In full disclosure, I have no real connection to Boise State and have not been to the state of Idaho since 1978. My 12 year son is a huge college football fan and about three years ago he jumped onto the Boise State bandwagon. He loves the Broncos, studies the team, watches all the games, and tracks the NFL draft and BSU players in the League. I probably have one of the few kids in Texas who is a huge Detroit Lions fan. He proudly wears one of his BSU t-shirts to school a couple days a week and wears his Bronco hat to any Texas Longhorns games he goes to. Since I am partial to teams with great coaches I quickly joined my son’s passion for the Bronco’s and it has been a great father/son activity for us (It helps that I am an alum of a school with an awful football tradition….hint a former BSU assistant coach was its offense coordinator for 3 days).

For his coming birthday, my wife and I are going to grant him his biggest wish in life, to see BSU play on the blue turf. I would appreciate any advice on best way to get tickets and what we should do while we are in Boise. I am considering the Miami of Ohio game.

Thank you

Assumptions

• In a perfect world, Texas Football and LHN would become independent
  
• Texas needs to find a respectable and acceptable home for basketball and its other sports - without crazy travel
  
• Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas State, Kansas, Baylor and Tech administrators are desperate to find a BCS home
• Boise State and TCU are looking for a BCS home
• Big East Football is on the verge of disintegration
• West Virginia goes to SEC
• Big East basketball has lost cache with loss of Syracuse and Pittsburgh

Thesis

• Big East become Big Country
• New football divisions:  East - Connecticut, Rutgers, South Florida, Louisville, Cincinnati and Missouri; West - TCU, Tech (or Iowa State), Kansas State, Kansas, baylor and Boise State
• New 12 team football conference holds BCS bid
• Texas and Notre Dame are Football independents
• Loss of BCS conference opens Tecxas up for Notre Dame like deal
• Basketball becomes 20 team conference - Current 16 less three lost teams; plus 6 of the 7 new football teams, Plus Texas - addition of Texas and Kansas replenishes cache and Missouri, Kansas State and Baylor provide solid teams
  
• Boise State finds a western conference for non football sports     

Jai Lucas – What does he accomplish on the court?

Iowa Game stats

While Lucas is in the Game (12 Minutes)

-          1-7 Shooting

-          Iowa State 19 – Texas 13 (Negative 6)

While Lucas Not in the Game (28 minutes)

-          Texas 63 – Iowa State 34 (29 point margin)

He is not a good defender, he cannot shoot, he does not set screens and he is not a play maker.  At this point we are only 7 deep with Wagmene out.  If we get in foul trouble we are in trouble.

• Northwestern makes more money on TV than Texas
• Preemptive versus letting Missouri and Colorado run off other conferences.  With the loss of St. Louis and Denver, Texas delivers almost all the population and significant markets to the conference.  The Big XII is already the lowest of the 6th conference relative to TV markets and revenue.  Texas already gets a great deal out of the conference, not much left to get
• We could play in the weaker "West" part of the conference with only Iowa as a significant threat (Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Northwestern, Illinois and Texas)
•  Decision made by University President not AD (Big Ten is made of many of the great Public Universities in the County (and Nonwestern).   Texas is of this caliber (nouveau rich in an academic sense) but fits the Big Ten in quality and research.  The CIC would be of great value to the University and its International prestige.  All the rich Alum and Missouri do not like leaving the Big XII, but the President has basically said hell yeah.
• Football recruiting probably put at a little risk in the state of Texas, but could open up grounds in the talent rich Ohio and PA corridor for players looking for a warmer climate.  This is probably a overall negative to football
• On the basketball side, probably a recruiting positive as the talent rich Midwest can feed players looking for good weather and attractive coeds
• Baseball, probably the biggest issue, although when you look at the top 40, the Big Ten is not that far behind the Big XII
• Inertia is easy but does not always work, be preemptive and proactive and look long-term

General thoughts from the Drum last night:

• Barnes has lost this team. They have given up on him and he has given up on them
• As stated on ESPN radio (versus the homers over at 1300) this morning, the Motionless Offense Barnes runs is not new, so there should be no surprise to its stagnant nature, the issue is that we are totally dependent on a NBA caliber PG to run the show. Without it we are 4 guys standing around while one guy dribbles around circles and an occasional guy steps up with a half hearted pick and roll. Our offense is designed to allow future NBA stars to show their stuff, it is not designed so create an offensive engine that is far better than the sum of it’s the parts. Watch other top teams, they move the ball and as soon as there is the slightest defensive mistake, the ball rotates around for an open shot. It is a real thing of beauty when it works, our offense is just plain ugly.
• Pittman is novelty and not a big time player. But once again, if he played on a team with an offensive purpose and movement he could be very effective. He whines and is not mentally tough. I believe the coaches all realize they can push him around early and make him a mental basket case. As a team we telegraph when we are going to Pittman, we might as well put up a big sign announcing our intentions
• When we have movement it is random and without purpose.

What should we do:
• I love Dogus Balbay and been a proponent of his playing time, but based on sticking with the Motionless Offense we have no choice but to bet heavily on J’Covan Brown.
• I am not sure what to do with Jordan Hamilton, he seems so lost. Once again, if we ran a structured offense he might understand his role and what he is supposed to do, but right now he has no clue. I have never seem a player of this talent look so awkward on court
• You got to love James, I feel bad for him. At least he has a basketball career beyond Texas. He has really stepped up but the Power Forward cannot do it alone
• Jai Lucas is a bust, do not play him
• Gary Johnson can be a black hole, but he goes to the hoop strong and is not intimidated or ratted by the defense.
• I like Bradley, but he is not having fun out there and seems a little frustrated and without purpose
• I would go with J’Covan, Bradley, James, Johnson and (not sure, I would like to say give Hamilton a shot and see if he can settle into a flow, but I really am not sure)

I assume the below article from the Austin American Statesman is good news (as compared to Ward).  With Lucas joining the team we are still 2 deep at the point guard.  More minutes with Mason is concerning though.

---------

J’Covan Brown: day to day

By Mark Rosner | Sunday, December 13, 2009, 03:19 PM

J’Covan Brown, the Longhorn freshman guard who suffered an injured left ankle in the second half against Texas State Saturday, is listed as day to day.

Remainder of the article deleted; please follow the link to read the rest. Posting articles in their entirety is an illegal violation of copyright and is not allowed on BON.

Posting a few sentences of others' articles, along with a summary of the content in your own words, is perfectly fine. Just don't cut and paste entire articles.

Thanks, PB

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/longhorns/entries/2009/12/13/jcovan_brown_da.html

Here is an interesting note from the NBA Combine:

There was a lot of debate in Chicago about which point guard was the fastest of the bunch. The names thrown around were Darren Collison, Ty Lawson, Patty Mills, or maybe even Jonny Flynn. But, none of them were even the second fastest. Toney Douglas blazed through the 3/4 court sprint with an impressive 3.03 seconds, while even more surprising was the fact that Damion James was second with a 3.09. Matching Lawson and Mills's time of 3.1 was the out-of-nowhere Jodie Meeks.

http://www.thehoopsreport.com/article.aspx?id=273

Texas coach Rick Barnes said swingman Damion James hasn't signed with agent Andy Miller, despite rumors to the contrary. Miller said the same thing Monday afternoon. Both of them said that Miller is advising James, which is allowed under NCAA rules.

"He's allowed to advise -- he hasn't signed anything,'' Barnes said. "Andy Miller has done everything right with us.''Miller said he is helping James gather information for workouts. James is scheduled to go to the Chicago pre-draft combine next week."It will all come down to how he does in the workouts,'' Barnes said.James is projected to be a late first- or early second-round pick. "It's not 'Are you ready to play in the NBA?' but 'Are you ready to stick?' that's the key,'' Barnes said. "Can you stick?"

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4178652&name=katz_andy

I am not sure how good this source is.

-Damion James appears to be leaning toward returning to school at this point, sources tell us, although he would be able to test the waters as a junior if he so pleases. With no NBA pre-draft camp and fewer private workouts for non-lottery prospects being conducted due to budget restrictions—testing the waters may not have the same luster it did in years past.

It also says Connor has an agent.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Word-on-the-Street-Whoas-In-and-Out-of-the-2009-NBA-Draft-3168/

Kentucky is looking for a new coach.  Not sure why he would leave unless he thinks about the fact that only 9,000 fans show up for a conference game where Durant's Jersey is retired.

I assume he is not interested, but you never know.  He would be a good fit with Kentucky from a recruiting standpoint and style of play and he has the maturity and confidence to handle the crazy fans there.  Billy Clyde was a bad fit on the maturity level side.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=531974