SB Nation User Blog: GhostofBigRoy

Daniels Makes Four

GhostofBigRoy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:22:59 -0000

On Thursday, coach Rick Barnes and company received a fourth commitment for the 2011 class -- DeAndre Daniels, a 6-7.5, long, lanky combo forward from Woodland Hills, CA. Once again, Rick Barnes gains another commitment from a talented wing player and takes a further step in assuring that Texas basketball will keep opposing coaches awake at nigh attempting to deal with the match-up nightmare that will be created on the perimeter.

Once again, the one year that Kevin Durant spent playing basketball at Texas pays dividends in recruiting, as it has for almost every wing that has committed since KD was sinking buckets on the 40 Acres. Durant helped set the stage for a new Longhorn era of long, versatile frontcourt perimeter athletes that will include Jordan Hamilton, Daniel Bejarano, Tristan Thompson, Sheldon McClellan, and, now, Daniels, who was pursued by many of the top programs in the country, including Kentucky (how did Worldwide Wes not get to him?).

Judging from the comments of Daniels and his AAU coach, a simply query into the reasons for choosing Texas reveals KD's fingerprints all over this commitment.

Daniels:

I started liking Texas ($) when Kevin Durant went there. Since then, Texas has always been my favorite.

Texas has always been my number one school ($) from day one since Kevin Durant played there. Their style of play fits me.

Coach Waddey:

He's a big fan of Kevin Durant ($). He's in that same type of mold.

I love you, KD.

Of course, Durant suiting up for the Longhorns has to go back to Rick Barnes and the coaching staff, the group that made Durant feel comfortable in Austin as Barnes began to incorporate the Phoenix run-and-game philosophy made possible by KD and DJ Augustin. As much as fans like to criticize Barnes for lacking an "offensive system" at times, the Texas coach deserves credit for making the adjustment. And all these young wings love it. "I wanted a coach who would let his wings get off," said Jordan Hamilton.

It's an easy comparison to make, but Rick Barnes seems like he's on a Mack Brown-type of roll here getting commitments all made possible by the comfort level these kids develop almost immediately at Texas and the "family atmosphere." Somewhat cliche, both, but the simple commitment is the proof. Daniels on that commitment:

It just felt like family when I went there. It was just a gut feeling. It just felt good and a perfect fit. The family atmosphere was strong at Texas. I didn't get that feel everywhere...The day I met Coach Barnes, I felt comfortable around him. He told me about the program and how the offense works. I trust him.

And don't underestimate Myck Kabongo's impact on this class -- it's probably not a coincidence that after he committed, the other three followed. In a lot of ways, this class is developing a lot like the 2009 football class; Garrett Gilbert's early commitment greatly heightened Texas' appeal for the rest of the class, just as being able to play with an unselfish (almost to a fault on occasion), pure point guard who can push the pace appealed to Daniels, et al.

Speaking of the others, the Cali forward joins McClellan, the aforementioned Kabongo, and recent commit Julien Lewis. All four players are currently ranked in the Rivals Top 100, with McClellan checking in at no. 25, Kabongo at 31, Daniels at 45, and Lewis at 65 -- this already looks like an incredible class.

Of the four, Daniels may have the most potential to rise in the rankings, as he has only played basketball for about four years and is still improving rapidly. Combine the fact that he is older than his 2011 classmates after he recently re-classified from the 2010 class after sitting out a season because of transfer rules after becoming a student at Woodland HIlls Taft. Daniels also may have another growth spurt before he reaches his eventual height, as some expect him to reach 6-9 to 6-10.

As a relative latecomer to the game, conventional wisdom on Daniels holds that he greatly improved during the last year and is still scratching the surface of his potential. If he continues to work hard on his game and improve at the rate he has been, he should end up being the closest thing to Kevin Durant to play at Texas. That isn't to say that he can become Kevin Durant-good, because let's face it, the college ranks will probably only see one KD. Rather, it's a commentary on the similarities to their games -- nearly the same height, same lanky frame and long arms, same inside/outside game, same comfort level handling the rock and slashing to the basket. Durant-lite, say (hey, I'll take that).

It's the inside game that's the projection, considered the rawest part of his game by everyone but his AAU coach (surprise, surprise) and a definite area for focus if he wants to even approximate Durant. By all reports Daniels plays with the type of energy and willingness to bang that suggests a willingness to learn and he should have ample opportunity in his final two years of high school play (and experience gained on the summer circuit, perhaps more importantly) to get a lot of game experience in the post against shorter players and some basic moves. Basically, the idea is that if opposing coaches put a smaller player on Daniels to slow him down on the perimeter, he backs them down or takes them to the box. Against a slower power forward, Daniels beats them off the dribble. Unless you have a Marcus Dove, nameless opposing coach. Got one? Didn't think so.

The YouTube clip below shows Daniels focusing almost exclusively on those perimeter skills and ability to shoot coming off screens and moving without the ball -- recall that all this post-up stuff is down the road. Most reports describe Daniels as having a developing jump shot, with Gerry Hamilton saying he needs to work on his mechanics ($) and another says that he's a little "stiff" at times and doesn't get much lift. Of course, an edited video against air doesn't provide a lot of answers to those criticisms, but it does confirm that Daniels still doesn't have much lift on his jumper. Neither did DJ Augustin and it seemed to work out fine for him, so I don't think it's a big concern with Daniels' length.

It's also worth pointing about that the comment about Daniels looking stiff came a year and a half ago, a long time within the context of Daniels' development. A report from May, when Daniels sent his stock soaring after strong camp performances, says that Daniels is now "ultra smooth" with his shot and has range out to the three-point line, an assessment Hamilton confirms.

Even though he hasn't played the game as long as most other players his age, Daniels seems to have a high basketball IQ, particularly in the area of decision-making. Possessing the disposition and capability to rebound in traffic, Daniels can also get out in the open court without making the type of terrible decisions that Damion James did last year when doing the same. On the video, Daniels looks like he has capable handles, but once again, it's edited and he's playing against either air or short guys. However, none of the scouting reports raise any significant concerns about that part of his game, so it's safe to assume at this point his perimeter game wouldn't suffer from a focus on his interior game.

Besides post moves, the major concerns about Daniels are his overall strength and ability to move his feet when guarding small forwards off the bounce. Like Durant, Daniels is skinny to the point of nearly looking emaciated, meaning that Daniels needs some serious strength work to finish better through contact and hold his position when playing post defense, but he reportedly puts in the effort to deny entry passes and use his length to his advantage.

Recall that Durant also continues to struggle in the area of lateral quickness, part of the reason why the experiment of playing Durant at shooting guard was ill-conceived (in 07-08, he allowed his opponent 10 more points per game at the two) and why he improved last season back at the three. Daniels just needs to work to maximize what explosiveness he has and then use his determination and length to bother the opponent. That should suffice in college.

The issue of explosiveness raises another concern, albeit relatively minor. Daniels is known for a high activity level whenever he plays, but while one report says he's a quick leaper, he's not particularly explosive, once again, kinda like Durant. Like Durant, his length and perimeter abilities effectively make him faster, as does his ability to catch-and-shoot, which appears to have some serious potential. In the end, any criticism of Daniels' explosiveness is a minor quibble.

Overall, Daniels is an extremely talented, if not overly athletic, combo forward with the ability to add an inside game and vault into the top 20 in his class. His strong work ethic and high intensity level will help propel that growth. Even if he doesn't develop consistent post moves, he will still be extremely difficult to match up with on the perimeter with his ability to handle the basketball and knock down open looks. Daniels will fit extremely well in the up-tempo game lead by Myck Kabongo and Daniels will only increase the speed of the game with his ability to rebound and lead the fastbreak himself and make plays in the open court. Another great catch for the Longhorn basketball team and the future keeps looking brighter and brighter.

DeAndre Daniels dominates short guys and air. Sweet! (via jdjk23)

Morning Coffee Hits the Ground Running

GhostofBigRoy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:25:40 -0000

Breaking into the film room: Malcolm Brown. Two interesting facts about the Malcolm Brown video on Rivals. One, even though the film is broken into two sections, both videos show the same play. Redundant. Second, the free video on YouTube begins with two incredible plays that Rivals doesn't have at all. Do they put any effort into acquiring film for their paying members? It appears not. End rant.

Brown is often noted for his physical style of running, actually quite similar to the punishment Vondrell McGee used to mete out to defenders while at Longview that earned him the nickname of "Bulldozer." Perhaps Brown is "Bulldozer Redux" then, or "Bulldozer Deuce." I think I like the second one better. In any case, the *free* YouTube video(see below) provides ample demonstration of Brown's physicality with the football, while Rivals shows little of it (guess I wasn't totally done with my Rivals rant). Listed at an even six feet, Brown is probably closer to 5-10 or 5-11 and honestly appeared shorter than me (I'm 5-11) when I walked by him at the spring game. How tall he really is doesn't matter that much, especially for a running back -- the important part is that he has a low center of gravity and runs with excellent pad level, both attributes that make him difficult to tackle.

In fact, arm tackles simply don't seem to do the trick with Brown, who slips right through them easily. It's truly hard to overemphasize his uncanny ability to break tackles. As mentioned before, it's his center of gravity and pad level that help him break all those tackles, but his balance and the strength of his legs are equally impressive -- there's little doubt from his film that he can already put up some impressive weight on the squat. He fights hard to extra yardage and finishes his runs extremely well -- Brown possesses more than a little of the Marion Barber desire to turn the insides of defenders into mush.

The main rap on Brown is that he doesn't have the explosive breakaway speed of Lache Seastrunk or Aaron Green. Of course, when making those comparisons it's easy to forget that few players possess the elite speed of the two aforementioned athletes. When considered as his own player, Brown has plenty of speed and explosiveness, certainly enough to run in the 4.5 range, though 40 times are hard to come by for Brown. He certainly doesn't get caught by anyone from behind in any of his video, which is somewhat to be expected for a player as highly-regarded as Brown, but still speaks to his speed being far from a weakness.

Perhaps most impressive is that he's not the type of speedster willing to give up momentum in an effort to juke defenders. A true between-the-tackles runner, Brown doesn't want to break everything outside, the major criticism of Lache Seastrunk -- he makes only the necessary cuts at speed and has very good feet, taking the yardage available, then gaining a few more by refusing to go down easily on first contact. When he needs a little extra burst, it's available and if he continues to work hard on his speed and explosiveness over his next two years of high school, there might be some improvement left to make.

(Video after the jump...)

RB Malcolm Brown #28 Steele HS SOPH (Updated) (via CountdownCityPreps)

Solving the Brown vs. Green debate. Or not, actually. I weighed in on this debate rather briefly here, but as one of the most interesting storylines in the 2011 class, it deserves further consideration. Which running back is better? Which running back fits the system better? Would both of them be willing to come to Texas and compete for carries? All compelling questions that won't be answered, in all likelihood, for another year or more.

If Malcolm Brown is similar to Vondrell McGee, then Aaron Green is a rich man's Fozzy Whittaker. Simplistic comparisons, no doubt, but ones that adequately serve the purpose here. Until both of them play on the collegiate level, it will probably be impossible to determine which one is better. In the end, it probably comes down to personal preference and how they fit into the Texas scheme.

McGee and Brown are both downhill runners known for their physicality and while Brown doesn't operate almost exclusively out of the I-formation in high school as did McGee, the concerns about McGee's downhill running fitting into the horizontal, zone-blocking scheme Texas currently employs probably apply to Brown as well. In watching his film, Brown doesn't look like a perfect fit for the Texas scheme, but he also doesn't look like he would have as much trouble adjusting as McGee

Green, however, much like Whittaker, seems like a perfect fit for the Texas scheme with his ability to move horizontally, plant his foot, and explode into the hole. It's almost as if some running backs simply visualize the field better vertically than horizontally, but Green appears to be able to anticipate holes opening while he moves laterally. Especially with larger running backs in the three classes ahead of him, Green feels a major need for the program and fits the scheme extremely well. If Seastrunk ends up somewhere else, as appears increasingly likely, then Green would be the next target to fill the role of home-run threat out of the backfield.

If Green fits the scheme better, should the Longhorns just not offer Malcolm Brown? What if Brown doesn't get an offer and Green goes somewhere else, like USC? What if both get offers and Brown commits first, then Green decides to go elsewhere? There are numerous variables that enter into this discussion that the coaching staff must weigh before offers would go out to Green and/or Brown at the first Junior Day next February. Is there a correct answer? It certainly doesn't seem like it and I can't profess to be able to untangle the logical mess it entails. What I can say, however, is that missing on both of these players, despite the incredible depth of the running back class, would probably classify as a major failure by the coaching staff. Other than that, all I can say is to stay tuned.

Big-back Bergeron enters the equation. If Texas does decide to try to take both Brown and Green, it would be because the coaching staff feels that their skill sets complement each other. However, if the staff decides to take only Green, a big back could also figure into the equation and no one fits that bill better than Mesquite's Joe Bergeron. Of course, the staff could even decide to take a third running back in the class if Seastrunk commits elsewhere and both Brown and Green, or any other combination of two running backs from the class, commit to Texas.

Bergeron makes sense if pretty much any of those scenarios because of his versatility. At six feet and 230 pounds (down from a recent 250 ($)), the Mesquite star could play fullback, some h-back, or even serve in a Cody Johnson role as a short-yardage or fourth-quarter tailback. In addition, Bergeron even caught 12 passes ($) as a sophomore, providing exceptional scheme versatility -- in many ways, Bergeron is like the fullback version of Barrett Matthews. Since pure fullbacks are extremely difficult to come by in this era of spread offenses, the lack of other options makes Bergeron even more valuable. Add in the apparent desire of Mack Brown to use a fullback more often in the offense and a Bergeron offer seems like a strong possibility.

Better conditioning factors into the equation as well. Both Major Applewhite and Bobby Kennedy told Bergeron that he looked much faster at his lighter weight and Bergeron confirms that he has more breakaway speed (and a reported 40 time down in the 4.5s) and can move better laterally. Already an aggressive blocker, Bergeron also has the power and quick feet to become a legitimate threat with the ball in his hands.

Selders could fill role as scat-back. Cy Creek's Jermichael Selders may not ever have the size to be an every-down back on the college level. At 5-11, 178-pounds, he's extremely lanky, but has 4.4 to 4.5 speed ($). In fact, enough speed to earn an invitation to the Junior Olympics. Besides pure speed, Selders is much like Aaron Green in his ability to make defenders miss with his ability to jump cut, along with a developed spin move. He is a tough runner for his size, but doesn't always run with good pad level. As a sophomore, he caught 19 passes, proving his ability to be a threat as a receiver with his soft hands and body control. Selders has only camped at Texas this summer.

Further 2010 Texas Baseball Thoughts

GhostofBigRoy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:54:59 -0000

In further contemplating my thoughts from the other day about next year's version of the Texas baseball Longhorns, some notable absences and glaring omissions became apparent. The purpose of this post is to tie up some of those loose ends as much as possible -- of course, all of this is pure speculation and many of these questions will not satisfactorily be answered until the deadline for drafted players signing contracts passes, fall baseball, and, for most of them, until the season starts many months from now.

Even though it is so long until the next baseball season, the pure potential of the team is extremely exciting, and, hey, it's the off-season, so why not talk about it...

The Left Field Competition

Perhaps the most egregious omissions occurred in my treatment of the battle for playing time in left field next season. The only player I mentioned was Cohl Walla, the former football player and outfielder for Lake Travis. Of course, that left out junior-to-be Tant Shepherd, the starter for most of the season, David Hernandez, Shepherd's replacement in left field, and Tim Maitland, known mostly as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

Shepherd lost the job after the second game of the series against the Aggies and only started two games for the rest of the season after a stretch in Big 12 play when he went 1-20 (.050). In conference play, Shepherd only hit .247 -- of the regulars in the lineup, only Preston Clark (.210) and Russell Moldenhauer (.216) were worse and both of those players were heroes of the postseason. It's hard to say why Shepherd struggled so mightily in Big 12 play -- it might be that advanced scouting detected a major hole in his swing that Big 12 pitchers exploited or Shepherd might have just gone through one of the periods of tough luck that characterize the cruel game of baseball. Whatever the case, Shepherd was one of the best hitters on the team as a freshman, hitting .357. As much as he may have struggled in 2009, there is precedent to suggest that Shepherd could have a strong junior season and regain his starting job in left field.

Displaced by the smooth-fielding Brandon Loy at shortstop after committing eight early errors (including four in the first game against Texas State), senior-to-be David Hernandez was nearly as ineffective as Shepherd when he replaced the struggling sophomore for the last game of the season after Tim Maitland had received two consecutive starts in left field. Until he was replaced by Preston Clark for the third game of the super regional against TCU, Hernandez went only 4-27 (.148). Of greater concern was the slugging percentage for the former shortstop -- .273, exactly the same as his season batting average. That's right, over the course of 99 at-bats and 27 hits, Hernandez did not have a single hit go for extra bases.

While that fits the stereotype of the classic slick-fielding, weak-hitting shortstop, Hernandez has been neither during his time at Texas. During his first season with the Longhorns, Hernandez failed to live up to his reputation as having a good glove by committing 20 errors, but surpassed expectations at the plate, hitting .291. Most surprisingly, considering his power outage in 2009, Hernandez had nine extra-base hits on the year, including four home runs, as many as Cameron Rupp, the bull-strong Longhorn catcher. As a hitter, the former shortstop likes to extend his hands, so any pitches on the inner half of the plate tie him up in knots. Given that major hole in his swing and lack of power, Hernandez is unlikely to receive much playing time as a senior and another transfer may be in order for the former Fresno State Bulldog.

That leaves sophomore-to-be Tim Maitland as the only returning candidate for the starting job. Mainly used as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement, Maitland scored 11 runs on the year on only six hits and had only 31 at-bats, even though he appeared in 59 games. Those 31 at-bats represent too small of a sample size to become overly concerned about his .194 batting average, but Maitland did demonstrate that his best offensive attribute may be his ability to get hit by pitches -- Maitland was hit by six pitches on the year, half as many as noted plunkee Travis Tucker in only 12% of the at-bats.

Given the small sample size for Maitland at the plate, returning to his high school scouting report and production can further illuminate Maitland as a player. The numbers are impressive, as Maitland hit .474 as a junior and .469 as a senior. More surprising were his power numbers as a senior -- Maitland hit six home runs and added eight triples. His scouting report is equally promising, noting that Maitland used his solid bat speed to spray the ball around the field (necessary for a slight left-handed hitter), made consistent contact, and demonstrated gap power. An off-season in the weight room would greatly benefit such a lanky kid, but his true value to the 2009 Longhorns could be in providing speed to a relatively slow lineup and anchoring the lead-off spot after the departures of Michael Torres and Travis Tucker, the two players who filled the top spot in 2009.

The First Base Competition

Since there is every indication that Brandon Belt will sign with the Giants, the first-base job will feature an extremely open competition next year. While Russell Moldenhauer is a possibility, his 5-11 height probably precludes him from playing there consistently, as most managers and coaches prefer their first basemen to be several inches taller. That leaves Colton Cain and Jonathan Walsh as the most likely alternatives.

Cain would be the prohibitive favorite, but the Pirates may be willing to meet his demands of a seven-figure bonus. His major advantage over Walsh is his previous experience at the position -- if Brandon Belt's struggles at first base in 2008 proved one thing, it's that sticking the tall guy at first base hardly guarantees success at the position. However, the concern with Cain is his mobility, as the big lefty has well below average speed. However, since Russell Moldenhauer is an even greater case of a player without a position and hits from the same side of the plate, Cain is much more likely to end up at first base than Moldenhauer ending up playing in the field.

Even with his poor performance behind the plate in the CWS, there is little doubt that Cameron Rupp will be behind the plate again in 2010. That leaves freshman Jonathan Walsh without a position. Though early scouting reports out of high school characterized Walsh as a strong defensive catcher, his play as a senior lefty many observers significantly downgrading the Coppell product's work behind the plate. At 6-3, Walsh has the size to play first base and is known as possessing above-average athleticism for a catcher, so learning first base may not be a major problem, though an off-season spent practicing there would certainly mitigate any potential rawness.

Midweek Starter and Long Relief

Two of the most likely candidates for the job of midweek starter are pitchers who saw little action on the weekend -- a telling commentary by Skip Johnson on their ability. Though Kendal Carillo and Stayton Thomas were instrumental in helping Texas beat every midweek opponent besides Rice, their 2009 usage probably indicates a similar role in 2010.

Of the two, Thomas is the most likely to fill a larger role within the bullpen, as he pitched well in 2008 when he saved three games and held opponents to a .194 batting average. The problem with Thomas has always been his control -- he walked 21 batters in 35.1 innings as a freshman, while hitting nine others. Last season Thomas managed to walk fewer batters (six in 21.1 innings), but still struggled to avoid hitting them, plunking five on the season. Until he can better command his pitches, control will be a major limiting factor for Thomas, although he also allowed opponents to hit .291 against him in 2009, another significant concern.

In the big midweek games, Austin Dicharry will probably continue to see action after starting five games as a freshman. Even if he continues to start games during the week, he will also play an important role in the bullpen on the weekend as a long reliever and primary set-up man. There is also a strong chance that he could end up as the closer if Brandon Workman does not end up with the job. Despite his struggles in Omaha, Dicharry still had a phenomenal freshman season, finishing with a 2.28 ERA and, most impressively, holding opponents to a .189 batting average, lowest on the team. Like Taylor Jungmann, opponents had an extremely difficult time hitting the ball hard off of Dicharry and his exceptional change-up, recording only one home run amongst 11 extra-base hits on the season. However, as Dicharry demonstrated in Omaha, his ability to control his fastball is a significant determinant of his success -- at the end of the season, for whatever reason, he just didn't seem to know where it was going.

Random Notes

A few amazing tidbits about Taylor Jungmann: in 94.2 innings that encompassed 337 at-bats, opponents had only one home run among seven extra-base hits against the star freshman. In contrast, ace Chance Ruffin gave up 32, including 15 home runs and Keith Shinaberry gave up five in 12.2 IP. Jungmann also had a WHIP of 1.05 (Greg Maddux had a career WHIP of 1.14).
Apparently Kirk Bohls was wrong about Sam Stafford being a redshirt freshman, as Stafford did pitch 2.2 innings in 2009. Those three appearances were not particularly encouraging -- Stafford had an ERA of 10.12 after walking six batters and hitting another on his way to three earned runs in his limited work. As appealing as his 95-mph fastball is, he clearly needs some work controlling it.
The infield defense may improve slightly next season when Kevin Lusson replaces Michael Torres at third. After struggling mightily at second base in 2008, Torres worked hard on his defense and improved greatly in 2009, increasing his fielding percentage from .907 to .939. However, the major limiting factor for Torres was his height, which limited his range on sharply hit balls to his right or left. Lusson is between three and four inches taller than Torres, which should help him reach a few more balls next season.
When Jordan Etier signed, Tommy Harmon compared him to Travis Tucker with his hustle and ability to handle the bat. He also showed a little bit of pop for a little guy in high school, hitting a combined 10 home runs as a junior and senior, good enough to rank 11th on the Inside Texas Prep Baseball Top 25 list. During his junior season, he hit over .400.

Morning Coffee Tries To Help You Through the Off-season

GhostofBigRoy — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:57:28 -0000

Pleasant-ly surprising. Power forwards who are 6-5 and can throw down thunderous dunks in traffic aren't exactly a dime a dozen, but that one skill alone isn't enough to draw the attention of major-college programs around the country, especially being undersized for the position. Football players who are 6-5 and can run 4.56 40s, on the other hand, are pretty rare and sure to draw the attention of coaches all over the country. They are also far from undersized.

Atascocita's Everett Pleasant loves basketball, but is quickly realizing just how valuable his talents on the football field make him. He attended the second Texas summer camp ($) and wowed coaches with his speed while lining up at tight end. Kid is the second coming of Jermichael Finley and even though he needs to add weight to his 215-pound frame to play tight end in college, he's a prototypical tight end for the Texas offense. If Atascocita struggles to throw the ball again this season as much as they did last year, Pleasant may not put up eye-popping numbers, but his recruitment will be more about talent and projection than pure numbers.

Considering the recent dearth of talent at the position in Texas, Pleasant is a virtual lock to receive an offer and may end up being one of the top targets in the class. In fact, there are few potential game-changers at tight end in 2011 once again and the current top tight end in the state, Chris Barnett, doesn't seem particularly interested in the Longhorns, even though his older brother Eryon will play football at Texas. That means that the lack of other options makes Pleasant even more valuable and the good news for the Longhorns is that Pleasant loves the football program ($) and has no other current gridiron favorites. He would love to play basketball at UConn, but it's becoming increasingly apparent that football is the sport with the tremendously bright future for Pleasant.

Scott a rare talent. An extremely select group of sophomores received an invitation from the Texas coaching staff to attend the second Junior Day in late February. South Houston cornerback Leroy Scott was one of the select few and there is little wonder why. Scott already has two years of high-level production under his belt entering his junior season and "has the body of a college senior of NFL player already ($)." A quick look at his measurables supports that statement -- Scott is 5-11, 192 pounds, and runs a 4.45 40.

Those measurables also translate onto the field. Much like Adrian White, Scott is extremely physical in press coverage, as well as in the running game, drawing comparisons to Thorpe Award winner Aaron Ross. Physically, Scott can do it all, possessing quick feet, fluid hips and ability to get out of his backpedal and accelerate quickly, as well as elevate to high-point the ball. If Scott does have one weakness, it's in his struggles to cleanly and consistently intercept the football -- he has the hands of a defensive back.

His high school coach, CL Whittington, a former NFL defensive back, confirmed the positive analysis ($) of his star player:

Leroy can play off, he can play bump and run, he's solid on the run force and he does a whole lot of things from the outside. Leroy had some big hits this year. Big hits and cornerbacks are a rarity these days. I feel like he's a complete corner. All of the intangibles are there. He's still constantly working on technique. He has the raw ability. He's doing much better with his bump and run press coverage and that is what he likes to do. The different things technique-wise are what he needs to work on. The athletic ability is there, the body is there and the speed is there.

While Scott may have the confidence required of every great defensive back, he eschews the jawing ($) common to players at his position, while relishing the challenge of facing talented receivers:

I love it when coach throws the X up and gives me the sign to go in press. I get right in his face and I don't say a word the whole game. I let him talk all game and just look at him and let him know this is how it's going to happen all game. That's how it is.

As befitting one of the top prospects in the state in his class, Scott is drawing heavy early interest from every program in the area, but Texas and LSU are the early leaders. The Tigers are his childhood favorite, but Scott says that he loves the Longhorns:

The school I'm favoring right now is UT. I favor UT a lot because just to be a Longhorn, with just the history of UT I want to be maybe another Aaron Ross or something like that maybe, maybe better. I just want to come in as a true freshman and set the whole scene on fire.

The Longhorns appear to be in strong position with Scott, but LSU will certainly pose a major threat to land the extremely talented cornerback.

Evans has all the physical tools. At 6-1 and 185 pounds, Dulles safety Sheroid Evans has all the physical tools to be an exceptional football player. He burst onto the scene as a sophomore with his size and athleticism, but will need to perform more consistently on the field to fulfill his massive potential. He will also need to add weight to his lanky frame over his next several years of high school. Currently, LSU, Texas, and Oklahoma stand out ($) to the talented safety who is also an incredible track athlete, finishing second in the 400m at state, finishing less than a second behind the winner. Evans was also the winner in his region ($) in the 200. Those skills as a runner have Evans wanting to run track and play football in college.

Linebacker updates. Marshall linebacker Aaron Franklin, the latest player to receive a Longhorn offer, visited Norman over the weekend ($) to check out the Oklahoma program. Not a lot to report from the visit, except that Franklin made the usual, generic comments about liking the visit. His mother and both his grandmothers made the visit and reportedly felt comfortable with the program, so getting Franklin's family on campus before he makes a decision before the start of football season will be important. Franklin did say that his current top three are Texas, Oklahoma, and Baylor. The Longhorns are his childhood favorite, but the relatively late attention paid to him by Texas could hurt their chances.

Jordan Hicks has narrowed his list ($) down to six schools: Ohio State, Texas, Florida, Georga, USC, and Alabama. Getting Hicks back to campus has been key for some time and despite earlier reports that he has planned his official visits, Hicks now says that is not the case. His comments on Texas:

Texas is Texas for me. They are that team that I've always loved. After meeting the coaches and getting to know Coach (Will) Muschamp, it made me love them even more. That place is just really cool. Visiting down there I got to meet everybody and see the facilities which really helped a lot.

Obviously, it's always good to hear a player reiterate their positive feelings for Texas and an official visit seems extremely likely, even if it hasn't been set up yet. If Hicks makes it down to Austin again the Longhorns should be in excellent shape to receive a commitment, though Ohio State is probably still the favorite, with USC always dangerous, especially with the appeal of a coach like Ken Norton, Jr.

Jeffcoat camps at USC. On the heels of news that twin sister Jacqueline committed to play basketball at Oklahoma, brother Jackson made the trip out to the West Coast to participate in the USC Rising Stars camp. His father, Jim, reiterated that the two are not a package deal, but did wear a USC shirt to the camp, where he spent much of his time speaking with his friend and former Cowboys teammate, USC linebackers coach, Ken Norton, Jr. Coupled with the elder Jeffcoat's friendship with another former teammate, Derek Kennard's father, USC has a tremendous advantage, though Jim has repeatedly stated that his son's decision will be his own.

As expected, Jeffcoat was extremely impressive during the camp, using his advance technique to consistently get to the quarterback. In one-on-one drills he was nearly unstoppable, even though he looked like he was in basketball shape and not nearly as big as he did on film. However, his quickness and ability to effectively use his hands help make up for any current lack of bulk.

BON Exclusive: PL Lindley Interview

GhostofBigRoy — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:42:54 -0000

In doing research for my early looks at the top players in the 2011 class, I noticed that there wasn't a lot of information out there about Round Rock Stony Point linebacker PL Lindley. His father came across the website and was nice enough to link to more information about his son. After viewing his impressive film and hearing about his strong performance at the second Texas summer camp, I decided to request an interview to get more information out there about the talented junior-to-be and PL was kind enough to take the time.

Lindley started every game at linebacker for state semi-finalist Stony Point, an impressive feat for the 6-3, 210-pound sophomore. During that campaign he made 61 tackles, including 43 solo, along with three sacks, three quarterback pressures, and three pass break-ups, good enough for second-team All-District and a spot on the 5A Texas Football All-Sophomore Defense team. His sophomore season was strong enough to earn Lindley an early verbal offer from SMU. Possessing prototypical outside linebacker size and speed, Lindley has been timed in the 4.5s in the 40 and has a 35-inch vertical. Besides looking the part of a collegiate linebacker, Lindley is also a Mack Brown-type of student-athlete, earning a 3.8 GPA and plans to major in Computer Technology.

My conversation with PL Lindley is after the jump.

GoBR: So you started every game last year on varsity as a sophomore. Can you talk about how that transition went for you in terms of adjusting to the speed of the game?

PL Lindley: It was much, much faster than my freshman year. So it was an adjustment, but it came pretty easily.

GoBR: Can you talk about some areas in which you were successful?

PL Lindley: I think I did pretty well just tackling in my first year on varsity. I did well wrapping up and in pass coverage as well.

GoBR: I see that most of your tackles were solo, so I think that does definitely speak to your ability to tackle in the open field. Can you talk about a couple of areas you would like to improve in this year?

PL Lindley: Getting stronger so I can get off blocks against bigger linemen, things like that. Being more aggressive at the point of attack.

GoBR: What was it like going to the state semi finals against Allen? What was it like playing in that big-time, Texas high school football environment?

PL Lindley: It was fun. I felt myself getting more comfortable and playing better and better as the playoffs went along. I think it was a good experience.

GoBR: You mentioned earlier that you want to get stronger. Anything else you want to work on during the off-season?

PL Lindley: Getting faster, working on my footwork. Mostly just get faster and improve my 40 time.

GoBR: Did you make it to the Texas spring game?

PL Lindley: Oh yes, I went.

GoBR: What was that like? Was there anything that you were looking for at the game?

PL Lindley: It was fun. They play extremely hard, really aggressive. I like that.

GoBR: Any specific linebacker you enjoy watching for Texas, anybody at the spring game?

PL Lindley: Kindle, he didn't play, but he’s real good.

GoBR: You were at the Texas camp last week. What went well for you at the camp?

PL Lindley: Working in the one-on-ones, working in coverage. I feel like I tested well, too. I turned in some good times, some good testing scores. There were a lot of good players out there, so I had a good time being out there with everyone else and there was a lot of good competition.

GoBR: Did you go up against tight ends in the one-on-ones mostly or did you work against the running backs as well?

PL Lindley: We did running backs and receivers. We did some three-on-three and some seven-on-seven with the receivers, but we did more one-on-ones with the running backs.

GoBR: Do you remember any of the running backs you went up against?

PL Lindley: Not by name, no.

GoBR: Did you have a chance to talk with the coaches or get any feedback throughout the camp?

PL Lindley: No, the coaches were busy, so I didn’t have a chance to talk with them.

GoBR: Any thoughts on Will Muschamp and his coaching style?

PL Lindley: I like him a lot. He seemed really interested and told me he liked what he saw and asked me to come to some games in the fall and stay in contact with the coaching staff.

GoBR: Any other linebackers or players at the camp who impressed you.

PL Lindley: The guy from Killeen, Devon Hocutt and the kid from Cedar Park, Chet Moss.

GoBR: Hocutt’s a pretty strong kid, right?

PL Lindley: Oh yeah, he’s pretty big.

GoBR: Did you notice how tall he is? Did you have a chance to stand next to him? Some people say he’s 5-11 and others say he is 6-1.

PL Lindley: He’s around six feet tall, not as tall as I am.

GoBR: Any more camps planned this off-season?

PL Lindley: I’m going to Baylor and A&M next month.

GoBR: Your dad told me you were at the Rivals Five-Star Academy the other night. How did that go?

PL Lindley: It went pretty well. It was fun. It was a long day, but it was a lot of fun competing with each other, everything like that.

GoBR: Did you go a lot of similar things as at the Texas camp? What kind of stuff were you doing there?

PL Lindley: The drop-backs in pass coverage, those were similar, but that was it for the similar drills.

GoBR: Do you feel pretty confident about being able to get in your backpedal and come out quickly?

PL Lindley: Oh yeah, I worked hard on that all last year, so I feel pretty comfortable with it.

GoBR: Any other off-season plans? Any other visits besides camps?

PL Lindley: I’m going to SMU in the next month, then just keep on working out and getting faster.

GoBR: Can you talk about recruiting for you right now and which schools have been in contact with you?

PL Lindley: SMU and Texas. I’m interested in going to Texas if I can, that would be a good thing to do. SMU is interested; they made an offer when I went to their camp.

GoBR: So those are the main two that you have been hearing from right now?

PL Lindley: Yeah, for right now.

GoBR: You go up against Stephen Williams a lot in practice and he’s a really fast kid, so what’s it like practicing against him and trying to tackle him in the open field?

PL Lindley: Oh, it’s tough, he is fast and has really quick feet but you really just have to stay in your frame and break down to tackle him. He’s a fast kid, so you have to work on getting to him.

GoBR: Have you caught him in the open field?

PL Lindley: Oh yeah, I’ve caught him numerous times.

GoBR: Pretty impressive. Any thoughts on Jordan Wade, another kid Texas is going to take a look at?

PL Lindley: Oh yeah, he should be real good this year. Last year he was kind of tentative because he hadn’t played much, but this year in the spring he came out and played big. He should be a big part of the line.

GoBR: He put on some weight in the off-season, do you know where he’s at right now?

PL Lindley: He’s about 270.

GoBR: That’s impressive because he played at about 240 last year, right?

PL Lindley: Yeah.

GoBR: I see that you play some basketball and run some track when you’re not playing football. What events are you running in track?

PL Lindley: I run the 200 and the 4x200 relay.

GoBR: What’s your best 200 time?

PL Lindley: I can run it in 23 seconds.

GoBR: How do you think those sports help you be a better football player?

PL Lindley: With track it helps you get faster and I play basketball to make sure that I stay in shape and to keep my body fit all year round.

GoBR: Between basketball and football, was one of those sports your first love?

PL Lindley: When I was younger it was basketball, but then as I got older it became football.

GoBR: Okay, last question. What are your individual and team goals this season?

PL Lindley: Our goal is to make it to state this year, we have the talent to do it, so we just have to make it happen, work hard in practice.

GoBR: What about for you personally?

PL Lindley: I want to be more of an explosive tackler, get some interceptions this year, score a defensive touchdown.

GoBR: I saw you had a couple pass break-ups last year, any that you wish you had intercepted?

PL Lindley: Yeah, two of them I think.

GoBR: PL, it was great being able to talk with you. I see that you have a great GPA, so keep on working hard in the classroom and it looks like you are set up to have a great junior season, so good luck with that and maybe we can catch up after football season and see where recruiting is for you.

PL Lindley: Thank you, sounds good.

P.L. Lindley (Football) (via NCSAsport)

Wait 'Til Next Year

GhostofBigRoy — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:45:04 -0000

It's a refrain more worthy of a Chicago Cubs fan than a Longhorn baseball fan. As Augie Garrido says repeatedly, Omaha is the minimum expectation for his baseball team. His statements explain the massive disappointment felt by fans after Wednesday's loss to LSU in the CWS Finals, even though the Longhorns had failed to make it to Omaha since 2005.

As much as the failure against LSU still stings, the refrain mentioned above is the cooling, healing salve that will help remove that sting in the grueling, barren landscape of the off-season. Wait 'til next year. The reason is simple -- the 2010 version of Texas baseball could be even better than the thrilling, yet flawed, Heart-Attack Horns of this season.

Key Departures

The Longhorns will miss several key players who contributed to this year's team, especially the leadership of seniors like Preston Clark, Keith Shinaberry, and Austin Wood. Travis Tucker and Michael Torres, also seniors, were the table-setters at the top of the order and both provided a steadying presence in the lineup. Junior Brandon Belt, drafted in the fifth round by the San Fransisco Giants, was the best hitter for most of the season until completely losing his ability to hit fastballs and looking terrible at the plate for most of the post-season and is universally expected to sign with the Giants.

Drafted Signees

Texas signed some excellent players in the 2010 baseball recruiting class, but several of them probably will not make it to campus.The Longhorns will be excellent regardless of which players do decide to attend college, but players like Everett Williams and Colton Cain could be the pieces that put Texas over the top.

Everett Williams, the outfielder from Austin, was always projected as a top draft pick and ended up going in the second round to the Paedres, lower than expected, still probably still high enough to sign. There is little chance that he ever suits up as a Longhorn, though that might be increasing, as there are whispers that the idea of going to college is growing on him. The risk for Williams is that he's a toolsy player, but strikes out too much and doesn't do anything exceptionally, meaning that he could be somewhat exposed as a college player and hurt his stock.

Jacob Cowan, a right-hander from San Jacinto Junior College, fell further in the draft than expected (10th round), but will likely sign because he doesn't have a guaranteed spot in the weekend rotation and has some qualification concerns.

Left-handed pitcher/first baseman Colton Cain may be the most interesting story to follow. Regarded by many as a Top 40 high school talent, Cain fell to the eighth round because of signability concerns. However, the team that picked him, the Pirates, will have a huge impact on whether or not he makes it to Texas. After drafting Tony Sanchez in the first round, Pittsburgh saved several million dollars and is aggressively looking to add minor-league depth as an organization. The well-above slot demands of Cain for a signing bonus of around one million dollars may not be high enough to scare the Pirates away.

Likewise, right-hander Josh Urban also fell to the 19th round because of similar signability concerns, but Urban was also drafted by the Pirates and fits the power-pitcher profile that GM Neil Huntington loves, meaning he could end up signing if given a big bonus as well.

The other players drafted are expected to attend college, a group that includes catcher Jonathan Walsh, who may have a chance to play first base if Belt leaves and Cain signs, right-hander Keifer Nuncio, catcher Nick de Santiago, outfielder Cohl Walla, and left-hander Hoby Milner. Of those players, Walsh is the most likely to sign, but concerns about his ability behind the plate dropped him in the draft, as well as his strong desire to play at Texas.

Key Replacements

Kevin Lusson, third base: Little Lusson was impressive in his limited opportunities as a freshman, hitting .310 with four doubles and 11 RBI in only 42 at-bats. Perhaps even more impressive was his strikeout to walk ratio -- 5:15, good for a .491 OBP. The switch-hitter is expected to step in at third base for Michael Torres and was simply a catalyst for the offense when he played, scoring 13 runs on the season. I didn't see enough of Lusson to get a good read on his range, but the Longhorn coaches could also look at him at second base if no other candidate emerges and give Tan Shepherd another shot at third.
Jordan Etier, second base: Since the Longhorns didn't sign a true infielder in the 2010 class, they will probably have to look for a replacement already on the team. Etier will likely have the first shot at the job. It's hard to take much from his small sample size as a freshman, but Etier was not particularly impressive, recording four hits in 15 at-bats, none for extra bases, while striking out four times. The Longhorns could also look at David Hernandez at second base, though he has struggled with his fielding at Texas and has a major hole in his swing (anything inside). Much like the coaches did after the 2007 season when they brought in Hernandez and Torres, they could look for a transfer to fill in at second base.
Cohl Walla, left field: Preston Clark started in left field throughout much of the post-season after both Tan Shepherd and David Hernandez struggled to hold down the position. Walla, the former favorite target of Garrett Gilbert before giving up football to focus on baseball has the athleticism to play center field, but will probably be given a look in left field to start out, as Connor Rowe's defense in center field was excellent for most of the season. Walla may help the Longhorns produce better offensively at that position, as he hit .371 and showed some pop with eight home runs during his senior season at Lake Travis. Tant Shepherd and David Hernandez may also compete for his position.
Brandon Workman, closer: Since Chance Ruffin, Cole Green, and Taylor Jungmann seem entrenched as the weekend starters, Workman may get the first shot at the closer's role. With his 95-97 mph fastball, he has the most protoypical closer's stuff on the team. However, Workman will have to develop better control before he can be trusted as a closer and will probably need to develop another pitch to throw for strikes besides his curveball, with often flattens out and spins when he tries to back-door hitters.
Sam Stafford and Andrew McKirahan, left-handed specialists: Perhaps the greatest flaw in the 2009 team was the lack of reliable left-handers out of the bullpen, a deficiency glaringly exposed by the LSU Tigers and their cadre of left-handed hitters. After Austin Wood, the Longhorns had no one, as the other main option, Keith Shinaberry, dealth with shoulder problems for much of the year and never had particularly good stuff to begin with. McKirahan made 11 appearances, but struggled with an ERA of 5.68, giving up 17 hits in 12.2 innings and walking seven batters. Sam Stafford redshirted this season and may have even better stuff than McKirahan, as Kirk Bohls reports the the lefty is hitting 95 mph with his fastball in summer ball in California. Freshman Hoby Milner will also have plenty of opportunities to earn a role on the staff, while former starter Riley Boening is a long-shot to contribute after shoulder surgeries.

The case for improvement

The 2009 team had no experience in the College World Series. Now, this group of players knows what it takes to beat the best teams in the country. Their experience this season will give them the confidence in themselves to take the next step as players, as well as the hunger to return to complete their unfinished business. Augie Garrido spends a lot of time talking about nebulous concepts like confidence and baseball spirituality and if the incredible post-season run this year proved anything, it is that this team possesses all those intangibles in spades.

With Kevin Keyes, Cameron Rupp, and the rejuvenated Russell Moldenhauer anchoring the middle of the lineup, the 3-4-5 spots on the 2010 team will be incredibly difficult to navigate. Throughout the season, Keyes improved his approach at the plate considerably, cutting down on his swing to reduce his strikeouts and greatly improving his pitch selection. If he can continue to make those improvements, Keyes could find himself frequenting the nightmares of opposing pitchers. Rupp found his power stroke in the CWS, hitting three huge home runs in Omaha and challenging Keyes for the title of player with the most raw power on the team. Moldenhauer finally started tapping into the talent that made him a third-round draft pick out of high school and may have finally found his hitting strike. If he can remain dialed in at the plate throughout the summer and fall, he could be a much-needed left-handed presence in the lineup next season. Remember, as well, that Moldy hit .350 as a sophomore, a fact often forgotten during his struggles this season.

That leaves the pitching staff. And what a wonderful staff it will be. If Taylor Jungmann commits himself to gaining strength, the velocity on his fastball could improve by several miles per hour, which would probably make him the closest thing to unhittable in college baseball. Chance Ruffin will remain excellent, but needs to focus on keeping his pitches down in the zone more consistently in order to reduce the number of home runs he allows. Cole Green simply needs to build on his strong performances against Southern Miss and Arizona State in the CWS.

Where the Longhorns should be much improved is in the bullpen. Losing only Austin Wood, and with several incoming pitchers who should be able to contribue right away -- Josh Urban, Keifer Nuncio, and Hoby Milner -- Skip Johnson will have many more options at the end of games, a major problem in the CWS when Austin Dicharry couldn't control his pitches and Austin Wood lost his magic. And not just reasonable options like most teams have -- sidearm right-handers throwing batting-practice fastballs, for instance -- the Longhorns will have some seriously talented arms in the bullpen. The biggest question is whether any of them will actually get a chance to pitch on the weekends with the excellent starting pitching.

The defense should remain constant, with critical pieces like Brandon Loy and Connor Rowe returning, as well as a true third baseman in Kevin Lusson stepping in at the hot corner. Another area where the Longhorns should improve immensely is offensively, as Kevin Keyes and Cameron Rupp make jumps in their developments and talented youngsters like Walsh, a switch hitter, Cohl Walla, and possibly Colton Cain, a lefty with prodigious power, join the fold. Playing at home in UFCUDFF, they probably won't continue to mash like they did in Omaha, but the home run totals should go up next season.

So, just wait 'til next year. And until then, the Longhorns might just have some pretty talented athletes on the football field and basetkball court to help pass the time.

Morning Coffee Kicks the Tires on Julien Lewis

GhostofBigRoy — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:43:02 -0000

Finally, positive recruiting news. After two de-commitments on the football side, an extended timetable for Darius White to make a decision, and the continued, um, drama surrounding Lache Seastrunk, the only good recruiting news in the last month and a half has come from the basketball side of recruiting. Early in May, Bellaire's Sheldon McClellan announced that he will officially become a Longhorn in 2011.

Now there is a third member of the 2011 class. It wasn't a particularly well-kept secret over the weekend, with La Marque's Julien Lewis making it clear that he would commit to Texas if offered. After a spectacular performance at the Texas Elite Camp on Thursday and Friday, Lewis received his offer and committed shortly after, publicly announcing his decision on Monday.

So what exactly did Lewis show the Texas coaches ($) at the Elite camp?

I showed them I can come off ball screens really well, I showed them I could defend real well. I showed I can shoot, showed them I have a step back. I showed I can back my man down into the mid range. I did everything. Showed I can always find my teammates; I did a lot of incredible things. They told me I'm strong and all I need to do is hit it a little harder [in the weight room], and work a little more on finishing.

Lewis took off as a player during his sophomore year after transferring to La Marque from Galveston Ball. Despite missing 10 games during the season because of eligibility concerns, Lewis returned to take his game to another level, eventually averaging more than 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. While Lewis is known as a good shooter and penetrator with the ability to create for himself and teammates and possessor of a high basketball IQ ($), perhaps the most impressive aspect of his developing game is his willingness to defend. Excellent at sinking into his defensive stance, Lewis has the quick hands and feet to guard point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards, using his length to disrupt the offensive games of opposing players and his anticipation to beat his opponent to the spot.

His ability on the defensive end does not outshine his offensive abilities, however. A strong athlete who can get into the paint and finish at the rim, Lewis complements that ability with three-point range. Like most players his age, he could improve his ball-handling abilities, but that aspect of his game is not considered a weakness at this point. The most impressive part of his offensive game is his ability to change speeds, along with a developed spin move. Lewis also has the ability to back down opposing players to get into his mid-range game, a rarity for a young player. The area of his game Lewis needs to improve the most is being more consistently aggressive in taking over games, as he often lets the game come to him or spends his time getting his teammates involved.

Besides being a native Texan, Lewis' commitment illustrates the continually accelerating recruiting momentum the Longhorns have been building ever since receiving TJ Ford's commitment. Lewis explains how he became such an avid following of the Texas basketball program:

I started liking Texas when I was in the 5th or 6th grade watching T.J. Ford and Daniel Gibson play. They had success at Texas and now the NBA. I really, really started watching Texas closely when Kevin Durant and D.J. Augustin came through. Kevin was awesome and is going to be one of the best players in the NBA. D.J. Augustin is one of the best point guards I've ever seen and I think he'll be one of the best in the NBA.

If Rick Barnes and company are lucky, they might someday receive a commitment who says that he picked Texas because he grew up watching Julien Lewis play.

Tragedy strikes Daniel Bejarano. Condolences to the Longhorn commit and his family, as Bejarano's father, Damion Gosa, was shot and killed late Thursday night during an apparent burglary attempt at his Phoenix apartment. Though Bejarano and his father weren't close throughout much of Bejarano's life, the two had become close in recent months, making up for lost time in their relationship.

The 6-5 shooting guard learned of his father's death on Saturday while participating in the NBPA Top 100 Camp. After being informed of the horrible news, Bejarano decided to stay at the camp for one last game. While the Phoenix North star didn't have any monster scoring games at the camp, he said that basketball isn't always about scoring:

To me, the challenge was you have a lot of great players on your team. So how do you get to the championship? After we lost our first game, I tried to step up and be a leader, do the small things. I tried to step up to try to motivate them, bring us together like a family. Everyone there is good, so I did what I had to do - pass the ball, rebound, block shots.

The first game, I took some bad shots. After that, I stopped to think and that's not me. I needed to stop that. I just played my game, tried to knock down 3s, take it to the hole, rebound, whatever I could.

People think scoring 30 points makes you the best, but it's not all about scoring. In scouting, that's not what it's all about.

His comments are certainly indicative of the maturity of his game, but right now basketball pales in comparison to the life events that will force Bejarano to become even more mature off the basketball court. Best wishes and condolences to Daniel and his entire family.

Rivals 5-star Academy a showcase for local talent. Many of the talented prospects in the Austin area made their way to the Palace ($) on Friday. However, a few players from outside the area had big days. Foremost among them was Texas commit Darius Terrell, the best among a deep group of receivers and recipient of the overall camp MVP award after showing off the ball skills that made him so desirable to the Longhorns and the crisp route-running that helps him make up for a lack of elite speed. Terrell's Desoto teammate Adrian White also had an impressive day, though Vista Ridge's Jaylon Finner won the Defensive MVP.

Bowie's DeAndre Perry had an impressive day, winning the Offensive MVP award after showing his ability to catch the ball in traffic and proving himself a difficult match-up on the inside or the outside. Several Stony Point players turned in good performances, highlighted by defensive tackle Jordan Wade, an extremely talented player still learning the game, safety Desmond Martin, younger brother of Baylor's Glasco, and linebacker PL Lindley, who showed the length and footwork that makes him an appealing prospect. Cibolo Steele's Blake Gardner showed that Malcolm Brown and Marquise Anderson are not the only talented 2011 prospects on the team, as the young receiver continued his impressive spring on the camp circuit.

Todd Wright talks Texas hoops. Gerry Hamilton spoke with Longhorn S&C coach Todd Wright ($) about off-season workouts and the upcoming season. The insights include improvement from Clint Chapman and Matt Hill, as well as thoughts on the conditioning of Varez Ward, Shawn Williams, and Dexter Pittman. Wright says that Chapman is improving his strength, a major concern throughout his first two season, as well as making major strides in his game this summer. Matt Hill, who dealt with a variety of foot injuries early in his career, has regained his mobility according to Wright, and may be in position to contend for minutes in a crowded frontcourt.

As for Varez Ward, Wright says that the player he termed as one of the most advanced players physically to ever enter the program now has now improved his outside shot, the most critical aspect of his game to improve. Dexter Pittman is working hard as always, but the concern with him is not working him too hard throughout the year. Last season, Rick Barnes rested him during the start of the conference season to keep him fresh for later in the year and that will probably be the plan again this season.

From the Land of Miscellany. What is the deal with DeMarco Cobbs? He was a no show in Knoxville as well last week...Darius White took an unofficial visit to Norman ($) last week, but has no other visits planned for the summer...It looks like Harrison Smith will help alleviate the scholarship crunch at Texas by transferring, mostly likely to SFA...There are rumors swirling that J'Covan Brown is now officially eligible and on campus, but no official confirmations yet.

Cry Me A River, Pat Murphy

GhostofBigRoy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:30:49 -0000

"The loser is always at fault."

-Vasilii Nicolaevich Panov, Russian author.

Perhaps someone could inform Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy of that little nugget of truth. It all started on Thursday with Murphy's declaration that pitcher Mike Leake has "probably serious tendinitis" and that his star pitcher could be done for the year. Reportedly a common tactic by Murphy, it turned out to be as much of a waste of breath as anything could be coming from a certifiable blowhard. Whether it was a petty bit of gamesmanship or "insanely irresponsible," as 40AS sports termed it, the end result was that Murphy came out of the whole thing either looking Bush League for his bit of amatuerish deception or like a Bill Belichick clone, take your pick. But that was only the beginning.

During his post-game press conference, Murphy sounded like a sore loser possessing no connection to reality. To be fair, Murphy did give Texas credit for winning the game, but then complete contradicted himself by whining about how his closer (or whatever stupid name Murphy has for Mitchell Lambson) "had the kid struck out ($)," referring to Cameron Rupp's crucial at-bat. It's hard to tell what Murphy was talking about, because the first pitch of the at-bat was clearly low and the fourth pitch was clearly inside.

Perhaps Murphy needs some glasses because neither one was a strike and only the first pitch was that close and that was the pitch that was low, something the Arizona State coach should have easily seen from the dugout. Somehow, Lambson probably had Connor Rowe struck out of as well, even though Rowe hit the first pitch out of the ballpark. No doubt Murphy will have an explanation concerning that before too long.

But, the sob story continues for Pat Murphy. The big crybaby went on to say that the top of the ninth inning "wasn't a fortunate inning" for the Sun Devils, even though Jason Kipnis was fortunate to reach first base as the first batter, as both Brandon Belt and Travis Tucker had a chance to retire Kipnis, who ended up on secon base after Tucker threw the ball away. Perhaps fortune is what you make of it, coach Murphy -- that's probably what Augie Garrido would tell you. Or maybe that baseball is a cruel game, which it is.

And no, that's not all, folks. For Murphy, "it would have been fitting if this team won it all, to be honest with you." To be honest with you, Murph, I don't see how that would have been fitting. But, oh, "A call here, a call there. We could have won it all. It tears you up. It doesn’t seem right." Like I said, cry me a river, you big baby. What is fitting about a team winning when it gives up six-run leads with a pitcher on the mound who is supposedly better than Stephen Strasburg (yes, Murphy said that, too)? What is fitting about a team winning when it can't respond to adversity, giving up a total of 10 unanswered runs in the aforementioned game? What is fitting about a team winning when it gets another chance using that same awesome, incredible, best-ever pitcher and still loses? I would say nothing, but then maybe that's only because I have a connection to reality.

Hey, coach, it looks like you're on a roll, so maybe you should just keep talking. Bent on heading further into this own little version of the "truth," good ol' Patty boy saved the best for last, a true gem: "A baseball tournament doesn't always indicate the best team in the country. I'll take our team no matter what...A tournament doesn't always show the best team."

Wow, but Texas deserves credit for the win, huh? Somehow I don't believe that now. I think, in this case, that the tournament actually is supposed to determine the best team, since that's how college baseball has decreed that the championship be determined. Actually, how the basketball championship is determined as well. And the Super Bowl in the NFL. Hell, in the two latter sports, a team only has one chance to beat another team. This last week, Arizona State had two. If two games don't determine that Texas is better than Arizona State, how many would? Five? Six? Twenty-seven? How do you propose to set this up, Murph? I guarantee you that Texas is a better baseball team. Why? Because I saw it with my own eyes! And these comebacks are not a fluke. In fact, Texas has made something of a habit of it during this post-season, if you hadn't noticed there, coach.

Maybe Arizona State lost because you simply overused Mike Leake this year, coach. Maybe he just crapped the bed on a big stage. Maybe the problem was that Leake had "probably serious tendinitis" and shouldn't have pitched. Maybe, and here's where I'm going to stretch things, buddy, maybe Mike Leake isn't Stephen Strasburg. Maybe the problem was that Arizona State left 12 runners on base on Friday evening, days after leaving 10 stranded. When you lose after stranding that many runners, it could possibly maybe just a little bit have to do with poor clutch hitting. Or maybe the poor Sun Devils just didn't get the benefit of a few calls, as they didn't in the crucial at-bat when Lambson "struck out" Cameron Rupp. Problem is, acknowledging those truths requires taking responsibility. Oops, I know I lost you there, coach.

Maybe the problem was that, when you called that team conference during the game on Friday, coach, you were coaching your team angrily, yelling at them and demanding more. Maybe they needed to be built up at that point, not torn down. Maybe you should have watched how Augie did it on Tuesday, helping his team leave their guilt behind and move on, giving them confidence when they needed it, and, here's a strange thought, actually smiling and having fun out there. Ever have fun when you coach baseball, Murph? Didn't think so.

Maybe the problem was that your closer (or whatever stupid name you call him) was starting his sixth inning in several days against the Longhorns by the time the ninth inning rolled around on Friday. Maybe the problem was that you relied on a guy with a bulls***, batting practice fastball to try to hold down a good baseball team. Maybe that kind of thing is just going to happen when said pitcher tries to blow hitters away with high fastballs that are slower than most changeups. Thing is, when said pitcher misses a little low with pitches like that, they get hit, say, around 450 feet, especially when there's a hitter with some major power sitting on it. But, of course, I'm forgetting that said hitter was already struck out. Maybe the problem was that said pitcher tried to pitch Connor Rowe the exact same way for the fourth time and Rowe finally got wise to it. Doing that kind of thing isn't exactly a stroke of luck for this team -- Preston Clark hit a walk-off grand slam doing the same thing. Maybe Arizona State wasn't really the better team.

So the moral of the story here, Murph, is that maybe you should go home and shut the f*** up before you sound like any more of a sore loser than you already do. No one likes sore losers.

Texas Basketball Elite Camp

GhostofBigRoy — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:22:42 -0000

The two football camps aren't the only major events happening at the University of Texas in June. The Texas Elite Camp started on Thursday and will continue on Friday as Rick Barnes and staff host some of the top prospects in the country in the 2010, 2011, and 2012 classes, and possibly even a prospect from the 2013 class. The bad news is that several commitments and targets are attending the NBPA camp that started and Wednesday and continues until Sunday. More on that later. Unfortunately, that means that the current commits won't have a chance to bond with potential future teammates, but it is a critical time for the coaching staff to further develop relationships with the players they are targeting, just like at the football camps.

Many of the players attending the camp are guard or wing prospects, positions at which the Longhorns already have commitments in the 2010 class (Daniel Bejarano) and 2011 class (Sheldon McClellan and Myck Kabongo). The bigger priority is to find big men in those classes to replace departing bigs like Damion James, Dexter Pittman, Matt Hill, Clint Chapman, and Gary Johnson.

The following players have been confirmed as attendees:

Jackson Jeffcoat, 2010 forward, Plano East: It's hard to say whether Jeffcoat will spend any time with Mack Brown or Will Muschamp during his visit to Austin, but it is a major victory for the Longhorns to get him back to campus and for him to spend another year at the Elite Camp (he attended last year), as he is still talking about playing both sports in college. It's also important because Jeffcoat's sister has been offered by the Oklahoma women's basketball program and even though the siblings aren't expected to go out of their way to attend the same college, it would be disingenuous to say that it won't make an impact at all.
DeAndre Daniels, 2011 forward, La Canada Renaissance Academy (CA): Daniels apparently was just re-classified from the 2010 class to 2011, giving him more time to develop his outside shot, which is variously described as a strength and as inconsistent. From the relatively little information available on him, it sounds like Daniels is a kind of Tristan Thompson-lite ($): active on the boards and effective in transition, with a long, lanky body that needs to add some muscle, but lacking the athleticism of Thompson.
Julien Lewis, 2011 combo guard, La Marque: Little news trickled out of the event on Thursday, but it did come out that Lewis had an extremely strong performance and may have played himself into an offer. At 6-4, he has good height and length, with a good outside shot ($) and a willingness to use his strong athleticism to drive into the paint to make plays for himself and his teammates ($), hence the combo guard classification. Lewis formerly played at Galveston Ball as a freshman, but had a break-out season in 2008 ($), averaging more than 18 points and bursting onto the recruiting scene. Lewis, who wants to get better on the defensive end, says that he thinks Texas may offer him and that he really wants to go to Texas, so he could be a quick commitment if he gets his offer.
Thomas Gipson, 2011 power forward, Cedar Hill: If playing for a successful high school basketball program is part of the criteria to be recruited by Texas, then Gipson's experience playing for 5A runner-up Cedar Hill fits the bill. He also plays a need position. As of February, Gipson hadn't received a scholarship offer ($), though he has been receiving interest from programs across the country (he now has an offer from SMU). In a game against Duncanville and their talented big Perry Jones, Gipson held his own with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Known as a physical banger, the lefty has a solid hook shot and fade away, but at 6-7 and with relatively limited leaping ability, there are concerns about how well Gipson's size will translate to the next level. The Elite Camp will be an important opportunity for Gipson to prove to the Texas coaching staff that he is "Texas good."
Sheldon McClellan, 2011 wing, Bellaire: The only committed player at the Camp, McClellen will be the only guy selling the Texas program hard to his fellow attendees. While McClellan still hasn't raised the release on his jump shot, his ability to create separation will keep that from being a problem in the near future and McClellan has been working hard with John Lucas to prepare his game for the next level. The experience going against all the talented players working out with the elder Lucas (including some current and former NBA players) will be a major help to McClellan, especially important since he doesn't play the caliber of competition that players like Avery Bradley and Tristan Thompson see at their prep schools.
Zach Peters, 2012 forward, Plano Prestonwood: A physical player older than most of his classmates, Peters may not have the upside of other players in the class, but already has a developed game and mature body. He currently favors the Longhorns and North Carolina and would fit well with the need for bigs in the coming classes. There is a possibility that he could end up being the first commitment of the 2012 class, but that is still mostly speculation.
J-Mychal Reese, 2012 guard, Bryan: A member of the national basketball scene since age 13 after being named a "basketball prodigy by various publications, Reese, the son of the Bryan High School coach, may be extremely difficult to tear away from the shadow of College Station and Texas A&M. As a freshman, he lived up to the prodigious hype surrounding his game, averaging nearly 19 points on 48% shooting, extremely high for a guard and such a young player. At 6-0 tall, Reese is a pure point guard, though he doesn't possess exceptional quickness ($), but does manage to make plays for his teammates and has a solid shooting stroke, though he also releases the ball too low, as does McClellan. Besides his close connection to the Aggie program living so close to College Station, the commitment of Myck Kabongo in the 2011 class may make it extremely difficult to get Reese to Austin. However, Jai Lucas thought the same thing about DJ Augustin and look where he ended up.
Winston Sheppard, 2012 wing, Hightower: Along with Lewis, reports out of Thursday's session had Sheppard as the most impressive player. He also has connections to the Longhorn program, as his parents played at Texas ($). Though Sheppard only averaged a little over three points as a freshman, he uses his 6-7 frame and length to rebound the ball and block shots, as well as slash to the basket or pull up for mid-range jump shots. Sheppard needs to improve his ability to rebound in traffic and develop better body control to finish around the basket. An explosive leaper, Sheppard is set for a monster season as a sophomore, though is free-throw shooting needs work, as he made only 44% as a freshman. He may also be a candidate to become the first commitment of 2012 if his parent's schooling at Texas has had a major influence on him.

As mentioned earlier, several Longhorn commits and potential targets won't be in town because of the NBPA camp being held this week. Among those players not attending are:

Tristan Thompson, 2010 forward, Findlay Prep (committed): I'll have the Recruiting Spotlight on Thompson up in the near future, but the early word from the NBA camp is that he's using his newly-strengthened physique ($) around the basket with aggression.
Daniel Bejarano, 2010 wing, Phoenix North (AZ) (committed): No word out yet on Bejarano's performance at the camp, but his Recruiting Spotlight is here.
Myck Kabongo, 2011 point guard, St. Benedict's Prep (NJ) (committed): Ditto on Kabongo. Recruiting Spotlight here.
Corey Joseph, 2010 point guard, Findlay Prep: A countryman of Tristan Thompson and Myck Kabongo, Joseph's friendship with Thompson was responsible for the forward ending up in Nevada. Known more for his three-point shooting than his pure point-guard skills, Joseph is being recruited by the Longhorns, but Texas doesn't seem to have serious interest in him, as the guard position is not a top priority in the 2010 class and Rick Barnes has not yet extended an offer. However, Joseph is a five-star talent and performed well ($) in the first game of the NBPA camp, facing up against Phil Pressey, a Texas product.
Roscoe Smith, 2010 wing, Walbrook (MD): Smith already has an offer from Texas and may be drawn to the school because of the success of another native of Maryland -- Kevin Durant. As a small forward/wing, Smith has an outstanding shooting touch and a developed shot fake. Even at 6-8, he isn't an interior player and needs to work on his ability to rebound the basketball, as well as his mid-range game and ball-handling abilities. Right now, Smith sounds like a relatively one-dimensional shooter. Securing a commitment from a post player in the 2010 class is probably more important and Smith may opt for another school before finding out whether or not Jordan Hamilton will return, with the presence of Shawn Williams probably another deterrent.
James Johnson, 2010 forward, Samuel Morse (CA): Johnson is a raw prospect at this point who recently moved back to the United State from Canada ($), but he is 6-9 with some developing ability in the post and on the wing (he has three-point range), which may make him extremely intriguing. Johnson has great bounce to complement his physicality. Besides facing relatively weak competition in Canada, a recent growth spurt ($) and time spent in the weight room have helped take his game to another level. He's currently outside the ESPN 100 for his class, but is a player who will probably quickly rise up the rankings as the summer circuit continues and he gains more experience. Given his skill set, he may be a major target for Rick Barnes during the July evaluation period.
Wayne Blackshear, 2011 wing, Morgan Park (IL): Blackshear is a definite possibility to land in Austin, as he made it down for the Missouri football game last fall, but he may not want to leave the state of Illinois. Known as an extremely smooth player, the 6-5 Blackshear was involved in some drama about his transfer from Curie High School to the Morgan Park program, a move that may impact the circle of influential people around the talented young player.
La'Bryan Nash, 2011 forward, Dallas Lincoln: An early top-five rated talent ($) in the 2011 class, the 6-7 Nash will be a national recruit and probably top target for the Longhorns in 2011, though there isn't currently a lot of information out there about his game. One to keep an eye on.

The players are at the NBA camp aren't the only important commits or targets, as several high-profile players Texas is seriously pursuing will not be in town:

Josh Smith, 2010 center, Kentwood (WA): One of the top players in the 2010 class, Smith is a major wide-body and an important target for the Longhorns because of his ability to play in the post. However, the bad news is that Smith has not yet visited Austin and does not currently have any plans to do so, though he hasn't made any decisions about official visits yet ($). Furthering the bad news is the fact that he says he wants to end the recruiting process soon, possibly making a decision before July. UCLA and Washington have long been considered the favorites for Smith, with the Longhorns still in the mix and desperately needing to get him on campus for an official visit. If not, he probably ends up at one of the other two schools, though he says he does not currently have a leader.
Isaiah Austin, 2012 center, Mansfield Legacy: A player in early consideration with the title of top prospect in the state for 2012, Austin has been in Utah since school ended, making him unable to attend the camp. At 6-11 and 190 pounds, it's safe to say that Austin has a ton of work to do in the weight room before stepping foot onto the college campus of his choice, but he did just complete his freshman year and has the frame to add good weight. Known as a player without a developed post-up game at this point, Austin does have exceptional athleticism for a player of his size, running the court and handling the ball well and playing with a high level of activity around the basket. He passes well for his size and even has a nice shooting touch, knocking down free throws with regularity. There is no doubt that Austin will be a top priority in the 2012 class, if not the top priority.

More updates as information trickles out about the camp.

Morning Coffee Finally Reviews Sunday's Camp (Updated)

GhostofBigRoy — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:20:58 -0000

But first, the obligatory Lache Seastrunk section. After Seastrunk failed to make it down to Austin for the first summer camp, the speculation here and on other sites was that Mack Brown would choose to move on, as the Texas head coach often remarks that he doesn't want to recruit players unless they want to be at Texas.

However, Seastrunk says that he and the Longhorns have not yet moved on ($). He says that Texas is still interested in him and that he is still "very high on Texas." While the interviewer failed to ask Seastrunk (or Seastrunk failed to answer) why he did not make his anticipated appearance in Seastrunk, the talented Temple back did say that he is keeping busy with his summer school schedule in an effort to graduate in December. Busy enough that he may not take any unofficial visits this summer, though not too busy to make it to the Baylor camp last weekend. Perhaps the biggest revelation was that he plans on having his ultimate decision made by mid-September, though it wasn't clear if he is changing his plans to announce that decision in January.

Seastrunk also said that he has recently been running the 40 in the high 4.2s, a number with which he is still not satisfied. Working in the weight room is also a priority for the summer, as Seastrunk attempts to strengthen his upper body in an effort to become physical enough to be an every-down back in college, a desire that still seems somewhat far-fetched.

Whether Texas does really continue to recruit Seastrunk remains to be seen, but the Longhorns do have other options in the 2011 class, which is incredibly deep at that position. If Texas does decide to move on from Seastrunk, it's extremely unlikely that they would pursue another running back in the 2010 class.

Speaking of those 2011 running backs...The second summer camp is traditionally attended by many of the top players in the 2011 class and this year was no different. Some of the most important players in attendance were members of that deep running back class. Though talented backs like Bradley Marquez and Herschel Sims did not make it into town, Aaron Green and Malcolm Brown, widely considered the top two backs, both participated in the camp.

Both Green and Brown commented that they enjoyed working with Major Applewhite, apparently having no concerns about Applewhite's lack of experience playing or coaching the position, with Green saying that he thinks Applewhite is "real cool." Green added that his friend Brown caught the ball well out of the backfield ($), while Brown said that Applewhite was coaching the running backs on proper technique ($), showing an understanding and desire to teach the subtle nuances of the position. While Brown said that he has no early leader, Texas was among the group of schools (OU, LSU, Georgia, A&M, and TCU) Brown named as schools in which he has an early interest.

Update on the 2010 linebackers. The big news is that the Longhorns did extend an offer ($) to Marshall linebacker Aaron Franklin after his strong performance at the camp last week. Even though the Longhorns are his childhood favorite, Franklin did not commit after being offered, citing his loyalty to the teams who started recruiting him earlier in the process. Franklin did say that he wants to make a decision by the end of the summer and said that Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Baylor make up his current top four schools.

The logical question now is what happens with Corey Nelson and Jordan Hicks, since there isn't room in the class for all three. Franklin provided insight into that question, relating that the Texas coaches told him that they would take the first two linebackers to commit ($). Perhaps because of that news, Corey Nelson now says that he is shortening his timetable ($) for a decision because of concerns about schools still having available scholarships, with an announcement due in November or December. The Longhorns are in his top five with Stanford, LSU, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. Nelson also explained why he did not make it down to Austin this week, saying that his parents took his brother down to Prairie View A&M and were not able to return in time to drive Nelson down to the camp. The good news is that Nelson took the ACT last Saturday, causing him to miss a scheduled visit to Oklahoma.

[Update]: Nelson now says that he will take his official visits ($) in the fall to UCLA, Michigan, Texas A&M, Stanford, and Oklahoma, saying that he feels more comfortable with the latter three schools than LSU and Texas. Nelson says that the commitments of his teammates to Oklahoma (Joe Powell) and Texas A&M (Domonique Patterson) is having a big impact and no doubt helping his comfort level with those schools. However, Nelson does say that Texas is still in the running ($).

Jordan Hicks is still on the radar, as well. Conventional wisdom has long held that the Longhorns stand little chance of stealing Hicks away from Ohio State unless he makes it down to Austin for another visit. It won't happen this summer, but Hicks did announce the three official visits ($) he plans to take in the fall: Ohio State, USC, and Texas. Since Hicks is tentatively planning on graduating in December, he will likely make an announcement about his decision in December. News of his official visit to Austin is heartening, but his mom reportedly enjoyed their recent trip to meet with Jim Tressell, so it may have just gotten hard to get Hicks to leave the Buckeye State.

Talented defensive ends in attendance. Though Evangel Christian defensive end Jermauria Rasco will be a top Longhorn target and a top national prospect, there are still talented defensive ends in the state of Texas in the 2011 class. One of those prospects is Klein Oak's Nathan Hughes, a 6-5, 243-pounded with power and quickness. Texas is the early favorite for Hughes ($), who says that he may not attend any other camps and received a lot of positive feedback from Oscar Giles.

Another top prospect is Cleveland's Cedric Reed, who may be the top defensive end in the state. Reed already reports seven verbal offers ($), but says that he doesn't have any favorites and likely will not attend any other summer camps. The visit was enjoyable for the talented defensive end, who liked the facilities and the enthusiasm of the coaches.

Houston Memorial's James Rushing has not yet played a down of varsity football ($), but the 6-4, 218-pounder is ranked no. 38 on the 2011 LSR and is looking forward to having a big junior season. Rushing says that he enjoyed how the coaches run the Texas program and wants to find himself as a player next year.

Camp tidbits. A few random notes from the camp on Sunday:

Evangel Christian Jermauria Rasco was not able to make the trip because he took the ACT over the weekend.
DeMarco Cobbs once again did not make it down to Austin ($), saying that he didn't have the right ID to get on the plane to Austin. However, there is some speculation that Cobbs simply decided to go to Tennessee instead, as the camp in Knoxville occurred at the same time Cobbs was supposed to be in Austin. Cobbs said on Sunday night that he was getting the proper identification to travel to Tennessee. Strange and difficult to know what actually happened, but it's probably safe to say that Cobbs is once again off the radar.
Spring Westfield defensive tackle Desmond Jackson showed off his quickness at the camp and said that he doesn't plan on attending any other camps. Perhaps the top defensive tackle in 2011, Anderson was born in Austin and spent the first eight years of his life there.
Lake Oswego athlete Tyson Coleman did make it down to Austin for the three-day camp with his parents. Good news, as his visit confirms his interest in Texas.
Belton quarterback David Ash had a strong performance in his competition with JW Walsh for title of the top prospect in the 2011 class. The Texas coaches will take a long look at both of them.
Jaxon Shipley, who was in town all last week staying with his older brother, reportedly had an impressive camp, showing off good hands and polished route-running ability. He's probably as close to a lock to commit if offered as anyone ever has been.
Killeen Ellison's Devon Hocutt, Stony Point's PL Lindley, and Cedar Park's Chet Moss all reportedly had strong camps.
Whitehouse receiver Trey Metoyer ran a 4.58 at the camp and came away impressed with Texas ($).
The visit vaulted Texas into the number one spot ($) for Arlington's Miles Onyegbule.