start the game. They finished 17-of-62 for just 27% from the floor. Needless to say, the defense was the key to the 47 point victory.

I want to note a few more things, player by player:

Damion James: After the games, DaMo noted that the younger players looked up to him and that he has tried to take them under his wing. He also said that while the freshmen are very talented, that they still have a lot to learn. I can imagine the exact same thing coming out of Rick Barnes' mouth.

During the off season, we've noted that team chemistry is something of a concern and definitely something to watch. While James has not been a loud and vocal leader in his first three seasons, it sounds like he recognizes that now it's his turn. This veteran to freshman leadership, along with the development of a point guard, whoever it ends up being, are the two biggest keys to a Final Four run, in my opinion.

Dexter Pittman: More important than throwing down one-handed slams over guys standing just 6-6, Dex only picked up one foul. The more Pittman can stay on the floor, the better this team can be offensively. I was also impressed with the one post move when he turned over his right shoulder for an easy lay in. In previous seasons, he has almost always turned over his left shoulder to produce the easier right handed jump hook. If he has added the ability to go the other way with his back to the basket, look out.

Avery Bradley: Bradley is going to be so much better than his stats. Texas will be a Dexter and Damion focused team first. Second, it looks like J'Covan and Hamilton won't be afraid to let it fly. Therefore, Bradley would easily be the fifth scoring option among these five and probably still no better than third or fourth with some others on the floor. He will definitely get his-in transition, off dribble drives, and in second chance opportunities-but given the offensive skills of some other ‘Horns, Bradley won't be a 20 point scorer. It doesn't matter though. He is too good. His two late-game mid-range jumpers were things of beauty-in balance, form, and arc. The defense is also already there. Last, from Barnes' comments during the off season, this is a kid who knows he can get better and his ready to work on his weaknesses.

Varez Ward: If Barnes wants his point guard to pass the ball and play lock down defense, then Ward may be the man. Varez has the size, athleticism, and vision to be a true pass-first, shoot second floor general.

J'Covan Brown: J'Covan is raw, talented, and emotional. Unfortunately for him, he was too hyped for this game and it showed during the first half. Fortunately for us, it was his first game in over a year, after sitting out all of last season, and his upside is huge. If Barnes wants his point guard to score and stretch the defense with his perimeter jumper, then Brown is his man. From everything I saw though, J'Covan is more of a shoot-first, pass-second point.

Dogus Balbay: Dogus is third head of the ‘Horns point guard machine (with a fourth, Jai Lucas coming in December). Balbay played really well this afternoon. Six assists to no turnovers in 19 minutes from your point guard is every coach's dream. That said, I am not as big a fan of Dogus as are many of you. His offensive limitations make me hope that Barnes uses Balbay as more of spark off the bench than 25+ minute contributor.

Justin Mason: Mase has started for the better part of his three seasons at Texas and removing him from the starting lineup won't be easy. He still can do the little things-rebound, play solid d, and push the basketball in transition. However, I can't see how he ends up averaging more than 15 minutes per game once the freshmen become more comfortable.

Jordan Hamilton: Does Jordan have a nickname? He needs one. Hamilton looked smooth, long, and ready to score. Jordan may not have the defensive mindset that Barnes would like yet, but you can already see how important he'll be to the ‘Horns success.

Shawn Williams: I guess Shawn won't be redshirting this year. Williams played a productive (6 boards), yet sloppy 13 minutes against UC Irvine. His size will give Texas a much needed third rebounder and his ability shoot the three ball should open up driving lanes on the other end.

Alexis Wangmene: Wingman, I've missed you. With scorers at nearly every position, Lexi is the perfect bruising big man to bring off the bench. He showed strong hands and a willingness to fight for boards in his eight minutes of action. I expect his playing time to directly correlate to Dexter's foul trouble and stamina.

Gary Johnson: Like Dogus, I am not as in love with Gary as most Longhorn hoops' fans but recognize that he can be important role player on this team. GJ is always going to bring the energy. I just wish he was two inches taller and had a higher basketball IQ. Hopefully, Gary realizes that he is going to be the third, fourth, or even fifth scoring option during most of his minutes this season. Rebound, pass the ball from the post, and make your free throws and I'll love ya. I promise.

Matt Hill: Hill is a big body with limited athleticism. Gary and Wingman will likely be the first two off the bench as bigs, so I can't see Matt getting much playing time.

Clint Chapman: Clint wasn't in uniform. I couldn't see him from my seat either. I have no idea. Anyone?

Box Score

NEXT GAME: Home vs. Western Carolina - Wednesday 11/18 8 pm ESPNU

Friday Afternoon Big12Hoops.com Link Dump - 11.06.2009

big12hoops — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:00:26 -0000

The goal of the Friday Afternoon Big12Hoops.com Link Dump is to help you ease into the weekend by giving you things to occupy your time at work until the clock strikes 5pm.

Big 12 North

Colorado

Boulder Daily Camera - Long way pays off for CU Buffs assistant

Kansas

Lawrence Journal World - Senior Little ponders sitting out this season

Kansas St

Manhattan Mercury - Samuels ready for life on the outside

Iowa St

GoCyclones.com - Hot shooting sparks Cyclones to exhibition win

Missouri

Columbia Daily Tribune - New rule will change block calls

Nebraska

Lincoln Journal Star - Gillispie watches Doc's team practice

The former Texas A&M and Kentucky coach, a good friend of Nebraska coach Doc Sadler, had an NU roster and media guide at his side. Gillispie scribbled many notes on several sheets of a large notepad. Meanwhile, Sadler roamed the court, barking instructions to his players.

Big 12 South

Baylor

Baylor University Lariat - Freshman launches a new era (Lady Bears)

Oklahoma

Norman Transcript - Mason-Griffin and Gallon poised to make impact

Oklahoma St

Stillwater NewsPress - Cowboys teach, learn in first week

Texas

Austin American-Statesman - James impresses Davidson coach in scrimmage

Texas A&M

AggieSports.com - Aggie Roundup

Texas Tech

RedRaiders.com - Knight may redshirt one of Red Raider basketball’s two freshmen

Now though, Knight says Tech has made enough progress since last season that the Red Raiders may save a freshman for the next four years.

Non Big 12 Links

Associated Press - Ex-NBA referee Donaghy released from jail [NBA]

Follow all the World Series wrap up and celebration on SB Nation Yankees blog Pinstripe Alley [MLB]

ESPN.com - Giants ace Lincecum faces marijuana charges [MLB]

CBSSports.com - Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings [Fantasy Football]

SB Nation - Rangers Looking to Add Forsberg [NHL]

Zags Around the Web - Gonzaga to scrimmage Texas on Saturday

Zach B — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:17:57 -0000

Remember this guy? Former Zag Larry Gurganious is now enrolled at UC-Riverside and excelling on the court.

View full size photo »

Preseason scrimmages have become a huge trend recently in college basketball. Mostly every division one program schedules a practice game with another school to see where they are without having to put anything in the win-loss column. A season ago, Gonzaga scrimmaged Texas in Colorado and this year the two schools will be matching up again tomorrow. The game will take place on one of the practice courts inside the Pepsi Center in Denver. Media and fans are not allowed into the venue for the game which is a bummer for us since it would be great to see how the young Bulldogs take on Texas, who is a favorite to make a very deep run in the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns have a fantastic returning core of players led by Damion James and arguably the best freshman in the nation, Avery Bradley. It will be a major test for Gonzaga and it should give them an idea where they are at before the season starts on the 14th with Mississippi Valley State. Here is the rest of the news/links for the day...

Gonzaga transfer Gurganious scores 15 to aid UCR win | Sports | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

Good to see the former Gonzaga Bulldog playing well after he transferred due to personal issues. LG was a great on ball defender and a very electric offensive threat that was really missed last season at GU.

Austin Daye runs with chance | detnews.com | The Detroit News

A very nice article about Austin Daye and his adjustment process in the NBA. He hasn't gotten a whole lot of playing time but he has made a nice contribution to the Pistons.

Ultimate Rankings Countdown: Top 50 - Mid-Major Madness

34. Gonzaga: Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo and Austin Daye carried Gonzaga to another WCC title and a Sweet 16 berth, the fourth trip to a regional semifinal under Few. Without those three, Gonzaga likely will be unranked in the preseason AP poll for only the second time since 2002-03. Few will learn much about his team in the early months, with games against Michigan State, Washington State, Wake Forest, Duke, Oklahoma and Illinois, plus the Maui Invitational. Gonzaga's record on Jan. 2 might not be pretty, but the Bulldogs almost certainly still will be the favorites for the conference title.

Wizards go with Withers in Round 1 - NBA D-League Draft

Former Gonzaga Bulldog Ira Brown was drafted in the fourth round of the NBA D-League draft by the Austin Toros. Best of luck to Ira who was always a fan favorite thanks to his ability to jump out of the gym. Hopefully he can have a nice career and maybe even work his way up to the NBA.

The Bulletin - Take note: Kennel etiquette

A Gonzaga student writer lays out some of the ground rules for cheering in the Kennel. The students this year will get a rare treat when Wake Forest comes to the Kennel. Hopefully everyone in the stadium abides by rule #1 on that day.

2009-2010 Big 12 Prospectus (Men's Basketball)

editor@big12hoops.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:45:12 -0000

by L.G. Patterson - AP

Who's that? Missouri's J.T. Tiller is a strong candidate for NCAA Defensive Player of the Year.

View full size photo »

Mark Allan Peterson

Big12Hoops.com Managing Editor

Editor@Big12Hoops.com

Kansas and Texas lead the pre-season hype in the Big 12, but the bigger story is the depth of a conference that could send as many as 10 teams to the post-season with the current lineup of four post-season tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CollegeInsider.com and College Basketball Invitational).

Atop the conference sit Kansas and Texas, with KU's Sherron Collins as the overwhelming favorite for Big 12 Player of the Year. The 5-10 (depending on Collins' hair length) guard was an under-the-radar key player in the 2008 National Champion Jayhawk team.

Big-man Cole Aldrich and freshman Xavier Henry anchor one of the two deepest teams in the Big 12 (and the country) along with Texas. The Horns are steered by Damion James, a guy who excelled as a role player next to Kevin Durant, excelled as a number-two to D.J. Augustine, and a guy who will no doubt excell as the leader of a team co-acnhored by Dexter Pittman, also a member of that excellent recruiting class.

Willie Warren of Oklahoma and Craig Brackins of Iowa State are both All-American candidates, while Denis Clemente of Kansas State, James Anderson ok Oklahoma State, JT Tiller of Missouri and Donald Sloan of Texas A&M are among the best of the rest in this deep conference.

Check out CBSSports.com Men's Basketball page for Gary Parrish's preview of the Big 12. Here's a look at the pre-season picks according to Big12Hoops.com:

The NCAA Teams
Kansas
Texas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Missouri
Texas A&M
Kansas State

On to the NIT
Iowa State
Baylor
Texas Tech

Other
None

Big 12 Player of the Year
Sherron Collins, Kansas

Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
Curtis Kelly, Kansas State

Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Avery Bradley, Texas

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
JT Tiller, Missouri

All-Big 12 First Team
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Cole Aldrich, Kansas
Damion James, Texas
Willie Warren, Oklahoma
Craig Brackins, Iowa State

All-Big 12 Second Team
James Anderson, OSU
Denis Clemente, Kansas State
Xavier Henry, Kansas
Avery Bradley, Texas
JT Tiller, Missouri

All-Big Freshman Team
Wally Judge, Kansas State
Xavier Henry, Kansas
Avery Bradley, Texas
Jordan Hamilton, Texas
Nolan Dennis, Baylor

UT Hoops Roundtable: Season Starters

Peter Bean — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:38:40 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Only one of the fantastic freshmen appears likely to start as the season gets underway. What should we make of it?

Browse more photos »

Txtwstr7: It's been a while since we've talked hoops. I thought we could hold off on another roundtable until closer to tip-off, but the news trickling out over the probable starting line-up has forced our hand. It appears that things aren't exactly as we thought, and many Longhorns fans might need to recalibrate their expectations over which players we will see trotting onto the floor during the early non-conference season. Based on the heavy circulated tweets by Andy Katz, it appears that the starting line-up will be Ward-Bradley-Mason-James-Pittman. Naturally, this means that J'Covan Brown and Jordan Hamilton-both presumed starters-will open the season on the bench. This is pretty jarring and its full ramifications need to be fleshed out.

I can't say I'm entirely surprised by the news. After reading Rick Barnes' media transcript from a few weeks ago, I planned on writing this week's post about how there might be a set plan to heavily utilize the seniors and returning players at the beginning of the season while the youngsters "earn their keep." Here were the quotes that sounded off these warning bells:

On the seniors: We've had seniors before, but it's been a while since we have had a senior class. Damion (James), Dexter (Pittman), Justin (Mason), and Matt (Hill) have played a lot of basketball since they have been here, and we are really pleased with the leadership and the way they have embraced the younger players. The younger players have embraced them, too. They are doing well in terms of knowing that these seniors have been through it. Those seniors know what it takes to be on the court, and they lead by example. As talented as some of these younger guys are, they are learning that it takes more than talent, and they are learning that the work ethic that goes in is important. I'm excited about the way the older guys have led the team up until this point.

On the younger players: When younger players come into the program, they don't understand that there are only 200 minutes in a game. And they don't understand because their whole life they've played, and that has never been something that they had to think about. But now they are here and there is no doubt they are going to have to think about it. They will realize that if they get 10 to 12 minutes a game, that's an accomplishment on a team that is talented. The goal for them should be to play at the highest level they can play. It is about competition. Every single day, they are going to get a chance to compete to earn the playing time that they get. Our program has always been based on making improvement every single day and putting the team before one's self. As long as they are true to those things, they are going to play.

On youth slowing the team down: I don't know if it will slow us down because of the experience we have coming back. But those younger guys are going to have a learning curve. But what I was alluding to earlier is that we have a senior class. So we are going to move forward with the seniors leading and hopefully that learning curve will be a little bit quicker. I can't remember the last time we've had a senior class. We've had seniors, but the last time we had four at one time was 2004.

While I may not have been entirely surprised, I'm still attempting to calibrate my level of disappointment. I thought we might see more of Justin Mason than we expected, but I never thought he would supplant Jordan Hamilton in the starting line-up. One of the lessons out of the 2006-7 season appeared to be that Rick Barnes wasn't afraid to play freshmen. In fact, that season, he played four freshmen on the floor at the same time. In retrospect, it must also be remembered that the roster necessitated playing that many freshmen. KD and crew immediately started and logged heavy minutes partially because they were awesome, but also because the back end of the roster was flat-out terrible.

Coming into this season, I think most of us expected that Barnes would play "the best five," but I dont think that's the case with the alleged starting line-up. Before we go any further, I think we need to categorically separate the two changes to the presumed line-up. Ward playing ahead of J'Covan Brown is one thing; Hamilton sitting on the bench in favor of Mason is another.

During the first Roundtable, I picked Varez as my "surprise" player this year, as he got more minutes and performed better than I think most fans remembered. I'm actually intrigued to watch him at the PG spot. I'm not intrigued to watch another season of Justin Mason in a three-guard line-up, especially when Jordan Hamilton is so perfectly suited to the position. During the first Roundtable, I brought up some concerns over the SF position:

As much as I trust Barnes, I'm a little concerned about what he'll do with the back-up minutes at the SF spot. If Shawn Williams gets redshirted, we really don't have any wing to play the 3 when Jordan Hamilton is on the bench. My concern is that the lion's share of these minutes will go to Justin Mason or Damion James. James floundered at the position last year--at least, relative to expectations--and Justin Mason shouldn't play much at all. It's tough to see how far Mason has missed our initial expectations, but, at this point, he is what he is.

Of course, instead of taking backup minutes at the SF spot, Mason is now the presumed starter. This immediately ruins the perfect concoction of the Hyperized offensive system and creates new concerns over our perimeter shooting. I understand Rick's desire to make the youngsters "earn" their playing time, but I don't think it should come at the expense of what makes the most sense for this team moving forward. I don't think any Texas fan expects Justin Mason to start a game in March, which raises the question of why he should be starting games in November. In fact, this news raises several key questions.

First and foremost, it raises the question of whether it is better to play more experienced players with lower upside at the beginning of the season to let the younger players get their feet wet. With our insanely difficult non-conference schedule, I think I can understand the arguments both ways. However, it must be reinforced that every minute that Justin Mason plays against MSU/UNC/UCONN is a minute taken away from Jordan Hamilton's development. Similarly, every minute that J'Covan Brown spends on the bench against these elite teams lessens the chance that he will be prepared for crunch-time minutes in an Elite Eight matchup. That's not an insignificant consideration, in my opinion.

Second, it makes me wonder how much stock we should put into the "starter" label. Several years ago, we watched Dion Dowell "start" several games, then trot back to the bench and stay there. I think everyone will agree that who finishes a game is more important than who starts a game. With Mason's-and Balbay's-liabilities at the free throw line, the argument can be made that it makes the most sense to distribute their minutes closer to the beginning of each half. This helps juggle the minutes, keeps the freshmen fresh, and prevents having 55% FT shooters in the game when they would become a liability. Additionally, by letting Mason and Ward have the "starter" tag, it likely helps assuage any rough feelings over their presumed lack of minutes.

This whole situation has my head spinning a bit...what say you, PB?

PB: You're right that in 2006-07 we learned that Rick Barnes will play freshmen. But that was not the only thing we learned that year. We also learned that freshmen -- even ones who are going to be lottery picks -- take some time to get going generally, and on defense in particular.

I look at the likely starting five you're worried about and see three seniors with strength and an ability to defend, alongside two underclassmen, both of whom are outstanding defenders. I'm sure the other stuff that you discussed is in play, as well, but among all the factors that are likely at work here, this comes down to defense. It's not only the most complete explanation, but I see it as an entirely sensible one. It'll be terrific if we're getting great offensive play from Hamilton and Brown when we match up in the early going with Michigan State, UNC, and UConn, but we won't beat any of them if they're giving it back on the other end. You don't beat those teams unless you are physical and defensively excellent.

All of which means several things to me. First, if Hamilton and Brown are defending at a level good enough to play in a game like that, they will play and play a lot. Second, if they are defending comparably to Mason and Ward, then both of those players will only remain starters to the extent that their offensive contributions permit. This will work both ways: the freshmen will have to show they can defend well enough to be the starters, and the incumbents will have to play offensively well enough to keep their jobs. In the interim, tie goes to the better defenders. Jordan, J'Covan: meet Rick.

Third, from everything we're hearing, these seniors have taken a very active leadership role with this team. A healthy, welcome one. One of the questions we considered during our last discussion was chemistry and minutes and keeping it all together; among the other things said, first and foremost we said that we trusted Rick Barnes completely in this regard. If he thinks Justin Mason needs to open the season as the starter, not only do I trust that his reasoning is sound, but I trust that he won't be afraid to change if/when change needs to be made, and, what's more, I trust that Mason and the other seniors leadership means that not only won't be a problem for the players -- not for Mason, nor for anyone else.

Fourth, I want Texas opening the game with great defense and, on the other side, heavy-heavy doses of Pittman while he's freshest. Mason had a really tough year last year, but assuming he's healthy and can give us plus defense again, I'm comfortable with him fitting that role for us on offense. Moreover, it's pretty titillating thinking about Brown and Hamilton checking in as a second wave and different offensive look for the opposition. Barnes will be free to mix and match in a million different ways this year. Those two off the bench won't be a problem.

And finally, I'm a huge believer in not getting too bogged down in what happens between November and the end of January, to the extent that the process is building towards hitting your stride by the back half of conference play. By that time, you need to know who your "best five" will be, what your (40-minute) identity will be, and how all the pieces fit together. What happens before February only matters to the extent that it speaks to that. Even, to some degree, the results. I'd like for Texas to earn a #1 seed, but I'd be just fine with a #4 or better. But you know what? The fact is that this team's goal is Indianapolis, and they're gonna have to beat an over-matched opening round opponent and then three quality teams, whether the 'Horns are the #1 or a #5 seed. They either will or they won't, based on if the team has put itself together right by February; what happens before then won't matter a bit.