Burnt Orange Nation

Second Half Open Thread

2010-02-09T03:05:08Z

Let us never speak again about what just transpired.

Game Preview and Open Thread: Kansas at Texas

2010-02-08T20:29:19Z

Next Game

#1 Kansas Jayhawks @ #14 Texas Longhorns

Monday, Feb 8, 2010, 8:00 PM CST
Frank Erwin Center * Austin, TX
Television: ESPN (Knight & Musburger)

Ken Pom Ratings: Texas #11 / Kansas #1
Ken Pom Predictor: Kansas 78-75 (65 possessions)

Live In-Game Tempo Free Stats

Opponent blog: Rock Chalk Talk

Longhorns To Debut New Uniforms Tonight

posted by Peter Bean about 1 hour ago

14 comments | 0 recs

Complete Coverage >

First, the good news: we're capable of beating Kansas at home, and the home team has won the last six regular season meetings in the series. Next, the bad news: we're in a deep enough rut that we just lost to an average Oklahoma team. And finally, the news that could be good or bad: the team isn't seeing the big picture yet.

I honestly don't know what to expect. The smart money is on Kansas, but let's talk about some of the things Texas will have to do to emerge victorious:

1. Balbay and Bradley control Sherron Collins' penetration. I was beginning to think we wouldn't see a single collegiate player that Balbay couldn't handle, but he was lost in the first half against Tommy Mason-Griffin's jabs, head and shoulder fakes, and vicious quick stepbacks. Collins is a more straightforward point guard, and he relies on his strength as much or more than his quickness to drive. That doesn't bother Balbay nearly so much, and so long as Collins isn't getting star treatment from the officials, I like Balbay to give us good minutes taking away some of what makes Kansas so lethal. I'd expect Avery Bradley to spend some time on Collins as well, particularly if Balbay's struggling on offense, in foul trouble, or not guarding Collins well, and after what we saw AB do with TMG, I'm more confident that he can give us quality in that defensive role, if we need it.

Take away Collins penetration and you make Collins more of a jumpshooter, which is not his greatest asset (although he's solid) and force one of the wings to step up and have a good game. Xavier Henry would be the guy you worry most about, but he's tracking Texas so far this year: awesome in 2009, fading fast in 2010. Tyshawn Taylor has the quickness and talent to be a dangerous player, but things haven't clicked for him at the college level and I'm pretty sour on his prospects -- more so than most. Still, he's certainly got the capability of making plays if tonight's his night. In any case, we'd rather Kansas beat us because other guys stepped up than because we let Collins be Collins. Easier said than done, so the defense of Balbay and Bradley are probably the single most important key to the game. That, and...

2. Play to strengths offensively. We've talked about this ad nauseum, so I won't belabor the point -- you've heard it all before -- but this team neds to work inside out, appreciate that there are 35 seconds with which to get a shot off, and run sets that get the ball to the right guys in the right positions. If we're not setting up Damion James to be a focal point of the offense, we're doing it wrong. If we're not driving to the basket and looking for buckets 12 feet and in to start the game, we're doing it wrong. If we're not attacking with an eye towards getting to the line, we're doing it wrong (miserable FT% be damned). If we're not shooting quality threes as a result of already having done the previous three things well, we're doing it wrong.

3. Get 20-25 quality minutes from Dexter Pittman. There's no way to get around this problem: we've got to have Dexter play well, play smart, and play paced for a 40 minute game. When Pittman sits, we either go with a small line up with Gary Johnson, which is terrifying against this Kansas frontcourt, or we stay bigger by subbing one of the guys who gives us absolutely nothing. I guess it's possible Chapman or Wangmene has a good game, but Wangmene has been terrible all year and Chapman's a scary defensive and rebounding proposition against Aldrich and the Morris twins. This just can't be said more plainly: Dexter Pittman has got to be a smart, solid basketball player tonight or we lose.

Hopefully, he comes with his head checked tonight, because he's been a frustrated mess of inefficiency the past month, and while some of it is the fault of others, the bulk of the blame has to go on the big guy himself. It's up to him to control the things he can control, and not take himself out of the game with dumb plays made out of frustration. Play solid, Dexter. You must.

2010 Texas Junior Day Attendees

2010-02-08T19:00:18Z

These names are subject to change and some players may end up attending a different Junior Day. In general, the great majority of the the first Junior Day attendees will receive offers, although some players invited to the first Junior Day may attend the second due to scheduling reasons. Some players, like New Mexico offensive linemen Matt Hegarty, cannot attend due to scheduling reasons. Players who have been approved for an offer but do not attend a Junior Day will almost certainly have to find another way to get to campus to receive their offer.

First Junior Day -- February 13th

David Ash, Belton quarterback
Joe Bergeron, North Mesquite running back/fullback
Malcolm Brown, Cibolo Steele running back
Jaxon Shipley, Brownwood wide receivers
Miles Onyegbule, Arlington
Trey Metoyer, Whitehouse wide receiver
MJ McFarland, El Paso El Dorado tight end
Sedrick Flowers, Galena Park North Shore guard
Josh Cochran, Hallsville offensive tackle
Christian Westerman, Chandler (AZ) offensive tackle
Taylor Doyle, Lake Travis offensive tackle
Marquis Anderson, Cibolo Steele defensive tackle
Desmond Jackson, Spring Westfield defensive tackle
Cedric Reed, Cleveland defensive end
Nathan Hughes, Klein Oak defensive end
Steve Edmond, Daingerfield linebacker
Chet Moss, Cedar Park linebacker
Anthony Wallace, Dallas Skyline linebacker
Devon Hocutt, Killeen Ellison linebacker
Leroy Scott, South Houston cornerback
Sheroid Evans, Sugar Land Dulles safety

Second Junior Day -- February 27th

Daniel Lasco, The Woodlands running back
Brandon Williams, Brookshire-Royal running back
Herschel Sims, Abilene running back
Bradley Marquez, Odessa running back
Marcus Hutchins, DeSoto offensive tackle
James Castlemen, Amarillo defensive tackle
Lance Skyler, Lancaster defensive end
Trevon Randle, Clear Springs linebacker
Kendall Thompson, Carthage linebacker
Miketavious Jones, Galena Park North Shore cornerback
Eric Agbaroji, Midlothian cornerback
Nick Shepard, Houston Cy Ridge safety
Quandre Diggs, Angleton safety

Specific day unconfirmed

Aaron Green, San Antonio Madison
Marquis Jackson, Fort Worth Arlington Heights wide receiver
Jermauria Rasco, Shreveport (LA) Evangel Christian defensive end (pending ride)
Quincy Russell, San Antonio Sam Houston defensive tackle
Kolby Griffin, Houston St. Pius X cornerback
Franklin Shannon, Dallas Skyline safety
Mykkele Thompson, San Antonio Steven athlete
Ladarius Brown, Waxahachie athlete
Desmond Roland, Dallas Lake Highlands athlete

Longhorns To Debut New Uniforms Tonight

2010-02-08T18:44:45Z

A spokeswoman for Nike emails with the following:

Tonight the Longhorns will debut new uniforms that are dramatically lighter and that are designed to pay tribute to the basketball program and heritage of the University of Texas, including unique call-outs to the Longhorn logo, campus landmarks and the school motto.

Texas is one of several teams in college hoops utilizing these Nike HyperElite uniforms, which are 70 percent lighter than a traditional elite level basketball uniform, and celebrate the rich spirit, tradition and culture of the nation’s top basketball programs.

Images of the new uniforms are after the jump.

Nike shows us what it would look like if Justin Timberlake were our point guard.

Big XII Projected Standings by Tier

2010-02-08T17:00:30Z

For the second week in a row, we'll take a look at the conference standings by adding what we project to happen to what has already occurred to get our best guess at each team's final Big XII record.

A quick review:

Tier I
Projected Wins: All home games and road games against Tier III teams.
Toss-Ups:Road games against Tier II teams.
Projected Losses:Road games against Tier I teams.

Tier II
Projected Wins: Home games against Tier II and Tier II teams.
Toss-Ups: Home games against Tier I teams & road games against Tier III teams.
Projected Losses: Road games against Tier I and Tier II teams.

Tier III
Projected Wins: Home games against Tier III teams.
Toss-Ups: Home games against Tier II teams are toss-ups.
Projected Losses: All road games & home games against Tier I teams.

This time last week Baylor was knocking on the Tier I door. However, due to their loss in College Station over the weekend, the Bears remain in Tier II. Even with splits last week Texas and Missouri deserve their Tier I rankings, along with Kansas and Kansas State. Texas A&M and Oklahoma State remain in Tier II alongside Baylor. And the bottom five stay consistent too-Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Colorado, Iowa State, and Nebraska.

The big winner last week was clearly Texas A&M. The Aggies gained a full game in their projected record with a win at Missouri on Wednesday. The big loser of the week was Oklahoma State. The Cowboys had the only two toss-up games and lost both. Travis Ford's team has now lost three straight, sits at 4-5 in league play, and probably needs to win five of their next seven to feel safe on Selection Sunday.

For the week, the tier system went 7-2 (A&M over Missouri and OU over Texas were the two surprises.).

Team	Actual Record	Projected Record	Toss Ups	Projected Losses
1. Kansas	8 - 0	13 - 3	@ A&M; @ Ok State	@ Texas; @ Missouri
2. Kansas State	6 - 3	12 - 4		@ Kansas
3. Missouri	5 - 3	11.5 - 4.5	@ Baylor	@ Kansas St
4. Texas	5 - 3	11 - 5	@ A&M; @ Baylor	@ Missouri
5. Texas A&M	6 - 3	9.5 - 6.5	@ Tech; vs. Kansas; @ Iowa St; vs. Texas; @ OU	@ Baylor;
6. Baylor	4 - 4	8.5 - 7.5	@ Nebraska; vs. Missouri; @ OU; @ Tech; vs. Texas	@ Ok State;
7. Oklahoma State	4 - 5	8 - 8	@ Iowa St; vs. Kansas;	@ Texas; @ A&M;
8. Oklahoma	4 - 4	6 - 10	vs. Baylor; vs. A&M	@ Ok State; @ Colorado; vs. Kansas St; @ KU; @ Texas
8. Colorado	2 - 7	5 - 11		@ KSU; @KU; @ Missouri; @ Nebraska
10. Iowa State	2 - 6	4 - 12	vs. Ok State; vs. A&M;	@ Missouri; @ KU; @CU; vs. Missouri; @ KSU
10. Texas Tech	3 - 5	4 - 12	vs. A&M; vs. Baylor;	@ OU; @ Baylor; vs. Texas; vs. Kansas St; @ Nebraska; @CU
11. Nebraska	1 - 7	3.5 - 12.5	vs. Baylor	@ Texas; @KSU; vs. Missouri; vs, Iowa State; @Ok State

Thoughts on the week ahead after the jump.

Biggest Surprise from Last Week: A&M winning at Missouri Coming into Wednesday's game, the Tigers were 13-0 at home, and the Aggies were 1-4 on the road on the season. Oh yeah, and Missouri was riding a 32 game home court winning streak. It wasn't exactly the recipe for an upset. But A&M got great performances from forwards Khris Middleton and David Loubeau, shot 52% from the floor, and held Mizzou without a basket for over ten minutes in the second half to pull off the upset. A&M is now in great shape for an NCAA tournament berth and could even sneak into the top four with some wins over Texas and Baylor down the stretch.

Teams with Favorable Schedules: Kansas St, I guess. The Wildcats play just once this week-home vs. Colorado on Saturday. The other top teams have some challenges as they each play two games. Kansas goes to Austin but gets to host Iowa State on Saturday. Missouri hosts Iowa State on Wednesday but must travel to Waco over the weekend. And Texas hosts Kansas and Nebraska. Both are projected wins but after seeing the ‘Horns play since January, who freaking knows.

Toss-Up Games: Baylor at Nebraska, Missouri at Baylor, & A&M at Texas Tech. Last week Oklahoma State got its shot to move forward with two toss-up games but squandered both chances. This week, Baylor has its opportunity.

Upset Pick: A&M over Texas Tech in Lubbock I'm not reaching much with this one. The Red Raider fans haven't been supporting Pat Knight's club this season, which lessens their home court advantage. Second, the Aggies will be well rested by Saturday because this is their only game this week. Last, Bryan Davis and the other A&M forwards should be able to dominate the paint and the glass.

Post-season Outlook: Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Missouri, and Baylor are NCAA locks at this point. Texas A&M is nearing lock status and will earn a berth for sure if they can win nine conference game. Oklahoma State would be out if the season ended today. However, the Cowboys still have opportunities to impress the committee as games with Baylor, Kansas, Texas, and A&M await.

"There are 5 people in the North O-Zone Stampede line and 3 people in the Regular line." This is...

2010-02-08T16:52:57Z

"There are 5 people in the North O-Zone Stampede line and 3 people in the Regular line."

This is the current status of the lines outside the Erwin Center. I'll be there at 3:15, and I advise all of the BON student readers to do the same. It's, I dont know, only a game against our biggest basketball rival and the #1 team in the country.

Morning Coffee Talks 2010 and 2011 Recruiting Narratives

2010-02-08T14:50:09Z

Is the 2010 recruiting class the greatest of all time? For a shot period of time before and directly after the 2010 recruiting class officially signed, before every Texas fan began obsessively worrying about the future of the offensive line, the most common question on the lips of Longhorn recruitniks was whether or not the 2010 group represented the greatest recruiting class to ever become Texas Longhorns.

In terms of historical groups, the Worster Bunch of 1967 is most commonly referenced. Led by namesake Steve Worster, a bruising fullback who would go on to star in the Wishbone attack conceived in 1968 by Emory Ballard, the group set the standard for every recruiting class that would come after, both in terms of the hype that accompanied the class to campus and the eventual success of the group. Just how highly regarded were they?

A confidential poll of SWC Head Coaches taken for Texas Football for the 1967 recruiting class revealed that Texas has signed seven of the top eleven recruits for 1967 as well as 12 of the Top 22 recruits. People like Eddie Phillips, Cotton Speyrer and linemen Jim Achilles, Mike Dean and Bobby Mitchell, as well as defensive players like Bill Zapalac, Scott Henderson, Bille Atessis, and Greg Ploetz. Defensive back recruits included Danny Lester and Freddie Steinmark.

Billy Dale, a member of the class, summarized some of the Worster Bunch's accomplishments:

The record of the "Worster Bunch" during our four years at Texas was 35-2-1. This class produced 14 All-Southwest Conference members, two Academic All-Americans, five consensus All-Americans, six inductees into the Longhorn Hall of Honor and one Heisman Trophy candidate.

Compelling success, no doubt, but missing the most important number associated with the group -- two. That would be the number of championships won by the group, in 1969 and 1970, accounting for half of the national championships won by the Longhorns and making the '67 and 68' clases the only two in Texas history to win two national titles, a feat future classes are not likely to match.

There are multiple problems with comparing recruiting classes across such a great span of history, particularly because of the changes in scholarship limits and the fact that the game was still mostly segregated in the late 1960s. As a result, it's probably worth simply saying that the on-field success of the 1967 class has been unrivalled. All told, the Worster Bunch is essentially incomparable.

In the modern era, the easy comparison is is the 2002 class that produced a handful of major contributors to the 2005 national championship, most notably Vince Young. In fact, it's the simple presence of Young that makes the class so hard to compare with any others. Of course, it's not fair to simply remove Young from the equation in any comparison, but at the same time, his transcendent talent seems to negate any comparisons whatsoever, presenting some serious problems in this endeavor.

The other problem is with the rest of the class. Should it be taken as a whole or should some of the colossal failures also be taken into account? Of the six five-star players in the class, wide receiver Marquis Johnson never made it to campus, cornerback Edorian McCullough transferred after one season due to academic problems, and Brian Pickryl was forced to give up the game after sustaining multiple shoulder injuries, derailing a career that started spectacularly as a true freshman.

Other players, like four-star defensive tackle Marco Martin, also failed to contribute to the program. Martin eventually declared for the 2006 NFL Supplemental Draft after having made only one tackle during his Texas career. Players like Garnet Smith and Robert Timmons, who were both also four-star prospects, contributed little, if any, to the national championship team.

The stark contrasts in the successes and the failures in the one class highlight the problems of evaluating a recruiting class. Is a class evaluated based on the overall ranking in the country, on the average star ranking, on the prognostications of so-called experts before any of the players even take the field in burnt orange? Or is about the end results, the number of games won, the championships won?

The hope is that Mack Brown and his staff have honed the recruiting process to the extent that they are no longer taking risks on players like McCullough and Johnson and that more effective evaluations will limit the number of players who wash out from the 2010 class -- some recent examples like Brandon Collins suggest otherwise, but claiming overall improvement hardly seems like a stretch. The high rate of talented players leaving the program for various reasons from the 2002 class illustrates why evaluating a class before they ever step onto the field is essentially fruitless -- talent and potential is one thing, but in terms of the ultimate goal, those two elements of talent and potential that often lead to success mean nothing until there is actual success on the field backing up those projections. Ultimately, then, the most important criterion for the success of the 2010 Texas recruiting class is whether or not they ever win a national championship. Anything else is just semantics -- a final verdict will not be handed down until then and any other method of evaluation is simply projection.

They are with us. Throughout much of January, the banging drum eventually in tune with the late commitments of Jackson Jeffcoat, Jordan Hicks, and William Russ was that of the marching 2010 class, headed, inexorably, Longhorn fans hope, towards future success. The five-star prospects and the kicker faced the choice of being part of that success or facing the possibility of having to go against the mighty Longhorns in a national championship. As players like DeMarco Cobbs, Mike Davis, and Darius White all decided they were with the Longhorns, the possibility of winning such a match up decreased.

And all those decisions, all those top players heading to Austin set up the 2011 narrative as being eerily similar...

2011 Narrative: With Us Or Against Us, Part II. With all that momentum, all that ridiculous, incredible, unbelievable momentum, the difficult task is to sustain it. Building upon it probably isn't even possible in fantasy worlds completely divorced from reality, but sustaining it may be possible. After all, the 2011 class is faced with the same decision -- the quarterback is in place and the defense is in place and the skill position players are in place, so these 2011 kids can be with the Longhorns or against the Longhorns. Their choice.

With the first Junior Day on Saturday, with several players most likely making it in to Austin to visit with Mack Brown on Friday evening, the great majority of offers will be out by this time next week and the recent past suggests a handful of commitments emergin on Saturday and Sunday. The evaluations have been done by the staff and though Brown might decide whether or not to offer a player as they discuss where Texas stands with that particular recruit, most of those decisions have already been made. The formerly derisive moniker of Coach February may no longer define Mack Brown, but it's still a huge part of what has made him the second most successful head coach in the history of Texas football.

The elephant in the room. Or lack of elephants. So, to address the concerns that loom large over the class. Despite Brown saying that the 2010 class covered every position, that's only true if he consider Trey Hopkins a tackle, which is a stretch -- the talented North Shore lineman could end up there because of his length, but it's unlikely. Later in his Signing Day press conference, Brown admitted that Texas probably should have gone after another tackle besides Matthews.

It's impossible to know what happened behind the scenes in terms of the evaluations made by Mac McWhorter, Greg Davis, and Brown, so speculation in that direction isn't particularly productive. What is more slightly more productive is predicting the future with the available information. This much is true -- Michael Huey, Kyle Hix, and Tray Allen, all players who were unable to redshirt and have generally been disappointments -- will all graduate after the 2010 season, along with Britt Mitchell, leaving only eight scholarship linemen on the roster in 2011, not including the 2011 class. The obvious problem is that of being able to field a two-deep depth chart without burning a redshirt, a tactic that significantly hurt the development of Huey, Hix, and Allen.

At this point, all the hand-wringing about prior decisions should take a back seat to the evaluations that are currently going on. As much as Jake Matthews would have been a great addition to the class or Luke Joeckel or Cedric Oguehi or whomever, the looming reality is that none of those linemen will ever play for Texas. Spencer Drango might. Or Christian Westerman. Trey Hopkins and Dominic Espinosa are both incredibly important to the program and will play for Texas. The 2010 evaluations were crucial, but the 2011 evaluations will be even more crucial and those will have some definite answers in the next several weeks.

All this also known as: OMG we need tackles!!1! More on that later this week.

2011 Texas Big Board: The Quarterbacks

2010-02-08T13:00:21Z

More photos » Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

The Longhorns may have trouble finding a quarterback to back up Gilbert, Wood, and McCoy in the 2011 class. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Browse more photos »

Quarterbacks on 2011 roster -- Garrett Gilbert (2012), Connor Wood (2013/14), Case McCoy (2013/14)

Needs -- Zero or one. Philosophically, the Longhorns prefer to take one quarterback in every class, so they will certainly go after one.

Targets --


Name	School	JD invite?	Commitment odds	Quick take
JW Walsh	Denton Guyer	Will not attend	Committed to Oklahoma St. (2/1/2010)	The best combination of running ability and passing ability in the class -- big-time ability and has remarkable arm strength for a dual-threat quarterback.
David Ash	Belton	February 13	60%	Stock dropped during junior season as a result of an ankle injury that slowed him most of the year. Looked like no. 1 target after 2009 summer camp. Pro-style quarterback who can make some plays with his feet.
Michael Brewer	Lake Travis	Unconfirmed	50%	Undersized for a quarterback at around 6-0, but is a Texas legacy, as his father played quarterback for the Longhorns. Proven ability to lead after taking Lake Travis to a third straight state championship. Reportedly was offered a grayshirt by the Texas coaches and wasn't particularly happy about it.

Other names to know -- Dominic Merka (Crosby), Aaryn Sharp (Stony Point), Ryan Polite (DeSoto), Dexter Foreman (Manvel), Deuntre Smiey (Lufkin)

Overview -- Personal favorite Walsh committed to Oklahoma State without visiting for a Junior Day -- a big loss for the Longhorns, though Walsh might have been more inclined to head elsewhere anyway to pursue better opportunities. Hard to blame him for looking after his own best interests and the recent hire of former Houston offensive coordinator and Airraid expert Dana Holgorson probably played a large role as well.

In fact, with Wood and McCoy in the 2010 class, it will be extremely difficult for the Longhorns to land any of their top targets, even Ash, a player I'm not as high on as Walsh, but a guy who probably compares better to Garrett Gilbert than Walsh, who is more in the Colt McCoy mold, but much more highly considered coming out of high school. The overriding point here is that there will be limited opportunities for a quarterback in this class and even if the Longhorns do receive a commitment from one of their top targets, a transfer from a quarterback in the 2010 or 11 class is likely and even probable.

If Texas offers Ash and finds that he isn't wiling to commit, they may have to pursue targets not currently on the radar and the greater concern here is pure numbers rather than pure talent -- the 2011 quarterback will be the ultimate insurance policy.

Bevo's Daily Roundup - February 8, 2010

2010-02-07T22:45:52Z

It is up early in case you need something to read during the
commercial breaks in the Super Bowl. Go Saints.

"Ten for 27, I have to truly believe there are junior high school teams 
that can do that," Barnes said.

Damn. That's all I want to say about this.

Befuddled?

Gary Johnson can detect the warning signs.

The look in their eyes. The way they shake their heads.

The Longhorn forward knows then that one or two missed free throws by his team might turn into an avalanche.

"I kind of get the feeling that guys are gonna continue to miss them just by the way they carry themselves," Johnson said.

The eyes of Texas are on Chris Whaley.

"Chris Whaley will be interesting to watch this spring," Brown said. "He wasn't ready in the fall. He's definitely one we will watch this spring. We want to see if he can transfer from where he was to where he is now."

Does Texas actually know what to do with a talented running back?

Jeremy Crabtree, Rivals.com's national football recruiting editor, feels that Texas battles the perception it has a quarterback-driven offense when it comes to recruiting for the position.

"I think that hurts them a little bit with the elite running back prospects," he said. "Under Mack Brown, you've heard so much about the quarterbacks with Major Applewhite, Chris Simms, Vince Young and McCoy. The quarterback has been the ringleader for the offense from a perception standpoint and that is sometimes tough when you are selling a running back."

Would have, should have, really doesn't make it any better.

SPRING FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!! A few players will be sitting out this spring.

You really didn't need that sandwich anyway.

My second favorite line was from Texas coach Mack Brown, who said of recruit Case McCoy, 
brother of Colt, "The fact Colt was here ... has absolutely nothing to do with signing Case. 
We would have signed Case if his brother was not here or not a factor." 
Right. 
So what Mack's saying, basically, is that he's a better recruiter than 
all the other coaches trying to sign Case McCoy.

Some people in Ohio just don't get it.

Why would recruit Jordan Hicks leave his home state? I like Texas coach Mack Brown very much, but Jordan, think of the perks (guaranteed future success in any walk of life) you receive when you stay in-state with The Ohio State University. Does Texas really have something different and more attractive? What am I missing? -- Brad Bauer, Short Hills, N.J.

Pete Flutak just doesn't think UT's recruiting class was the best in the Big 12.

Oklahoma. While Texas got some splashy top-ranked prospects like DE Jackson Jeffcoat and LB Jordan Hicks, Oklahoma might have come up with a stronger overall class. The rumors of Bob Stoops leaving for Notre Dame were untrue and the controversy allowed the coaching staff to show why they’re more committed to Oklahoma than ever. The Sooners loaded up with offensive firepower highlighted by QB Blake Bell and receiver Justin McCay from out of Kansas and WR Kenny Stills from California. But the big move was being able to steal Corey Nelson, a speedy safety/linebacker hybrid out from Texas A&M. Nelson had originally committed to the Aggies, but changed his mind on Signing Day in one of the biggest decommitments of the recruiting season. OU didn’t get Florida’s recruiting class, but it isn’t far off.

It never ends. Texas just signed what some consider one of Mack Brown's best recruiting class and the Statesman is already looking ahead to 2011. Here's a list of the state's top 2011 prospects. One of the names will sound familiar.

CBS College Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming weighs in this year's recruiting class.

Happy Birthday. Augie Garrido turned 71 on Saturday.

The Texas-Baylor baseball game on May 2 will be televised.

That Jayhawk signee is definitely ready to play in the Big 12. (Ben Torres SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN)

Size matters. Bob Stoops likes them big.

Even if a player still possesses supposed intangibles, when recruiting, size is a big determining factor.

"There can be a guy that’s tough as nails, this, that and the other if he’s a linebacker and he’s a certain size, and here comes Phil Loadholt," said Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. "I don’t care how tough you are, you get overwhelmed. Sometimes, if you don’t have certain measurables, you get overwhelmed. The other intangibles go out the window."

Kenny Stills, a five-star recruit by Scout, was cleared to play for OU.

Tommy Tuberville has a pretty good recruiting class.

Coaches with programs in transition mode, such as Texas Tech’s Tommy Tuberville, always find themselves pulling double duty in the film room during a pivotal stretch of the recruiting calendar when peers have honed in on the final handful of prospects they seek to sign.

That’s why Wednesday’s most interesting list of signees came from Tuberville, the only first-year coach in college football who tried to lure recruits to a school that remains locked in a legal battle with its former coach. Not exactly an ideal situation, to be sure. So, how did he do?

"I think he’s done a good job," said Luginbill, who made it clear that Tech’s 25-player haul should not be weighed on the same set of scales as those from Texas or Oklahoma. At least not this year.

Tuberville is all about healing.

The healing process has begun, as Tuberville expected.

Tuberville knows messy situations. At Ole Miss, Tuberville had just 55 players on scholarship when he arrived following major NCAA sanctions. Somehow Ole Miss went to a bowl game in Tuberville's third season, in 1997.

Tuberville wasn't oblivious to the reports of lawsuits and rallies backing Leach.

"That stuff doesn't bother me, because I know it will go away," Tuberville said. "If you go in and do your job and sell people on what you're doing and let them know who you are, it will all change."

Texas Tech reports a violation. Those lousy text messages.

Texas Tech filed a report with the NCAA over the summer admitting violations of a ban on text-messaging recruits in three sports — football, men's golf and softball.

Tech imposed its own penalties in football that included giving up one scholarship for 2010 and reducing the number of campus visits to four fewer recruits than the program's average over the last four years. "Comparable" sanctions had also been imposed on men's golf and softball. Nearly all the football coaches involved no longer work for Tech since head coach Mike Leach was fired.

Tech and Mike Leach are talking again, but so far, no agreement.

The Cornhuskers have depth. Nebraska is deep on the offensive line.

"I just look at our overall depth chart now and it looks mighty different than when I got here,'' Pelini said. "I'm real happy about that, especially if the guys develop and become the types of players we can help them become. I like the way the roster looks right now.''

Time Magazine has a great article on head injuries in football.

Texas is one of only three states that have really dealt with treatment and prevention of football head injuries.

Texas, with its deep devotion to high school football, is one of only three states with a law dealing with the treatment and prevention of head injuries in high school sports, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Known as Will's Bill, the law was passed less than two years ago after Will Benson died following a football head injury in 2002. The law lays out broad regulations for safety in extracurricular activities in the state's public schools, and it requires all coaches, sponsors and band directors to undergo safety training.

Now, Congress is getting involved. U.S. Representative Ted Poe, R-Humble has some thoughts on that:

"I mean if Congress gets involved, it would be the end of football as we know it.

"We would all be playing touch football out there."

The role and requirements of the modern-day athletic director have changed.

On March 8, David Brandon will become the athletic director at the University of Michigan. He will assume one of the most coveted positions in college sports, and yet Brandon has no experience in the field. He made his name instead in fast food — since 1999, Brandon has been the chief executive of Domino’s Pizza.

Not long ago, the college athletic director’s office was the province of former football coaches whose primary responsibilities included hiring coaches and running the day-to-day business of the department. But as Brandon’s selection shows, athletic directors at major programs are now viewed as chief executives, responsible for overseeing multimillion-dollar budgets, negotiating lucrative licensing deals and raising millions from private donors.

We concur...Iowa coach Kirk Frentz is confused.

NCAA rules stipulate that programs at the Bowl Championship Series level (formerly Division I-A) can have as many as 85 players on scholarship and can sign as many as 25 in one year.

However, a total of 31 FBS teams - including Iowa State - signed more than the prescribed 25 Wednesday.

"I'm not really good at math," Ferentz said. "I'm still trying to figure out how people sign in the 30s or even in the high 20s. I know there's a reason for it. I haven't read the fine print."

And finally...

Aggies.

"I always used to tell people that Texas A&M football caused me more stress than any job I've ever had. And they always thought I was exaggerating." - Sec. of Defense Robert Gates

Super Bowl Open Thread

2010-02-07T21:36:04Z

Unless you've been rooting for the Colts before today, you hate America if you're not cheering on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

Hang out here or, if you're looking for a more diverse crowd, head on over to SBNation.com's Super Bowl Open Thread.

Poll

Who are you rooting for?

Sifting Through The Rubble: Texas' Epic Fail In Norman

2010-02-07T08:42:53Z

More photos » Sue Ogrocki - AP

Amidst the darkness, one bright ray of hope.

Browse more photos »

Now that I've spent a couple thousand words condemning over-eager Barnes-bashing, let's talk about Texas' atrocious performance in Norman, and the large portion of blame that I place squarely on Rick Barnes' shoulders.

Oklahoma 80 Texas 71

I spent some time in the game preview discussing the importance of denying Oklahoma the fast start on home court that could fuel an upset by the undermanned team. And that was written before we found out that Willie Warren would be available on a limited basis. Naturally, Texas came out and looked lost throughout the entire first half, trailed 20-9 early, and 48-30 by intermission.

The 'Horns showed improved intensity in the second half, did a nice job using a full court press to slow down Tommy Mason-Griffin, and finally got around to exploiting their advantages on the interior, rallying to close enough of the Sooners that the game was very much within reach. Unlike the first half, which was almost entirely a long series of negatives, there was a substantial list of positives in the second half. Unfortunately, there was a substantial list of negatives, as well -- enough to prevent Texas from completing the comeback. Damion James missed 9 out of 13 free throws. (Think about that.) Jordan Hamilton was careful to make sure he matched each positive offensive contribution with a horrible shot that wasted a possession. Texas continued its record-setting pace for most missed lay ups in a single season. And on and on...

There was so much Texas Fail on display in Norman today that it's hard to know where even to start, but after the jump, I've got a few thoughts on everyone involved, starting with Rick Barnes.

Individual Notes

Rick Barnes: There was plenty of on-court failure today we can and should set outside the reach of the head coach, but it doesn't begin to exonerate Barnes for his role in today's misery. Of his many faults, unquestionably most disturbing was the lack of any semblance of a game plan for defeating the Sooners. There are times when turning a team loose without an opponent-specific plan is justified, even desirable, but it's inconceivable that today's match up could be thought to be one of them. I was late sitting down to write my game preview and still comfortably outlined the advantages Texas would hold in this game, and the importance of systematically exploiting them. Over at Barking Carnival, Trips right was more timely with his publication, but hardly broke a sweat hitting on the keys to a successful Texas game plan. In other words, everyone seemed to know how Texas should approach Oklahoma except for Rick Barnes.

As damning as was Texas' first half performance, I understand why fans were as frustrated with Barnes as they've ever been -- I was, I am, even as I wave off jumping to any unwarranted conclusions about replacing him. Despite the abundance of match up advantages Texas held on offense in this game, we opened the half going through the motions of the, well, motion-less half court offense we too often run. The extent of our plan to work match ups to our favor were the few concerted attempts to get the ball to Dexter Pittman in the key; everything else was a helter skelter free-for-all. Compounding the problems our approach created for our own offense, the barrage of missed shots and turnovers created numerous opportunities for Oklahoma to run offense in transition, where they rang up the points hitting under-contested shots. All this, while the Sooners were short an injured star.

Related to the failure to game plan is the failure of Barnes to pull this team together in some kind of way as to get more of the potential capabilities of each player. At present, Texas is getting the most out of one or two players per game, and almost never the same player twice in a row. Of late, the team as a whole seems to be running at about 60% of its potential capacity. It's relatively rare to coach a team that consistently plays at 100% capacity, but anything below 80% is fairly characterized as underachieving. The rut Texas is in at the moment is something more sinister than mere underachievement, and you could make the argument that the loss today to a Willie Warren-less Sooners squad was Texas' worst since the first-round loss to Colorado in the 2005 Big XII Tournament.

It's simply impossible to pinpoint the exact nature of the problem without being around the team on a daily basis, but I think it's fair to say that how Rick Barnes succeeds or fails to pull this team together by March will shape Longhorns' fans trust in his ability to make magic without a show-runner at the point.

Damion James: I've hit 100 free throws in a row several times. I can put together a string of 50 straight within an hour every single time. I even beat Brandy Perryman in a free throw shooting contest at his shooting camp. (Too bad that at 6-3 I can barely dunk a tennis ball on a good day. Pathetic.) Point is, unlike when I talk about, say, Lamarr Houston's technique shedding blocks (never have, couldn't if I tried), when I offer comment on Damion's stroke from the line, I'm not talking out my ass.

So clearly, James is suffering from ravaging doubt at the moment, but I just want to focus on the actual form he uses in taking his shot. Shooting free throws is all about rhythm, which has become something of a cliche, except that it's anything but empty of meaning. I've always been a good free throw shooter, but I didn't become automatic until I quit spinning the ball as part of my routine, simplifying to a simple four-step sequence (after aligning the grooves parallel to the ground): bounce, bounce, knee-bend, follow-through. Each of the four steps in equal time behind the previous, with the entire sequence -- from first bounce to follow through -- unfolding in about two and a half seconds.

On my best shooting days, I'm working with a ball retriever who's getting the ball back to me without delay and I'm comfortably replicating my routine more or less down to the tenth of a second. Rhythm is often mentioned in the context of helping a player mentally concentrate, but the biggest benefit that flows from great rhythm is actually to introduce as much separation between your conscious mind and your kinetic motions. Put another way: rhythm triggers mechanical brain function, bypassing the thinking part altogether. You start the routine, the rhythm of the routine is intimately familiar, and it triggers your brain to respond in a consistent way, not unlike a reflex.

Now, to Damion James. His routine has one particular element in it that I generally don't like to see: a brief pause before release. Consider a pause -- even a brief one -- in terms of what we just discussed about rhythm and bypassing conscious thinking. It's particularly difficult to execute a pause without thinking about pausing; by its very nature, a pause is a mental activity -- commanding an absence of action for a duration of time. This is not to say that someone couldn't train themselves into mechanical pausing, but most shooters who include a pause in their sequence engage that step consciously; oftentimes the purpose of the pause is precisely so the shooter can engage a conscious thought of some kind (often a reminder to do something, like follow through completely).

Watching James shoot free throws should be all anyone ever needs to see to forever expel pre-release pausing from free throw shooting routines. For one thing, James struggles to pause for a consistent duration. One free throw is released after a full nearly a full second of pre-release freeze, while the next rests for half that. The briefer his pause, the better his stroke, with his best featuring pauses so brief they're really more of a hitch, which is much more mechanical than a pause of any real duration.

All this said, I'm sure James has well-considered reasons for stroking as he does, and I know he's practicing like hell trying to get right, so it's a little presumptuous for me to play shooting coach at all, but the bottom line is that the dude missed 9 of 13 free throws today. Whatever his reasons for developing the routine that he has, the one thing we know for sure is that we don't want more of the status quo.

Getting into a good free throw rhythm takes on added importance if Texas gets back to doing more of what they did early in the season and in the second half against OU today -- working the offense through Damion and actively setting him up to work one-on-one when (as is the case at least two times out of three) the opponent doesn't have the right athlete to match his athleticism and defend his to-the-rim game. James' 51.7% FTRate is among the tops in the country, so these are obviously both difference-making development down the stretch: whether we take better advantage of James' offensive abilities, and whether he starts hitting more free throws.

Avery Bradley: As dark and ominous as was virtually everything about this game, it would have been easy to overlook the lone bright spot had it not shone so brightly. We won't know its significance for a while yet, but it turns out that Avery Bradley has a breaker switch inside him. I don't know if anyone else noticed it, but AB did not open the game the same player who balled so brilliantly over the game's final 30 minutes. Players get hot and cold within games all the time, but this was different, with different potential significance.

I'm genuinely curious to know if anyone saw this as explicitly as I perceived it to be, but with about 7:30 remaining in the first half, Bradley's demeanor visibly changed, and not in a way that I've seen before. It literally looked to me like a switch in his head got flipped, because the change manifested itself in a systematic way, almost as though he had entered a different mode, like Pac Man after eating a white dot. Except in Bradley's case, the trigger seemed to be Tommy Mason-Griffin's first 12 minutes of play, which were both brilliant (as a spectacle) and embarrassing (for our shocked and bewildered starting guards). As TMG just continued to fill it up, over and over, there arrived a distinct point at which Bradley appeared not to be able to take it any more, and the part of Bradley's brain that governs his competitive drive encountered an experience that triggered a directed response out of him.

You often hear people talk about going into survival mode. For my money, it appeared as though Bradley got switched into challenged mode. You're undoubtedly aware of Bradley's name-making AAU performance against John Wall; I'd bet big that Bradley on that day was playing in the elevated challenged mode I saw him transform into today. Our full court press and ball denial did a lot of work, but the rest of TMG's quiet second half was attributable not to individual defense by Dogus Balbay, who struggled repeatedly with TMG's timing and manner of fakes, but by Avery Bradley, who solved the riddle of cutting off TMG's penetration without ceding the ability to close out on that lightning quick stepback jumper. Offensively, we saw Bradley assume the substantially more assertive, bucket-seeking approach that we've often said we hoped he'd adopt.

All of which raises two series of questions: First, if I'm right about Bradley responding to a challenge, what does it mean going forward? Does it mean that side of him only comes out in the face of great individual performers that inspire him to assert his own excellence? Does it mean the heightened competition of post-season play would be enough to bring it out in him? When it does get triggered, does it expire at the end of a game, or does it linger in him for a while? Could the challenge Texas is facing in its recent slide be enough to bring out the best of AB the rest of the way? Is #1 Kansas enough to provoke it?

Second, if I've read too much into this and Bradley's elevated play was the result of something else, what was it? And is it something that means we should expect to see more of it heading forward? Did he enter into a new performance level tier as a player, or was it a game-specific burst?

Whatever the answers, Bradley's play today was a notable, intriguing, promising bright spot. And one set of potential answers would be the biggest development of the season to date. If it is at all possible to take something positive from today, this is surely it.

It's 3:30 and I'm not feeling an all-nighter, but neither do I see much sense in holding this material until I can get to the remaining players. So we'll stop here, and hopefully get back to the others tomorrow. Not that there's anything good to be said...

On Criticism

2010-02-07T03:31:32Z

More photos » Harry Cabluck - AP

Why are you so eager to write my obituary, you sick, premature, Kevin Durant-hating jackanape.

Browse more photos »

Game review of the horrid performance in Norman is to follow. But first...

Amazingly enough, Texas' performance in Norman, which was pitiful in too many ways to count, was not the most frustrating part about today. It's shocking anything could be more frustrating than watching a favorite team lose like Texas did, but it turns out that, at least for me, even more frustrating are many of the critical reactions to it: Jordan Hamilton is a bum who shouldn't play... Jai Lucas is a waste of space who should go back to Florida... And most of all, Rick Barnes is an idiot, underachieving coach.

This may not be the best space to pick this fight, but like I said, I'm frustrated by a lot of it, and I've got the conch shell, so I'm speaking my piece. While the Barnes bashing didn't reach a fevered pitch until today, the rumblings began immediately with Texas' loss to Kansas State, picking up steam each of the last three weeks. The variations on the Rick Barnes criticism touch on a dozen different flavors, but they need not be addressed one by one because, at least in my view, there are unifying elements among them that we can focus on instead.

My argument is relatively straightforward:

First, leave the straw men in the barn, because this is not about being a "Barnes apologist", "sunshine pumper", whatever. The problem is not in fans' identifying weaknesses and analyzing failures; nor is there any desire on my part to divorce them from Rick Barnes, or to shield him from critical scrutiny. Quite the opposite, to the extent problems and weaknesses are properly identified, we want to see them being discussed, and if you've read this blog for any period of time, you know that Wiggo's and my archives are littered with negative evaluations. Hell, you need only to read the Oklahoma game review that I'm publishing right after this rant. I've got nothing nice to say about the job Rick Barnes did today.
There's nothing at all frustrating when the identification of problems and weaknesses is accurate, measured, and deserving of discussion. Rather, what gets me is when an additional step is added in at the tail end, in which substantial big picture conclusions are proffered as though they naturally follow from those rightly identified problems.
The byproduct of the practice is that meaningful evaluation of Rick Barnes effectively becomes neutered. There are no standards to anchor the substantive discussions about weaknesses that we should be waging, and the spillover so saturates the discussion pool related to overall job evaluation as to make it an ocean of talk radio. What's the use of calling in to make a good point? In such an atmosphere, the utility of good points is limited to their being different from bad ones.
Substantial portions of the Texas basketball fan base exist in such an atmosphere. When expectations were low, lack of critical scrutiny produced among many fans inflated opinions of Tom Penders and his accomplishments. Now that expectations are high, haphazard torrents of critical scrutiny are unloaded on the program, skewing the opinions of many about Rick Barnes and his accomplishments. The end product differs, but the absence of perspective is the same.
I've hypothesized that these attitudes are the result of large portions of the fan base being semi-attached. It explains both how fans can be overly-content when the program isn't raising their expectations, and how they can miss the forest for the trees when the program provides a reason to invest their emotional capital.
The upshot of (1) - (5) is that discussions about Rick Barnes' weaknesses frequently spill over into conclusive assertions about his overall worthiness, often enough to have a widespread distorting effect on fans' perception of the coach. Maybe I'm being uncharitable to Texas fans and this is what happens everywhere, all the time, about everything (there's some truth to that, no doubt), but I remain convinced that, at least among some, it's reflective of looking at things through a lens fit for something other than college basketball.

There's no other way to explain the skeptical scrutiny that would lead someone to announce that his beef with Rick Barnes dates back to 2005, when he "[took] the wrong direction in recruiting." As though to further make my case in point, the poster later offers to clarify what he meant, explaining that Rick Barnes should be recruiting only kids who play their ball in Texas.

From this explanation one of two things could be true: either (A) the poster is more or less clueless about the national character of college basketball and recruiting, or (B) he has a well-reasoned argument for why his strategy might be more successful than Barnes' has been.

Even if the latter were true, there's still an enormous incongruity between the poster's argument (that a Texas-only recruiting strategy might be superior) and his conclusion (that he doesn't like Rick Barnes as Texas' coach). It's a perfect example of jumping from the realm of 'discussion of a perceived weakness' to 'ultimate conclusion about overall worthiness', offered without explanation or justification.

In actuality, the poster has no such well-reasoned argument for why his Texas-only strategy might be more successful. Instead, he simply cherry picks Texas' non-recruitment of Willie Warren, explaining that if the poster had been Texas' head coach, "[he] would have heavily pursued Willie Warren two years ago. I realize he was an OU lean all along, but why not pursue him. Instead, we got a guy who plays wonderful defense but can’t hit the broad side of a barn on offense in Dogus." (Ergo, Rick Barnes sucks.)

The argument is empty enough as it is, but the poster could have at least qualified his pronouncement by announcing that his beef dates back to 2007. But 2005? Really? So the argument is: "Starting when Rick Barnes recruited Kevin Durant (Maryland) and DJ Augustin (Louisiana), I lost faith in him as Texas' coach."

I don't like to make a habit of singling out readers with whom I disagree, but in this instance I simply chose one among many. You could crawl through today's game thread and pick out any of a dozen others. They all frustrated me equally, even though several of them contained perfectly valid, well-articulated critical analysis of a problem or set of problems. They're all parts of the same whole, and it's unfortunate, because it makes difficult (if not impossible) engaging in meaningful, targeted critical analysis of the team, the program, and the coach. Even if I'm completely wrong about the underlying cause, the indisputable effect is a rush of sweeping conclusions and premature obituaries. Overwhelmingly, such proclamations merely serve to blur the character of the issues under examination, as well as the justifiable scope of the inquiry.

The reason my frustration boiled over today is because we're actually in the midst of a troubling skid that legitimately demands critical examination. This was supposed to be the year when Barnes had the returning pieces to make a national championship run; for 17 games, it looked like we were going to do just that, but in just a three week span we're not only well off the path to Indianapolis, but Houston, too. There's no doubt that this stretch of poor play raises numerous questions, but I submit it equally beyond doubt that it provides no conclusive answers -- not even about this season, let alone the competence of Rick Barnes as head of the program. Come April, it's conceivable that reasonable people might disagree about what an early NCAA tournament exit said about Barnes' ceiling as a coach, but at the very least such discussion is at this time still premature, and can be fairly characterized as speculative, counter-productive, and exceedingly narrow.

What we know is this: Rick Barnes has the Texas program in position to be consistently competitive for Final Four berths, a fact that carries so much weight as to nearly preclude any conclusion that favors replacement. Even if one were to present a strong, well-reasoned analysis for believing that Rick Barnes is incapable of winning a national title, the fact still remains that the odds are against a replacement exceeding the level Barnes has already achieved. Worse, replacement begets the opportunity for regression, perhaps substantial regression.

Take all that together and it seems to me that positive contributions to discussion of Texas basketball right now not only should, but necessarily must, be focused more narrowly on evaluating problems within the framework of a Rick Barnes administration. Every reactionary attempt to leap ahead, to a place we arguably never should or will head, just adds noise.

And if you must indulge, please, pick up the phone. Give Colin Cowherd a call.

2010 Texas Recruiting Class -- The Misses

2010-02-07T01:52:28Z

Note: Mack Brown mentioned during his press conference that the Longhorns only offered 30 scholarships, but the unofficial numbers indicate 34 scholarship offers. Since it's impossible to know which four of these players did not receive a scholarship offer, this post will operate under the assumption that each of these players did receive an offer.

Lache Seastrunk, Temple running back

Destination -- Oregon

What happened – Mack Brown and the Texas coaching staff refused to massage the Temple running back’s ego. Seastrunk and his circus managed somehow to take their clown act to cities across the country, but couldn’t manage to show up on time or sometimes at all to important Texas functions like the summer camp. Having shown little interest in the Texas program and plenty of interest in shenanigans like calling out Nick Saban at Auburn’s illegal little weekend, the Temple running back effectively declared himself persona non grata in Austin. Prior to his commitment to Oregon rumors swirled that virtually all of the major programs stopped recruiting him.

Potential impact – Potential impact on the 2010 Heisman race, as planned? Little to none. Oregon's scheme is, however, an excellent fit for Seastrunk, as Chip Kelly will use him as a change-of-pace back in the outside zone and on jet sweeps. Seastrunk's shenanigans aside, if Texas ran the same running scheme as Oregon, which would be greatly beneficial, it's possible that he would have been more interested in providing the Longhorns with a home-run threat out of the backfield.

Sting rating – 0 of 10. Five is the baseline. +1 for Texas needing a home-run threat. +1 for elite talent. -7 for his ridiculous ego and shenanigans.

Jake Matthews, Fort Bend Elkins offensive tackle

Destination -- Texas A&M

What happened – The rumor du jour surrounding Matthews’ recruitment is that his Hall-of-Fame father took one look at some combination of the coaching, blocking scheme, and overall running game philosophy at Texas and decided it was not a fit for his son. In reality, A&M’s proximity to the family’s Houston-area home and the presence of Jake’s older brother Kevin on the Aggie roster probably sealed the deal, with MIke Sherman's experience in the NFL and coaching the offensive line providing added reason to head to College Station.

Potential impact – Texas fails to secure two or more top-level tackle prospects in 2010 for whatever reason and injuries take a toll on the limited depth at the position in 2011, resulting in a catastrophic loss of depth. Think a guy like Chris Hall playing all five positions (terribly) in one game and Colt – insert Gilbert – running for his life. Meanwhile, Matthews helps anchor a much-improved Aggie offensive line in College Station under the tutelage of the Sherminator and the Aggies once again become relevant.

Sting rating – 9 of 10. Five is the baseline. +1 for his pedigree. +1 for losing him to the Aggies. +1 for concerns that Sherman could get more from Matthews than Texas ever could. +1 for desperately needing not only depth, but a difference-maker at tackle.

Corey Nelson, Skyline linebacker

Destination -- Oklahoma

What happened – When Nelson initially made his commitment to Texas A&M, he spoke about the chance for early playing time and the opportunity to lead the Aggies back to prominence. Despite signing his texts to recruiting services as "Mr. A&M," Nelson began looking around towards the end of the process, even getting in contact with the Texas coachigns taff aboutt he possibility of taking an official visit to Austin. It never materialized, as the Longhorn staff reportedly told him there was no room. Then, days before he was to sign with the Aggies, reports surfaced that he was headed to Norman, reports that were eventually denied. However, Nelson did sign his Letter of Intent to become an Oklahoma Sooner on Signing Day, keeping the Aggies from having the ability to pursue another linebacker. Way to flip Sherman and company the bird on the way out, Mr. A&M.

Potential impact – Nelson helps establish a Skyline pipeline to Norman and terrorizes Texas offenses with his speed and range. Extremely talented and athletic, Nelson has the skills to be an effective spread linebacker, but must work on his strength and ability to fight off blocks at the point of attack.

Sting rating – 0 of 10. Five is the baseline. +1 for his elite speed and range. +1 for the importance of the Skyline connection. -1 for Mike Davis’ commitment and the presence of Christian Scott. -5 for the commitments of Aaron Benson, Jordan Hicks, and Tevin Jackson.

Torrea Peterson, San Antonio East Central

Destination -- Oklahoma

What happened – The Longhorns were intent on securing three defensive tackles in the class and offered both Ashton Dorsey and Peterson at the second Junior Day in hopes that one of them would become the third commitment at the position. Dorsey committed soon after and Texas and Peterson essentially mutually parted ways at that point.

Potential impact – None, unless one or two of the Texas commits at the position sustain career-ending injuries or wash out academically.

Sting rating -- 1 of 10. Five is the baseline. -4 because he’s just not that good.

Trovon Reed, Thibodaux (LA) wide receiver

Destination -- Auburn

What happened – Not only friends with, but also, it could be said, in cohoots with Seastrunk and one of the members of the so-called “three-ring circus.” ‘Nuff said.

Potential impact – None. Mack Brown got the receivers he really wanted.

Sting rating – 0 of 10. Five is the baseline. -5 for associating with Seastrunk.

DeAndrew White, Galena Park North Shore wide receiver

Destination -- Alabama

What happened – Texas was too late and Alabama probably represents a better opportunity. It’s entirely possible that there was some lingering resentment over the lateness of his offer and having missed out on one at the Junior Day.

Potential impact – The question of how the speedy White would have fit into the recruiting class even before D-Money’s commitment

Sting rating – 1 of 10. Five is the baseline. -3 for the commitments of Darius White and Mike Davis late in the process. -1 for Chris Jones having such a similar skill set.

Aaron Franklin, Marshall linebacker

Destination -- Oklahoma

What happened – The Texas coaching staff is famous for building strong relationships with recruits and helping them feel like a part of the family, a relationship that takes time to build. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the Sooner staff had spent more time cultivating that relationship and Texas was relatively late to his recruitment due to the ACL injury that kept him out of most of his junior season. Muschamp grew extremely fond of Franklin at the Texas summer camp and that resulted in a late offer, but the lateness of the recruitment kept him from choosing his childhood favorite.

Potential impact – Franklin certainly has the ability to contribute at the college level, but it may take several years for him to do so. Given the quality of the Texas class at linebacker, there should be few ripples felt from the loss of Franklin, even if he turns out to be a rotation player at Oklahoma.

Sting rating -- 0 out of 10. Five is the baseline. +1 for his range and speed. -3 for the commitments of Aaron Benson, Jordan Hicks, and Tevin Jackson. -3 because there may not have been room for Hicks had Franklin committed to Texas.

Ahmad Dixon, Waco Midway safety (de-committed)

Destination -- Baylor

What happened – Call him Mr. Flip Flop Flipper. Dixon de-committed three times after his initial commitment to the Longhorns, committing to Baylor after dropping his Texas commitment, then jumping on the Lane Kiffin bandwagon before pulling off his first re-commitment when he returned to Baylor.

Potential impact – Early buzz that Dixon was one of the best safety prospects to come out of the state in years died later in the process and some observers questioned his work ethic, but safety was a need before Earl Thomas left for the NFL and began an even bigger need after he did so. If the Longhorns don't find a playmaking safety in the 2009 or 2010 class

Sting rating – 5 of 10. Five is the baseline. +1 because of his immense talent. +1 because of the loss of Earl Thomas. +1 because of having missed out on Kevin Brent and Craig Loston. -1 for his de-commitments and eventual re-commitment. -2 for joining the three-ring cirucs.

Ross Apo, Arlington Oakridge wide receiver (de-committed)

Destination -- BYU

What happened – The appeal of playing with highly-touted quarterback Jake Heaps at BYU was too much for Apo to pass up in the end. Both of the de-commits did perhaps pull the trigger too early and eventually regretted their decisions. For Apo, proximity to his mother in California was also a major factor and it’s also a possibility that he and his family became concerned about the possible distractions present in Austin that are not so pronounced in staid Provo.

Potential impact – Had the Longhorns not landed Mike Davis, Darius White, and DeMarco Cobbs, the loss of Apo could have stung following the departures of Brandon Collins and Dan Buckner for disciplinary reasons. As it is, both Apo and the Longhorns likely benefited from his decommitment.

Sting rating -- Zero out of 10. Five is the baseline. +1 because of his deceptive combination of size and speed. -1 because he might not have been happy in Austin. -5 because of the commitments of all the other talented receivers -- there may not have been room for Mike Davis had Apo kept his commitment.

Game Preview & Open Thread: Texas at Oklahoma

2010-02-06T16:39:57Z

Next Game

#9 Texas Longhorns (19-3, 5-2) @ Oklahoma Sooners (12-9, 3-4)

Saturday, Feb 6, 2010, 3:00 PM CST
Lloyd Noble Center * Norman, OK
Television: ESPN (Franklin & Fraschilla)

Ken Pom Ratings: Texas #7 / Oklahoma #96
Ken Pom Predictor: Texas 81-70 (73 possessions)

Live In-Game Tempo Free Stats

Opponent blog: Crimson & Cream Machine
Other Coverage: TexasSports.com, Barking Carnival, Longhorn Road Trip

State of the rivalry: It would be too much to say that Texas fans could be fully satisfied by opponent misery alone (one gets the feeling many Aggies certainly could be) but there's no question that Sooner suffering runs a close second to success of our own. Needless to say, the past year has been about as blissful an experience as is possible for Longhorns fans: Though all the near-missing (national runners-up in baseball, volleyball, and football) stings a bit, not only is Texas fielding nationally elite teams across the board -- racking up conference titles, and enjoying enormous success, generally -- but it's coinciding with a discouragingly difficult spell for the hated Sooners. Call it karma for the bullsh** BCS Title Game berth in 2009, as since then the Sooners:

Baseball: Were eliminated by Missouri from their half of the bracket in the Big 12 baseball tournament, and saw #4 seed Wichita State win the Norman Regional.

Football: Lost Sam Bradford and the game to BYU, lost another to Miami, lost for the fourth time in five years to Texas, were relegated to El Paso by their 7-5 season record, and got thoroughly licked by Texas recruiting the state's top talent.

Basketball: Have thus far been thoroughly mediocre without Blake Griffin, having followed two season-opening wins over nobodies with three consecutive losses -- to Virginia Commonwealth, San Diego, and Houston -- and sit at 12-9 (3-4 in Big 12) heading into Saturday's game versus Texas.

In the realm of Longhorn fandom, this is just about as good as it gets.

Oklahoma Season To Date: The Sooners went 9-5 during non-conference play, losing to UTEP and Gonzaga, in addition to the three I already mentioned. Among their 9 non-con wins, 6 were completely meaningless (Mount St. Mary's, UL-Monroe, Nicholls St., Centenary, and MD-Eastern Shore), and the other 3 were only of limited value -- vs Arkansas (KenPom #102), vs Arizona (#71), at Utah (#117).

The Sooners are 3-4 in conference play, with a perfect home-road split. They've lost all 4 of their road games, by an average of 15 points -- at Baylor (-31 points), Texas A&M (-3), Texas Tech (-10), and Nebraska (-17) -- and won their 3 home contests, by an average of 5 points -- OSU (+5) in overtime, Missouri (+5), and Iowa State (+5). The win over Missouri represents their lone victory this season over a KenPom Top 50 team (#15).

Oklahoma tempo-free statistical profile: While the Sooners haven't been very good offensively, they've been an absolute nightmare on defense.

Stats via Ken Pomeroy

Offense: The most striking aspect of OU's offensive profile is the point distribution, with a full third of the Sooners' points scored coming by way of the three pointer. Not surprisingly, the Sooners have been terrible rebounding their own misses, and despite being a good free throw shooting team do a poor job of earning trips to the stripe. Together, the numbers paint a clear picture: Oklahoma is too often either disinterested in, or incapable of, attacking the paint and settles for gobs of long jump shots. (More on this when we get to the personnel.)

Defense: The numbers are even worse on defense, painting a picture of an OU team that is indifferent towards making things happen on defense, or really incapable, or really passive. They block very few shots, almost never steal the ball, rarely create turnovers of any kind, and allow opponents to shoot a high percentage, both inside and out. Given all that, you'd at least expect the sagging Sooners to be severely limiting opponents' second chances, but they're even mediocre in that regard, too.

Oklahoma personnel: The primary focus of OU's offense is the supremely talented Willie Warren (6-4, 199 lbs), a name Longhorns fans shouldn't have any trouble remembering after his spectacular 27-point performance in Austin a year ago. (With Blake Griffin on the sideline displaying the most confusing symptoms the world has ever seen, Warren took the reins and lit up Texas on 10-of-20 shooting, including 6-12 threes, very nearly enough to lead OU to victory, but for A.J. Abrams' most memorable performance as a Longhorn.) After averaging 14 points an 2 boards a game as a freshman, Warren's upped his season averages to 17 points and 3.5 rebounds, but he's seen his three point percentage plummet to 28.4% on the year, from 37.5% a year ago.

I initially expected to find that dip in shooting percentage to be a reflection of Warren's settling for more threes this year, but discovered the opposite is true: he's only shooting 40% of his shots from downtown this year, down from 50% last year. After which the real explanation became obvious: Blake Griffin. Or more precisely, the defensive attention Blake Griffin regularly drew. Willie Warren was open a lot last year because so few teams dared not double-team Griffin. This year not only are none of Warren's teammates drawing anything like that kind of attention, but the opposition's primary defensive focus is on Warren himself.

Griffin complemented Warren's game by occupying multiple defenders and giving OU a fearsome inside presence. This year, Warren's getting anything but complementary play from OU's other primary offensive weapons. Freshman point guard Tommy Mason-Griffin (5-11, 203 lbs) is the kind of player who can make a crowd at Rucker Park explode; he's a player in the same mold as guys like Sam Cassell and Baron Davis. Except that where they're both a legit 6-3, Mason-Griffin is 5-11 in thick-soled sneakers. Though TMG is shooting the ball exceptionally well (45-101, 44.6% 3PFG on the year), his game isn't producing two point buckets (48-123, 39% 2PFG on the year), isn't getting him to the line (21.4 FTRate and just 48 attempts on the year), and -- most importantly -- isn't complementing Willie Warren well at all. Too much dribbling and too many inadvisable attempts to create for himself, making it easy to see why Oklahoma's playing a lot of one-on-one basketball and shooting long jumpers. If you want to know why Willie Warren's turnover rate is up well over 20% on the season, now you know.

OU's other important freshman name to know is C Tiny Gallon (6-9, 300 lbs), who I really wish played for another team, because he amuses me endlessly and is the kind of player I would probably find myself rooting for. From his name, to his surprising capabilities in the open floor, to his propensity for clumsiness as a post player, Tiny Gallon is a mishmash of contradictions, and it really does amuse me and make me wish he were on a team I don't despise. Suffice to say for now that the college game is still moving too fast for Gallon, and though he's talented enough to be contributing nicely for a freshman, he's clearly a ways off from putting everything together and becoming a difference-maker.

All that said, OU isn't mediocre this year because their freshmen are warted. They're struggling because outside the three players we've discussed and senior Tony Crocker (6-6 199 lbs) the Sooners have absolutely nothing. Freshman guard Steven Pledger (6-4, 221 lbs) mostly hovers around the perimeter and either tries not to get in the way or shoots a three (where he's connecting on just 30.5% of his attempts). Junior Cade Davis would be a solid role player on a deep team that could bring him off the bench for 15 minutes a game; on this OU team he's a one-trick pony playing nearly 30 minutes a game. Worse, he's not that good at his one trick: he's connected on just 34 of the 102 threes he's jacked up this year (33.3%), and he made just 59 of the 185 threes he shot across his freshman and sophomore seasons (31.8%). I'll be honest, if Texas sent this team to the court some year, I'd really struggle to maintain interest, if only to ensure I didn't have to spend so much time writing about how frustrated and disgusted I was with the overall composition and performance of the squad.

Keys to the game: ESPN's College Game Day crew asked a fair question about Saturday's contest: "Is this a trap game for Texas?"

There seem to me three intangibles worth considering: (1) the looming Big Monday showdown with Kansas, (2) the ease with which Oklahoma's mediocre season will make it for Texas to take a win for granted, and (3) the Sooners' home court advantage.

1. Start strong and make Oklahoma earn it. The 'Horns by and large have not been a good first half team this year, a trait that can carry amplified consequences in road games: the crowd remains loud and engaged; the home team enjoys a surge of confidence in their ability to win the game, that they might not so easily muster on the road; the road team must try to get on track in an unfamiliar environment. And so on. There's only so much you can control, so there's no mere willing your way to a good start, but it bears emphasizing the importance of doing those things that you can indeed control, to minimize the chances of a poor start on unfriendly territory. In most instances, "Don't take Oklahoma for granted" isn't something we'd explicitly list as a key to the game, but given those three intangible factors in play, it's certainly worth a mention. Not taking Oklahoma for granted means not looking ahead to Kansas, but even more than that (since it's hard to imagine the team lackadaisically approaching any game in Norman, ever) it means Texas must be sharp in doing the little things that will mean any strong first half for the Sooners is a result of OU playing well -- earning it -- rather than their taking advantage of sloppiness by Texas. Whether it's not falling asleep on Warren and TMG when they're off-ball, or executing offense with purpose to ensure Texas gets the good shot off an advantageous match up (as opposed to, for example, the jumper early in the shot clock), the 'Horns can take some of these intangibles out of play by doing all those little things they're capable of but oftentimes get away from doing, especially on the road.

2. Demonstrate consistent offensive patience. On every single offensive possession today, Texas should be able to get a favorable look. They won't make a bucket every time, but they can get good shots against these Sooners every time. This need not be a repeated effort to get the same great look, from the same player, over and over (e.g. forcing bad passes to a double-teamed, entry-denied Pittman), but can come any number of any ways, via the varying strengths of our differing personnel. It's getting the ball to Pittman in position when OU doesn't defend in a way to deny it. It's running high-low sets with Damion James and/or Gary Johnson, creating spacing, and making the Sooners defend away from the ball. It's putting Jordan Hamilton in a position to succeed, and Jordan Hamilton opening up his outside game by making OU deal with his to-the-rim game. And so on. This is an opportunity for Texas to demonstrate that it's progressing offensively, having arrived at a point where it can systematically take advantage of a favorable defensive match up like this one.

3. Don't let Willie Warren get on track with penetration hoops. Willie Warren is one of those players who can single-handedly ruin your afternoon, even playing on a mediocre team. He can score from anywhere on the court, and if he gets in a groove, he's both capable of and comfortable with playing the role of one-man show. Barnes' instinct may be to put Justin Mason on Warren, but I remind everyone that Mason struggled to keep Warren out of the lane on penetration last year in Austin. Whether it's Mason or someone else, the emphasis must be on keeping Warren from geting things going with his dribble drive, and if our strategy/personnel choice isn't working, we need to change, and quickly. In all likelihood, Rick Barnes is going to have to play a couple guys on Warren over the course of the game, because he does an excellent job of drawing fouls (50.0 FTRate, 6.0 fouls drawn per 40 minutes), so it would be risky to stick Dogus on Warren from the get-go and expect him to give us 30 minutes, should we need them. If Balbay does draw the early assignment, then it becomes especially important that he not pick up one of the cheapie perimeter fouls he draws a time or two per game.

2010 Texas Football Class -- The GoBR Awards

2010-02-05T22:51:04Z

Biggest get -- The Crowning Six (tie)

It's impossible to decide between the top six players in the class -- Mike Davis, Darius White, Jackson Jeffcoat, Reggie Wilson, Jordan Hicks, and Tevin Jackson. Call it lazy, but all of these players have the chance to leave an indelible impact on the Texas program.

Most likely to contribute (offense) -- Mike Davis

This pick is all about his polish as a receiver -- there is little that he needs to learn about the position before he can make an impact at Texas. The only concern is his ability to protect the football, but it shouldn't be difficult for Davis to quickly make strides in that direction with some, ahem, strongly worded instructions from the coaching staff.

Most likely to contribute (defense) -- Jackson Jeffcoat

It's hard to predict how the Buck position will shake out -- will Alex Okafor play there extensively and is Dravannti Johnson ready to contribute now in his third year in the program? Regardless, Jeffcoat has the polish and advanced technique to contribute immediately at the college level -- that's why he's no. 1 on the 2010 GoBR Texas 25.

Most likely to contribute (special teams) -- William Russ

Hunter Lawrence showed up on campus as a freshman and earned the role of kickoff specialist and Russ could do the same if his leg is truly as strong as advertised. Honorable mention here goes to Jordan Hicks, Tevin Jackson, and Aaron Benson, who should all have a chance to make a major impact on special teams.

Most critical position for future success -- defensive back

Following the departure of playmaking Earl Thomas and with the departures of both Browns and possible Aaron Williams after the 2010 season, several of the defensive back commits will have to contribute in 2011, particularly the two true cornerbacks -- Carrington Byndom and Adrian White. Both should receive playing time in preparation for 2011.

Most explosive (offense) -- Chris Jones

Darius White is better able to change direction, remarkable for someone with his size, but Jones may be the fastest player in the class regardless of position and accelerates with remarkable suddenness.

Most explosive (defense) --Tevin Jackson

Jackson has excellent top-end speed for a linebacker, but what is even more impressive is his short-range burst, much more important for someone at this position when playing downhill than top-end speed. On defense, explosiveness is about blowing up offensive players and Jackson takes advantage of his power angles, short-area burst, and 230 pounds of mass to exert a great deal of force on his opponents.

Meanest -- Tevin Jackson

This one isn't even close. The money quote from Jackson -- "I want to kill everybody." Throughout the summer, he made numerous other similar statements, apparently frustrated that he couldn't lay the wood to running backs in the flat and receivers over the middle. Now, he's not exactly being literal there, hopefully, but it's a mentality that bespeaks focus, intensity, and toughness. On Signing Day, he reportedly commented that "real men wear burnt orange." And who would really be willing to disagree with him on that point?

Most confident -- Mike Davis

Here's what Davis said ($) before the Under Armour game:

I feel there isn’t a DB out here who can cover me. They’re highly ranked and I’m highly ranked so it’s the best against the best. It makes me better and makes them better.

Now, that might sound arrogant or coky and maybe it is a bit, but the bottom line is that Davis went out and proved that he was correct during the week of practice and during the game, with Jeff Howe calling him the most consistent receiver ($) on his team.

Best story -- Reggie Wilson

On the Inside Texas recruiting podcast, Ross Lucksinger and Jeff Howe point out the maturity, perspective, and eloquence Wilson possesses, no doubt a result of his remarkable background as a young man that placed an incredible amount of responsibililty on him at a young age. There's no question that Wilson has the mental and emotional makeup to be an absolute success at Texas.

Most underrated (offense) -- Darius Terrell

Not the fastest wide receiver, but he has good height, excellent hands, and an understanding of body position and high pointing the football from his experience as a basketball player. Though he would not be a strong prospect at the slit end position, he could be a major match up problem in the flex tight end spot and received some work there as a senior, giving him a head start there when he gets to Texas.

Most underrated (defense) -- Adrian White

Once upon a time, White was considered one of the top prospects in the state, but fell because of inconsistency. Since he played so consistently well at the Under Armour game, it's safe to now call him underrated.

Stock up -- Mike Davis

Not the best speed, but he knows how to get open. Garrett Gilbert will love this guy.

Stock down -- Taylor Bible

There's no guarantee that Bible will get himself back into shape to contribute at Texas and there are lingering concerns about his injury history as well. A tremendous talent, Bible has a great deal of work to do before he can once again be considered one of the top defensive tackles in the entire class.

Biggest recruiting miss (offense) -- Offensive tackle position

Luke Joeckel was probably destined for A&M as soon as his brother commited, but what happened with prospects like Evan Washington, Cedric Ogbuehi, Daryl Williams, and Shep Klinke? Besides Washington, there was never any buzz about these players and Texas despite the fact that offensive tackle was a need position. Missing out on Jake Matthews hurt as well.

Biggest recruiting miss (defense) -- Eric Humphrey

A big-time talent who blew up with the release of his senior film, Humphrey could have ended up wreaking havoc in the middle of the Texas defensive line, even though he would have a great deal of competition at the position. Great get for Oklahoma.

Most impressive national players -- Dominique Easley and Ronald Powell (tie)

Easley was absolutely dominate and unblockable in the Under Armour game, using his excellent quickness to shoot gaps. It might be easy to simply label him a tweener and wonder whether he will play defensive end or defensive tackle in college and some of that will depend on how he develops physically, but it's probably more insightful to view him through the lens of the where he will line up on the line -- he has the ability to play the three technique and five technique and could probably even be used as an edge rusher because he is that quick

Powell showed off his blazing speed on his fumble return for a touchdown in the Army game -- simply incredible speed for a defensive end. He also caught a touchdown pass from Connor Wood while playing tight end. There's a reason he finished no. 1 in the entire class by Rivals.

Spring football dates announced

2010-02-05T22:16:23Z

Spring football dates announced

Texas will open three spring practices to the public — March 2, 8th and April 4th for its annual orange-white game.

The first two practices will be at Denius Fields, starting at 4 p.m. The players will be working out in full pads each day that’s open to the public.

The orange-white game is at Royal-Memorial Stadium, April 4. No time for the game has been set, as yet.

SB Nation's College Hoops Power 16 - SB Nation

2010-02-05T15:39:05Z

SB Nation's College Hoops Power 16 - SB Nation

This week's Power 16 is up, and from here on through the rest of the season, it's composed by yours truly. Voters punished us pretty harshly for losing to Baylor, even as they decided to rank the Bears this week and didn't punish Michigan State (who we beat) for losing to Wisconsin.

Lame.

Two Weeks Until Texas Baseball

2010-02-05T15:38:03Z

Two Weeks Until Texas Baseball

In honor of a new decade of college baseball starting two weeks from today, Baseball America presents the best of the past decade. Lo and behold Augie's bunch, twice champs and twice runner-up, is the best team of the decade.

2010 GoBR Texas 25 Debut

2010-02-05T13:00:24Z

First, a note about this list -- most recruiting rankings do a poor job of explaining how they go about ranking prospects and the great majority don't even seem to provide any explanations at all. Is it based on upside, on projections about how good a player could end up being or is it based on what they show on the field in high school?

Since upside is unreliable and comes with no guarantees about actually maximizing that talent, the major determinant of position on this list is based on what the film says about where the prospect is as a player leaving high school. That being said, this list does still project out over several years and is based on which players will excel at the collegiate level deep in their careers.

List after the jump...

Jackson Jeffcoat, Plano West defensive end -- Wilson may have more upside, but Jeffcoat is more polished at this time and while he may not be an athletic freak, he has more than enough athleticism to be a superstar on the collegiate level.
Tevin Jackson, Garland linebacker -- The most explosive defensive player in the Texas recruiting class, Jackson has shown the ability to excel as an all-around linebacker and is not simply a one-dimensional, downhill linebacker like Sergio Kindle was in high school. Already demonstrates a skill set that suggests he could become one of the best linebacker in the country by the time his college career is over.
Reggie Wilson, Haltom defensive end -- The Ivory Coast native has an incredible combination of explosiveness and a high motor. Proven ability to learn quickly that increases the probability of him maximizing his prodigious talent.
Luke Joeckel, Arlington offensive tackle -- Displays the ability to be an All-Conference type of left tackle in college because he has all the tools -- great size, great feet, a mean, nasty streak,and equal ability in the running and passing games, though he is probably a bit farther ahead as a run blocker. Stud prospect who plays at perhaps the second-most important position on offense.
Mike Davis, Dallas Skyline wide receiver -- Easily the best route runner in the state of Texas at the receiver position, Davis is a nightmare for defensive backs because of his abilty to quickly get into and out of breaks. Also has excellent hands, leaping ability, and well above-average athleticism, though he isn't quite a burner.
Darius White, Fort Worth Dunbar wide receiver -- Only the rawness of White keeps him from being higher on this list. Had White showed the same route-running acumen of Davis in high school -- or even approached -- he would be in contention for the top spot. He's that good. Kid is a freakish athlete for his size.
Jake Matthews, Fort Bend Elkins offensive tackle -- The pedigree says it all. Though Matthews isn't quite as refined as Joeckel, the potential of Matthews weighs more heavily than with other players because it is almost a guarantee that he will continue to improve and grow into a position he hasn't played nearly as long as most of his peers.
Temple running back, Temple running back -- This list is about the potential for collegiate success without attempting to quantify such a nebulous concept as "upside," but the Temple running back's character and work ethic came under question late in the process and at the Army game and raise some serious red flags about his ability to contribute. Despite the baggage, there's no question he has the ability to break a big play every time he touches the ball.
Ashton Dorsey, Tyler John Tyler defensive tackle -- Played extremely well as a senior, showing the ability to use his explosiveness to shoot gaps, but also holding position against double and triple teams.
Chris Jones, Daingerfield wide receiver -- Gamebreaker. A lack of experience running a variety of routes keeps Jones in the bottom part of the top 10. His pure speed is not in question -- he's one of the two or three fastest players in the state with the ball in his hands.
Ahmad Dixon, Waco Midway safety -- Though he may lack elite testing speed, Dixon has all the tools to excel -- he's explosive, covers ground quickly, takes proper angles, and is strong in both run support and pass coverage. Little not to like here from a football standpoint.
Trey Hopkins, Galena Park North Shore guard -- Long and lean, Hopkins is aggressive, but is hurt by the fact that he doesn't project as a tackle (more difficult to find) and needs to refine his pass protection technique. Smart and plays well in space.
Cedric Ogbuehi, Allen offensive tackle -- Another lean prospect, Ogbuehi will need to spend some significant time in the weight room. His lack of overall mass didn't keep him from holding his own against Jackson Jeffcoat.
Corey Nelson, Dallas Skyline linebacker -- An excellent linebacker in terms of his speed, explosiveness, striking ability, and range, but his height is a concern at the next level, particularly as it influences his ability to take on blockers at the point of attack. Coverage skills are also surprisingly lacking a bit considering his speed -- doesn't have great hip fluidity.
DeAndrew White, Galena Park North Shore wide receiver -- Like Jones, White is a burner without a lot of wiggle in his hips. However, Jones is ranked more highly because of his demonstrated ability to make big plays in the running game.
Connor Wood, Houston Second Baptist quarterback -- Exceptional athleticism for a quarterback with ideal size as well. Has a strong arm and can throw on the move, but needs to continue to refine his mechanics -- Wood has shortened his delivery, but continues to throw from an unorthodox arm slot.
Taylor Bible, Denton Guyer defensive tackle -- 340 pounds. For a player whose greatest asset was his explosiveness, the incredibly poor conditioning displayed by Bible is a major cause for concern, as is his injury history. When in shape, Bible is as good as anyone in the country at his position.
Aaron Benson, Cedar Hill linebacker -- Possessing a remarkable combination of football savvy and athleticism, Benson is slightly undersized, but gained strength as a senior to reach a college-ready weight.
Adrian White, DeSoto cornerback -- Blessed with all the physical skills necessary to become a lockdown corner, White showed strong signs of finally putting that skill set to work on the field consistently with his excellent performance not only in the Under Armour game, but also during the week of practice.
Eric Humphrey, Dallas Episcopal defensive lineman -- Instead of considering Humphrey a tweener, it's clear that he can play the five tech or three tech at the college level without having to predict a significant increase in mass, but still has the speed and explosiveness to be used as an edge rusher.
Dominic Espinosa, Cedar Park center -- Benefited greatly from move to center. Has a nastry streak and has excellent feet that allow him to block well in space.
Ross Apo Arlington Oakridge wide receiver -- The knock on Apo is the competition against which he played in high school, but he performed well in combine and camp settings and has a combination of size, speed, and has good hands, but needs to work on his route running.
Bryant Jackson, Sulphur Springs defensive back -- The biggest projection on this list, Jackson qualifies because of the combination of his 6-3 frame and top notch ball skills. Projecting Jackson is necessary because he played so much on offense in high school and it's not clear yet if he's a cornerback or safety, but it is clear that Jackson has enough talent to be a difference maker in the secondary.
Carrington Byndom, Lufkin cornerback -- While Byndom has the height to play cornerback in college, he needs to add some weight. Has excellent speeds and hips as a corner, but supports the run well enough to play some safety.
John Harris, Garland Naaman Forest wide receiver -- Underrated by most recruiting services, Harris is a big receiver who knows how to use his body, has more than adequate speed for the position, but the most impressive thing on film from Harris is his ability to make defenders miss in the open field with his excellent feet.

USC gets their QB of the future after signing day. He's 13 and won't be enrolled until 2015.

2010-02-05T05:34:59Z

USC gets their QB of the future after signing day. He's 13 and won't be enrolled until 2015.

Good for the kid but.... can Lane Kiffin be any more of a creeper?