Blue chip basketball recruit Devonta Pollard is ready to announce his college destination today, scheduling a 5:00 p.m. CT press conference to name his choice. In our last update, I noted that Missouri had run out of scholarships after taking Tulsa transfer Jordan Clarkson, while Georgetown lost Rob Kirby (the assistant coach who had been the lead on the Pollard recruitment) to LSU.

While the Tigers and Hoyas -- and even LSU -- all have a chance to land the prized prospect, Alabama and Texas appear to be the frontrunners, with the Tide having the obvious advantage of proximity, while Rick Barnes can point to his success developing wings like Kevin Durant, Damion James, and Jordan Hamilton.

My gut is saying that Pollard will choose to stay closer to home, but I can't help but think Rick Barnes' reputation developing NBA talent is going to be hard to pass up. Or who knows, maybe Pollard will pull a Deandre Daniels and sign with someone nobody is talking about.

This is you open thread. We'll update with the decision as soon as Pollard announces.

Howdy, Big Ten fans. This is typically the space where a B1G blogger jumps in to poke one of its rivals with a stick, but Nebraska being a new member of the clan and all, your local overlord decided to give the stick to a Texas fan. Which makes sense, considering that getting clobbered with blunt instruments by Texas over and over was the reason Nebraska ran away from the Big 12 in the first place.

Now, it wasn't all that long ago that Nebraska was good at football and its fans had a sterling reputation as the friendliest, classiest bunch of knowledgeable do-gooders in the country.

Then 1996 came along, Nebraska became a founding member of the Big 12, and...

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I don't have time to put together an organized essay at the moment, but with expansion fever heating up once again, I do want to weigh in with a few thoughts on all this from the Texas perspective. I'm particularly interested in weighing in as a proponent of evaluating conference realignment -- broadly speaking -- as live action game theory, and within that context, trying to consider how Texas might be thinking about all this.

* First of all, Texas fans shouldn't lose sight of that: the Texas perspective. Back when all this stuff started -- when everyone was speculating whether UT would join the Big Ten or Pac-10 -- I predicted that we would stand pat and try to figure out a workable solution with the Big 12. Then, as now, it was easy for people to evaluate the situation solely in terms of the potential value of various plausible moves. (E.g.: Would there be value in making Move X or Move Y, where said move involved an expansionary play.) But then, also as now, the key was to stay focused on Texas' position, and think hard about its long-term positioning.

* With that in mind, a lot of the focus at present seems to be on the broad questions of, first, whether Florida State and Clemson (and Notre Dame, if you're inclined to indulge that fantasy) are valuable properties, and second, whether those schools stand to gain by joining the Big 12. Those are legitimate questions, but they are not -- I would suggest -- the questions that Texas will be asking.

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With Chris Bosh injured, former University of Texas center Dexter Pittman has received some minutes for the Miami Heat during the 2012 playoffs, including one start, but Big Sexy made the wrong kind of headlines this morning after his blatant flagrant foul on the Pacers' Lance Stephenson last night. I heard about it on the radio this morning, but only now saw the video:

Oh, Dexter. So not Sexy. And so out of character, from what we know about him from his four years in Austin. Pittman has been known to knock out an opponent before (remember Blake Griffin?), but never, ever with anything intentional. Last night's foul? Yikes. Dexter should prepare to find he's going to miss whatever's left of the playoffs for Miami.

It's once again that wonderful time of year when I'm working late into the night putting together the annual football preview magazine, when four hours of sleep feels like a lot and an unhealthy amount of my waking thoughts are devoted to Texas football and the upcoming season. Which is how I came to be lying in bed at 3:30 a.m. last night thinking about some of the things that had the greatest potential to derail what is shaping up to be a pretty promising 2012 season.

The focus here is on things that, first of all, could plausibly occur, and second, would be most damaging to the Longhorns in 2012. "Greg Davis is rehired to replace Bryan Harsin" is terrifying, but implausible. "Walk-on Cody Ramirez tears his ACL" is plausible, but of minimal impact to the team's prospects this fall.

There's enough that could go wrong that you could stay up all night thinking about it, but after the jump are five of the things I particularly worry would prevent Texas from having the 10-win type of season many are hoping is within reach. Good news, though: although this post is devoted to cataloguing the things that could knock the team off track this fall, our good friends at Barking Carnival will be publishing the companion post to this topic, highlighting the developments that have the greatest potential to help Texas have an outstanding 2012 season -- perhaps even ending in a BCS Bowl. So when you're done fretting here, head over to Barking Carnival to replenish your optimism.

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The last time we checked in on Devonta Pollard, the most recent news was related to his decision to delay selecting among his four finalist schools: Texas, Alabama, Georgetown and Missouri. There hasn't been any word from Pollard or his family since then, but in recent days the landscape of Pollard's recruitment has changed.

First of all, Missouri appears to be out of scholarships for 2012. Having not been blackballed in the Jordan Clarkson sweepstakes, the Tigers were able to land the Tulsa transfer, who will count against the scholarship limit in 2012-13, despite having to sit out.

Second, three days before Pollard decided to put off making his decision, Georgetown assistant coach Rob Kirby -- the Hoyas' top recruiter and point man on Pollard -- accepted a job on Johnny Jones' staff at LSU. Kirby's departure from the program may not necessarily impact Georgetown's standing with Pollard, but it certainly changes the dynamic of his relationship with the program, and would seem to make the Hoyas less likely to secure his commitment.

In theory, Kirby's arrival in Baton Rouge could open the door for the Tigers to make a late push, but right now, the last week of news would appear to elevate Texas and Alabama to likely favorites to land Devonta Pollard. There remains no update on Pollard's timeline for a decision.

After sporting a frontcourt with just a single player over 6'8" last season, the Texas Longhorns in 2012-13 are poised to be loaded with length down low. Cameron Ridley is Texas' big-name big-man in the Class of 2012, but Rick Barnes and his staff wound up inking a trio of 6'10" recruits, landing both Connor Lammert and Prince Ibeh as well. We've already talked about Ridley, and today our attention turns to the Longhorns' other incoming freshman center -- the long, lean, shot-blocking machine: Prince Ibeh.

It's understandable that so much interest tends to be focused on multi-dimensional players with a multitude of elite skills. It's also understandable that with a well-founded bias towards well-rounded players, the glaring weaknesses or gaps in a player's game often stand out and can seem particularly problematic.

So it isn't at all surprising that some might have an underwhelming reaction upon watching Prince Ibeh for the first time. Ibeh most assuredly has gaps in his game, and they are glaring: though long and athletic, at this point in his young career the center has very little in the way of halfcourt offensive game, with his ability to contribute more or less limited to dunks and put-backs.

Understandable as it may be, it's the wrong way to evaluate Prince Ibeh, at least at the collegiate level. Whatever the heightened requirements to play at the professional level, a college player may be able to provide valuable play with just a single elite skill, and at the collegiate level much more focus should be placed on what a player can do, with relatively less emphasis on well-roundedness as a barometer for capacity to contribute value.

Continue reading this post »

McDonald's All-American five-star forward Devonta Pollard was thought to be ready to announce his college decision last Friday, but as reported by Adam Zagoria, the Mississippi basketball star decided to delay his decision, with his coach relaying that any and all information regarding his recruiting decision would henceforth come from Pollard's mother. Pollard has narrowed his list of college destinations to the Texas Longhorns and three other programs -- Georgetown, Alabama, and Missouri. As of now, there's no word on when Pollard will make his decision, and while the NCAA signing period ends on May 16th, practically speaking there's no real obstacle to announcing later than that.

I wrote about Devonta Pollard a month ago, in the context of a discussion about the relative risks and values of top-tier recruits who have the potential to declare for the NBA Draft early after one season, finding in an preliminary review of recent data that fewer blue chippers turn pro after their freshman season than is widely perceived, and that as a general rule, the more high-elite recruits the better. I noted that while there was certainly ample reason to hope for a recruit of Pollard's caliber to come play at Texas, I hadn't yet watching him play enough to offer much in the way of evaluation.

I've since spent some time with Pollard's film, so as we settle in to wait for the announcement of his decision, let's take a look at the player Rick Barnes is trying to sign to Texas, why the Longhorns have a shot at landing him, and why UT fans should be thrilled if we do.

Devonta Pollard | 6'7" | 200 lbs. | De Kalb, MS | Kemper County High School | Southern Phenoms AAU

If Devonta Pollard decides to sign with Rick Barnes and Texas, needless to say it won't be because he's looking for a great college basketball atmosphere. Lamentable as is the meager support that UT basketball receives -- not only from fans, but the Athletics Department itself, which has been nothing short of an embarrassment in marketing the program -- even under the best of circumstances Texas will never become a big-time hoops school. That speaks to the truly remarkable job Rick Barnes has done transforming UT into a Top 10 program, and the way that he's done it is in fact very relevant to why a school like Texas finds itself one of the final four schools for a blue-chip recruit from Mississippi.

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After DJ Augustin's brilliant two-year tenure in Austin, Longhorns fans certainly have good reason to be excited about undersized point guards from New Orleans. Javan Felix may not have nearly as much raw talent as did his predecessor, but the comparisons will be inevitable. And, in some important ways, appropriate. Let's meet Texas' four-star point guard from the Class of 2012.

Javan Felix | 5'11" | 190 lbs. | New Orleans, LA | St. Augustin's High School | New Orleans Elite AAU

Many have noted Rick Barnes' apparent shift in emphasis towards recruiting more quality depth, focusing on bringing in deep stables of strong players who are likely to play three-plus years in Austin. But there appears to be another, more subtle, shft in emphasis embodied in the 2012 recruiting class: Rick Barnes and his staff seem to be keenly focused on recruiting players who are driven, competitive winners -- without question, among the defining attributes of Javan Felix.

To the extent that this emphasis is substantive, as opposed to just coach-speak, I like it, particularly if there's a correlation with recruiting players with excellent basketball understanding and make up. Although this is probably a topic for a full post all on its own, I think it's an important and useful lens through which to evaluate Javan Felix and his potential impact at Texas

Continue reading this post »

If you have a Facebook account, and don't mind clicking "Like" on something you may or may not like, I have a favor to ask of you...

A dear friend of mine is in a model search contest where Most Votes Wins. You, dear readers, can help push her over the top. And yes, she's gorgeous, so you can vote with a clear conscience.

How to vote? Just click here, and follow the instructions to vote for Amy Lauber. You'll have to "Like" the product page before you can vote, but that's not such a bad thing, particularly if you like quality eyewear.

Thanks in advance for helping me with this big favor.

Oh, and for what it's worth, Amy has pledged that if she wins she will take photos of herself decked in beautiful burnt orange to send as a thank you card. And, because she went to a school without a football program, will root for the Texas Longhorns the rest of her life. Who are we to deny the fan base another beautiful fan?

So let's do this. Vote for Amy Lauber.

Thanks in advance... I appreciate your help.

The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team will head to New York City and Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, December 4th to square off with the Big East's Georgetown Hoyas in the Jimmy V Classic. This will be the 'Horns first meeting with Georgetown since the 1971-72 season, a 78-70 Hoyas win. Texas last played in the Jimmy V Classic in 2008, when No. 6 Texas defeated No. 12 Villanova 67-58.

Georgetown earned a No. 3 seed in this year's NCAA Tournament after going 24-9, losing in the second round to NC State, who will also be in the Jimmy V Classic, playing aganst UConn. The Hoyas lose three starters from last year's team -- seniors Henry Sims and Jason Clark, along with early entrant Hollis Thompson -- but will return their outstanding freshman power forward Otto Porter.

The Longhorns will return three starters as well, after losing Clint Chapman/Alexis Wangmene to graduation and J'Covan Brown to the NBA Draft.

Three University of Texas Longhorns were selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, as LB Keenan Robinson was grabbed by the Washington Redskins in the 4th Round, LB Emmanuel Acho was taken by the Cleveland Browns in the 6th Round, and DT Kheeston Randall was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 7th Round.

It was the fewest Texas players selected in the NFL Draft since 2005, when Cedric Benson (1st round, Cincinnati) and Bo Scaife (6th round, Tennessee) were the lone Longhorns drafted. This year also marked the first NFL Draft since 2000 that Texas did not have a player selected in one of the first three rounds. (Trivia time: who was the only Longhorn drafted in 2000, and what round was he selected?)

Both Washington Redskins fans and Cleveland Browns fans were excited by the selections of Robinson and Acho, respectively, while by the time Randall was drafted Dolphins fans just seemed.... well, exhausted. I don't blame them.

My boy Fozzy Whittaker did not get drafted, but is sure to sign as an undrafted free agent somewhere. I would have loved to see him in the black and gold, although Pittsburgh's drafting of Florida Gator Chris Rainey makes that unlikely. Also looking to sign as undrafted free agents are former Longhorns Cody Johnson, David Snow, Christian Scott, and Blake Gideon.

Thoughts on this year's NFL Draft? How did your favorite team do? My Steelers absolutely killed it, somehow landing David DeCastro at No. 24 in the first round, potential starting tackle Mike Adams in the second, high upside LB Sean Spence in round three, and trading up in the fourth to steal Washington DT Alameda Ta'amu. For my money, Kevin Colbert and Pittsburgh's scouting and development team is the absolute best in the business.

Via Team Speed Kills, we learn that Deloss Dodds has begun asserting some leverage in the ongoing discussions related to a college football playoff. Responding to a question about the Big Ten and Pac-12's desire to preserve the special status of the Rose Bowl, Texas' athletics director spoke from a position of strength, as he is wont to do:

If that's what is holding off a move to even a limited playoff -- and Dodds says he thinks it is -- then he advocates a parting of ways in the postseason. Let those two leagues cling to their more than six-decade partnership with the Rose, and allow the rest of the country to settle the national championship as it sees fit.

"The only way it's going to get fixed," Dodds says, "is for the rest of the country to have a playoff of some kind and let them do their (own) deal. And then after five years, their coaches would go berserk because they're not in the mix for a national championship. And they'd have to join it."

This is, of course, the most effective way to force the hand of a holdout where two sides do not hold equal power. "Capitulate, or we'll just go ahead without you." If going it alone is untenable, the opposition effectively has no choice.

This will undoubtedly bring a fresh round of complaints from the out-leveraged about Texas arrogance, but this needed to be said. Moreover, where the sullying of purity and tradition in the quest for evermore dollars is concerned... everyone's hands are dirty. Including the Big Ten and Pac-12.

God, how much do you love this kid? Smart, funny, insightful, interesting -- like Kevin Durant, the kid is infectious, and absolutely impossible to hate.

"Did Texas offer you at quarterback?" "No."

/cries softly Nope, still not over it.

One would have thought that this monstrosity would have put an end to Aggie rap videos... but no. New conference, same embarrassing results. Foretaste of the feast to come, no doubt.

H/T @AHaley

[12:24 pm update]: It's finally official. Cameron Ridley is a Longhorn. --Wescott--

Five-star recruit Cameron Ridley is expected to sign with Texas on Wednesday at around 12:15 pm CT, ending a nervous waiting period for Longhorns fans who have wondered if the talented center would stick to his verbal commitment to play for Rick Barnes. While we await the news that Ridley has signed and his commitment is official, let's take an in-depth look at Cameron Ridley's profile.

Cameron Ridley | 6'10" | 250 lbs. | Fort Bend, TX | George Bush High School | Houston Hoopstars AAU

Cameron Ridley provides the long-awaited answer to the question: "What if Lamarcus Aldridge and Dexter Pittman had a baby?" The McDonald's All-American center has the long arms and diverse skillset of Aldridge, with the body strength and giant suction cups for hands of Pittman, and you could make the case that Ridley is the best big man recruit that Rick Barnes has ever had at Texas. Aldridge may have possessed the higher long-term professional upside, but the gangly power forward did not arrive at Texas nearly so ready for college basketball as will Ridley.

Continue reading this post »

As Texas Longhorns basketball fans wait for five-star McDonald's All-American center Cameron Ridley to sign his letter of commitment today, and the attention turns to five-star McDonald's All-American small forward Devonta Pollard, I've begun to spend some time thinking about the benefits and risks to recruiting these high profile players. As a Texas fan, for obvious reasons I've been increasingly interested in evaluating the risk associated with underclassmen in general -- and McDonald's All-Americans, in particular -- leaving early for the NBA Draft, and in trying to assess how that impacts their relative value to a college program.

NBA Draft Early Entrants By Class

As a starting point to considering this question, I decided to look, first of all, at how many early entrants between 2009-12 were either freshmen or sophomores, and then second, how many of those freshmen and sophomores were tabbed McDonald's All-American between 2008-11. For a more complete study of this question, I would also want to spend the time identifying recruits who were consensus five-star players but were not named to the McDonald's All-American team -- for example, John Wall and Jordan Hamilton, both of whom were five-star recruits who would have been named to the 2009 McDonald's All-American team but for failing to meet the eligibility criteria.

Continue reading this post »

Wescott got us started with a look at a projected post-spring depth chart for the Longhorns offense, and we can't have one without the other, so let's take a stab at projecting the depth charts for defense and special teams coming out of spring practice.

If you watched the spring game, you know that Manny Diaz played things simple and straightforward, showing little in the way of the exotic looks for which his defenses are known. We also saw the Texas defense play a lot more 4-3 than they will be playing against the pass-happy, spread-em-out offenses of the Big 12.

For purposes of the present exercise, I went ahead and projected the depth chart assuming full health from the returning roster -- thus, my penciling in of Diggs, Jeffcoat, and Phillips to the two-deep. And you'll note that with the exception of early enrollee Duke Thomas, I have not included any incoming true freshmen, despite the fact that several players -- Malcom Brown and Toshiro Davis, for example -- are likely to find themselves on the two deep come fall. Wescott will spend some time in a separate post contemplating which true freshmen are likely to contribute on the field this fall.

Continue reading this post »

We take a lot of pride in providing the most in-depth analyis of Texas Longhorns basketball found anywhere, and I don't have to tell you that the addition of Reggieball this past season has really elevated our coverage to a whole new level.

I'm incredibly proud to announce that Reggieball -- whose real name is Jeff Haley -- has just been announced as the winner of the "Stat Geek Idol" competition hosted by TeamRankings. The Stat Geek Idol competition invited basketball stat writers to submit an entry to Team Rankings, the top 64 of which were selected for the competition. From there, the judges selected the 16 best for the Sweet 16 round and then asked each of the 16 writers to pen a new hoops stat article. Jeff received the second-higest score in the Round of 64, and his Sweet 16 entry got the highest mark, earning him a spot in the Final Four.

Each of the Final Four competitors was asked to write one more piece, and Jeff's scribe on "Hurry Up Offense: How Pushing the Pace Affects Shooting and Rebounding Rates" was voted the winner!

And who were the Final Four judges? You might have heard a couple of the names:

Mark Cuban (Owner, Dallas Mavericks)
Dean Oliver (Director of Production Analytics, ESPN; author of Basketball on Paper)
Ken Pomeroy (KenPom.com; ESPN Insider)
Jeff Ma (author of The House Advantage; co-founder, Citizen Sports)

Please join me in congratulating Jeff for winning this prestigious competition. We already knew he was the best, but what an awesome honor to have him win this competition. The $1,000 prize isn't too shabby, either.

Hook 'em, Reggieball!

Texas' star junior guard J`Covan Brown is NBA-bound, according to the Longhorn Network:

Texas' leading scorer J'Covan Brown will skip his senior season to enter NBA Draft. Brown will discuss on Longhorn Extra later today.

— Longhorn Network (@LonghornNetwork) April 2, 2012

If this had happened yesterday, I might have held out slim hope for an April Fool's Day prank, but alas, it appears J'Covan's days on the 40 Acres are truly done. After leading the conference in scoring and earning First Team All-Big 12 honors, Brown has decided to take his talents to the professional ranks, and will discuss his decision later today on LHN's Longhorn Extra.

Although I cannot at all fault Brown for making the decision that's best for him, I can't help but feel sad. The kid was one of my Top 4 all-time favorite Longhorns basketball players, along with TJ Ford, PJ Tucker, and Kevin Durant. Mid-way through his freshman season, on a team with Damion James, Jordan Hamilton, and Avery Bradley, I called Brown the best pure basketall player on the team, and during his sophomore season upped the claim to declare him the best pure basketball player Texas has ever had during Rick Barnes' tenure. And I think that's true. Not the best overall player. Not the most talented. But the best pure basketball player -- with natural hoops instincts and understanding you just can't teach.

Without J'Covan Brown, Texas slips back to a bubble NCAA Tournament contender, with a strong core of young talent and room to grow into a dangerous team by March. If Brown had returned... well, Texas may well have been favorites to win the Big 12, and potential Final Four contenders.

So it goes, and I've got nothing but love for J'Covan Brown. He gave Texas three amazing years, and I won't soon forget watching him play in the burnt orange. Hook 'em.

UPDATE: J'Covan Brown's statement is here. DraftExpress mock draft here -- projecting Brown to Orlando near the end of the 2nd Round.

It was a lovely day for spring football in Austin today -- clear skies, warm sun, and a nice-but-not-too-stiff breeze. Yes, it's the Spring Game, and no, there isn't too much you can take away from these kinds of scrimmages, but today's performance gave us a nice snapshot of the roster we'll be working with this fall.

Big Roy just posted a few quick reacts on the offense, and below are my ten thoughts on the defense and special teams.

1. The defense didn't show us anything today. Literally nothing. Manny Diaz stuck his charges in a base 4-3 and kept everything simple and straightforward. That's neither good nor bad, but worth noting as a point of context -- for both the defense and offense. On the bright side, I'm told from a couple folks who have had the privilege of watching some closed practices that our defense is really comfortable doing a lot of different things, much more so than at this time last year. We just didn't see that on display today.

2. There's lots of great young talent in the secondary. We're going to have a great secondary this year, but the outlook is also bright for the foreseeable future. Duke Thomas, Josh Turner, and Leroy Scott are all playmakers who will blossom with seasoning.

3. If they stay healthy, our linebackers will be a strong asset. Jordan Hicks is going to have an All-Big 12 season, Steve Edmond is the Mike we've been waiting for, and Demarco Cobbs absolutely flies out there. I don't know how I feel about the depth chart behind them yet, but the top three are going to shine.

4. Speaking of Cobbs, my God does he close fast. You can tell he's going to take a few lumps on misdirection when he overpursues the ball, but as he refines his understanding of the position, he's going to be a hell of a playmaker on the outside.

Continue reading this post »

Tonight we get two of the last three games of the season, with two highly intriguing games -- one for its match up and one for its storyline. The storyline, of course, is Kentucky and Louisville, and if you don't have family in Kentucky, you probably don't understand the full extent of the intensity of this rivalry. Add to that the Final Four setting, and the Pitino-Calapari feud, and this is as intense as it gets. I'm excited to see whether this hyper-talented Kentucky team is fazed by the pressure, or if they steamroll Louisville as their talent advantage suggests they should.

In the nightcap, Ohio State is not far behind Kentucky as a team, but they haven't always played like it this year. Their defense certainly has in this Tournament, though, and the Jayhawks have barely been tested this March, facing three double-digit seeds and a Marshall-less North Carolina. Kansas' two bona fide stars are great players, but a strong game from Jeff Withey is critical tonight. I'm watching to see if either Sullinger or Robinson struggles to stay on the floor with foul trouble -- Sullinger has barely played in the first half of each of the last three games. Ohio State has the better depth to weather foul trouble, though, and if Robinson has to sit for extended minutes, the Jayhawks will be in trouble.

Should be a fun evening. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Texas point guard Myck Kabongo will return for his sophomore season. The freshman announced his decision Monday morning on the Longhorn Network, allowing Texas to avoid losing a freshman to the NBA Draft for the third consecutive season.

Halle-freaking-lujah. Texas was due a break, and however much Kabongo wasn't able to meet fans' exceedingly high expectations for him coming in, his return is a huge, huge boost to next year's team. Particularly considering his upside and potential to improve, having an experienced Kabongo to run the point instead of another true freshman gives Texas a much stronger backcourt, with greater ability to take advantage of its other weapons.

I'm going to address J'Covan Brown's impending decision in a separate post next week -- needless to say, I'd love more than anything to have back one of my Top 3 favorite Longhorns basketball players of all time -- but for now I'm just going to celebrate the fact that we're not going to lose both of them. The offseason just got a lot more interesting, and with Kabongo at point Texas is now in much better position to compete for another NCAA Tournament berth; without him, the road to the post-season would have been an even steeper uphill climb than it was this year.

I hope that Kabongo's decision is equally fruitful for him and the Longhorns basketball program. Thank you, Myck!

2012-13 will be a great yr 4 our team with everything we've been through! @Sheldon_Mac1 @Jay_Bond2 @SterlingGibbs13 @realjuice12 & Sherlock

— Myck Kabongo (@1MK2) March 26, 2012

Indeed. Hook 'em!

This young Texas team was never going to contend for a trip to New Orleans, but with last year's NBA lockout and the effect it had on so many elite college players' decisions to return for another year of college ball -- combined with the Big 12's most welcomed move to a 10-team Round Robin conference schedule -- the 2011-12 season has been one of the most intriguing seasons in a while. As the Regional rounds of the NCAA Tournament draw to a close, a few observations on the college hoops season prior to next weekend's Final Four.

Snakebit in Austin. As nice as it was in other ways to see a swarm of college players return for this season, it's hard as a Texas fan not to roll one's eyes at how the ripple effect managed to hurt the Longhorns. In a normal year of attrition, Tristan Thompson is a Top 15-20 player, and though perhaps we lose him anyway, once the NBA Draft board opened up and he was set to be a Top 5 pick, there was no way he could return. And even more so with Corey Joseph, a normal year of attrition means the combo guard has no prayer at a first round selection and that decision becomes a whole lot more of a gamble, rather than prudent.

It's particularly painful when you think about what this year's Texas team would have been like with those two players on the roster. Hell, if Texas doesn't meltdown in the first 15 minutes against Cincinnati, I didn't see much from Florida State that suggested we couldn't have gotten to the East Regional semifinals against Ohio State without them. With Joseph and Thompson -- neither of whom appeared to be one-and-done players when they were recruited -- Texas is an Elite Eight contender, and maybe more if we happened to draw as friendly a bracket as, say, Kansas.

Continue reading this post »

The website NBADraft.net is reporting that Texas point guard Myck Kabongo is leaning towards declaring for the 2012 NBA Draft. (HT: jc25)

We're hearing FR Texas PG Myck Kabongo is leaning toward leaving for the NBA, despite being a likely 2nd rounder according to scouts.

— NBADraft.net (@nbadraftnet) March 21, 2012

You may recall NBADraft.net from this time last year, when they were the first to report that Tristan Thompson would be leaving early for the Draft. I, among others, questioned their reporting, but was assured in an email exchange that their source was solid. Events proved them to be correct, of course, and now we have good reason to believe that Texas will lose a freshman to the NBA Draft for the third consecutive year.

Although the Canada / Findlay Prep pipeline has been good to Texas in many ways, if Kabongo does in fact leave after his freshman year, they will also largely have been a frustrating source of productive players for Texas. Avery Bradley left after his freshman year in 2010, both Tristan Thompson and Corey Joseph left after their freshman seasons in 2011, and now Kabongo may be ready to follow in their footsteps.

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At the 17:48 mark of the first half, Julien Lewis hit a 12-foot jump shot for Texas' first two points of the game, trimming Cincinnati's early lead to 3-2. The Longhorns would not score again until Lewis hit a pair of free throws more than 10 full minutes later, and didn't make their second field goal of the game until the 5:52 mark of the half. In the interim, Cincy opened up a 16-2 lead and took a 31-17 lead into the half, before extending the margin to 19 points after scoring the first five points of the second half.

Then, and only then, did Texas finally start to play basketball. The Longhorns chipped into the lead over the first 8 minutes of the half and then, trailing 44-30, really turned it on, exploding on a 22-8 run that tied the game at 52 with 3:44 to play.

At which point Texas fell apart, Yancy Gates played a two-minute stretch like Hakeem Olajuwon, and the Bearcats' 6-0 spurt provided the final difference in the game.

And so it ended. So it had to end, seemingly.

Continue reading this post »

March 16, 2012, 11:15 am CT

Bridgestone Center | Nashville, TN

Television: CBS

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The Madness begins! Match ups, tip times, and TV information on the first eight games of the day are below.

11:15 CBS
6 Murray State
11 Colorado State

11:40 Tru
8 Kansas State
9 Southern Miss

12:40 TBS
4 Louisville
13 Davidson

1:10 TNT
4 Wisconsin
13 Montana

1:45 CBS
3 Marquette
14 BYU

2:10 Tru
1 Syracuse
16 UNC-Asheville

3:10 TBS
5 New Mexico
12 Long Beach State

3:40 TNT
5 Vanderbilt
12 Harvard