The 2008 Longhorn recruiting class was up in the air for most of the year, with commitments not filtering down to the 40 Acres until the late spring. And with questions still surrounding the eligibility of J’Covan Brown, Texas fans still can’t be sure if that trio of incoming freshmen will stay intact until the season starts in November. But with temperatures still in the triple-digits and most fans just starting to think about football, Coach Barnes and company got an early start on the 2009 class by signing small forward Shawn Williams of Duncanville.

Williams is slotted 15th in the country by Rivals amongst small forwards in the 2009 class, and 77th overall. The 6-foot, 7-inch prep star is a “sharp-shooting wing” and averaged nearly a double-double in his last season. He is a part of the absolutely loaded Duncanville team that hopes to win its second state championship in the last three years. The Panthers ripped off a storybook undefeated season en route to its 2007 title and lost a narrow four-point decision to North Crowley in last year’s Region 1 semifinals. This year’s team looks to be even more talented, with Williams joining four other upperclassmen in a starting five that has only two blemishes on its record in the last two seasons.

The Longhorns are also still in the hunt for top-ranked small forward Jordan Hamilton of Los Angeles, who allegedly is enamored with the Texas program. It appears that after an off-year for the Texas recruiting machine, things could be back to normal in Austin.

I’ve spent the week watching games from December and January, wins over teams like Oral Roberts, TCU, and Saint Mary’s. Looking back, I remember my tempered expectations for the Longhorns this season. Without Kevin Durant, how would the huge 2007 freshman class mature in their sophomore season? I hoped for a 12-4 conference mark, but wasn’t going to hold my breath. And I certainly didn’t think Texas would stroll into Auburn Hills to face Michigan State with an unblemished record.

But now here we are, just hours away from the conclusion of another regular season, and Texas stands in a position to share their second Big 12 crown in the last three years. It’s even crazier to think that the Longhorns had a chance to win the thing outright and finish with a 14-2 mark, but it’s hard to be disappointed with a possible title and 13-3 finish in what was statistically the second-toughest conference in the nation. Not only did the new sophomores step up — particularly double-doube machine Damion James — but Connor Atchley blossomed into a big-time threat and a great shot blocker. The new freshman class developed nicely over the year, giving Coach Rick Barnes a respectable rotation in the front court.

All that being said, there’s still a lot of basketball to play. And the long road through March continues on Senior Day against a very hot Oklahoma State team. This isn’t the same Cowpoke squad that scuttled in early conference games and dropped a 63-61 nailbiter to Texas at home. No, this OSU team is now one that slays giants, namely #4 Kansas at home and #16 Texas A&M on the road. The biggest difference for the ‘Pokes? The emergence of point guard Byron Eaton, who has averaged 19.3 points per game over the last six contests, a stretch in which included a five-game OSU win streak.

For a review of the complete Oklahoma State roster and style, you’ll want to revisit the game preview from the January 21st match-up in Stillwater.

What to look for

The key today is going to be shutting down Eaton. In OSU’s last game against Oklahoma — the only loss in their last six games — the Sooners held him to only 13 points, his lowest scoring output in a month. The pudgy guard had only 14 points in the first game with Texas, and if the Horns hold him to similar numbers today they should be in business.

Texas also needs to concern itself with perimeter defense, which suddenly reared its ugly head again in the second half against Nebraska. The Longhorns can’t afford to let Eaton and James Anderson get hot from long range, lest they give the ‘Pokes a fighting chance today.

Finally, the Horns must control turnovers, which has suddenly been a problem in the last week and a half. Texas has turned the ball over an average of 11.6 times per game over the last three contests. While that’s not a staggering number, it is up 21% over the season average that the Horns carried into the K-State game, and they can’t afford to give a ton of points up in transition to an Ok-State squad that likes to pressure beyond the perimeter.

Tickets remain

As the sub-head says, there are still tickets available for today’s game. The Horns have some big-time recruits visiting today in Renardo Sidney, Wesley Witherspoon, and verbal commit J’Covan Brown. It won’t look good to have a half-empty, dead arena, so come on out and bring out everybody that you know. If you’re out of town and can’t make it in, the action can be caught on ESPN.

Mark Rosner of the Austin American-Statesman posted in his blog this afternoon that Texas has landed 2010 forward Tristan Thompson. The sophomore is ranked fifth in his class by Rivals.com and is currently playing his ball at St. Benedict’s Prep Academy in New Jersey, the same school that produced J.R. Smith. Rosner reports that the Toronto native was a huge Durant fan and that assistant Rodney Terry was key in the signing.

One other item of note from Rosner is that J’Covan Brown, Wesley Witherspoon, and ‘09 target Renardo Sidney will be in town on Sunday to visit. It’s unfortunate that Witherspoon and Sidney will see a game when the students are away on Spring Break, but I know that the facilities and staff here in Austin will more than make up for it.

Texas 2008 target Tyreke Evans testified Thursday in his cousin’s murder trial, repeating the same story he told police back in December. Regardless of whether or not Evans ever ends up in burnt orange, I hope this situation can be resolved soon so that Tyreke can move on and focus on finishing his senior year.

Lundardi’s newest Bracketology still has the Horns #1 in the Phoenix regional. UCLA still holds the corresponding 2-seed in this projection, so hopefully the Bruins will drop enough down the stretch to make a “home” region out of the question. Perhaps Sunday’s roadie at Arizona and the home tilt with Stanford can cause some stumbles.

Clark Kellogg tells us why he doesn’t project brackets, but the only real reason to read this is to check out his use of “LOL” in the middle of what is allegedly legitimate journalism. IDK Clark, R U nutz?

I’ve been wanting to post the Russell Westbrook dunk from last weekend’s game against Oregon, but all of the videos on YouTube were of poor quality. Finally I’ve found one that is pretty solid, which you can check out below. The dunk in question happens around the 20-second mark, but be careful while watching — the Oregon uniforms were sponsored by the Bedazzler that day, so some viewers may be blinded.

Texas moved up two spots in each of the polls this week, sliding into the #10 slot in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today rankings, while Kansas holds steady at #2. The Big 12 has five teams in the AP poll with Kansas State (22nd), Texas A&M (23rd) and Baylor (25th) all hanging around on the lower rungs.

Stefhon Hannah could miss the rest of the season after a brawl outside a Columbia nightclub late on Saturday night. The Tigers still have to tackle a rematch with Kansas, a pair of showdowns with K-State, and roadies in Waco and Norman. Without their leading scorer, Mizzou could be a lot closer to the cellar than anticipated.

This afternoon, Luke Winn introduces us to twin brothers and UNC commits Travis Wear and David Wear, Jr. The 2009 class for Roy Williams is looking absolutely ridiculous when you add in Dexter Strickland and Round Rock product John Henson, who had Texas in the mix before committing to the Heels earlier this month.

Joe Lunardi is high on the Big 12 this week, putting six of the conference’s teams in today’s Bracketology. Kansas still leads the way with a 1-seed, while Texas is slotted as a 3 in Little Rock. K-State (6 seed), Baylor (7), Texas A&M (9), and Oklahoma (9) make up the rest of the conference’s dance card.

Missed Scott Drew’s interview on Sportscenter after the 5-OT thriller on Wednesday night? Thanks to the technical know-how of an LRT co-traveler, you can watch the video through the interweb tubes. Check it out below, and be sure to check out the rest of his Longhorn videos on his website.

If you’re into the recruiting game, tonight there’s a high school match-up between Plantation American Heritage and Monsignor Pace (8 PM CST, ESPNU). This marks the first time a Florida high school game is going to be aired nationally, and it’s a chance to showcase some big-name stars. Heritage center Eloy Vargas has already signed with the University of Florida, as has one of his opponents, guard Ray Shipman. Pace’s frontcourt is also pretty nasty with stud junior Rakeem Buckles and Terrance Saintil, a VCU signee.

As for college hoops, ESPN’s got three games on their pair of channels, while Full Court has a few Big 12 match-ups. On to the games…

Cincinnati (8-8 overall, 3-1 Big East) at Notre Dame (12-3, 2-1) - 6 PM CST, ESPNU - South Bend is not an easy place to win, but Cincy hopes to continue their hot start when they travel there tonight. Former druggie Kyle McAlarney is averaging 15.6 PPG and 5 APG in conference play for the Fighting Irish.

Ohio State (12-4 overall, 3-1 Big 10) at #11 Michigan State (14-2, 2-1) - 6 PM CST, ESPN - The Spartans are going to be fighting mad after only scoring 36 points in a loss to Iowa on Saturday. Ohio State certainly has their work cut out for them in this one.

Creighton (12-3 overall, 3-2 MVC) at Northern Iowa (10-6, 2-3) - 6 PM CST, ESPN2 - It’s a topsy-turvy world in Mid-major Land this year, and the Metro Valley is no exception. Drake and Illinois State are both atop the league with perfect records, while Creighton and Northern Iowa are having some struggles this season. The loser of this one is going to be mired in the middle of the standings for quite some time.

Oklahoma State (10-5 overall, 1-0 Big 12) at Baylor (13-2, 1-0) - 7 PM CST, FSNSW/ESPN Full Court - Oklahoma State surprised a lot of folks with their emphatic win at home over Texas Tech on Saturday. Are the Cowboys putting things together, or is Tech really that bad? And after an impressive non-conf run, just how good is Baylor? There are a ton of questions in the middle of the Big 12, but this game might start to answer a few of them.

Kentucky (7-7 overall, 1-0 SEC) at Mississippi State (11-5, 2-0) - 8 PM CST, ESPN - Kentucky pulled out an overtime win over a previously-unbeaten Vandy squad, but they are still in the midst of a very average season. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are riding a six-game winning streak and hope to maintain their perfect conference mark.

New Mexico (14-3 overall, 1-1 MWC) at Texas Christian (9-6, 1-1) - 8 PM CST, CSTV - Despite a solid record, the Lobos have an RPI in the low 60s thanks to a weak schedule. If they are going to be serious about the bubble, they can’t afford to mess around in conference play. Unfortunately for New Mexico, the pressing TCU Horned Frogs might present a problem in Fort Worth tonight.

There are a handful of other games on ESPN Full Court tonight, including the aforementioned OSU/Baylor tilt for those who can’t catch it on Fox Southwest. Here are those listings…

Stony Brook (4-11 overall, 1-2 America East) at Binghamton (6-10, 2-2) - 6 PM CST - Yikes.

Nebraska (11-3 overall, 0-1 Big 12) at Colorado (8-7, 0-1) - 8 PM CST - The Cornhuskers weren’t able to make a statement in their home opener against Kansas, but who can really blame them? Jeff Bzdelik’s weak team should make for a nice punching bag as Big Red takes out its frustrations in Boulder.

Wake Forest (11-4 overall, 1-1 ACC) at Maryland (10-7, 0-2) - 8 PM CST - This one doesn’t have quite the appeal of some past match-ups between the two schools, but there ought to be a desperate Terps squad on the court trying to avoid a crippling start to conference play.

I finally graduate in about nine hours, which means that I’ll be missing a lot of great hoops action this afternoon. But the good thing about a noon ceremony is that it leaves enough time afterwards to travel to Houston for the Rice game, which tips at 7 P.M. tonight.

And speaking of the Rice game, two people out of the eleven in our group will no longer be able to make the trip. They are really great seats only four rows up from the baseline beside the Texas bench, and I’m being asked to try to resell them at face ($16 each). If you’re interested, leave me a comment with your phone number as they are moderated and will not be made public. I leave town at 3ish, so that will have to be the cut-off.

Not much going on in NCAA hoops last night, but UTA won on a running jumper with 6.3 seconds at Wichita State to move to 8-0 on the season. The Mavs are one of only 17 undefeated teams left in Division I hoops, and are certainly one of the most surprising ones. In the other game of interest to Texas fans, UC-Davis was embarrassed at home by Oregon State, 73-59.

Today the television is full of quality hoops action. Arizona kicks things off at Illinois (11 AM CST, ESPN), while Duke hosts Michigan and new coach John Beilein (1 PM, CBS). Duke will roll, but it’s a chance to see how Beilein’s style translates to a new, troubled team. DePaul faces Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse with Brandon Rush on the court (1 PM, ESPN), with Pitt and Washington tipping just an hour later way out west (2 PM, FSN). Kentucky also faces IU (3 PM, CBS), Purdue travels to Mizzou (3 PM, ESPN2), and Texas A&M hosts Texas State (7 PM, FSN). But perhaps the most interesting televised matchup of the day is the grudge match between Marquette and Wisconsin, airing at 5 PM on ESPN2.

Some more games of note not on TV today: Michigan State faces their last real test before Texas when they travel to BYU (3 PM CST) and Colorado looks for a road win in Wyoming (3 PM). While I mentioned that UTA was one of the most surprising undefeated teams remaining, the other two shockers are Ole Miss and Sam Houston State. Both are in action today, with the Bearkats facing Ian Mooney’s old school, St. Louis (7 PM) and the Rebs traveling to Central Florida (6 PM).

If you’re going to that Texas/Rice tilt and want to catch some high school hoops action, your ticket also gets you into a doubleheader starting at 1 P.M. Fans can get a preview of some future Big 12 action when two class of ‘08 recruits face off in the first game. Baylor commit Anthony Jones plays for Yates, who will square off with Texas verbal commit J’Covan Brown and his Port Arthur Memorial team. The second half of the high-school doubleheader features Madison against Duncanville and highly-touted ‘09 prospect Shawn Williams.

While it’s not basketball, the fantastic Texas volleyball team will be televised in their Elite Eight match against USC at 3 PM CST on ESPNU. And if talented girls in spandex beating the crap out of the Trojans isn’t enough to entice you, then I’m just not sure what else I can throw out.

Leave town for a weekend to watch the biggest regular-season upset in your school’s history, and you miss all sorts of shit. It was a fun couple of days though, and I’ll eventually get over the fact that the DVR fried sometime on Saturday, leaving me with part of a Gonzaga/UConn game and none of the Big 12/Pac-10 games. Ouch.

We lead with the best news of all, which would be that Bill Walker pissed in a towel on the sidelines last Thursday. Yes, that’s right. Stuck a towel down his pants, drained the snake, and then soiled a second towel just for good measure. And all of this occurred in front of a sold-out arena and a rightfully disgusted equipment manager. Oh, did we mention that the Wildcats still lost?

Friday night, Baylor jumped out to a big halftime lead against #6 Washington State, but ultimately couldn’t hang on. The Cougars fought back behind a suddenly-hot Derrick Low, escaping Waco with a 67-64 win. Meanwhile, I was drinking alone in a DFW airport bar while waiting for a 10 P.M. flight to Los Angeles. Still want to do what I do?

Bob Knight continues to baffle with his scheduling, as the Red Raiders dropped another road game to a horrible team. This time, Tech lost to Centenary, 70-66. Knight left the game at halftime, returning to the team hotel because he was feeling ill. But that didn’t stop him from lecturing some students who made a joke about his recent hunting accident as he left the court. I can’t help but feel that these road games against Sam Houston State and Centenary were nothing but a cheap way to earn a little more RPI credit while beating the bottom-feeders, but it’s certainly not working out that way for the Techsters.

With the last Big 12/Pac-10 game coming on December 22nd, the current standings are 6-5 in favor of the Pac-10. That doesn’t include the Kansas win on Sunday over USC, which was scheduled separately from the challenge. Of course, this is for nothing more than bragging rights, as there are no official tallies for this showcase and no trophies awarded. It’s really a shame that Baylor and A&M let their games get away from them, as this was certainly a chance for the conference to change some perceptions. Regardless, the Big 12 is currently ranked 2nd in Ken Pomeroy’s RPI approximations, which is a nice change of pace from the top-heavy league of years past.

Class of ‘09 recruit John Henson was spotted enjoying himself at the UCLA/Texas game on Sunday night. And considering he was also seen at the Texas/Arkansas-Monticello game a few weeks back, I can’t help but think the talk of him not reciprocating Texas’ interest is nothing but white noise. The kid’s still looking at a lot of schools and he’s only a junior, but here’s to hoping that exciting upset win and the hometown draw keeps Texas high on the Round Rock Dragon’s list.

Beat #1 and #7, and people start to take notice. The Longhorns have climbed yet again in the polls, this time moving to #4 in the AP and fifth in the Coaches Poll. Texas actually snagged two first-place votes from the writers, as did Kansas. And if #9/10 Michigan State can get past tough games with Bradley and BYU this week, we’ll be looking at another top-ten battle when the Spartans and Horns face off on December 22nd.

What to watch tonight? Bill Walker brings his Depends to New York City when Kansas State and Notre Dame face off in the Jimmy V Classic (6 PM CST, ESPN). Later, the senior-laden Butler Bulldogs host Drew Neitzel and Michigan State (8 PM, ESPNU) while Memphis shows USC frosh O.J. Mayo how its done (8:30 PM, ESPN).

The Wisconsin/Duke matchup left a lot to be desired, as Duke crotch-punched the Badgers, 82-58. At Assembly Hall, Indiana grabbed the sole win for their conference, edging Georgia Tech, 83-79. After two days of play, the ACC is on top by a 5-1 count and will coast to their ninth win in the nine-year history of the “challenge.” That’s compelling television.

In Big 12 action, Iowa State lost at home to Northern Iowa, 61-48, while Colorado took care of business against Denver.

In recruiting news, Syracuse signed two Rivals Top 50 players in Mookie Jones and Kris Joseph and added some third scrub to the mix.

Old news for many, but Luke Winn was all up on Texas’ jock after the pasting of Tennessee this weekend. And with good reason. That was perhaps the single most impressive Longhorn victory since — dare I say it? — the Final Four season.

Remember the solid student crowd that drove up to Austin to support the UTSA Turtles in the season opener? I’m guessing the four girls in the video below were a part of that group, and apparently were hopped up on some speed. We love the enthusiasm for college hoops, but for some reason I think more “Blue Danube” than DMX when I watch UTSA basketball. Regardless, I’d like to have these girls put together a new intro for UT basketball. The thing we’ve got now is more worn out than Teri Hatcher. (HT goes to March to Madness on the video.)

Baylor won a championship!! It may have only been the Paradise Jam down in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but the Bears won three straight games, culminating with a 62-54 win over Winthrop in the finals. After knocking off Wichita State and Notre Dame in the first two rounds, one has to wonder if the Bears are going to be making some noise in the Big 12 this year. Let’s be honest — there’s Kansas, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Texas, and then a huge drop off. (And without Gary Johnson, Texas is not even in the conversation with the other three.) Baylor still has home games against Washington State and Arkansas and a shot to emerge from the pack of the Big 12, so perhaps we’ll be discussing their resumé come February and March.

The Longhorns flip-flopped with A&M in this week’s AP poll, moving up to 15th while staying put at 16th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. At the bottom, Davidson cracked the Coaches at #25 after nearly upsetting #1 North Carolina last week. The Wildcats still have a road game against #10 Duke left on the schedule…I’m just saying.

Okie State won their opening-round game in Maui, taking out LSU 83-77. Mizzou looked incredibly impressive in the CBE Classic semis, but fell just short against a quality Michigan State team, 86-83. They refused to quit despite falling significantly behind a couple of times, and Stefhon Hannah almost singlehandedly willed them to victory in the final few minutes. That January road game in Columbia might not be too much fun for the Horns.

Romeo Miller signed his LOI to attend USC yesterday with future teammate DeMar DeRozan beside him at a press conference in the ritzy Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. That’s right, folks. Lil Romeo is going to play for the Trojans. The LA Times article raises a very good question, namely whether or not the USC staff offered Lil Romeo a scholarship in order to earn points with DeRozan, the much more talented of the two friends.

Big, big game on tap tonight featuring two Texas opponents, when #1 UCLA takes on #11 Michigan State in the championship of the CBE Classic out in Kansas City (9 PM CST, ESPN2). The consolation game should also be good, with Maryland and Mizzou meeting at 6:45 CST on ESPNU. Second-round action out of Maui includes LSU/Chaminade (12:30, ESPNU), Princeton/Arizona State (3:00 CST, ESPNU), Marquette/Oklahoma State (6:00 CST, ESPN), and Duke/Illinois (8:30 CST, ESPN).