With a trip to Maui and a potential pair of games against top ten opponents looming just a week away, toight the Longhorns look to brush up and correct a few mistakes against a vastly overmatched Tulane team. The Green Wave comes to Austin on the heels of a tight 68-62 win over McNeese State in New Orleans this weekend. Texas also sports a 1-0 mark following their 68-38 thumping of Stetson on Friday night.

About the opponents

Tulane is hoping to bounce back after losing three solid seniors in David Gomez, Matt Wheaton, and Donnie Stith. The trio combined for over 40% of the Green Wave’s points in the 2008 season and 41% of the team’s rebounds. With the loss of Gomez, Robinson Louisme is going to have to carry the load down low for the Green Wave, but he faces a tough task against a Texas team that blocked eight shots in their first game.

Following such massive turnover at Tulane, the Green Wave is pinning its hopes on tiny guard Kevin Sims, who started his junior season with a 17-point performance against McNeese State on Saturday. Kris Richard joins Sims as a starter in the backcourt, and matched his teammate’s 17-point total in the season opener with an identical scoring line. Richard checks in at 6-foot, 5-inches, and provides Coach Dave Dickerson with a versatile wing option.

The frontcourt is facing a mismatch against the taller Longhorns, with all three Green Wave starters listed at 6’7″ or shorter. Although Texas occasionally struggled on the offensive glass despite a significant height advantage over Stetson, Tulane will still likely have their hands full in the paint. If the Longhorns can crack down on those easy follow-ups, the Green Wave might have a tough time scoring.

Longhorn storylines

The big story of the night for Texas is the collegiate debut of point guard Dogus Balbay. It’s no secret that the Texas offense struggled in the first half with A.J. Abrams at the one, so having a true guard that can penetrate and create looks for his teammates will open up the floor. Balbay’s addition will also free up Abrams to return to his natural role as a catch-and-shoot three-point threat.

Putting Balbay in the mix also raises questions about the backcourt rotation, as the small size of the Abrams, Balbay, Varez Ward and Justin Mason makes it less likely that the Horns will run three guards at once. Mason brings smart play to the court along with lockdown defense, so Barnes will be able to tinker the lineup to match nearly any situation.

It’s not just the backcourt combinations that are up in the air, but also the playing time for the crowded frontcourt. Connor Atchley and Damion James are the unquestioned leaders, but Gary Johnson demands PT with his hard-nosed effort and nice mid-range jumper. Clint Chapman and Dexter Pittman are looking to improve after showing flashes of brilliance in 2007-08, but obviously that progress is more likely to happen with increased time in live game situations. If Friday night was any indication, Matt Hill and Alexis Wangmene are the odd men out in the rotation, but games like tonight’s offer Barnes an opportunity to experiment.

The key to the game tonight is to take advantage of the height disparity between the two teams by pounding the ball inside — something that Texas failed to do for the first half of Friday’s game — and attacking the glass. Abrams will likely knock down a handful of threes, which should aid in stretching out the Tulane defense, making it easier for Texas to go down low.

Tip is at 7 P.M. at the Frank Erwin Center, and there are still tons of tickets available. But if you can’t make it out to the Drum, tune in with other Longhorn fans to Fox Sports Net for all the action.

After six long months, the sweet sound of sneakers on hardwood has returned. And while we’ve had to bide our time all week with such thrilling match-ups as Michigan Tech/Michigan and UCLA/Prairie View A&M, tonight the Longhorn faithful can finally enjoy the return of their own basketball team.

Sure, the mighty Stetson Hatters provide as much of a threat as crabgrass in the Sahara. But with Rick Barnes opting to forgo exhibitions this year in favor of closed scrimmages with Davidson and Gonzaga, tonight’s contest provides the first chance for Texas fans to get a look at the 2008-09 Longhorns. And in a year where Barnes is looking to fill the vacancy of yet another top-ten NBA draft pick, there are a ton of questions that Texas fans want answered.

About the opponent

The Hatters are coming off a mediocre season in which they finished 15-16 and lost to Gardner Webb in the first round of the Atlantic Sun tournament. The efficiency numbers from last year’s team were actually much worse than their near-.500 record would indicate. Stetson ranked 309th in Division I basketball in offensive efficiency, while their adjusted defensive numbers put them at 205th in the nation.

One thing the Hatters do have going for them is experience, as last year’s team featured only one senior. The return of guards A.J. Smith and Garfield Blair — who averaged a combined 60 minutes per game last year — should provide some stability in the backcourt. The most reliable forward for Stetson last year was Sheldon Oliver, who checks in at only 6-foot, 5-inches. This lack of a true inside presence could cause major match-up problems against a Texas lineup that is very deep in the frontcourt.

What to look for

There are a number of questions floating around at the start of every season, and with the loss of D.J. Augustin, the 2008-09 season is no exception. Here are just a few of the many things on our mind as the team takes the court tonight.

Who handles the ball? – With Dogus Balbay serving the final game of his suspension for playing on a team which paid some players, the point guard duties are up in the air. Both A.J. Abrams and Justin Mason have experience at the one, but neither is a true floor general. Seeing who gets the bulk of the minutes running the offense will give fans an idea of what to expect if Balbay struggles in his first college season or runs into foul trouble somewhere down the line.

Will the new three-point line affect Abrams? – The NCAA has moved the three-point line back this season from its previous distance of 19 feet, 9 inches to a more daunting 20 feet, 9 inches. For Texas, the player who could possibly suffer most from the change is senior guard Abrams. There’s no question the little shooting guard has the range to hit from further out. But after three seasons developing his game at the old distance, will there be an adjustment period for Abrams this year?

How ready is Matt Hill? – The forward from Nebraska has been a huge question mark for Texas the last two seasons, with injuries crippling his freshman year and completely erasing the 2007-08 campaign. As a redshirt sophomore, Hill has the skills to make a quick impact, but questions about his durability still linger. Tonight, fans will not only get a chance to see how he fits into the crowded rotation in the frontcourt, but also to see if he seems at all hesitant after struggling with so many injuries.

What shape will the lineup take? – This is a question that will certainly not be answered tonight, as Rick Barnes will likely experiment with different combinations all the way into conference play. But this Texas team is incredibly deep, and has the ability to go both big and small. The fact that both Damion James and Connor Atchley can play well both inside and out is also an incredible asset which lends itself to some exciting possibilities for which five Longhorns see the floor.

Almost as soon as the brackets were unveiled two weeks ago, pundits keyed in on today’s date. It was nearly fated, they all seemed to think. A dream match-up between Memphis and Texas, the 1-seed and the 2-seed. A showdown for D.J. Augustin and Derrick Rose. A battle on the blocks between Joey Dorsey, Robert Dozier, and Damion James. As it turns out, they were right.

This afternoon’s game in Reliant Stadium has all the makings of an exciting shootout between two of the best teams in the country. And although most of the players in today’s game weren’t involved, there is a fair share of recent history between the two schools. During the 2004-05 and 05-06 campaigns, Rick Barnes and John Calipari scheduled a home-and-home which the Longhorns swept. And until Tennessee came into FedEx Forum and knocked off the Tigers last month, the Longhorns were the last team to beat Memphis at home in over two years.

While revenge is always a nice motivating factor, the Final Four is a much larger prize. For Coach Cal and the Tigers, it’s been something of a white whale the last few seasons. This marks the third-straight Elite Eight appearance for Memphis, who has not reached the Final Four since 1985. For Texas, it is their third appearance in the round of eight since 2003, which was also the year of their last Final Four.

The starting five

The newest player on the Tigers is perhaps the biggest star, as freshman Derrick Rose runs the show at the point. Checking in at 6’4″, he’s going to have a few inches on the Texas backcourt, and he’s a physical player that also has a few pounds on the Longhorn guards. He’s incredibly quick off the dribble, which is a necessity in the Memphis offense.

Chris Douglas-Roberts is referred to most often by the acronym CDR, but his game is far too big for just three letters. He’s a 6-7 swingman who is the most consistent long-range shooter for Memphis at 41. But his quickness and length help him get to the rack as well, so teams can’t afford to play him too tightly on the perimeter lest they find themselves watching helplessly as he drives to the hoop.

Another tall guard in the four-out, one-in Memphis look is Antonio Anderson, a 30-minute guy who chips in nine points a game but gives his biggest contribution on the defensive end. He’ll get up in your face — not a tough task against the tiny Texas backcourt — and hustle all over the court. His 3.5 assists per game speak to his great court vision, despite not being the true point guard of the bunch.

Perhaps most famous for his run-in with a girlfriend and the resulting outfit of a UAB fan, Robert Dozier is an intimidating defender who also kills on the glass. His physical style could be a match-up problem for the Longhorns, but with their increasing depth at the post, Texas could afford to attack him and pile up a few fouls.

Joey Dorsey will have some sick dunks in today’s ballgame on what Calipari calls “rim runs,” and he’ll also get a nice share of putbacks waiting on the weak side of the Memphis offense. This man is an absolute beast, so seeing him tangle with James ought to be quite a treat. Texas will need to limit the easy buckets for Dorsey off of Memphis misses, as shutting down offensive rebounding has been a huge struggle as of late for the Horns.

Dribble-drive motion

We’ve alluded to the innovative Memphis offense as we introduced the starters, but now we can fully address “Dribble Drive Motion” (DDM), or “the Princeton offense on steroids,” as Coach Cal has been known to call it. At the core, it’s essentially a drive-and-kick offense based on the Attack-Attack-Skip-Attack-Attack (AASAA) offense of former Pepperdine coach Vance Walberg. Memphis will spread the floor to open driving lanes for their guards, typically moving their big man to the weak side in order to clear even more space for the penetration.

When Walberg was coaching, he would tell his teams to either take threes or take it to the rim. There was practically no mid-range game in the AASAA, which is one key difference between the DDM and its predecessor. Memphis has players who can knock down mid-range jumpers, and they are not afraid to do so if an open opportunity presents itself.

In addition, Walberg was a preacher of full-court, pressure defense, something that Coach Cal is hesitant to use. Calipari still has his players go for steals — particularly on backtipping as opposing players try to drive — but prefers to play lock-down half-court defense.

One big problem that the DDM is going to give Texas — beyond actually stopping it — is fatigue. This wide-open style demands that players continue to attack the basket if open threes aren’t there, causing defenses to have to constantly communicate and rotate. With a thin Texas bench, this could certainly cause some issues late in the game.

As mentioned earlier, the big man in the DDM will shift to the weak side to open up penetration lanes for the Tigers. If Texas elects to help on the driving man, it will open up either a three-point shooter on the wing or that big man on the weak block. One thing Memphis lacks is a roster full of three-point threats, so unless CDR is sitting in the corner, it would be wise for the wing defender to be the one to help. Leaving Dorsey or Dozier alone for easy dunks and lay-ups is not a recipe for success.

Free throw struggles

Both teams are really having a tough time at the line this year, and if this game is as close as many are expecting, it could spell the difference. The Longhorns are only 68% from the charity stripe on the season, and have a nasty habit of missing free throws when the game reaches its final minutes. Memphis is even more abysmal from the line, hitting only 59.8% of their attempts this year.

While Texas can generally rely on Augustin or A.J. Abrams to sink free throws when they are needed, the Memphis struggles extend all the way down the roster. The most consistent free-throw shooter on the team is CDR, who is still hitting at a 69.8% clip.

What to look for

Both of these teams are likely going to score a ton of points today, although a high-tempo game would favor the deeper Memphis roster. If the Longhorns can keep the Tigers in front of them and on the perimeter, the DDM will have a hard time getting started and Texas can keep the score and pace to a more manageable level.

Most teams throw a variety of zone defenses at Memphis to try to stop the DDM, but the Kansas Jayhawks quickly exposed the Longhorn zone in Kansas City two weeks ago. While the Jayhawks have more three-point threats than Memphis, they are the only other team in the country that is as athletic and talented as the Tigers, so it’s still a worrisome point to note.

One interesting thing to keep an eye on is if Dexter Pittman will be able to keep up with the pace of the game and provide any meaningful minutes. The zone defense usually allows him more of a chance to play, but Memphis may just be too quick of a team for the big sophomore.

All told, this is a game that has me very nervous heading into it. Coach Cal has been playing up the “Memphis as underdog” angle, but we all know that Texas fans are generally quiet and fail to adequately support their team. Reliant Stadium might be full of burnt orange, but unless it’s actually loud — something I doubt with the current seating arrangement — there isn’t an intimidating advantage for the Longhorns.

We’ll be back with the post-game later tonight or tomorrow afternoon. And hopefully after that we’ll have some Final Four previewing to do.

Other game previews
Barking Carnival
Burnt Orange Nation
Jim Masilak of Memphis’ Commercial Appeal
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman
TexasSports.com

With tonight’s appearance in the Sweet 16 at Houston’s Reliant Stadium, the Texas Longhorns are making their fifth trip to the tournament’s second weekend in the last seven years. The opponent is an interesting one, as the guard-oriented Horns will be tangling with the Stanford Cardinal and their twin towers, the Lopez brothers. This game offers a complete contrast in styles, and it’s tough to predict which one will prevail.

The Cardinal faced a similar guard-oriented team last weekend in its second-round game with Marquette, a nailbiter that went to overtime after the Golden Eagles threw up an ill-advised three-pointer with six seconds left in the game. Stanford showed a lot of zone against Marquette for the first twenty minutes, but abandoned that strategy in the second half when the Golden Eagles started to heat up. Personally, I feel that the Longhorns have much stronger three-point shooters, so it could be a dangerous move for Stanford to try another zone look for very long tonight.

But the problem that Texas presents for Stanford and a man-to-man defense is the long-range shooting ability of big men Damion James and Connor Atchley. Both can knock down the three ball, which will require the Stanford bigs defending them to leave the paint quite often. This is going to open up the driving lane for D.J. Augustin and could also help the Horns with a very tough task on the glass against the Cardinal.

What I’d personally love to see a lot of in tonight’s game is Atchley or James floating out of the lane, drawing a Lopez brother away from the paint. Then, as a guard penetrates and the other Lopez shifts to help, dumping the ball for the dunk to whichever post has stayed behind. Memphis loves to do this with their dribble-drives, and if Stanford shows too much man tonight, it would be a sound strategy.

It seems like the Longhorn offense has a lot of options to attack the Stanford defense, but the prospect of shutting down the Cardinal bigs with the ball seems much more daunting. Trips Right of Barking Carnival has an in-depth look at the game, and does an incredible job breaking down the possible defensive looks.

I’ve mentioned the Lopez twins without really introducing them, because I feel it incredibly unnecessary at this point in the week. With five days of build-up to the game, this thing has been hyped about as much as it can, and the Lopez Bros. have earned a ton of ink. (And rightfully so.) In today’s Statesman, Kirk Bohls looked at how the Horns prepared for the twins, and makes the key observation that casual fans will want to remember tonight — Brook is the scorer, but Robin is a defensive machine.

Time is running short at this point, and I’ve got to hit the road for Houston. Fans stuck in Austin, Dallas, or far-flung corners of the U.S. can tune in to CBS at 6:27 PM CDT for the action. The coverage listings for the game will help those folks not in the Lone Star State, although it appears that CBS doesn’t find the match-up too appealing as they are beaming the game to only 38% of the country.

So, try to focus on your work for next five hours without checking the clock too often. And if you’re heading to the arena, get ready to scream your lungs out. We’ll be back with the post-game tomorrow.

After an easy dispatching of the 15th-seeded Austin Peay Governors in Friday’s first round, the Texas Longhorns advanced to today’s second-round match-up with the Miami Hurricanes. A trip to Houston and the Sweet 16 awaits the winner, which for the Longhorns would be only a couple of hours down Highway 290 from their Austin campus.

Last year’s Longhorn team was absolutely crushed in the second round, falling prey to the high pressure of Tim Floyd’s USC defense. The Longhorns trailed by double-digits most of the game and made only a weak comeback attempt in the second half. But this year’s Texas team remembers that flame-out all too well, and their goals are much bigger. First, though, the young Horns will have to top the Hurricanes, a team led by one-time Texas assistant Frank Haith.

Observers might notice that the two teams seem similar at times, and that is to be expected when both coaches spent so many years working together. But the differences are still noticeable. The Hurricanes have more of a post presence than Texas, while the Longhorns have more talented athletes to run the probe-and-react style that Barnes favors. Miami runs nine deep on the bench, but Texas only goes that far down the pine as a last resort.

By the numbers

According to Ken Pomeroy, the Hurricanes are in the top-third of the country in both offensive and defensive efficiency. On Friday, the Hurricanes’ defense certainly frustrated the St. Mary’s Gaels, who seemed resigned to only penetrating the perimeter by a few feet before kicking it out for threes.

The big men for the Hurricanes are particularly tough on the defensive end, locking down the paint with ease. Their 2-point field goal defense is 25th in the nation according to Pomeroy’s metrics, and a cursory glance at the Miami post players can tell you why. Anthony King and Dwayne Collins are imposing defenders at 6’9″ and 6’8″, but the two bigs can also clean the glass. The return of fifth-year senior King is a huge reason why the Hurricanes are enjoying the NCAA tournament despite the media’s prediction of a dead-last finish in the ACC.

Miami doesn’t run a particularly up-tempo game, just barely checking in the top-third of pace according to Pomeroy. But if Haith wants to try to exploit his advantage of a deeper bench, he may elect to have the ‘Canes try to outrun the Horns. Texas has certainly shown it can play this style, as the convincing win over Tennessee will attest. And when you recall that most of the Texas starters earned significant amounts of rest in the blowout win on Friday, the Longhorns should be able to hang with an up-tempo attack.

A look at the starters

The star for Miami is little guard Jack McClinton, who took over the second half of Friday’s game and willed the Hurricanes to victory. McClinton led the team in scoring all season, averaging 17.7 points per game coming into the tournament. He can score from just about anywhere on the court, but is particularly deadly from three-point range.

Despite his scoring threat, at times it seemed like he was a little out of control on Friday morning. It’s hard to argue with a 38-point performance that leads to a tournament win, but it seems that McClinton could shoot his team in the foot at times by taking ill-advised shots and forcing things. Thanks to his small size, he shouldn’t be too much of a match-up problem for the short Texas backcourt, and I’d look for Justin Mason to draw the assignment. Hopefully the Big 12 All-Defensive Team representative can shut down the explosive McClinton.

The other guard earning the start for Miami is Lance Hurdle, another small guy who is a definite scoring threat. While he only averages about eight points per game, he really turned it on during ACC play. Hurdle reached double-digits in scoring eight times in conference play, including a 20-point game against North Carolina. While Texas will certainly have its hands full with McClinton, if Hurdle has another breakout game this afternoon, the ‘Canes have a strong chance at the upset.

James Dews is a third guard for the Hurricanes, playing the position that Mason occupies for the Horns. Dews is taller than the two true guards and grabs a few more boards, just like Mason. He’s a 37% shooter from behind-the-arc, and his 10-plus points per game is second on the team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Haith shy away from his typical three-guard look in this one, hoping to exploit the advantage that Miami has inside. But if he sticks to the game plan, the McClinton/Hurdle/Dews troika should match up nicely with the A.J. Abrams/D.J. Augustin/Mason combo for Texas. May the best backcourt win.

As mentioned earlier, Collins and King make a huge difference in the post defense for Miami. But on Friday, the pair missed a lot of point-blank looks, so hopefully their offensive futility will carry over to this afternoon’s games. Collins also demonstrated an awful shot from the charity stripe, making him one of the few Hurricanes who aren’t automatic at the line. If the Longhorns are going to pick up fouls down low, he is the man to send to the stripe.

Off the bench

Wing Brian Asbury started a ton of games at the beginning of the year, but is now relegated to a sixth-man role for Coach Haith. But despite that reduced role, Asbury is still a key player. He averages nine points per game and is a quality rebounder, grabbing nearly five boards in less than 30 minutes per contest. If Haith does go to that big lineup I mentioned earlier, sticking Asbury in with Collins and King could give them the edge or force Rick Barnes to play Alexis Wangmene or Dexter Pittman more than he had planned.

Down low, Jimmy Graham is a high-energy guy who sent one block on Friday into another county. While he doesn’t play a ton of minutes, he’s a good rebounder and scores a few points per game. He’s one of many guys for Coach Haith that gives the Hurricanes depth in the post that Texas likely can’t match.

Reserve guard Eddie Rios is also high-energy, but it seems to hurt his game. On Friday he was all over the place with ugly passes, uglier shots, and just all-around reckless play. St. Mary’s took advantage when he was on the court, and Texas will need to do the same this afternoon when Rios is giving the starters a blow.

Raymond Hicks is the other active Hurricane who is getting significant minutes, and he’s yet another forward that could create match-up problems for Texas. He’s a solid rebounder and will score occasionally in the paint, so the Longhorns can’t afford to give up the piles of offensive rebounds that they conceded to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in last week’s conference tournament.

The big picture

While Miami is a much bigger team than Texas, the Longhorns are a more talented, more athletic club. They will be forced to crash the glass today in an effort to limit the Hurricanes in the second-chance battle. If the Texas defense is playing a good game and also preventing the Hurricanes from extending their possessions with offensive boards, the chances for upset are slim. But if Miami is picking up trash baskets off of misses, they will hang around and could be in a position to win late in the game.

One weakness of the Hurricanes is poor ball control, and while the Longhorns are not a high-pressure team, they could earn some free points off of turnovers. Their solid defensive play over the last two months will be needed this afternoon, as sound fundamentals will easily lead to a few Hurricane hiccups here and there.

All told, this game is certainly a trap, but one that the Longhorns should win on paper. If Texas can shut down McClinton, the Miami offense will struggle. But as the road win against Kansas State showed, the Longhorns can also allow one player to go off while completely shutting down the rest of the team. I wouldn’t recommend that approach this afternoon, but it’s a reassuring fact to remember if McClinton starts racking up the points early.

We’ll be driving back to Austin immediately following today’s two games in Little Rock, so any post-game will be on hold until tomorrow morning or afternoon. In the meantime, enjoy the eight games on tap today.