After a lengthy offseason rife with high expectations and endless buzz, the Longhorns tipped things off Sunday afternoon with an impressive 89-42 win over Cal-Irvine. Tonight, Texas hopes to turn in another dominating performance as they host the Western Carolina Catamounts from tiny Cullowhee, North Carolina.

Repeating Sunday’s task could be tougher than it looks for the Longhorns, as their opponents return all five starters and are picked by most pundits to win their division in the Southern Conference. It’s not just the starters that bring experience to the floor for Western Carolina coach Larry Hunter, though. His team boasts five seniors, four juniors, and even the nephew of NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo.

The Catamounts started the 2009-10 campaign on the right note, shellacking St. Catharine College in their season opener by a 65-41 count. Western Carolina forced 25 turnovers in the game and held their opponents to 25% shooting on the night. The only troubling stat for Coach Hunter was a vast free throw disparity between the two teams, as the Catamounts attempted only ten free throws, while sending St. Catharine to the line 27 times.

By the numbers

That stat isn’t too surprising for fans of Western Carolina, as it’s a trend that dates back to last season. The Catamounts were 340th in the country in free throw rate, a stat which measures how often teams foul their opponents in relation to shot attempts they allow. If a ranking of 340th isn’t appalling enough, Catamount fans would also hate to be reminded that there were only 344 Division I teams last season.

One thing that Western Carolina did do well last season was swipe the basketball. Their steal rate was 8th in the NCAA, led by Brigham Waginger‘s school-record 81 thefts. The senior guard enters his final season as the reigning back-to-back steal leader of the Southern Conference.

Beyond that one shining aspect, the Catamount defense struggled mightily last year. Their defensive field goal percentage was one of the 15 worst in all of Division I basketball, while they allowed opponents to grab offensive rebounds on a troubling 34% of their attempts. Combine these numbers, and you have a recipe for disaster against a Texas team that shot 57% in their season opener and outrebounded Cal-Irvine by a 49-30 margin.

Meet the Catamounts

Western Carolina is led by its pair of pre-season All-Conference selections, guards Brandon Giles and Harouna Mutombo. As previously mentioned, Mutombo is the nephew of former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, and his pedigree quickly showed in a season that earned him conference Freshman of the Year honors.

Giles is a junior wingman who checks in at 6’6″ and is hoping to bounce back after a season in which he played through constant shoulder problems. Even with the injury issues, Giles logged a stat line of 13.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, so coaches and media are expecting great things from him this year. In the season opener, he scored 12 points in just 20 minutes of work and pulled down three rebounds.

Junior forward Richie Gordon is the tallest Western Carolina player at 6-feet, 9-inches, but his height is often wasted as he rides the bench with foul trouble. Last season, Gordon fouled out of 10 of the team’s 31 games and amassed a ridiculous 98 whistles. Against St. Catharine’s, he managed to only commit two fouls, but did so in just twelve minutes on the court.

With Gordon often on the bench, that leaves senior transfer Adrian Gailliard as the lone post presence for the Catamounts. At 6’7″, he’ll have his hands full with Dexter Pittman tonight. Unfortunately for WCU, Gordon’s foul issues seemed to rub off on Gailliard during the offseason, as Adrian logged four personals in the season opener, limiting him to just ten minutes of play. If both of these players are racking up the fouls against the bigger, more athletic Longhorns, it could be a very, very long night for the visitors.

The starting five is rounded out by the aforementioned Waginger, who will likely give the Texas backcourt fits. Freshman J’Covan Brown had four quick turnovers in his debut at the point, and playing against Waginger and his quick hands could prove troublesome tonight.

With so many experienced players on his bench, Coach Hunter actually runs nine or ten deep. In the season opener, there were ten Catamounts who played at least ten minutes, with the bench providing a whopping 110 minutes — more playing time than the starting five even saw.

Kendall Russell and Jake Robinson were the first two men off the pine for the Catamounts, and the pair combined for 21 points on the night. Russell is a swingman who could afford to add some muscle, but still manages to be effective on the glass. Against St. Catharine’s, he grabbed six rebounds in just 17 minutes on the floor.

Robinson is the team’s only viable post option behind Gordon and Gailliard, but isn’t much of an offensive threat. He shot just under 38% last year from the floor, and struggled to a 4-of-12 night from the floor in the season opener. He will likely see a lot of action against the deep Texas frontcourt tonight, but will likely have a tough time putting the ball in the basket.

Mike Williams — not to be confused the well-traveled former Longhorn of the same name — is a transfer from Jackson State CC and is a quality backup guard for WCU. Against St. Catharine’s, he led the team with four steals and provided six points and three dimes in the winning effort. Keaton Cole is the other main guard off the bench and is the team’s best threat from long range. Last year he hit 43% of his three-point attempts, but only made one trey in his season debut.

Keys to the game

If it isn’t already apparent, the Longhorns are going to make hay in this game by exploiting their height advantage against a second-straight undersized opponent. Pittman and Damion James are likely double-double candidates tonight, and should have an easy time in the paint. One can only hope that the game will be well-enough in hand that reserve forwards Alexis Wangmene, Clint Chapman, and Matt Hill can get some work and show what improvements they have made in the off-season.

One factor that could keep the game closer than it should be is the turnover battle. As mentioned earlier, the Catamounts are great at forcing turnovers, and the Texas backcourt was somewhat shaky at times against Cal-Irvine. Many of the Texas turnovers seemed to come from the Longhorns trying too hard to be flashy or toss an alley-oop, so better discipline could help to curb that issue tonight. While the Catamounts are likely to still force some miscues by Texas, it won’t be enough to make a difference in the game.

Another thing to keep an eye on tonight is the Longhorn free throw percentage. Much like the turnovers, this won’t make a difference in tonight’s game. But considering how much of a problem Texas had from the line last year, it will be interesting to see if the returning players have made any progress in the offseason.

There are still tickets available for this one, and now Texas Box Office is offering a buy one, get one free promotion with this printable web coupon. So grab a friend and come down to the Drum for tonight’s contest. It’s exciting Longhorn basketball at half-price, and it’s the last chance to watch the team at home before USC comes to town on December 3rd.

The Longhorns tip off against Western Carolina at 8 P.M. tonight, but unfortunately this morning there won’t be a game preview that you can read in lieu of doing actual work. Check back this afternoon for your early look at the high-flying, hard-hitting Catamount basketball team.

The Longhorns are back, ladies and gentlemen. And boy, do they look good.

Sure, it’s important to keep in mind that the team that Texas absolutely dismantled on Sunday afternoon is coming off a season in which they finished 12-19. And yes, the Longhorns were far more talented than their opponents, and their frontcourt towered over the Cal-Irvine big men. But to see Texas pushing the tempo, knocking down shots, and running fresh bodies off the bench for 40 full minutes…well, it was a thing of beauty.

Things weren’t pretty the whole way, though. Texas stumbled in the opening minutes, with point guard J’Covan Brown clearly suffering from some first-game jitters. And for a kid who hadn’t seen the court in actual competitive action for nearly a year and a half, it’s understandable. Brown turned it over four times in the first few minutes of the game, earning himself a pair of breathers on the bench and a few words of wisdom from Coach Barnes.

The early miscues provided Cal-Irvine the opportunity to jump out to a 15-10 lead just eight minutes into the game. But after that, it was all Longhorns. Texas closed out the half on a 32-6 run in which they held their opponents to a scant 16.7% success rate from the field.

The unquestioned leaders for the Longhorns were in the senior frontcourt, where Damion James and Dexter Pittman each chipped in with 21 points. James added 15 boards to start the season with a double-double, while Pittman grabbed seven rebounds of his own and blocked three shots. Although Dexter against the undersized ‘Eaters forwards was one of the great mismatches of all-time, seeing him play for more than 20 minutes while picking up just one foul — albeit 16 seconds into the game — was incredibly reassuring for Texas fans.

The dominating play inside was complimented by the three-guard lineup that Barnes started, featuring Brown, Justin Mason, and Varez Ward. While Ward only scored one bucket, the ‘Eaters respected the offensive threat he brought to the floor. This was made perfectly clear by one exchange where Varez dribbled at the high post and directed Pittman to slide over for a screen. As soon was Ward made his first step towards the basket, both his defender and Pittman’s defender rushed out to cut him off, leaving the big man open for an easy lob pass and dunk. While it was certainly a defensive lapse for the Anteaters, it also underscored the fact that having a guard like Ward who can slash to the basket will open up things inside.

Even Dogus Balbay had improved over the summer, as evidenced in his 19 minutes off the bench. Balbay was not afraid to shoot the ball on Sunday, even tossing up a three-point attempt from the top of the key. And although the Turkish point guard was just 1-of-4 on the afternoon, it is going to keep defenses more honest this year if they know Balbay is now likely take it to the rim when he drives the lane.

But beyond the heady play of the returning Longhorns, the most exciting thing about Sunday’s blowout was the debut of the freshmen talent. While Brown had his early struggles with turnovers, he settled down in the second half and unveiled a silky-smooth long-range shot. J’Covan went 3-of-6 from long range on the day, and only coughed up the rock one more time after his initial hiccup.

Jordan Hamilton and Avery Bradley also gave Longhorn fans much to be excited about this season. Hamilton showed that he can truly do it all, knocking down a three, handling the ball on the wing and inside, moving through traffic with ease, and throwing down a dunk that brought the Erwin Center crowd out of its seats. His stat line was a testament to his contributions all over the floor: twelve points, a pair of steals, a blocked shot, and three rebounds.

Bradley, meanwhile, turned in a solid performance on defense, added ten points, and dropped two dimes in his 22 minutes on the floor. The freshman from Tacoma is certainly going to be something special this season. He seemed calm and collected on the floor at all times, never once looking like an 18-year old kid playing in his first collegiate game.

While we didn’t get to see as much of freshman forward Shawn Williams as we’d hoped, he did scrap on the boards while he was playing. Williams had six rebounds in his thirteen minutes on the floor, but struggled with fouls in his short stint. Shawn picked up three personals rather quickly, so if he hopes to earn any extra playing time throughout the year, he’ll have to control that issue.

As mentioned in the game preview, we’d hoped to use this game as a benchmark for the offseason improvements of the other Longhorn big men, namely Matt Hill, Alexis Wangmene, and Clint Chapman. But with Chapman sidelined by the flu and Hill and Wangmene limited to three and eight minutes, respectively, it was nearly impossible to get a read on either of them.

All told, it was an exciting, promising start for this batch of Longhorns. Coach Barnes had ten players who played for at least thirteen minutes, which means that foul trouble from any player besides the irreplaceable Pittman will likely be just a minor speedbump. Texas also shot extremely well from long range, hitting 6-of-13 from beyond the arc. Coming off a season in which they shot just 32.8% on threes, and had no true threats beyond A.J. Abrams, this added dimension to the Longhorn offense is a welcome relief.

Texas now enjoys a few days off before returning to action in the CBE Classic on Wednesday night against the Western Carolina Catamounts. Tickets are still available through the Texas Box Office website or by calling 1-800-982-2386.

Five hours to go. Just five hours until Texas basketball is back. Five hours until the tip of a season that could go down as one of the best – if not the best – in school history.

This year, Coach Barnes and the Longhorns start play with the CBE Classic, a tournament they won back in 2005 thanks in part to a LaMarcus Aldridge block at the buzzer against West Virginia in the semis. The CBE Classic is one of those events where the first round games actually have no bearing on the true “tournament” portion, which is guaranteed to involve the four marquee teams next week in Kansas City, regardless of this week’s results.

First up for Texas is Cal-Irvine, a team that finished 12-19 last season and placed fourth in the Big West conference. While today will be more about the Longhorns trying different lineups than having to survive an upset bid, the visiting Anteaters will still get our full game-preview treatment…

By the numbers

Last year, Cal-Irvine was an interesting team statistically. They were 4th in the nation from behind the arc, hitting an amazing 40.7% of their attempts from long range. But once the ‘Eaters stepped inside the three-point line, they could hardly buy a basket. The team’s 43.9% shooting on two-point attempts was good for 301st in the country, better than only 33 other D-1 schools. That disparity made it incredibly easy for teams to play pressure defense on the perimeter, where UCI lacked playmakers who could shake the D and get to the rim.

Besides their long-range marksmanship, the ‘Eaters also hung their hat on excellent free throw shooting. UCI made 76% of their free-throw attempts last season, but unfortunately did not get to the line often enough to make that matter. In their 2009-10 season opener on Friday night, the Anteaters made a more concerted effort to get to the charity stripe, and it paid off. UCI made 25-of-33 from the line in their 82-54 victory over the D-III La Verne Leopards, a vast improvement from the 17 attempts they averaged per game last year.

Cal-Irvine also was excellent at controlling the ball last season, turning it over on just 17.8% of their possessions. While that number may seem high, it was good enough to be ranked 36th nationally according to hoops stat-head Ken Pomeroy. Unfortunately for Coach Pat Douglass, the Anteaters failed to exploit their ball control in the season opener, posting 13 turnovers with a differential of zero.

The 2008-09 edition of the UCI Anteaters played a slow-down style of basketball in an attempt to minimize the chances for opponents to expose a leaky defense. Their 63.5 possessions per game was 286th in the nation, while their defense gave up a nauseating 1.073 points per possession, 274th in D-I. A commitment to this slower pace of play may mean that the Longhorns will win by a smaller margin today, but the key number to look at in this one will be Texas’ offensive efficiency rating.

Meet the ‘Eaters

While graduation stole away Brett Lauer, who hit more than 50% of his 125 attempts behind the arc last season, UCI still has guards who are threats from long range. Senior shooting guard Michael Hunter scored 14 points in just 14 minutes of play in the season opener, including 2-of-4 from behind the arc. He’s incredibly quick, but lacks the skills to shake defenders and get to the rack. If Texas can limit his effectiveness from three-point range, it will severely cripple the UCI offense.

A pair of Slovakian JuCo transfers will likely add some meat to the frontcourt for the Anteaters this season. Pavol Losonsky made the start on Friday night, scoring twelve points to go with five rebounds. Peter Simek, his teammate from Butte College, played 19 minutes off the bench and scored nine, adding six boards. While neither will be appearing on any All-American lists this season, this pair of big men should serve as a nice early-season benchmark by which to measure the new, deeper Texas frontcourt.

The biggest test for that frontcourt, however, will come in the form of butterball forward Eric Wise. He’s only 6-5, but his rotund frame allows him to throw weight around in the post as he fights to get to the rim. He shot only 45% from the field last year, so it would be wise for the Longhorns to simply dare Wise to knock down longer shots.

Junior Darren Moore is listed as a small forward, but was credited in Friday night’s box score with a start as the second guard. Coming off a season in which he tore his patellar tendon and played only six games, Moore started out with a solid twelve-point performance against the Leopards, scoring half of his points from the free-throw line. While he’s going to provide a much-needed offensive boost for UCI this season, perhaps the most important thing that Moore brings to the table is quality defense, something his team sorely lacks.

What to look for

As mentioned earlier, the true test for the Texas offense won’t be how many points they put on the board, but how effective they are with each possession. Last year’s team sometimes seemed allergic to shooting, but what kept them in games was the fact that their offense was at least efficient. Scoring 1.124 points per possession, last year’s Longhorns actually finished in the top 40 nationally in offensive efficiency. With a more experienced and talented team on the floor this year, fans are hoping that these already-solid numbers can be improved upon.

With so much talent and depth, the list of questions surrounding this team is endless. Is Texas going to rely on a three-guard lineup, or go with the more traditional two-man backcourt? How many minutes can Dexter Pittman provide after another season of offseason conditioning? Is this the year that Damion James breaks out and becomes the unquestioned leader? Can Varez Ward build on the excellent game he had against Duke in the NCAAs? Has Dogus Balbay developed a shot to go with his defense? Which freshmen will leap to first-team status, and which will provide a spark from the bench?

While those are just a handful of questions fans will be looking to answer today, the biggest mystery this season is how Coach Barnes will dish out playing time on a team with so many players capable of producing on the court. The freshman class of Jordan Hamilton, Avery Bradley, and Shawn Williams is too good to leave on the bench, but how often — and where — will they play with Texas returning seniors Pittman, James, and Justin Mason? Add in newly-eligible J’Covan Brown and Alexis Wangmene, who is back from a medical redshirt, and its quickly apparent how the minute math could get a bit dicey.

Fill the Drum

We know it’s football season. And yes, Colt McCoy has the Longhorns just three wins away from a likely berth in the BCS National Championship Game. But that doesn’t mean that a city this size can’t support two championship-caliber teams. Unfortunately, the people of Austin seem to disagree, as there are still tickets available for today’s season opener.

If you’re in town, I highly advise you drop the couple of bucks it costs to buy a mezzanine ticket and see a very special team start a very special season. As for the out-of-towners, be sure to tune in to ESPNU this afternoon to catch the tip.

With today marking the earliest date that teams could schedule non-exempt games (read: non-tournament games), college basketball will truly be tipping off all across the nation. Most of the games on tonight’s slate are going to be pure snoozers, but for fans hoping to get a look at the year’s top teams, ESPN and its Full Court package offer an early treat.

Morehead State at #5 Kentucky – 5:30 PM CST, ESPNU – Even though John Wall isn’t playing, the Wildcats certainly will not be lacking talent in their season opener. Returning superstar Patrick Patterson leads Kentucky as they begin their quest for another championship banner to hang in Rupp.

William & Mary at #14 Connecticut – 6:30 P.M. CST, ESPN FC – Texas fans can get an early look at the Huskies, who will host the Longhorns in a huge non-conference match-up in January. All eyes will be on the UConn backcourt, where the experienced leadership of Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson should anchor another salty squad for Coach Calhoun.

Idaho State at Iowa State – 7:00 P.M. CST, ESPN FC – Not much appeal in this one beyond the potato and corn fields of America. Unless, of course, you’re a basketball writer with a Big 12 focus who has been waiting seven long months for this week to arrive…

Hofstra at #1 Kansas – 7:00 P.M. CST, ESPN FC – The Jayhawks not only brought back the bulk of a team that won the Big 12 title in 2009, but added even more talent with a recruiting class highlighted by the talented Xavier Henry. If the football team doesn’t come on court to renew their bad blood with the Jayhawk hoopsters, this one should be in the books early.

Loyola (Illinois) at Kansas State – 7:00 P.M. CST, ESPN FC – The best team no one is talking about in the Big 12 is K-State, who returns Denis Clemente and five other upperclassmen. In addition to the speedy guard — who lit up Texas for 44 points last season — Coach Frank Martin will rely on the talents of freshman forward Wally Judge, one of the top newcomers in the nation.

Wright State vs. #13 Washington – 9:00 PM CST, FSN – Many pundits are picking the Cal Bears to claim the Pac-10 title, but the defending-champion Huskies will be far from a pushover. Guard Isaiah Thomas looks to build on last season’s Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honors, while highly-touted recruit Abdul Gaddy will be joining him in the backcourt. With big man Quincy Pondexter on campus for another year, Washington’s inside-out attack should get the season off to a running start against the Raiders.