The Texas Longhorns face their biggest test of the young conference season as they head to Norman tonight for a top-ten matchup with the rival Sooners. Both Oklahoma and Texas have hopes to win the conference this season, and the home-and-home series between the two teams will play a huge part in deciding the league’s champion.

The Longhorns have won six straight against the Sooners, and eleven of the last fourteen matchups between the two teams. Prior to that, Oklahoma enjoyed their own dominance in the series, reeling off eight straight wins under former coach Kelvin Sampson. But even with recent history on their side, the Longhorns will have their hands full against a very talented Sooner squad which hasn’t lost at home since the Longhorns last visited on February 6th, 2008.

By the numbers

Based solely on the efficiency stats, tonight’s game looks to be a battle of strengths. All season, the Longhorns have survived with a stifling defense that is ranked 13th in the nation. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has been unstoppable with the ball, scoring 1.168 points per possession, an impressive clip that is 11th-best in the country.

Unfortunately for the Longhorns, their offense does not match up as well with Oklahoma statistically. Texas’ offensive efficiency is only 75th nationally, while the Sooners’ D checks in at 45th. Combining all of those ratings gives the Longhorns a +0.205 differential per possession, while OU enjoys a more robust +0.250 margin. While these fractions of a point may seem miniscule, over the course of a 65- to 70-possession game, it can easily add up.

In terms of tempo, the two teams are nearly identical, with both averaging just a shade under 70 possessions per contest. The Sooners do look to push the ball in transition off of defensive rebounds, but their half-court offense is so efficient that they are far from a run-and-gun team. If the Texas defense can make a difference in this game, they should stay close enough with the Sooners to have a shot as time winds down.

The starting five

The Sooners return a very experienced roster with a key addition in the backcourt, making them one of the scariest teams in the conference and the country. This year, Capel is going with a three-out, two-in look, relying on the Griffin brothers to provide a strong scoring presence in the paint.

The one newcomer in the starting five is heralded freshman Willie Warren, who was named a McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade Texas Player of the Year during his senior season at Fort Worth’s North Crowley High. Warren is an incredibly quick guard who creates his own shot and has an uncanny knack for getting to the rim. Although he was plagued by the typical early-season freshman struggles, the guard has exploded in his last five games, averaging 21 points per game over that stretch.

The presence of Warren in the backcourt has really opened things up for senior point guard Austin Johnson, who has long struggled with leading the OU offense. Johnson is not terribly quick with the ball, but the extra attention defenses are giving to Warren is allowing the point guard more room to drive. As a result, Johnson has made fewer unforced errors and is dishing out 3.3 assists for every turnover this season.

The key player for the Sooners is Blake Griffin, a sophomore who is averaging a double-double with 22 points and 14 boards per game. Despite the possibility of being a high NBA draft pick last June, the younger Griffin returned for his second year and is one of the leading candidates for the Naismith Award. His skill set is incredibly impressive for a guy his size, which has pro scouts salivating. Griffin is not only a near-lock within ten feet of the basket, but he is a defensive stud, has great mid-range, and can handle the ball extremely well. This allows him to pull big men out near the perimeter, opening up the lanes for his teammates, and also exposes his less-talented opponents to being taken off the dribble.

The older guy in the frontcourt is Taylor Griffin, who has been overshadowed by his kid brother the last two seasons. But he’s also benefitting from the focus defenses are giving Blake, as he often finds himself wide open for dump-offs under the basket and gobbles up easy putbacks on weak-side rebounds. Taylor is only averaging nine points per game, but his presence keeps defenses honest when they want to key solely on Blake. He’s also the team’s second-leading rebounder with just over six boards per game.

Tony Crocker is the primary long-range threat for the Sooners, although his numbers have decreased slightly this year. Crocker is only hitting 34% of his threes this season after logging an impressive 42.4% rate from behind the arc last year. He’s also adept at attacking off the dribble, so if Texas plays him too tightly on the perimeter, he can quickly get to the rim for an easy two. Checking in at 6’6″, he could create also a match-up problem for the Longhorns, who sometimes elect to go small with a three-guard look.

Keys to the game

Hit the threes – Oklahoma struggled early against Arkansas, Purdue, and Kansas State, falling behind all three teams in the first half. The common thread in those games was an unencumbered barrage from behind the arc, as the Sooners allowed those three opponents to shoot a combined 16-of-33 (48.4%) from long range in the first half of those games. Oklahoma managed to claw their way back for victories against K-State and Purdue, but Texas can really help their chances by attacking the weak perimeter defense.

The key to doing so will likely be A.J. Abrams, who has been practically a ghost during the last month. Fortunately, history bodes well for A.J., as he lit up the Sooners for seven three pointers in their last meeting, which came at the Big 12 tournament last March. Without a resurgence from Abrams tonight, the Longhorns may find it tough to earn their points inside against a stout post defense.

Keep OU off the charity stripe – With the Sooners pounding the ball down low to the Griffin brothers, they enjoy a distinct advantage at the free throw line. Oklahoma averages ten more free throws per game than their opponents, while nearly 25% of their scoring comes from the charity stripe. With the Longhorns missing an inexcusable 36% of their own free throws, this stat could be the difference in the game.

Weather the crowd – Texas has performed well in hostile road environments this season, grabbing a win at the Kohl Center last month against Wisconsin three weeks after they beat Villanova in an alleged neutral-site game that was 95% Wildcat fans. And even though they fell short against Arkansas in the electric Bud Walton Arena last week, the Longhorns have proven they aren’t shaken by road crowds. Tonight’s top-ten contest will take place in front of the craziest crowd the Lloyd Noble Center has seen in years, so the Longhorns will have to maintain that same poise when the Sooners go on their inevitable scoring runs.

No time for a preview of today’s game, as I’m running late to the arena already. You can visit last year’s preview to brush up on a few of their returning players and the high-speed brand of basketball we’ll be seeing today.

There are still a ton of tickets left for this one, and in the middle of finals the student support should be pretty light. If you’re in Austin with nothing to do, you should definitely hop in the car and fly down to the Erwin Center. Parking might not even be an issue for this one.

The Texas Longhorns make their annual appearance in the New York metropolitan area with tonight’s showdown against Villanova in the Jimmy V Classic. The Wildcats come in with an unblemished 8-0 mark, but their opponents are a combined 23-40 on the year. This will certainly be Villanova’s biggest test to date, but it’s also another opportunity for Rick Barnes and Texas fans to see exactly what their team’s identity will be.

Villanova’s biggest struggle this year has been keeping a complete bench. Big man Dwayne Anderson is recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, which has limited to him only seven minutes all season. Casiem Drummond, who has battled his own share of injuries, recently announced his intentions to transfer to another program. Guard Corey Stokes will be in the starting lineup tonight, but did suffer a hand injury prior to the Niagara game. Add all of this to the fact that Coach Jay Wright doesn’t want to burn Maurice Sutton‘s redshirt, and you have a Villanova team that really only runs seven deep.

The starting five

Fans of college basketball remember Scottie Reynolds as a former Oklahoma recruit, one who could be playing with Blake Griffin and Damion James right now in Norman if not for the misdeeds of Kelvin Denim Sampson. But instead, Reynolds has flourished in Pennsylvania and has emerged as one of the top point guards in the Big East. He still shoots more than most one guards — his 14 points per game are second on the team — but Reynolds is now much more of a floor general than he was when these teams last met in 2006.

With fans and opponents already well-aware of Reynolds, the surprise this season for Villanova has been the emergence of big man Dante Cunningham. Until this season, he was known only as the YouTube sensation that dunked on Kevin Durant at the Wachovia Center. But just eight games into the 2008-08 campaign, Cunningham is taking Villanova on his back. The senior forward is averaging 17 points and eight rebounds a game this year, including double-doubles against Fordham, Rhode Island, and Penn.

Texas is going to have its hands full with Dante in the paint, but the Longhorns also have the luxury of depth. Like they did with Stanford last season, look for Texas to throw a lot of different bodies at Cunningham to wear him out in a physical contest. Although using Dexter Pittman typically forces the Longhorns out of their man-to-man defense and into a zone, Barnes used the big man in this way against the Lopez twins in that Sweet 16 game.

For Villanova, the X-factor in tonight’s game could be the aforementioned Stokes. Despite his hand injury, the sophomore guard is hitting a ridiculous 51% of his three point attempts so far this year. Texas historically struggles with defending the three-point line, as Notre Dame and UCLA gladly reminded us. If Texas is too busy packing the lane to stop Cunningham, Villanova could still ride to victory on a breakout performance from Stokes on the perimeter.

In Nova’s three-guard look, Corey Fisher fills the last backcourt spot. Like Stokes, Villanova’s other Corey was ranked in the top 30 by Rivals coming out of high school. In only his second season, he’s already averaging double digits in scoring and routinely uses a lightning-quick burst of speed to break out in transition or blow past defenders on the perimeter. Texas has put up excellent defensive numbers against top-flight guards this year, but they cannot afford to overlook this sophomore.

Big man Antonio Pena fills the second forward slot for Coach Jay Wright. Coming out of high school, some ‘Nova fans were hyping Pena up as a future NBA star, but he has yet to truly show it at the college level. This season, Pena’s toughest obstacle has been simply controlling his fouls, as he’s fouled out of three games and picked up four in another contest. If Pena cannot play quality defense against lesser opponents, he is going to have a hell of a time trying to defend in the physical Big East. And in tonight’s contest, a very deep Texas frontcourt could exploit Pena’s mental lapses and keep him on the bench with foul trouble.

Off the bench

If Pena does indeed battle foul trouble, a thin Villanova bench will have to step in. Shane Clark is the only true frontcourt option off the pine, unless Anderson is able to finally make a full return from his stress fracture. Clark is only 6’7″, so if Texas can force Villanova to have to give him significant minutes, they should easily control the game down low.

In the backcourt, Reggie Redding provides a fourth option for the guard-heavy Wildcats. Against Niagara, Redding earned the starting nod in place of the injured Stokes, and finished the night with 14 points from the wing. Like Stokes, Redding checks in at 6’5″ and could create some match-up problems. He can easily shoot over the shorter Texas guards, and he’s quick enough that he can beat Damion James or Gary Johnson off the dribble. He likely won’t be the difference in the contest, but it will be interesting to see how Texas handles both Redding and Stokes.

The only other viable option for Villanova is Frank Tchuisi, a Cameroonian forward. He doesn’t see very many minutes, but could get some extra action in this one after Drummond’s decision to transfer.

Keys to the game

Dominate the glass – Texas has a sizable advantage in this one, and must prevent easy putbacks for Cunningham and Pena. The Longhorns have done an excellent job so far this year, winning the battle on the glass by seven rebounds a game. If they can corral the caroms tonight, it should make things a lot easier.

Balance the scoring – Jay Wright always has good defensive teams, and this year’s squad is no different. You can be sure that the Wildcats will not let A.J. Abrams score 31 as he did on Thursday night. That means that other Longhorns will have to step up and chip in a few extra points.

Disrupt the ‘Cats – Villanova has the third-most efficient offense in the nation, so Texas must disrupt their half-court sets. Judging from the defensive performance that Texas has put forth thus far, the chances are good that the Wildcats won’t enjoy their typical 1.2 points-per-possession tonight.

In last year’s inaugural round of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series, the Texas Longhorns scored a momentous victory on a Damion James dunk with only eight seconds to play. The throwdown capped a hard-fought, tense battle between two top ten teams, and the 63-61 victory over the homestanding Bruins gave Texas their first road win over a #1-ranked team in school history.

You can be sure that will be on the minds of the eight returning upperclassmen on Ben Howland‘s team when they make the return trip to Austin tonight. Although the Bruins have lost 39 points and 20 rebounds per game to the NBA with the departures of Kevin Love, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Russell Westbrook, UCLA is anything but rebuilding.

The offseason saw Howland ink a recruiting class that was ranked #1 in the country by Scout, a group of freshmen so talented that it warranted the re-issue of Michigan’s famous “Fab Five” nickname. Led by freshman starter Jrue Holiday, the newest quintet of Bruins all but insures that UCLA is the easy favorite in the Pac-10 this season.

By the numbers

The most glaring problem with the new-look Bruins is their lack of an inside presence. Without Love and Mbah a Moute, UCLA’s top returning rebounder is wingman Josh Shipp, who grabbed only 3.2 boards a game last season. Despite missing a true bruiser in the paint, the Bruins still boast a +9.2 rebounding margin so far this season, actually a +0.8 shift from last year. Granted, the sample size is small and includes a bevy of easy opponents so far this season, but the numbers are something of a relief for UCLA fans who expected disastrous results on the glass this year.

Coach Howland has expressed an interest in opening up the floor a little more this season, and with a senior point guard like Darren Collison, why wouldn’t he? Long famous for a patient offense and an even more patient defense, Ben’s Bruins have always relied on low-scoring affairs with a lack of possessions that serve to highlight their efficiency. Despite their coach’s professed interest in a more up-tempo game this year, it seems so far that the 2008-09 UCLA team is more of the same. Tempo numbers from Ken Pomeroy reveal that the Bruins are actually playing at a slightly slower tempo this year, with only 64.3 possessions per game.

One notable issue so far this year for UCLA has been issues with ball control, something that the Longhorns exploited in last year’s road victory. Texas built its first-half lead last year on the strength of ten fast-break points, and the statistics say there’s a good chance that Rick Barnes could have his team do the same tonight. In the season opener against Prairie View A&M, the Bruins had a ridiculous 24 turnovers, including six each from point guards Collison and Jerime Anderson. In a loss to Michigan just a week later, UCLA coughed it up 17 times.

The starting five

The big name for the Bruins is obviously the aforementioned Collison. Practically a guaranteed lottery pick in last year’s NBA draft, the point guard returned to school in hopes that he could finally lead UCLA from being just a Final Four team to being National Champions. The son of world-class sprinters from Guyana, Collison can push the ball with the best of them and easily zip past defenders to get the rack. But defenses cannot simply sag off of him, as his three-point shooting is deadly. Last season, he set a UCLA record with a 52.5% conversion rate from behind the arc, and has hit 7-of-10 to start the current year. Against a Texas team that has difficulty shutting down long-range threats, Collison could have a field day.

Freshman combo guard Holiday is not just a heck of an athlete, but also a surprising source of help for the rebounding worries surrounding UCLA. At 6’3″, Jrue isn’t the biggest man on the floor, but he has been dubbed by Coach Howland the best pound-for-pound rebounder on the team. Holiday also has quality handles and can take over at the point for Collison, giving Howland a bit more flexibility if the senior guard gets into foul trouble or needs a rest.

At the wing, Shipp is providing a much-needed offensive boost for the Bruins. He is the second-leading scorer that returns from last year’s team, and although he has recently struggled from long range, Josh is still always a threat to drop a three. His ability to create and also hit the outside shot really helps to open up the floor for Collison and the Bruins, something that was all too evident when he had an off day against Michigan. In the loss to the Wolverines, Shipp was held to only five points, and his struggles against the Michigan 1-3-1 zone allowed the defense to sag even further off. If Texas can limit the damage from Shipp tonight, it will make things easier elsewhere on the defensive end.

Inside, Cameroonian center Alfred Aboya provides senior leadership. Never a huge scoring threat, Aboya is going to need to eat up a lot more minutes for the Bruins and provide quality defense and rebounding. He showed some problems controlling his fouls against Michigan, so perhaps that is something that Damion James and Gary Johnson can try to exploit.

The Bruins are also looking for increased contribution from forward James Keefe, who missed most of last year with a foot injury and didn’t start to shine until late in conference play. His breakout game was a double-double performance in the Sweet 16 against Western Kentucky, but that post-season performance hasn’t quite carried over to the 2008-09 campaign. Keefe definitely has a dangerous mid-range shot and his hustle inside leads to the occasional putbacks, but his averages this year are a paltry 3.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest.

Off the bench

With Holiday the only member of that recruiting class in the starting lineup, there is a ton of young talent on Ben Howland’s bench. But the biggest X-factor for UCLA could actually be the play of wingman Michael Roll, a junior who has struggled with injury throughout his career. A scrappy 6’5″ player, Roll can spread out the floor just as well as Shipp can, and hits at a steadier rate from behind the arc. He’s currently 50% from long range this season, and he’s showcased a nice mid-range touch in non-conference play.

The freshmen class provides some added depth in the post, with former LSU commit J’Mison Morgan playing really solid defense for a first-year guy. His five blocks lead the team despite the fact he only plays eight minutes a game, and the kid really grasps the concept of verticality.

Drew Gordon is another big body down low, although he’s a bit smaller than Morgan. Gordon is a lengthy guy who isn’t afraid to throw his weight around, but early on he’s shown some incredible athleticism for a guy his size. He’s certainly not a one-and-done guy for Howland, so UCLA fans will get a chance to see this talented player develop over the next few seasons.

In the backcourt, Anderson is being groomed to be the point guard of the future, while Malcolm Lee is a talented two guard who played for the USA under-18 team this summer. Ben Howland loves Lee’s defense, but he could stand to spend some time in the weight room with college strength coaches. When he adds some more muscle to his frame, opposing guards are going to be even more frustrated on offense.

Suspended for the first game of the year, Nikolas Dragovic is eating up a bunch of minutes off the bench for the Bruins. He’s not a huge scoring threat, although he has certainly taken his share of three pointers so far this year. His sixteen attempts from behind the arc is second on the team to only Shipp, and his scant 25% success rate is second-worst on the squad. In his freshman campaigmn, Dragovic was just as bad from long range, making less than 24% of his attempts.

Keys to the game

Win the turnover battle – The Longhorns have been careless with the ball quite often this season, and against a UCLA team that limits the number of possessions, Texas cannot afford to throw away scoring opportunities. In addition, the Bruins have displayed their own difficulties with ball control, so the Longhorns must continue their early-season success in forcing points off of turnovers.

Crash the glass – Part of the reason the Bruins are so efficient is their dedication to keeping opponents off the offensive glass and limiting them to one-and-done possessions. Texas has had an uncharacteristically stagnant offense so far this year, so they will likely need second and third chances in the half court. James, Johnson, and Dexter Pittman will need to be vacuums on both ends of the court today.

Searching for Connor Atchley – Atchley provided some key plays in last year’s game and helped to stifle Kevin Love on the defensive end. When Atchley was missing due to foul trouble, the Texas offense paid the price — particularly A.J. Abrams — who found it more difficult to get open on the perimeter. Connor will need to put aside the timid play he has shown so far this season and step up in tonight’s contest.

Mason must lead the way – If you’re close enough to the court to hear the players, it’s amazing just how much Justin Mason is coaching the team. And while he’s stepped up as a vocal leader, lately he has become a scoring leader as well. Against a very well-schooled, patient defense, Mase will need to create points and shepherd the offense. And on the other end of the ball, he will have to continue his lockdown defense against an excellent backcourt.

This morning the Longhorns kick off three days of high-caliber basketball on the island of Maui, taking on St. Jospeh’s in an opening-round clash. The weekend here has been much more packed with activities than anticipated, and the 10 A.M. tip time here on Hawaii’s second-largest island has created a bit of a time crunch. So, today’s game preview won’t be quite as in-depth as usual, but we’ll cover the necessities. Call it a game preview, Maui style.

About the Hawks

This isn’t the St. Joseph’s of 2004, which finished the regular season with only a single loss and fell just one win short of the Final Four. But the Hawks are still a dangerous team, led by their indomitable big man Ahmad Nivins. The senior forward was all-conference last year in the Atlantic-10+4, playing over 30 minutes a game for Coach Phil Martelli while averaging 14.4 points and 5.8 boards. In the first two games for St. Joe’s this year, Nivins is averaging a double-double, with 21 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.

Nivins will be relied on to help steady a team which lost its two leading scorers in forwards Pat Calathes and Rob Ferguson. But the Hawks also have a senior leader in the backcourt, point guard Tasheed Carr. The upperclassman is in only his second season with the team after transferring from Iowa State, but is the only player besides Nivins who averaged more than 30 minutes a game in 2007-08.

The biggest question for St. Joseph’s is which other big man will step up today. Nivins is without a doubt an incredible force down low, but the Longhorns are deeper in the frontcourt than they have been in years. If Texas sells out to defend Nivins, the other Hawks will have to provide enough offense to force the Longhorns to reconsider their gameplan. That means a lot of pressure falls on the shoulders of sophomore forward Idris Hilliard, a 6’7″ kid from New Jersey who has seen his playing time jump from just six minutes a game last year to almost 34 in the first two games this season.

Garrett Williamson is a guard off of Martelli’s bench that could create some match-up problems for Texas thanks to his height. The junior guard is listed at 6’5″, and the Longhorn backcourt has shown weakness against taller guards and wings in the past. Although significantly shorter than Williamson and Carr, Justin Mason will be asked to step up on the defensive end today. Varez Ward may also see an increase in minutes thanks to his lockdown D, provided his sprained ankle is completely healed.

There’s also a slight Texas connection on the bench for the Hawks today, as little-used Nigerian center Temi Adebayo played at Montrose Christian last year, the same school that produced phenom Kevin Durant.

For the Longhorns

So far this season, the big story for Texas has been their defense. Against Tulane, the Longhorns showed full-court pressure, guarded the Green Wave well past the perimeter, and constantly put hands in the passing lanes. Texas has forced 44 turnovers in their first two ballgames, stifling the opposing offenses before they can get started. But even when Stetson and Tulane managed to work the ball around, the Longhorns’ strong D has resulted in tough looks. Through two games, Texas opponents are shooting a paltry 28.7% from the field.

The problem spots so far for the Longhorns are turnovers and free throw shooting. Although Texas has forced a ton of miscues by their opponents, sloppy ball handling has given fans cause for concern. The Longhorns have coughed it up 34 times in their first two games against decidedly over-matched opponents, a number that will certainly never fly against top-level competition.

From the free throw line, Texas is shooting an abysmal 51% so far this season. The biggest criminals from the charity stripe have been Mason (3-of-7), Damion James (3-of-6), Clint Chapman (1-of-4), and Varez Ward (0-of-6). While there’s really no excuse for poor free throw shooting, at this point in the year we’re choosing to give Chapman and Ward a pass based on their youth. But James and Mason must be leaders for the team, and it’s tough to have confidence late in games if your go-to guys can’t knock down the freebies.

This is a game that Texas should win, but St. Joseph’s is definitely a team talented enough to spring the upset. Good teams are most often undermined by a sudden failure to execute the most basic fundamentals, so the Longhorns must control the ball and hit their free throws. Nivins will definitely score in today’s contest and likely wreak havoc on the glass, but if the Longhorns can do the simple things, they should advance to the winner’s bracket for a semifinal tomorrow.