Remember the catch-all disclaimer we ran just two days ago in the first scoreboard round-up? The one about sometimes sleeping instead of writing? Yeah…..we’re already playing that card this morning.

We’ll be back this afternoon with a late look at last night’s action, a run through the first 2009-10 edition of Fast Break, and a quick look at tonight’s lone televised contest. Auf wiedersehen for now, dear readers.

Welcome to the first in our daily series recapping the previous night’s action around the country. As the season rolls on, this morning scoreboard check will include unranked Big 12 teams, as well. And as a catch-all disclaimer, it should be noted that on some mornings, sleep just seems more valuable than the scoreboard rundown.

#4 North Carolina 88, Florida International 72 – After all of the off-season controversy surrounding the alleged mix-up in scheduling this game, it appears that perhaps Isiah Thomas didn’t have that much to worry about. Thanks to a ridiculous 26 Tar Heel turnovers, the Golden Panthers were able to keep the game respectable for much of the night, never falling behind by more than 26 points.

For Carolina, the bright spot of the night was the defense. The Heels blocked eight shots and held the Panthers to 30% shooting in the first half. Ed Davis led the block party for Carolina, swatting away four shots to go with his double-double performance of 13 points and 11 rebounds. Deon Thompson led all scorers with twenty.

#12 California 75, Murray State 70 – The final score indicates a much closer game than what actually transpired out west, but it also makes way for concerns about the Bears’ killer instinct. Mike Montgomery’s squad built a lead as big as 18 points in the second half of this one, but the hot-shooting Racers hit 53% of their shots in the second stanza and refused to give up.

The backcourt combination of Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher provided 31 points for the Bears, including Randle’s 10-of-11 shooting from the charity stripe. Cal lost the battle on the glass by a 30-29 count, and had a meager 1.25 assist-to-TO ratio.

#17 Ohio State 100, Alcorn State 60 – The least competitive game of the night also gave us the least information about a Top 25 team. With the Buckeyes cruising the whole way, Thad Matta was able to go deep on his bench, dishing out at least thirteen minutes to ten different Buckeyes.

Jon Diebler hit 6-of-9 treys in a 22-point performance, but the standout star of the night was Evan Turner. The junior from Chicago held down point guard duties and logged a triple-double with fourteen points, ten assists, and 17 rebounds.

If the dominating win wasn’t enough to get Buckeyes excited about the new season, big man Dallas Lauderdale is expected back for Thursday’s game against James Madison.

#25 Syracuse 75, Alabany 43 – It didn’t take long for Jim Boheim to get over the 800-win hump, reaching that milestone in the first game of the 2009-10 season. The Orange bounced back quickly from their embarrassing exhibition loss to Le Moyne, decimating the Danes with suffocating defense. Syracuse forced 32 turnovers, including 21 steals, and held their opponents to just 27% shooting from the floor. Former Iowa State Cyclone Wes Johnson had six of the Syracuse steals and added twelve points and eight rebounds.

Guard Andy Rautins had to leave the game with just over fourteen minutes left. After jumping to pass to big man Arinze Onuaku, he landed on an opponent’s foot and twisted his ankle. Rautins wore a walking boot the rest of the evening, and his status is still in doubt for Wednesday’s game against Robert Morris.

The college basketball season is now just fifteen minutes away. Here are your TV listings for the night:

Florida International at #4 North Carolina – 6 P.M. CST, ESPNU
The biggest story of the night will undoubtedly be the regular-season coaching debut of Isiah Thomas, although the new may have already started wearing off following a loss to the NAIA’s Northwood in an exhibition on Wednesday night. For the defending-champion Tar Heels, the key storyline in early November will be how the team moves forward following the loss of Tyler Hansborough, Wayne Ellington, and Ty Lawson. The return of Marcus Ginyard following last year’s foot injury will definitely provide senior leadership, something the Heels will likely need for their quintet of ESPN Top 100 recruits.

Alcorn State at #17 Ohio State – 6 P.M. CST, Big Ten Network
This is a guaranteed yawner from the opening rounds of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, but fans will get their first look at how the Buckeyes have matured following an offseason where nearly the entire team returned. The only key piece missing from last year’s squad is big man B.J. Mullens, who left for the NBA after just one season. Dallas Lauderdale will be expected to fill the void this year, although he will likely be missing this early season matchup as he recovers from a broken finger he suffered in preseason practices.

Albany at #25 Syracuse – 8 P.M. CST, ESPNU
Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson lit up the scoreboard in Syracuse’s exhibition on Tuesday night, dropping in 17 second-half points en route to a 22-point performance. Unfortunately for the Orange, it came in an embarrassing loss to D-II school Le Moyne. To be fair, Syracuse was experimenting with man-to-man for much of the game, a drastic departure from Jim Boheim’s famously stingy zone D. But the result certainly raises eyebrows in a season where pundits are wondering if this young Syracuse team can handle the rigors of the Big East conference. A convincing win over the visiting Danes would help to wash away some of the bad taste that is already tainting this season.

Murray State at #12 California – 10 P.M. CST, ESPNU
In what is likely going to be a down year for the Pac-10 Conference, hopes are high for the talented and experienced Golden Bears. Cal returns four starters from last year’s team, including a pair of senior guards in Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle. It’s a well-proven axiom that solid backcourt play leads to quality results in March, so many expect the Bears to be dancing into the second weekend. If you can’t stay up to watch this one, be sure to set the DVR and get your first look at the Best Team Nobody Knows.

The first games of the 2009-10 season will finally tip off just hours from now, marking the start of the greatest five months of the year. And while most first-week games are of the snooze-fest variety, the simple thought of sneakers squeaking on hardwood and student section chants echoing in gyms already has our hearts all aflutter.

The preseason excitement surrounding this year’s Longhorn team is abnormally high in a city that typically lives and breathes Texas Football until early January. And although the hoops squad won’t take the floor for another six days, we can’t wait any longer to take our pre-season look at Rick Barnes’ latest bunch, a team that many pundits predict will be playing in Indianapolis at the Final Four.

Deeper Than Ever

If there’s one thing the 2009-2010 Longhorns will lack this season, it’s enough of those cushy, padded chairs lining the Texas bench. Rick Barnes has filled up the locker room this year, listing 16 players on his opening day roster. And while walk-ons Andrew Dick and Dean Melchionni likely won’t find many minutes on a team this loaded, there is no doubt that every one of the other fourteen Longhorns would contribute at most D-1 universities.

And not only does Barnes have a bevy of athletes to choose from, but they bring a ton of experience to the table. Dexter Pittman, Damion James, and Justin Mason provide senior leadership and a strong motivation to reach the Final Four after falling just one game short of that goal two seasons ago. In addition, Gary Johnson is set to take another step forward as he begins his junior campaign, while sophomore guard Varez Ward showed flashes of brilliance down the stretch last year.

Shoring up the backcourt

While last year’s Texas guards had their share of issues, some fresh faces will immediately improve that aspect of the team. With J’Covan Brown finally past his NCAA Clearinghouse issues and Florida transfer Jai Lucas eligible in December, the Horns have a pair of guards who can not only handle the rock, but score with ease — something that limited the effectiveness of Mason and Dogus Balbay last year.

Freshman Avery Bradley comes to campus as a McDonald’s All-American, and was pegged as the nation’s top recruit by numerous ranking services. He is an excellent shooting guard who will spread out defenses, but also has great handles and can fill in at the one. In fact, Bradley was even in attendance at the DeRon Williams Point Guard Skills Academy this summer, where he was the only freshman.

Lost in the excitement surrounding the incoming guards are the trio of returning ballhandlers — Ward, Mason, and Balbay. While none of the three provide the offensive threat that Brown, Lucas, or Bradley do, all of the returning guards are stingy defenders. And on a team coached by the defensive-minded Rick Barnes, that is sure to earn all three of them a fair share of minutes.

Length on the wings

Texas has often been outsized by opposing guards and wings, which was never more evident than in the aforementioned Elite Eight loss to Memphis in 2008. The longer, more athletic Tigers absolutely manhandled the Longhorns, exploiting their height advantage as the fluid Dribble-Drive Motion offense racked up the points for Coach Cal.

That won’t be a problem anytime soon for Texas, as a pair of freshman swingmen adds about 14 feet of wingspan to the Longhorn roster. The 6-foot, 7-inch Jordan Hamilton has been compared to Paul Pierce by a handful of pundits, and is also being tabbed as an excellent NBA prospect before even playing his first collegiate game. With Hamilton in the mix, senior leader James should be freed up to play more inside, and should prevent opponents from drawing Damion away from the defensive glass with their more-athletic wings.

Shawn Williams was the first member of the freshman class to commit, all the way back in August of 2008. But with both Hamilton and Bradley signing their LOIs later, this solid swingman has earned a lot less ink heading into the season. While Hamilton and James are certainly going to command a bulk of the minutes, we’ve been told that Williams is one of the most natural three-point gunners to step foot on the Forty Acres. That’s quite the compliment at a school that just enjoyed four years of A.J. Abrams’ long-range skills.

Power in the paint

While the Longhorns have playmakers in the backcourt and on the wings, the emergence of Dexter Pittman at the end of last season gives them a legitimate double-double threat every single night. Big Dex will have to keep himself out of foul trouble this year, something that has been a problem in the past. If Dexter is sidelined due to whistles, there is no one else on the roster who can fill his size-18 shoes.

That’s not to say that Texas doesn’t have a ton of other bigs who can clean the glass and dump in easy buckets. Gary Johnson is another consistent threat to post double-doubles, and if he can stay injury free this season, his tenacious play could earn nationwide attention. Despite his small size, Johnson is still a beast inside, and has no problem drawing slower bigs away from the basket before attacking the rim. The main thing Gary will need to avoid this season is the “black hole” mentality that led to nearly automatic shots once he touched the rock last year. On a team this talented, he can’t afford to steal looks from his teammates by wasting possessions.

Beyond the two playmakers, Barnes also has a handful of guys off the bench who will likely contribute in their short stints on the court. Alexis Wangmene is primed for a breakout season after playing excellent basketball in the Maui Invitational last November. Unfortunately, the big Cameroonian was injured for the year and never had a chance to build on his performance in Hawai’i.

Clint Chapman is also likely to see an increased role this season, with Connor Atchley departing after his senior year. Coach Barnes often talks about Clint’s basketball acumen in interviews, so perhaps this is the year Longhorn fans will see it translate from the practice court to game play. The role of the other Ivory Tower, Matt Hill, is still a huge question mark, as the junior played limited minutes in a majority of the games last season. With even more talent on the roster this year, his already-limited playing time could suffer another hit.

Gunning for Indianapolis

The mark of a Rick Barnes team is one that truly evolves from the start of November until the end of March. Not only is he constantly tinkering with rotations and minutes, but his players almost always improve over the course of a season. With three highly-touted freshmen on the roster and two new faces in the backcourt, the potential for growth is limitless. Combine that with senior leadership and the rigors of a schedule that includes Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Oklahoma, and you have a team that will be battle-tested and ready to make noise come March.

With the calendar turning to November in just 34 short hours, it’s time for our return to the keyboard, and a return to covering the sport and team we love so much.

It’s certainly been a busy off-season for both yours truly and Rick Barnes. But while I spent most of my summer months making money to pay for my travels and earning favor points with the girlfriend I practically abandon from November to March, the coach of the Longhorns had much more important tasks at hand. Most recently, Barnes added two walk-ons to his already robust roster, and has been working for the last two weeks with an incredibly stacked team that opens the season ranked third in the nation.

We’ve got quite a bit of work to do in the next two weeks to clean up around here, with the first priority being a massive uploading of photos. Unfortunately, a hard drive crash in April fried all of my pictures and videos from the last few weeks of the 2008-09 season, but with the help of folks that joined me on those trips, I’m hoping to piece together something for those pages.

For now, enjoy the football team’s big game in Stillwater and swipe a few pieces of the Halloween loot your kids bring home. We’ll be back on Monday the 9th, when we hit the ground running for what promises to be an exciting 2009-10 season!