It’s opening day, as the Longhorns kick off the 2007-08 season with an exhibition tonight against Xavier University from Louisiana. That means it’s also time for the final installment of “Meet the Freshmen” here at LRT, which takes a look at versatile big man Clint Chapman.

Coming out of Oregon, Chapman played for the Canby Cougars, who finished at 22-8 during his senior season. Clint soared up the recruiting rankings during his last two years of high school, finishing in the top 70 of the Rivals rankings. Pac-10 schools were incredibly high on the kid, as Washington, Oregon, ASU, and Cal were all in the mix.

Chapman checks in at 6’10” and is a hard-working defender in the paint. On offense, he can step out and hit midrange jumpers to about 18 feet, but still needs work on his post moves. He has great fundamentals and is another quality big man on a team that sorely needed depth in the frontcourt last season.

Clint has been wearing a protective brace on his right wrist, but is still able to practice and play. Tonight’s exhibition game should give a sense of how safely the coaches and trainers want to play it with Chapman in the early part of the season.

Chapman is expected to split minutes with Wangmene coming off of the bench, so this minor injury means that we may just see a bit more of Alexis in November and December. But no matter how the minutes break down, Chapman is going to be an key reserve for Rick Barnes and the Longhorns.

With the exhibition tipoff less than 24 hours away, it’s time for the third of four installments in LRT’s “Meet the Freshmen” series. Today we take a look at Alexis Wangmene, the only one of the four newcomers without any injury issues heading into the 2007-08 season.

Wangmene is a tenacious rebounder, something the Longhorns will sorely need after losing Kevin Durant and his 11.1 RPG to the NBA. Alexis still needs some work on his shot, but on a team that also features Damion James, A.J. Abrams, and D.J. Augustin, he is not going to be relied on as a scorer.

Wangmene was discovered in Cameroon at age 15 when San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford spotted him at a Basketball Without Borders camp. Buford and his wife became Wangmene’s guardians and moved him to San Antonio, where he attended Central Catholic High in San Antonio. During his junior season, Alexis was named to the TAPPS 6A All-State team. The following year, he transferred to Blair Academy in New Jersey, which produced such standouts as Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva….and, of course, former Longhorn Royal Ivey.

Because Wangmene missed out on all of the camps, AAU teams, and developmental programs that abound in the United States for young talent, he’s harboring a ton of potential that has yet to be tapped. Working with Rick Barnes, Todd Wright, and the rest of the Longhorns coaching staff is going to lead to tremendous growth all four years for this exciting player. So while this season we will see Alexis help shore up a previously weak inside game for the Horns, the role he plays for Texas in his senior year will undoubtedly be huge.

It’s time for the second installment of the four-part “Meet the freshman” series, and for the second straight day, the Austin-American Statesman provides us with a story about one of the newest Longhorns. But while yesterday’s news regarding Dogus Balbay was troubling, today fans learn that Gary Johnson has been cleared to play in the exhibition.

Johnson was the prize jewel of Rick Barnes’ 2007 recruiting class, sitting in the top 25 of every major reporting outlet’s rankings. An undersized post player at 6-foot, 6-inches, Gary is known for his incredible post moves, constant motor, and sweet touch from the blocks. Sound familiar? It should. Johnson’s game has drawn comparisons to P.J. Tucker for some time, and now that he’s donning burnt orange, journalists and sportscasters will surely rehash that point.

Gary played his high school ball at Aldine in Houston, where the Mustangs reached the Class 5A Region III semifinals in each of the last two seasons. Johnson was also a member of the insanely loaded Houston Hoops AAU team, which included Jai Lucas (Florida), Mike Singletary (Texas Tech), and Anthony Jones (Yates HS, Baylor commit).

Uncertainty surrounded Johnson all summer after it was announced he was suffering from a heart condition. News from the Forty Acres came out in trickles, as the basketball program kept tight lips regarding the situation, citing privacy concerns. First, there were whispers that GJ was taking part in individual workouts. Then, the Statesman announced he was cleared for team practice. With this latest bit of news, there is a very strong chance that Johnson will be ready before non-conference play is over.

Conditioning will likely be an issue for the first few months, as Johnson added weight during the sedentary phase following the initial diagnosis. But this Texas team is in strong need of a presence in the frontcourt, and Johnson — owner of a 7’1″ wingspan — is the leading candidate. Once he gets up to full speed, he’ll likely lead the team in rebounds and will be one of the top scorers.

Perhaps most important for fans to remember in all of this is that Texas will exercise extreme caution. Johnson is going to be re-evaluated after Friday’s game to see how his body handles the added stress of game conditions. Even if he’s then cleared for the regular season, doctors and coaches will still take things slowly. But when Gary and the medical staff think it’s safe enough for him to take the court full-time, he is guaranteed to immediately and dramatically improve the team.

With the season less than two weeks away, we’re rolling out a four-part feature here at LRT to introduce the fans to the newest faces on the Texas roster. First up is Dogus Balbay, the young Turkish point guard expected to spell D.J. Augustin. Unfortunately, that plan took a big hit when Texas announced today that Balbay is undergoing surgery on Tuesday and will be out indefinitely. Initial reports had indicated the point guard was only visiting doctors tomorrow for further evaluation of the knee that he injured in early October. At this point, it is unknown if he will be available at any point this season. At 6-foot, 1-inch, Balbay would have added a little bit of height to very small backcourt. His European style of play also provided a reputation as a solid perimeter defender, which was a significant weakness for the Longhorns in many of their losses last season.

Scouts note that his rebounding skills are remarkably strong for a six-footer, and are high on his ability to break down defenses off the dribble. With D.J. Augustin also constantly attacking the defense, the similar style of play ensures that there won’t be a drop-off when Balbay spells the starter. The similarities between Dogus and D.J. don’t end there, as reports constantly mention Balbay’s athleticism and ability to hang in the air, drawing fouls and executing late passes under the rim.

After spending two years with Turkish club Fenerbahce Istanbul, Balbay moved to New Hampshire to study and play basketball at Brewster Academy. Big 12 fans will recognize Colorado guard Xavier Silas as another graduate of the Academy, while recruiting aficionados may also be aware of Brewster big man Emmanuel Negedu in the 2008 class.

This summer, Balbay rejoined his Turkish national team at the UMCOR U18 European Championships, where they finished second in group B and ultimately placed eighth. While the team relied heavily on Dogus as a scoring threat in the tournament, most notable amongst his numbers were the three steals he averaged per game. He also played for the U19 team in the World Championships a month later, where Turkey finished seventh.

At the end of last season, it became increasingly apparent that D.J. Augustin could not withstand the constant abuse of 38 to 40 minutes per game. And in the games where Augustin was forced to the bench with foul trouble, the Longhorn offense often screeched to a halt. The signing of Balbay seemed the perfect remedy for this lack of depth, but this latest bit of injury news quickly dampens that excitement. Only time will tell how long the frosh remains unavailable, but he is clearly going to be an impact player when he does finally see the court at the Frank Erwin Center.

It’s 7 o’clock on the east coast, which means that college basketball is officially upon us. At campuses from Chapel Hill to Storrs, passionate fans have filled arenas just to see the first practice of the season. Texas has not taken part in the “Midnight Madness” in many years — although that temporal name is really no longer appropriate considering the new rules — but the Horns will still be hitting the court in Denton Cooley Pavillion for a team workout. However, the Aggies will be embracing the festivities just one hour from now. And Soulja Boy will be in the house, reminding all the white-bred Ags of College Station to “Crank That.” Ought to be interesting.

Get ready, hoop-heads. Basketball is back.