For the second time in the last three years, Rick Barnes has led his Texas Longhorns to a perfect 9-0 start. Texas has yet to truly be tested, winning those first nine games by an average margin of 32.7 points. That all changes today.

The Longhorns square off with the defending National Champions this afternoon in the first-ever basketball game held at the giant Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas. While both schools have cash incentives built into their contracts to reward them for drawing crowd as big as 75,000, most observers expect less than 40,000 in the seats. Regardless of how many basketball fans make their way into JerryWorld this afternoon, it will be a historic day.

Although the Tar Heels are fresh off another national title, Roy Williams’ team is still finding its way early in the season. North Carolina lost four starters from last year’s team, including Tyler Hansborough and point guard Ty Lawson. The new-look Tar Heels are incredibly young, boasting a highly talented five-man recruiting class, and have a very deep frontcourt that could be the best in the nation.

By the numbers

That excellent North Carolina frontcourt means that the Heels don’t push the ball up and down the floor quite as much as they used to. Of course, that’s not saying much when you consider just how fast last year’s UNC team played. This year, the “slower” style of Tar Heel basketball is still the 25th-quickest in the nation, with an average of over 74 possessions in each of their games.

When North Carolina isn’t scoring easy points in the transition game or on the secondary break, they love pounding the ball down low to their big men. Nearly 64% of their points come from within the arc, good enough for fourth nationally in that metric.

Oddly enough, their free-throw rate isn’t sky-high as a result. The FTR measures how often teams head to the line in relation to field goals they attempt per game. North Carolina’s FTR is just a tad over 38%, which actually places them just outside the top third of the country. By comparison, the Longhorns boast an FTR of 46 percent.

The number which could be most important in this afternoon’s game is the turnover margin. So far this year, North Carolina has actually turned the ball over more often than their opponent, albeit just barely. The Tar Heels have a negative 0.3 turnover differential per game this season, a number that stems largely from their massive early-season struggles with the ball. While the youngsters have settled down quite a bit in recent weeks, the quick tempo and inexperience can still lead to a fair share of miscues for the Heels.

Meet the Tar Heels

Without a doubt, the toughest match-up for Texas is big man Deon Thompson. The 6’9”, 245-pound senior is not only a beast in the paint, but is a handful off the dribble and can hit spot-up jumpers from anywhere on the floor. While he’s not going to shoot a ton of threes, Thompson has still proven that he has the perimeter shot in his arsenal. The threat of his jump shot keeps defenses honest, so when opponents play him tighter outside, Thompson uses an explosive first step to blow by them and get to the rim.

Thompson is also going to give Texas a lot to handle on the glass. He is averaging eight boards per game to go along with his team-leading 17 points per contest, and his offensive rebounding rate is actually 66th-best in the country according to stat guru Ken Pomeroy.

In the backcourt, Marcus Ginyard is the steady leader of the team. After missing nearly the entire championship season due to injury, the senior guard used a medical redshirt to return for one more season. Unfortunately, he is struggling with another foot injury and is listed as probable for today’s game.

Ginyard is best-known for his suffocating, lock-down defense, and is often found harassing the opposing ballhandlers well beyond the perimeter. He worked hard on his jump shot all off-season, and it’s already paying off. While North Carolina isn’t a team that takes a ton of three-pointers, Ginyard is one player opponents hate to see shooting from behind the arc. So far this year, he is hitting at a 44% clip from long range and is averaging over 10 points per game.

Although not a senior like Thompson and Ginyard, big man Ed Davis is also a huge contributor for the Heels. Just a sophomore, he still hasn’t even completely developed into his 6’10” frame, but is already dominating opponents down low. He fights for every single rebound, and currently leads the team with more than nine boards per game. Davis is also an intimidating presence on defense, swatting nearly three shots per contest.

In the backcourt, sophomore Larry Drew II has huge shoes to fill at the point guard position. Following the departure of Lawson to the NBA, the youngster who averaged just nine minutes and 1.4 points per game in 2008-09 was handed the keys to the offense. No pressure.

For the most part, Drew has responded very well. He’s averaging nine points per game and has improved dramatically over the first month of the season after struggling with turnovers in his first few games. Drew is very quick with the basketball and can weave in and out of traffic to reach the paint. But if teams think they can sag back to try to keep the speedster in front of them, they quickly discover how deadly accurate Drew is from long range. On the year, the guard has connected on 42.3% of his three-point attempts.

Swingman Will Graves is the fifth man in the starting rotation for Coach Williams. With so many other talented players on the floor, Graves isn’t asked to do too much, and his stats are rather pedestrian as a result. What he does provide to the team, though, is a heady player who can run the floor and attack defenders off the dribble from the perimeter. Don’t be surprised if Graves is the one coming up with a key bucket late in the game while Texas is focused on all of the other stars.

Off the bench, giant seven-footer Tyler Zeller provides quite the spark in the paint. Although he plays just 19 minutes a game, Zeller is still the third-highest scorer on the team with 9.2 points per game. Named “Mr. Basketball” for the state of Indiana in 2008, the tall, thin center can run the floor incredibly well for his size and fits perfectly into the up-tempo style of UNC. In the half-court game, he provides a huge target on the blocks and his solid turnaround jumper can make him seem unstoppable when he gets the ball down low.

Freshman John Henson started playing his high school ball at Round Rock, just a few hours south of JerryWorld. After transferring to a prep school in Florida, he chose North Carolina from a long list of suitors that included the Texas Longhorns. Henson is 6’10” and has an incredible wingspan, but still has the body of a freshman. He’s wiry and lacks the muscle to bang around down low with experienced college forwards and centers. But Henson is incredibly athletic and agile, so he’s able to pull those defenders out away from the basket and beat them off the dribble.

Dexter Strickland is another of the talented freshman on the Carolina roster, and has been blossoming as the backup point guard behind Drew II. Like the starting point, Strickland is ridiculously fast and can speed past the defense in transition and off the perimeter. But the youngster is still making his share of freshman mistakes, which have limited him to just over thirteen minutes per game. Strickland is hampered by a hamstring injury that has him listed as questionable for today’s game. If he does play, the Horns can’t afford to lose him on defense, as he’s showcased a very solid jump shot early in the year.

The excellent freshman class at Carolina also includes twin brothers Travis and David Wear from Mater Dei in California. The 6’10” freshmen can score inside, but they also are very impressive shooting the ball from the midrange and even beyond the perimeter. Defensively, they often seem uncomfortable if pulled too far outside the paint, but when they are able to camp out near the rim, their length is invaluable.

Keys to the game

This afternoon’s contest is an intriguing match-up of similar styles, with both teams able to run the floor or beat up their opponents in a half-court game with their solid frontcourts. Vegas thinks the Longhorns are six-point favorites on this semi-home court, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see this one finish even closer.

For Texas, the most important thing is to control the paint. In their loss to Syracuse, the Tar Heels were absolutely stymied by a 2-3 zone that kept them from scoring inside and forced them to take a ton of perimeter shots which mostly resulted in misses. Even against an over-matched North Carolina Central team, the Tar Heels seem perturbed by the zone and were content to wait around the perimeter when they couldn’t attack the paint. If the Longhorns can keep Carolina from getting looks inside, they will have a much better shot at the win.

Texas also needs to force mistakes by the young Tar Heels. North Carolina has turned it over at least 19 times in four of their games, so the quick hands of Dogus Balbay and Avery Bradley on defense could lead to turnovers and easy points for the Horns. There is no easier way to slow down a high-octane team than taking the ball away from them.

In addition, the Longhorn guards and swingmen have to make sure they don’t force things inside. With their stable of tall, lengthy defenders, the Tar Heels love it when opponents try to drive all the way to the rim, or take their time trying to make moves on the blocks. The typical result is a swatted shot that ends up somewhere in the 15th row. What Carolina’s defense is susceptible to is good ball movement and drive-and-dish attacks. If Texas can work the ball around and make the tall defenders react, they will earn many more open looks.

Finally, Texas must take advantage of the freebies. Neither of these teams is very good at shooting free throws, with the Heels making just 65% of their attempts and the Longhorns sinking an even-more embarrassing 61 percent. This game has all the makings of a nail-biter, so every single point is crucial. Leaving those points sitting at the line will certainly leave one of these teams saying “What if?” tomorrow morning.

The subject says it all, sports fans. The photo above and many more from our trip to Kansas City are now available. This was quite a time-consuming project, so notes from the trip will have to be delayed until after our weekend sojourn to JerryWorld for the Carolina game. In the meantime, click the photo above or the link below to peruse over 60 pictures from our two days in Kansas City.

Click here for photos from KC!

For the sports fans sitting at home watching ESPN last night, seeing the score of the Texas game crawl across the bottom of the screen might have raised a few eyebrows. It may have even induced a few grumblings about the “Burnt Orange Media Conspiracy” from our friends northeast of us on the Brazos River. But as good as the Longhorns looked last night, and no matter how many points they ultimately defeated their opponents by, excitement must be tempered. The Texas-Pan American Broncs might have been the worst team we’ve seen in the Frank Erwin Center for at least three years.

The loss was the tenth in eleven games for UTPA, while the 42-point output was the fourth showing in which they mustered 50 points or less. The 62-point margin also surpassed the Broncs’ 56-point loss to Missouri in the category of Most Embarrassing, Demoralizing Loss. I think it’s an ESPY Award, actually.

Suffice it to say, this was simply an overmatched team that Texas toyed with for forty minutes. When walk-on Dean Melchionni sees playing time with more than eleven minutes left in the game, you can be sure things are out of hand. So with all that in mind, what can Texas fans actually take from this one-sided affair?

What looked good

For this game, the subhead title above might be misleading. There was very little that didn’t look good in the midst of a methodical dismantling of the UTPA Lollipop Guild. But there were specific things that will hopefully carry forward and play a part in games against good competition. And from our perspective, the most important development of the night was seeing Avery Bradley adequately handle point guard responsibilities.

Bradley didn’t run the show the entire night, as Dogus Balbay was having yet another spectacular night at the one. But Avery did manage to dish out five assists on the night, and didn’t seem even slightly uncomfortable while shouldering the load of floor general. He’ll certainly have his challenges trying to play the point against tougher defenses, but a game like this is a huge confidence boost for a kid that has been a consistent two-guard all season long.

Off the ball, Bradley continued to impress with his silky-smooth shot. He chipped in 18 points, giving him 50 over his last three games, and seemed nearly unstoppable in the mid-range. He elevates so quickly and has such a smooth release, that he’s able to stop-and-pop over defenders, or immediately take a well-timed pass from Balbay or the blocks that results in a swished jumper. Coming into the season, we all knew that Bradley was considered the top freshman in the nation by some outlets, but his play over the last two weeks has Texas fans giddy over what could be in store the rest of the way.

As mentioned, Balbay again had a masterful performance running the show. He hustled all over the floor, forcing UTPA miscues on defense, grabbing three steals, and even secured five rebounds. He had nine more assists to add to his gaudy numbers for the year, while coughing the ball up just one time. On the season, that gives Dogus a sick 3.92 assist-to-TO ratio.

It wasn’t just defense, rebounding, and facilitating the offense for Balbay last night. He even shocked the crowd by sinking a three-pointer early in the first half, his first successful attempt of the year. For all the statheads out there, here is your Meaningless Number of the Night — the Texas Longhorns are 2-0 in games where Dogus Balbay makes a three-pointer. Who cares that he’s got a lifetime success rate of 15% behind the arc? Clearly opposing coaches must start game-planning for this telling statistic.

It was also reassuring to see that Jordan Hamilton‘s hot start from behind the arc didn’t mean he was going to be anchored to the perimeter all night. He continued his recent trend of attacking off the dribble and crashing the glass when his bank shots weren’t falling. Jordan has been a streaky shooter from outside this season, and early in the year he was content to continue chucking up threes even when he was struggling. Seeing him sink threes and force the issue off the dribble speaks to the fact that his game is already evolving.

While the play of Melchionni and fellow walk-on Andrew Dick isn’t something that will be important in worthwhile games, it was nice to see them both earn significant minutes. Dick scored his first-ever collegiate points on a three-pointer that elicited a roar from the remaining fans and added another bucket later on a nice cut to the rim. Melchionni missed all three of his shots on the night, but did grab his first two career rebounds.

In addition to getting minutes for the walk-ons, Texas also was able to get in a lot of work on their full-court defense, and harassed the Broncs to the tune of 21 turnovers. Had Barnes kept his foot on the gas the entire game, UTPA easily would have had 30-plus miscues, and the Longhorns likely would have won by more than 75 points. Seeing an effective full-court scheme is a great thing heading into Saturday’s match-up with Carolina, as the young Heels have had issues with ball control all season long.

While this final number isn’t that impressive when you consider the opponent, it still must be noted that the Longhorns held an insane 64-31 rebounding advantage in this game. Whether or not Coach Barnes was exploiting the height difference or just responding to his limited backcourt depth, the big lineups that Texas threw out there had an absolute field day against the tiny Bronc roster. UT-Pan Am had just thirteen offensive rebounds in the entire game, even though they missed 48 shots. Giving a team a second chance just once every four possessions is completely dominant basketball.

What needed work

The biggest concern for Texas was that Dexter Pittman once again immediately found himself in foul trouble. It took only two-and-a-half minutes for the big man to be whistled twice in this game. Fouls have limited Pittman’s minutes in a few games in recent weeks, and he will definitely have his hands full on Saturday against North Carolina’s deep and talented frontcourt. If he finds himself in foul trouble again against the Heels, Roy Williams could easily exploit his team’s advantages in the frontcourt.

Beyond that one area of concern, there was not much for Texas fans to nitpick in this game. Coach Barnes mentioned in his post-game interview that the team lost focus a bit, although it seems perfectly normal for a team to do so when rolling to a 60-point victory. Fans can be sure, though, that Barnes will use that observation as a teaching tool the rest of the week leading into Carolina and Michigan State.

The big finish

With perhaps their weakest opponent behind them, the Longhorns now must prepare themselves for one of the two toughest weeks on their schedule. While consecutive road games in January against Kansas State and Connecticut won’t be easy for Texas, the upcoming one-two punch of North Carolina and Michigan State should be the stiffest test the team faces this year. The Longhorns’ performance in these first two mammoth challenges of the season will show fans what they can expect from the team as the season rolls into conference play.

As the team prepares for those two games, we’ll be doing a lot of catch-up work here at LRT. We’ve got a batch of photos to share from Kansas City and ice , along with a few notes to add from those road trips. And of course, an in-depth game preview for Carolina is headed your way at the end of the week.

As the records above would indicate, there’s not much of a challenge facing the Longhorns tonight as they host the independent UT-Pan Am Broncs. The visitors are in the midst of an NCAA investigation, have self-sanctioned their program to the tune of one less scholarship, and have a lineup with seven newcomers including three walk-ons. This one could get very, very messy.

The Broncs have played a bold schedule early this season, having already taken on Missouri, Nebraska, and Mississippi State. Those three games netted losses of 56, 28, and 25 points, respectively. Even when not playing big-conference opponents, UT-Pan Am has struggled. They dropped a 10-point contest at home to Texas State, the school which the Longhorns defeated by 33 points on Saturday. While we all know that the Transitive Property of Scoreboards is highly inaccurate, those numbers add up to a 43 point Texas win tonight. Yeehaw.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for Texas, as the Longhorns stumble into this game with quite a bruised lineup. Coach Barnes will be without both J’Covan Brown and Shawn Williams who are recovering from ankle injuries suffered Saturday against Texas State. Sophomore guard Varez Ward is out for the year with a ruptured quadriceps tendon, while Florida transfer Jai Lucas will not actually be eligible to play until Saturday, not tonight as initially expected. That leaves Texas with just Dogus Balbay, Justin Mason, and Avery Bradley in the backcourt.

Fortunately for Texas, their opponents are incredibly undersized and can be abused by a Longhorn lineup that is skewed towards the frontcourt. For that to happen, though, Texas will have to get more than the combined 35.5 minutes that Dexter Pittman and Damion James averaged in the last two games.

UT-Pan American has eleven players who are averaging more than ten minutes per contest, and quite frankly, none of them are worth the time or the words we could spend on previewing them. Walk-on guard Aaron Urbanas earns a cursory note from us, solely due to the fact that he played at Bowie High School in south Austin.

With that same dismissive attitude, we provide our one key to the game for Texas — show up in uniform at tip-off. Texas will easily cruise in this game, so easily in fact that stat guru Ken Pomeroy’s models give the Longhorns a 100% chance to win the game. Interestingly enough, that model also gives the same stone-cold lock status for Texas against Gardner-Webb in two weeks.

If you’re in town and want to catch the game, print this web coupon and enjoy a buy one, get one free offer from Texas Box Office. And since the game will likely be out of reach before halftime, you can even get the kids in bed at a decent hour. If you are located elsewhere in Texas, turn on the TV to Fox Sports Southwest, while those Longhorn fans flung nationwide can get the game as part of ESPN’s Full Court package, or online at ESPN360.com.

The Longhorns are off to a rocking 7-0 start this season, the third time they’ve reached that mark in the last five seasons. While they haven’t played any particularly great teams, their strength of schedule is currently the second-toughest of the nation’s fifteen remaining unbeaten teams. That SOS score will definitely take a hit after this afternoon’s game with the Texas State Bobcats, but the Longhorns can rest assured that they will still be amongst the unblemished.

The Bobcats are returning seven players from last year’s squad, but have only two seniors on the roster. They lost their three best players to graduation, but signed a trio of juco transfers that has fourth-year coach Doug Davalos excited about his team’s prospects this season. Unfortunately for Davalos and the Bobcats, not many others hold those same expectations. Texas State was predicted to finish at or near the bottom of the Southland Conference’s West Division by most media outlets.

By the numbers

So far this season, the numbers haven’t been pretty for the Bobcats. If the 3-6 start isn’t bad enough, their defense and sloppy ballhandling have fans pulling out their hair. Texas State has allowed teams to hit 48.9% of their three-point attempts so far this year, better than only one other team in all of Division I basketball. Against a Texas team that has a bevy of solid outside shooters, the lack of perimeter defense could lead to a nightmare situation for the ‘Cats.

On offense, Texas State can’t seem to hang on to the basketball. They turn it over more than once every four possessions, which led to nauseating performances against Arizona State and Cal State Northridge. In those two games, the Bobcats coughed it up a combined 57 times. That kind of performance would embarrass a Little Dribblers coach.

Texas State runs an up-tempo style of play that is actually fifth-quickest in the country to date. Having so many possessions per game certainly helps the Bobcats make up for the fact that they lose the ball so often, but against efficient offensive teams like Texas, that style can only lead to bigger blowouts. The Longhorns and Bobcats have met all three years that Coach Davalos has been on the sideline, and while last year’s game was respectably close, his up-tempo style has been a boon for Texas. In those three meetings, the Longhorns have averaged 91 points.

Meet the Bobcats

The frenetic pace of Texas State basketball means that Coach Davalos is constantly throwing fresh bodies on the floor. He has eleven different players who average at least thirteen minutes per game, and all of them have earned at least one start. In most years, that could give his team an edge in depth against Texas, but this season the Longhorns have just as many players, and all are more talented.

So far, power forward Cameron Johnson has been the offensive leader for Texas State. He posted a double-double against UT-Pan American last Saturday, and is averaging 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds through the first nine games. Johnson can post up and score, but is still comfortable in the open, transition game that Texas State loves. Against the number one defense in the country, he’ll have his work cut out for him.

J.B. Conley is another forward who has quickly made a mark after transferring from Temple College. While he was a small forward in his two seasons of junior college, Davalos expects him to fill a variety of roles for Texas State. So far, the biggest role he has filled is three-point marksman. Conley has knocked down 52% of his attempts from behind the arc, which has led him to nearly eleven points per game.

Senior forward John Ryback is one of just two returning starters for the Bobcats, and his leadership is desperately needed on this year’s team. He has responded early, starting eight games and averaging 10.6 points per contest. At just 6’7″, he’s going to have a tough time against the bigger Texas frontcourt, but his ability to knock down the three-ball could allow him to draw out bigger defenders and level the playing field. This season, he’s hitting on 40% of his long-range attempts.

Uriel Segura is another juco transfer for Texas State who has also made a quick start. He is a 6’3″ combo guard who Coach Davalos hopes will give him the flexibility to have two point guards on the floor at once. Segura is a pass-first player whose 3.4 assists per game lead the team, but he also knows how to shoot the basketball. He’s averaging just a shade under ten points per game and is practically automatic from the line.

In his sophomore campaign, guard Josh Bowman is bouncing back nicely from an injury-riddled first year. He’s firmly entrenched in the core rotation, and has even started in six games. He’s averaging nine points per game, but has been having trouble shooting so far this season. In fact, his 57% success rate at the free throw stripe might actually make him a candidate to transfer to Texas.

Rounding out that core rotation is junior point guard Ryan White. The Longhorns had a lot of problems with the speed of the Long Beach State guards on Monday night, so White could enjoy a breakout game if he attacks off the dribble and pushes for transition buckets. At just 5’11”, he could be a defensive liability on the perimeter against a taller Texas backcourt, but his quick hands will still be a point of concern for the Longhorns. He had better than a steal per game last season, and is swiping nearly two a game this year.

Dylan Hale and Tony Bishop are both newcomers who grab a solid share of minutes for Texas State. Hale is the team’s lone freshman, hailing from Minnesota. He’s a left-handed defensive specialist who’s already playing 18 minutes per game, but Coach Davalos expects even greater things in his next three seasons. Bishop is a 6’6″ juco transfer from Richland College who boasts a freakish 7-foot wingspan. The lengthy wing player can cause some havoc on defense, but is averaging just eight points per game on the offensive end.

Perhaps the most important bench player for Texas State is Cameroon-born forward Emmanuel Bidias a Moute, who grabs over five rebounds a night despite seeing the court for just fifteen minutes in each game. Against the bigger Texas Longhorns, the Bobcats are going to need that presence on the glass from Bidias a Moute, and he’ll likely see more action than usual.

Junior center Jonathan Sloan and sophomore guard Roshun Jackson are the other two players who see the floor consistently for Texas State, although neither has done anything exceptional this year Last year, Sloan struggled with injury and illness, while Jackson played a bit role from the bench.

What to look for

We know the Bobcats like to run, and from the looks of Monday night’s game against Long Beach State, the Longhorns have no trouble doing that. Texas is significantly bigger than Texas State, so they should have a commanding advantage on the glass. That should lead to a lot of empty possessions for the Bobcats, and tons of second-chance opportunities if Texas happens to be missing its shots.

When not stifling Texas State on the boards, the Longhorns should also be forcing a ton of turnovers. The Bobcats don’t take care of the ball, and on Monday night the Longhorns made hay off their opponent’s miscues. Texas scored 33 points off turnovers against Long Beach State, and should enjoy another gaudy output in that category this afternoon.

The final thing we’ll be watching tonight is whether or not Dogus Balbay continues to shine. This kind of up-and-down game is made for a thoughtful floor general with great court vision, and that’s what Balbay has brought to the table so far this year. If he continues to perform at that high of a level, and can keep defenses honest with any semblance of a short- to mid-range game, Texas will be ridiculously good. We’re crossing our fingers that he has another career day in this shootout.

Final notes

As always, tickets remain for this non-conference patsy, so take a break from the Christmas shopping and come see the Longhorns. You’ll even be treated to a return visit from 90’s Texas star Terrence Rencher, who is one of the assistants on the Texas State sidelines. If things get too ugly, perhaps he’ll even tear off the suit and try to play in one of those hideous grey, orange, and white uniforms that Tom Penders’ Runnin’ Horns wore last decade.

For those staying at home, the game is available on cable in Texas on Fox Sports Southwest, while fans outside of the Lone Star State can catch it as a part of the ESPN Full Court package.