SAN ANTONIO - Forty-four second left in the game, Memphis up 2 with the ball and 19 seconds on the shot clock.
CDR missed the front end of a one and one and Arthur answered with a nice shot on the baseline. 62-60.
Give the ball to Rose.
SAN ANTONIO - Yes he did. Final Four MOP-in-waiting Derrick Rose banked in a two-pointer from deep with the shot clock at zero and 4 minutes left in the game to put tthe Tigers up 56-49. His left foot was just inside the line and the officials reviewed the play during the under-4:00 timeout to make the proper call. The shot came on a broken in-bounds play.
Good biut of officiating.
SAN ANTONIO - A little bit ragged to start and some poor shot seletcion by Memphis but the Tigers lead 9-5 with 15:36 left in the half. Memphis is 4 of 8 from the field.
. . . Dorsey scored the game's first bucket 2-0, a good sign for Tiger fans.
. . . Antonio Anderson turnover leads to breakaway and then a hard foul by Anderson on Rush.
. . . CDR on Rush, Antonio Anderson on Collins, Dorsey on Kaun, Rose on Robinson and Taggart on Arthur.
. . . Tigers very loose during introductions boucning all around and creating a circle. Chants of "JOEY, JOEY" for the first time tonight.
. . . The scoreboard is in proper order tonight, something that wasn't true for the start of Saturday's first game.
. . . Willie Kemp was very loose in warm-ups, bouncing and dancing and bumping teammates. If he and Mack can give a lift off the bench, Memphis will be in very good shape.
. . . Pouncer the Tiger mascot in my favorite blue Elvis jumpsuit with glitter.
SAN ANTONIO - All that's left is prediction time, keeping in mind that Memphis is a 1.5 point favorite with an over/under of 146.
Jerry Palm predicts Memphis, 82-76
David Scott predicts Memphis, 85-75
Let's get it on!
. . . Bill Russell is seated over my left shoulder wearing a black Celtics cap.
SAN ANTONIO - We're less than an hour from tip and both teams are warming up on the court. Kansas in their red shooting jerseys and blue uniforms is shooting at the basket in front of the Posting Up Perch. Memphis players have a combination of white and blue shooting shirts over their white uniforms.
. . . Jesse Jackson, who a week ago spoke to the Tigers at practice, is right behind the Posting Up perch, two rows behind the Calipari family.
. . . Officials have not yet been announced but we did see Ed HIghtower near the River Walk today, so unless he's a back-up official, it's likely he will be one of the three.
. . . The Calipari family is directly behind our perch in their usual seating order of, from left to right, Ellen, Megan, Erin and Bradley.
. . . Penny Hardaway is here again, of course, and was scheduled to be a guest on the CBS College Sports Network pre-game show.
HOUSTON - Memphis played its basketball of the season in this two games of the regional and because of it they now advance to San Antonio next week where they will meet UCLA in the national semifinal. The Tigers won this one, 85-67, and, much to the dismay of many, were able to hit free throws down the stretch. CDR was 12 of 15 from the line, Rose was 7 of 8 and the Tigers were 30 of 36 from the stripe.
Memphis shot 26 of 52 from the field . Texas began the Hack-a-Tiger assault with about four minutes and left and Memphis leading by 20 to no avail.
It was another never-ending Gobstopper for the Tigers as Texas stretched the game with 3-pointers and fouls in the final four minutes.
. . . Calipari pointed to his family as time wore down which started Erin crying on Ellen's shoulder. Derrick rose waved goodbye to the Texas fans with a huge smile on his face.
. . . Abrams and Augustin both helped their numbers with some 3-balls down the stretch, but the job the Memphis guards did on them, coupled with the big man scoring in the paint for Memphis (40-24) was the real story of the game. Abrams finished with 17 points on 6 of 16 form the field (5 of 10 from 3-point land). Augustin had 16 points (4 of 18 and 2 of 6).
. . . Dozier fouled out with 3:36 left in the game. He had two points and seven rebounds and was 1 of 6 from the field.
. . . Mason fouled out for Texas with 2:47 left in the game. He had 7 points, 7 rebounds and three assists. James fouled out with 46.2 seconds remaining. he had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
. . . We'll stick around for the awards presentation and then work the post-game interviews and have a regional wrap-up for you in our final Hang Time Office Hours of the year later tonight. be sure to check it out and we'll be back with you from San Antonio on Thursday afternoon sometime.
HOUSTON - Appearing in its third straight Elite Eight, the Memphis Tigers are on their way to the school's third-ever Final Four and the first since 1985. Memphis leads 67-48 with 3:56 left and the Memphis fans are on the verge of total celebration amidst the burnt orange, and some of that burnt orange is heading to the exits.
Abrams and Augustin are now a combined 5 of 25 from the field and have 16 points between them (11 for Augustin).
Joey Dorsey has a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
. . . Not looking like I get an all-regional ballot but my team would be CDR, Rose, Dorsey, Augustin and Justin Mason. Rose will be my regional MVP.
. . . Today's attendance is announced at 32,798. Friday was 32,931.
HOUSTON - With 8:07 left in the game, Memphis is up 59-43 and Texas is going to need to really turn things around to get back in this one.
Memphis remains at 50 percent shooting from the field (24 of 48) while Texas has dropped slightly since halftime to 17 of 47. Both teams have hit just one 3-pointer this half.
Paint points are now 38-20 in favor of Memphis while rebounding remains close at 30-27 for Memphis.
. .. DJ Augustin is 3 of 14 from the field and AJ Abrams is 2 of 8.
. . . Taggart has had a very solid game off teh bench for the Tigers with 12 points on 5 of 7 from the field. he had four points in the first half.
. . . Dozier picked up his fourth foul with 8:32 left in the game, he was replaced by Dorsey. Pittman missed the free throw that would have given him the 3-point play on the foul.
HOUSTON - Memphis has weathered an early second half run by Texas to extend its halftime lead by one point, 50-38 with 12:53 left in the game. Joey Dorsey will go to the line to shoot one after being fouled on a basket to put the lead at 12.
The Texas run got to 12-0 as they scored the first six points of the half to trim the lead to 39-34. Taggart ended it with a jumper in the paint over Atchley. Memphis quickly got it back to nine on a Rose dunk.
Damion James scored four of first six points of the half for Texas. He now has eight points and Augustin has 11 to lead Texas.
. . . Rose defedning Augustin, Anderson on Abrams.
. . . Anderson banked in a 3-pointer just under 15 minutes left to put memphis back up by 12.
HOUSTON - With the the exception of Texas's 6-0 run to end the half, Memphis has to be v ery happy with the way things played out in the first half.
Calipari was able to use eight players for five or more minutes and despite having been outscored 8-4 by the Texas bench, the Longhorns trio of guards had to play all but four minutes of the half (20 for Augustin, 18 each for Abrams and Mason). That wearing down of the gaurds is definitely part of teh Memphis strategy as they have been able to shuttle in Andre Allen, Doneal Mack and Willie Kemp.
No one is any real foul trouble and only 15 total fouls were whistled in the first half, something that definitely favors the Tigers.
. . . Rose was 5 of 6 form the field in the first half, his only miss coming from 3-point land on a shot that rimmed out.
Mack and Kemp are 0 of 4 from 3-point land.
. . . The Tigers met in a circle at halfcourt after watching Dorsey hit a free throw attempt and raised arms and fists in unison.
. . . Texas cheerleaders are in chaps, as is the halftime custom, and we are once again happy for such rituals.
. . . Well, there is a Bish in the house, but it's former President Bush not the sitting one.
HOUSTON - Texas re-gained a bit of composure toward the end of the half with a couple of sloppy plays by Memphis and now trail 39-28 at the break.
Some quickie stats:
Tigers led in scoring by CDR with 11 and Rose with 10.
Longhorns led by Mason and Augustin with seven each.
Joey Dorsey leads all rebounders with seven.
Mason has six for Texas
Memphis shot 15 of 31 from the field (48 percent) and 2 of 9 from 3-point land.
Texas shot 10 of 27 form the field (37 percent) and 2 of 8 from 3-point land.
Paint points are in favor of Memphis 24-12.
Rebounds are Memphis 18-17.
Turnovers are 8 for Texas, 3 for Memphis.
Rose has four assists to lead all dishers.
Dorsey dunked with 2:40 left on an alley-oop from CDR, then pointed to the Memphis rooters who responded with a chant of "Joey, Joey, Joey."
HOUSTON - With each attempt to get back in it by Texas and their fans, Memphis seems to have an answer. It got especially loud after Texas trimmed the lead to 12 with just over 4:00 left on a dunk by Pittman, but Memphis answered with a Shawn Taggart bucket off the galss. The score is now 34-20 Memphis with 3:45 left in the half.
. . . Rebounding battles is going to Memphis, 17-15.
. . . Texas has eight turnovers to three for Memphis.
. . . Paint points are 22-8 in the Tigers favor.
. . . A DJ Augustin trey off a block from Clint Chapman trimmed the Memphis lead to 29-18 with 6:26 left in the half, prompting a Calipari timeout.
. . . The daily Dorsey dunk-o-rama came on a leak-out after some great Tiger defense in transition and led to Dorsey two handing a monster flush all alone. It brought the Memphis lead to 13.
HOUSTON - It's not quite Friday night when Memphis stormed out to a 30-point lead, but with 7:40 left in the half, the Tigers are up 29-13 and have been on a 11-2 run over the last seven minutes.
CDR now has 11 points for Memphis and Rose has 10 points. Mason continues to lead Texas with 7.
The length of Memphis is certainly affecting the shot selection of the Longhorns who are now 5 of 19 from the field (26 percent). Memphis is 11 of 24 (46 percent). Both squads are 1 of 7 from beyond the arc.
. . . It went to 24-13 on Rose steal and dunk at 10:00 mark, then 26-13 8:56 on alley-oop in transition from Rose to Dorsey and finally 29-13 with 8:10 left, CDR lay-up in transition and foul.
. . . Memphis switching up with man-to-man and then zone.
HOUSTON - With 11:56 left in the half, Memphis is up 20-13 and Texas will have the ball coming out of the timeout.
Memphis is being led by CDR's eight points and Rose's eight. Texas is led by Mason's seven points.
The Tigers are shooting 47 percent from the field (7 of 15) and Texas is at 36 percent (5 of 14).
Paint points are 10-6 in favor of Memphis.
Texas has three turnovers to two for Memphis.
. . . Rose started off 4 of 4 from the field. Not sure he had hit anything but net until his first trey attempt rimmed out in the 12:30-area.
. . . Biggest lead so far is 18-8, Memphis.
. . . Texas has switched to a 2-3 zone.
. . . Barnes inserted Dexter Pittman and Calipari countered with Pierre Niles. That, friends, is some texas-sized beef in the paint. First battle goes to Niles who deflected a rebound off Pittman. Niles stayed for just a miunute.
HOUSTON - A wonderful start with great intensity at both ends as Memphis leads 13-8 with 15:49 left in the half. CDR has seven early points, Derrick Rose has four, including a rebound and coast-to-coast lay-in that was breathtaking in its speed and control.
Justin Mason has four for Texas. Memphis is 5 of 8 from the field, Texas 4 of 9.
. . . A 5-0 start by Memphis. Ended by Connor Atchley dunk.
. . . A preponderance of burnt orange engulfs the Stadium, but a strong showing by the Tiger faithful as well. But when Texas made a run, it got very loud for the 'Horns.
. . . Calipari and Barnes exchanged a hug pre-game during lay-up lines and then another after line-ups were announced. Looked like Cal made a funny. Nice moments, both of them.
. . . Derrick Rose has a bandage over his right here where he was cut on Friday night. He checked out at 18:37 favoring the eye and was tended to immediately by Memphis medical staff. Andre Allen replaced him. Rose was re-inserted 1:03 later
. . . Texas starts out in man-to-man defense. Memphis also man-to-man but showing some match-up zone it appears.
. . . Calipari using the coacing stool, Barnes not.
HOUSTON - Some familiar names and faces on the officiating crew this afternoon with veterans Mike Kitts, Bob Donato and Patrick Driscoll. Kitts was in Little Rock last week and had Texas but not Memphis. Donato was in Birmingham last week and Driscoll was in D.C.
. . . Analysis:
This is one of those games that won't be about the Xs and Os as much as it will be the Jimmys and the Joes (cliches work, whaddya want from me?). Both teams are going to run, both have exceptional talent level and both are capable of scoring bursts.
Our two deciding factors in our pick of Memphis (by five or less) are this:
1. The Tigers are likely going to start out in their usual man-to-man defense and will force Texas to make outside shots. The hope being that DJ Augustin had his one breakout game on Friday and they can contain AJ Abrams enough to keep things managable.
2. The depth factor: Memphis has it, Texas doesn't and especially at the guard spot. If Memphis's bulky guards acan wear down the 'Horns, it will be the end of Texas.
. . . Memphis mascot Pouncer has broken out the ref jersey. Nice.
. . . Our CSTV.com Road Trippers are in the house. They're tired but feisty and it brings all new levels of excitement to have them courtside. We love those guys.
HOUSTON - One of the many interesting tales that came out of John Calipari's extended press conference yesterday was one about a text message he received form former UMass guard Edgar Padilla, who was part of Calipari's Final Four team at UMass.
"It's funny, Edgar Sent a text and said, 'I hope you live that experience all over again, that was one of the greatest experiences of my life,'" said Calipari. "I hope these young men get to experience it , because one of the things I've told them is that they are a Dream Team. I handed out alist to them a couple of weeks ago about what a 'Dream Team' is and there were 15 things on it and I read to my players, and they meet every one of those statements.
And I said, basically, you're a Dream Team. You may never play on a team that gets along this way ever again in your life. You're a Dream Team. And what I'm saying to them now is, let's keep playing just so we can stay around each other for another two weeks, and let's just do it. The experience of going one more step, they will talk about it the rest of their lives."
. . . Probable starters as listed on the stats monitor to our right:
Memphis
Robert Dozier
Joey Dorsey
Anotnio Anderson
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Derrick Rose
Texas
AJ Abrams
Damion James
DJ Augustin
Justin Mason
Connor Atchley
. . .Memphis assistant John Robic just stopped by for some pre-game talk. He appeared relaxed and did everything but say, "The hay's in the barn." But it is and the Memphis coaching staff is comfortable with its gameplan.
Robic said the court configuration wasn't a big issue on Friday night aside form the fact that from the opposing bench, it is near impossible to see the other bench. That becomes a factor when coaches try and see what calls are being made by the opponent but doesn't have that big of an effect on the game itself. Especially in this contest where both teams are mostly about running and not running a whole lot of set plays.
. . . Memphis has taken teh court for pre-game stretching at 12:17 local time. They are in blue shooting jerseys with white uniforms underneath. Antonio Anderson is shwoing some dance moves as he slides onto the court. JOey Dorsey is in all black warm-ups and wearing long pants as has become his custom. He is the lone Tiger in long pants.
. . . Calipari children, Bradley and Megan are already in their seats and have just been joined by Erin. They are in Row 2 behind press row a bit off center-court.
HOUSTON - Welcome back to Reliant Stadium for today's Regional Final between No. 1-seed Memphis and No. 2 seed Texas. A smattering of fans has begun to filter into the seats and Jim Nantz and Billy Packer are working on some pre-recorded voice-overs just in front of the Posting Up perch (we've been upgraded to the 2nd row today, indicating we behaved well on Friday in the third row).
There had been rumors that President Bush was going to be in the house today, but judging from the way our bags were lightly inspected coming in, we're guessing G-Dub will be watching this one on the White House's flat screen.
. . . The NCAA's Greg Shaheen has been spotted in the building, as he and Committee Chair Tom O'Connor are scheduled to complete their four sites in four days tour of the Sweet 16/Elite 8.
. . . The Tigers have been installed as slight 3 1/2 point favorite by the wiseguys.
. . . Two great columns on today's game that we'll leve you with for now:
Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe.
Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal.
HOUSTON - We have just concluded the day-before interviews here at Reliant Stadium and we can't say we heard any ourageous comments or taunting from either the Memphis or Texas side.
No real feel for how each team will perform tomorrow, but it is pretty safe to bet that this game will be quite an up and down battle. John Calipari joked that the score could be in the 100s for each side. Or maybe he wasn't joking.
Responded Rick Barnes: "Who did he say was going to win? (Laughter) Did he say? Well, I don't know. We're going to play the way we've played. I think that at this point in time, I think teams are who they are, and both teams -- Stanford, they ran (Friday) night. We knew they were going to run. I think every team that we've played all year has had the attitude that you have to get out and try to get easy baskets; I think so much depends on how you take care of the ball. What you don't want to do is to allow teams to get out from your turnovers, but we are going to run. There's no doubt they are going to run and they are not going to change what they do and we are not going to change what we do. In terms of a score, I don't know. But like our guys were saying, we've got to this point playing a certain way, and we are going to continue to do that."
Said DJ Augustin: "Like Coach said, we are not going to change anything we have been doing all year, we are going to push the ball up and down and we have to do the same thing in defense. It's going to be an up-and-down game but we are just going to play our game."
. . . The cut above Derrick Rose's right eye showed no signs of swelling and despite an early morning headache, Rose said he is fine and the cut won't affect him tomorrow.
. . . A big part of the Texas presser was dedicated to the unsung hero-ness of "glue guy" Justin Mason. Several questions were asked about Mason - who was sitting there sort of bemused by all the attention. You can expect the Mason storyline to be a big one for tomorrow's game. As will the DJ Augustin-Rose storyline. The two played against each other over the summer at an adidas camp and Rose said Augustin got the better of him.
. . . We're working on a column about the two coaches in tomorrow's game and it will be posted at Hang Time in a couple of hours. Please be sure to check it out.
In the meantime, you can venture over to our good friends at ASAP Sports for transcripts of the day's pressers.
HOUSTON - Texas has extended to a 19 point lead, its biggest of the game and the 'Horns are Elite 8-bound and riding high. The 'Horns lead 77-56 with 2:07 left.
DJ Augustin has been simply marvelous and now has 20 points on 9 of 16 from the field. We wouldn't hate you if you headed over the Hang Time to check out our column on Augustin from this morning, because the competitive part of thsi one is O-V-A, over.
Four Longhorns are in double-fgures scoring and just one (Brook Lopez) has reached double digits for the Cardinal.
. . . Looks like we know where the POTUS will be on Sunday afternoon. Wonder if he'll bring his daughters?
. . . Trent Johnson's been doing the stare-down with a couple of the officials, but it's too late for that. Maybe he should've gotten tossed again?
. . . No matter who advances from our seocnd game, Texas should be a few point favorite on Sunday. the homecourt advantage is worth at least four points in our opinion.
HOUSTON - If Brook Lopez were to get say a smidgen of help, the Cardinal would still have a chance in this one. But he's not and his 26 points are almost exactly half of the Cardinal output as they now trail 63-53 with 7:58 left in the game.
Texas's is being bouyed by its virtual home crowd and some re-energized play in the last five minutes. It will take a monumental effort by Stanford to come back in this one.
. . .In the first half it was Clint Chapman who gave Rick Barnes valuable big man minutes. Now it's Dexter Pittman, who has been a revalation in this NCAA Tournament.
. . . Stanfoird's Mitch Johnson has such a strange jump shot and it's betraying him tonight as he's 2 of 8 from the field, including a clanked 3-pointer that would have cut the lead down to seven.
HOUSTON - Texas is clinging to a 54-51 lead with 11:43 left. DJ Augustin has scored just two pooints this half for the Longhorns after netting 12 in the first half. Stanford now has a plus-11 on the boards, 34-23 (9-4 in the second half)>
. . . A trey by Landry Fields cut the texas lead to one, 52-51. It was the closest the Cardinal had been since leading 2-0 to start the game.
. . . Robin Lopez back into the game with 12:29 left in the game and his three fouls.
. . . Love that Davidson score - Jerry Palm must be in Heaven.
HOUSTON - The Cardinal trimmed to the lead to four points and now trail 50-44 with 15:34 left in the game. Brook Lopez has seven of Stanford's 10 second half points and now has 22 points in the game.
If Texas can find a way to stop BLop, they will be fine. But that's a big a IF.
. . . Robin Lopez picked up his third foul of the game with 17:07 left in the game. It was his second of the half. He was replaced by Taj Finger.
. . . Texas dance team has made the chaps change. Thank you, ladies.
HOUSTON - The numbers do appear to be lying in this one as Stanford lead sthe rebound battle 25-19 bu trails by nine.
The Cardinal do have five more turnovers (7-2) and have been very reliant on Brook Lopez who has 15 points and 8 rebounds to lead everyone.
DJ Augustin has 12 points on 5 of 9 from the field and both he and Justin Mason have four assists each.
Stanford is shooting 13 of 33 from the field (39 percent) while Texas is at 18 of 38 (47 percent). The Horns are 4 of 12 form 3-point land and Stanford is 2 of 7 from beyond the arc.
. . . Mason, a guard, leads the 'Horns in rebounding with five.
. . . Twelve of Stanford's 25 rebounds have been on the offensive glass.
. . . Seemed like a lack of intensity on the Cardinal's part in the first half. that will have to change as they try and overcome the decided homecourt advantage.
HOUSTON - Texas leads 43-34 at the half and DJ Augustin has 12 points to lead the Longhorns. Brook Lopez leads Stanford with 15 points. A late 3-pointer by Micth Johsnon boosted Stanford's hopes going into the locker room.
. . . Texas's Clint Chapman who hasn't scored in the 'Horns' prior four games and has four total points in his last seven appearances has four points tonight and has played some important minutes.
. . . We'll be back with halftime stats.
HOUSTON - Texas continues to outplay the Cardinal and now leads 31-22 with 3:51 left in the half.
DJ Augustin leads Texas with seven points and Brook Lopez leads all scorers with 11 points. Stanford is actually plus-four on the backboards (19-15), but they are 8 of 26 from the field (31 percent) and Texas is 13 of 28 (44 percent).
HOUSTON - Stanford is really struggling form the field in the early going while Texas has found a nice early groove. Texas leads 23-16with 7:52 left.
Stanford has started to feed the post, and specifically Brook Lopez, with increasing success as they have . Brook Lopez has nine points, including the last seven in a row for Stanford.
Stanford is 5 of 19 from the field and Texas is 10 of 23. Five Longhorns have three or more points led by James.
. . . A very competitive battle between our two cheer and dance squads. The Cardinal dancers wear white gloves that bring a nice flair to the uniform. You already know our feelings for the Texas ladies form last week in Little Rock. We eagerly await the chaps changeover that comes around halftime.
. . . The raised court set-up allows for the head coach to stand above the bench on the carpeted apron. Each coach - Trent Johnson and Rick Barnes - are utilizing the space, but it doesn't appear the carpet is designated with the coaching box line. The line does appear on the actual hardwood, but they should have taped it off on the carpet for continuity.Looks odd, but we're getting used to it.
HOUSTON - Texas is up 10-4 with 15:22 left in the half. The homecourt advantage that everyone assumed would be the Longhorns' is certainly proving to be true. Just about the whole place is in burnt orange and it's near impossible to find any maroon in the crowd. But that crazy Cardinal tree sure is an active piece of lumber.
Damion James leads all scorers with six points.
HOUSTON - Rumors of a Tiger Woods appearance have circulated through the building and we believe they are emanating from CBS's Jim Nantz. He would certainly know.
Also supposed to be another Penny Hardaway evening as the ex-Memphis Tiger continues to follow his school.
Lastly, we just got word that should Texas advance, George Bush the Younger will be in the building on Sunday. That could make for a huge headache in terms of security and entrance to the building, so we just became Stanford fans.
. . . Memphis assistants John Robic and Derek Kellogg are scouting the game from the socut seats in the row in front of us.
. . . The NCAA has announced that "more NCAA . . . fans will attend this weekend's regionals than at any time in the event's 70-year history. As of Noon on Thursday, over a quarter of a million fans were expected at the four venues over eight sessions."
. . . Houston hosts the Final Four in 2011, Detroit has next year's - thus the dual experimentation in the stage-court.
HOUSTON - Those kooky kids with the Stanford Band have arrived with their pin-festooned hats and West Coast joei de vivre. No sign of the Tree yet.
. . . Tonight's officials for Game 1 are John Cahill, leslie Jones and J.D. Collins.
. . . NCAA Committee Members on-site are Lynn Hickey (Texas-San Antonio AD) and Laing Kennedy (Kent State).
NCAA Staff members on site are Jeanne Boyd (the former Florida Gator mascot) and Byron Hatch. We also saw and spoke to David Worlock of the NCAA.
. . . Jim Nantz just went into the bowels of the stadium to put on his yellow tie. Billy Packer, who has been doing research at a second row table, is in his blue CBS sports blazer. You know, we'd like a blue CBS sports blazer too - we are part of the family, ya know?
Clock-til-game time is approaching 30 minutes, which means it's time for us to go get some nourishment. Back in a bit.
. . . Ex-Texas footballer and Houston native, Vince Young, just appeared being escorted by John Bianco from the Texas Media Relations staff. If we were cool like Eric Sorenson, we would take a picture and post it. We're not so we'll tell you VY is wearing a blue and white striped SeanJohn golf shirt, jean shorts and currently signing some autographs and posing for pictures with fans. he has black Reebok sneakers with black RBK socks. His entourage includes three friends, one in a Tracy McGrady Rockets jersey.
. . . We're also scheduled to be sitting next to Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware who is with Sports Radio 610.
HOUSTON - Welcome back to Reliant Stadium where we're about an hour from tip of our first contest between No. 2 seed Texas (30-6) and No. 3 seed Stanford (28-7).
We finally have identified what the raised stage/court design reminds us of - especially for those in the front row bordering the edge of the court: A gentleman's club (or what we would think the set-up of a gentleman's club's stage and apron seating area would look like). Yes, folks, the NCAA has created the world's largest dancer's paradise with its hoops-in-the-round concept that is being utilized here and in Detroit.
We will refrain from Joey Dorsey making-it-rain jokes and move on to matters of basketball.
. . . Fans are just being allowed in and as expected there's a lot of burnt orange already on display.
. . . Stanford has take the floor and are shooting at both ends. They are in their maroon shooting jerseys with maroon uniforms underneath. Texas, as the higher seed, will be in home whites.
Continue reading "Houston: Hour 'Til Tip of Game One at "The Gold Club"" »
HOUSTON - The Longhorn guards continued to strictly shoot around while the big men were working on some low post moves, taking feeds in the paint and instruction from Coach Barnes.
With 15:30 left on the session clock, Texas left the floor, leaving team managers to entertain the crowd. Players fanned out and signed autographs and posed for pictures with session attendees. Nince touch.
. . . Some CBS staffers are looking for optimum position for the ever-present yellow CBS banners along the railing behind the scorer's table.
. . . Memphis will be out at 3:10 p.m. CT and we'll re-join you at that time.
HOUSTON - One half of the lower "field seats" are filled with on-lookers enjoying the light workout that the Texas Longhorns are currently going through.
Texas coach Rick Barnes is sitting between Jim Nantz and Billy Packer for his CBS interview and players are getting used to the raised floor and the black curtain backdrops. With the raised floor, the traditional table banners are not in use at this site. There is a an overhead octagonal rigging above center court that holds huge video screens as well as video screens in each endzone. Believe it or not, it's actually an intimate setting - but only in the lower section. By the time you start getting up to the upper levels, we're guessing it's not very easy to see what's going on courtside.
. . . We did some time in the Texas locker room and will be able to offer up a column on DJ Augustin at Hang Time for your Friday morning reading pleasure.
. . . We also got some time with Memphis coach John Calipari, who is sort of enjoying the fact that his Tigers are being portrayed as underdogs. Calipari was able to stop the golf cart carrying Rick Barnes back to his locker room and the two chatted for a while. Tom Izzo passed by on a different golf cart on the way to his presser and Calipari bemoaned the fact that he didn't have any golf carts. "They got me walking everywhere," laughed the at-ease coach.
. . . We were also able to say hello to our fellow Peabody, Mass. native, Todd Wright, who is the Texas strength coach. Wright's dropped his Peabody accent and now has a hybrid Peabody/Austin twang that will not soon be duplicated.
HOUSTON - Welcome to Reliant Stadium for the South Regional games, being hosted by Rice University and the Univeristy of Houston. This is one mammoth stadium and it sits next to the building that used to be called the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Houston Astrodome. Reliant, by that logic, is the Ninth Wonder.
The set-up for this regional is a first-time experiment by the NCAA (also being used at Ford Field in Detroit, where Jerry Palm will describe the action for Posting Up and CSTV.com). The court is elevated and placed in the middle of the football field with seating brought down close to the court. The endzones have been draped off with black curtains, but the rest of the seating under the retractable roof (which is closed, wiseguy) is available for fans and tickets still remain for the three games on Friday and Sunday.
Interviews start shortly with Stanford going at 1 p.m. CT, followed by Texas, Michigan State and Memphis. Stanford has just finished its open practice in front of a small crowd and they are being followed by Michigan State, Texas and Memphis (3:10-4 p.m.)
We'll try and liveblog the latter two open practices after we work some of the interviews.
. . . In the official regional media guide, there is a reference to Memphis as "Memphis State University," a moniker they have not used in some time. Very old school.
Continue reading "Houston: Interviews and Open Practice Day" »
Welcome to the South Regional, an experiment in both seating and seeding.
Reliant Stadium (in addition to Ford Field) will be guinea pig sites in the NCAA's latest plan to get more fannies into the game. That seating issue - no matter how the experiment in "Hoops in the Round" goes over - is quite secondary to the seeding issue.
No. 1-seed Memphis is suddenly the least liked 1-seed in the history of 1-seeds - taking slings and arrows from all sides. No. 2-seed Texas finds itself with a decided homecourt advantage. Even if Texas coach Rick Barnes doesn't it see that way.
"The bottom line is that in the two games we played in San Antonio (en route to the 2003 Final Four), we had to fight for our lives," said Barnes of his team's wins over UConn and Michigan State. "At this point and time in the season, (playing in Houston) is probably going to be made a bigger deal that it really is."
Still, there is evidence that Everything's Bigger and Better in Texas for the Longhorns. They are 9-4 in NCAA Tournament play in the state of Texas and are undefeated in such games under Barnes(6-0, twice in Dallas and once in S.A.). In fact, Barnes is .500 (9-9) in NCAA games outside the friendly borders, as the Texas head man.
In other Houston seeding intrigue the site also gives us the slightly under-seeded duo of Michigan State (5) and Stanford (3). The Spartans are more of a "4" and Stanford feels like a "2.5." Both - at the very least - are playing their best ball at the most opportune time and quite deserving of playing on the next-to-the-last weekend of the season.
After the jump, some South Regional tidbits that will help you pass the time between now and Friday night's tip from the Texans' home.
Be sure to join us for live-blogging from Media Day on Thursday afternoon from Houston (as well some open practice live-blogging) here at Posting Up.
Continue reading "South Regional: The Day Before the Day Before Preview" »
LITTLE ROCK - A look at some of the pertinent final stats from Game 1:
Texas won the board battle, 41-30
Texas shot 43 percent for the game (25 of 58 and 8 of 24 in the second half)
Miami shot 40 percent for the game (22 of 55 and 11 of 24 in the second half)
AJ Abrams finsihed with a game-high 26 points. Damion James had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Jack McClinton had 18 points to lead Miami, Hurdle had 11 and Raymond Hicks had 10 points including 2 of 3 from 3-point land, with both makes coming in the final seconds. McClinton was 5 of 14 from the field and 4 of 10 from 3-point land.
DJ Augustin had 12 points and 8 assists and 3 steals.
Texas shot 12 of 21 from the free throw line and Miami was 19 of 22.
. . . Officials for the next game are Reginald Greenwood, Ted Hillary and Frank Scagliotta. Our tip will be at 4 p.m. local team.
We're going to (Austin) Peay (can't get enough of the sub-regional-themed joke) and we'll be back for the nightcap.
LITTLE ROCK - Miami made a spirited, late comeback but Texas had built too big of a lead in the game's first 36 minutes for the 'Canes to be able to come all the way back. Texas holds on and advances with a well-earned 75-72 win. Miami's Raymond Hicks hit two monster 3-pointers in the final 12 seconds that cut the lead to two, but after a monitor review of time left, the 'Canes were left with 1.8 seconds to try and foul Texas, pray for misses at the line and then score. DJ Augustin airballed the first, hit the second and a baseball pass from Hicks found no receiver as Texas hung on.
Some nice hugs and handshakes as the teams exited the court - lots of commonality and overlap between the two staffs and players.
Free throw shooting down the stretch almost cost the 'Horns the win, but two big ones from AJ Abrams with 9.5 seconds remaining helped to seal the deal.
. . . We'll be back in a bit with final stats and a look ahead to the second game of our doubleheader here at Alltel.
LITTLE ROCK - The 'Canes have cut the Texas lead to six with 1:37 left in the game and the crowd, which had fallen asleep, is suddenly behind Miami in a big way.
Texas leads 68-62 with 1:34 left in the game.
McClinton has come on late and now has 18 points.
. . . Texas will need to make free throws and they'll survive.
LITTLE ROCK - The rebounding edge tells you all you need to know about this one as Texas has a plus-18 edge on the boards (40-22). Texas leads the game 66-52 with 3:30 left in the game. The 'Horns are in cruise control to Houston where they will meet Stanford next Friday night in the round of 16.
The game was tied 8-8 with 16:33 left in the first half and since then it has been all Texas.
. . . James Dews has been one of the lone bright spot for Miami. The sophomore has 8points
. . . McClinton's first field goal of the second half came on a jumper with 5:12 left in the game. He now has 8 points and is one of three 'Canes with 8. Texas has four players in double figures scoring, led by Abrams' 20.
. . . Damion James has 14 rebounds and 15 points for Texas.
. . . Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury got some cheers from the Bulldog faithful as he approached press row to do his pre-game radio show. Most coaches pre-record such things in the bowels of the building, so the sight is a bit odd.
LITTLE ROCK - AJ Abrams now has 20 points and is 6 of 9 from 3-point land. His latest trey gave the 'Horns a 58-43 lead with 11:52 left. Defending the 3-ball must've been overlooked in Frank Haith's gameplan.
Abrams also had six treys against Austin Peay in the opener.
. . . McClinton continues to struggle from the field and is now 2 of 9 and 2 of 6 from 3-point land.
LITTLE ROCK - Our string of mediocre games here in Little Rock continues with this one as Texas leads 49-36 and Miami doesn't appear ready to mount any kind of real comeback. We have 15:33 left in the game.
A 3-pointer by James with just over 16:00 left gave Texas its biggest lead of the game at 16.
. .. Rick Barnes has now put AJ Abrams on McClinton. It's probably part of a rotation, but Mason should still get most of the checking assignments on the Miami scorer.
. . . The first chaps-clad routine of our favorite dancers was a rousing success. Tough to say if it's the white frilly vests that get us or the brown chaps or a combination of both. Hook 'em horns, indeed.
LITTLE ROCK - This one is going according to script for the Longhorns who are getting production from all their key contributors. Some key lines:
AJ Abrams - 14 points, 5 of 8 form the field, 4 of 7 from 3-point land
Damion James - 9 rebounds, 7 points
DJ Augustin - 5 points, 5 assists and 3 steals
Texas has dominated the boards, 22-15.
Miami shot 11 of 31 from the field (36 percent) and 3 of 11 from 3-point land (27 percent)
Texas shot 17 of 34 from the field and 9 of 16 from 3-point land (56 percent)
Texas has 12 assists on its 17 field goals, Miami has 4 on its 11
. . . Gary Johnson, coming back from an injury for the Longhorns, logged four minutes and picked up two fouls. Big fella Dexter Pittman, who had a great first game, played four minutes for Texas and had two points and three rebounds.
. . . Anthony King was 4 of 5 from the field for his 8 Miami points. McClinton was 2 of 7 from the field.
. . . As expected, hoped for and embraced, the Texas dance teams has chnged into their chaps.
LITTLE ROCK - With remarkable proficiency from the 3-point land, Texas has built an 11-point lead at the half, 43-32. The Longhorns are 9 of 16 from beyond the arc and 17 of 33 form the field. They have effectively contained Miami's Jack McClinton, who has six points in the first half. of course, McClinton also had half a dozen in the first half on Friday against St. Mary's and then exploded for 32 in the second. That's not a realistic expectation today, but it is worth keeping in mind.
Abrams has 14 to lead Texas and King has eight for Miami.
. . . The arena is just about all filled up as most of the second game's fans have made their way off of Main Street in N. Little Rock and into their seats.
. . . It appears the Texas dancers have gone in for a wardrobe change. We're giddy in anticipation.
LITTLE ROCK - Miami has mounted a bit of a comeback and they too are using the three-ball to do it. With 6:38 left in the half, Texas leads 35-26, as Miami has cut into a 14-point deficit.
McClinton's first hoop came on a trey with just under 10 minutes to go in the half. A minute later he hit another to cut the 'Horns lead to eight. he is now 2 of 4 from beyond the arc. A s ateam, texas is 7 of 13 from international waters.
. . . Your daily Texas dance team outfit update: The ladies have started off in a orange sequin halter tops (I think they're halters - they show a lot of belly whatever they are) and black velour, form-fitting pants. We eagrely await the wardrobe change into chaps.
LITTLE ROCK - Texas is out to a blazing start and they have used the 3-pointer to take a 19-8 lead with 13:51 left in the half.
Texas is 5 of 8 from 3-point land and four different Longhorns have hit three balls (James, Atchley, Augustin and Abrams). McClinton is 0 of 3 form the field this far as King leads Miami in scoring with six points.
. . . Texas's best defender, Justin Mason is guarding McClinton. Barnes mentioned yesterday that the No. 24 would now be reserved for players who exhibit the grit and tenacity of Mason and his predecessor in the number, Royal Ivey.
. . . Our sneaker battle is between two Nike schools.
. . . Looks like the Memphis and State fans in the house are 'Cane fans for this one.
. . . If forced to chose between burnt orange and bright orange, I will take the burnt orange. This is true mainly because I got a burnt orange fleece from my sister for my birthday. So, really, it's Karen that prefers burnt orange.
LITTLE ROCK - Happy Easter and welcome back to the Alltel Arena for today's second round games. Our first game, tipping at 1:15 local time, features Texas and Miami. the follow-up will be a mid-south battle with Memphis and Mississippi State.
Things were buzzing in the North Little rock area surrounding the arena as fans pre-lubed for the day of basketball. Tickets are fairly tough to come by because of the local interest with Memphis, State and Texas (which always travels well).
. . . Officials for today's game will be Mike Kitts, Joe Lindsay and Patrick Adams.
. . . Probable starting line-ups look like this:
No. 2 seed Texas (29-6)
AJ Abrams
Damion James
DJ Augustin
Justin Mason
Connor Atchley
No. 7 seed Miami (23-10)
Lance Hurdle
Jack McClinton
James Dews
Dwayne Collins
Anthony King
The feature players to watch are, of course, McClinton who is coming off his 38 point effort on Friday and DJ Augustin. But the interesting thing to us will be the post play, especially that of 'Cane big man Jimmy Graham and King. If they can do damage in the paint, Miami will be able to open up the outside game a bit and be able to stay in it.
Still, despite both teams employing similar tactics from the Rick Barnes/Frank Haith coaching tree, the Longhorns are likely to advance to Houston next weekend and they should do it easily.
LITTLE ROCK - We're on our in-between day here in Le Petite Roche and Miami players and coach Frank Haith are starting their press room/locker room interviews. They will be followed by Texas at 2:15 local time; then Mississippi State at 3:10 and finally Memphis at 3:50.
All practices are closed today at the arena.
We'll plan on filing a column over at the Hang Time blog late this afternoon. if any news breaks here, we'll also be on top of that. In the meantime, enjoy the live-blogging here as half the Sweet 16 is filled out today. We'd also encourage you to check out Jerry Palm's Hang Time re-cap of his off-day game watching. The Palmist captured a wild day form the perspective a bar-sitter and he did it quite well.
Enjoy the action.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Was it good enough?
The canvas Kansas presented to the NCAA tournament selection committee got its most prominent paint when it defeated Texas in the Big 12 tournament championship game. But for the next 90 minutes, Kansas will wonder whether it was enough to earn a top seed.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sherron Collins just iced this game.
As a result, Kansas wins its third consecutive Big 12 tournament title over Texas. The Rock Chalk chant was deafening.
Kansas 84, Texas 74.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After Connor Atchley hit a pair of free throws to cut KU's lead to four, Darnell Jackson stepped in bounds while bringing the ball out.
With 1 minute to go, Kansas 77, Texas 73.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- By my count, Kansas and Texas have changed leads 19 times.
It's been that sort of game.
With 3:35 to go and Kansas with possession, KU 72, Texas 71.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A nice give and go between Brandon Rush and Sasha Kaun didn't net a basket, but it draw Texas forward Connor Atchley's fourth foul.
Atchley hasn't lit it up offensively, but he has done a great job playing defense inside against Kansas' big men. Kaun headed to the line after the break.
NOTED: Attendance for the day was just announced at 19,047.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas guard A.J. Abrams has sandwiched 3-pointers around one by teammate Damion James.
Abrams scored 24 points on Saturday, and he's up to 13 today.
With 7:53 left, Texas 67, Kansas 64.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After Mario Chalmers drilled his seventh 3-pointer of the game, he continued to show the emotion he has much of the game.
Instead of the leg kick or fist pump he used earlier, though, Chalmers ran back to the defensive end of the court, just leaving his right arm and hand elevated above his head, a la White Men Can't Jump.
Chalmers now has 25 points and is getting a quick breather.
With 11:16 to go, Kansas 60, Texas 54.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas and Texas have made it a point this half to establish some sort of an inside game.
Kansas Darrell Arthur drew a second foul on Texas' Connor Atchley, and UT, using back-door passes and nifty dribbling, have forced a pair of fouls on KU inside.
With 15:48 left, UT 49, KU 47.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- That list of 3-pointers Texas and Kansas players have been hitting also comes with an added bonus.
Texas has hit 72.7 percent (8-of-11) of its long-range tries; Kansas is at 60 percent (9-of-15). So it's not like these guys are just airing out junk. Both teams are getting good looks and, more importantly, making them count.
Second half is about to begin.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas and Texas aren't fooling around.
As expected, this matchup is a good one because of the two teams' strengths and their desire to earn that No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Neither are letting fans down.
D.J. Augustin leads all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting (4-of-4 from 3-point range). Kansas' Mario Chalmers, not normally a huge scorer, is only a point back of Augustin, and he's got five 3s. Brandon Rush and Justin Mason have 12 points each for Kansas and Texas, respectively.
Texas' Damion James has also started hot, scoring 10 first half points. For KU, Darrell Arthur also has eight points, and Sasha Kaun has added five rebounds.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas-Texas has turned into a four-man game.
Texas' D.J. Augustin (15 points), and Justin Mason (12) are exchanging shots with Kansas' Mario Chalmers (14) Brandon Rush (12). The four have combined to hit 14 3-pointers.
With 3:00 left in the first, Kansas 42, Texas 38.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Apparently grabbing a Kansas basketball player by the arm with some force is a huge no-no in Bill Self's mind.
Referee Curtis Shaw was trying to instruct KU forward not to knock the ball back after scoring, and with the noise in here, there was no way Arthur was going to hear him. After a timeout on the floor, Arthur began heading back to the bench with his team when Shaw interrupted by grabbing his forearm. It stopped Arthur in his tracks.
Enter Self and assistant coach Joe Dooley, who took turns ripping into Shaw.
With 5:36 left to go, Texas 32, Kansas 32.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The turnover problems continue for Kansas. No. 7 came a moment ago as Sherron Collins basically just dribbled the ball out of bounds.
With 9:15 to go in the first, Texas 24, Texas 21.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas guard Brandon Rush's 28-point performance on Saturday against Texas A&M might have fueled something.
In a little more than 9 minutes against Texas today, Rush is again making himself known. He's got a pair of 3-pointers, and he's taken two other shots that just missed. After coach Bill Self criticized Rush earlier in the season for not taking enough shots, it looks like Rush is finally taking the hint.
Texas, meanwhile, is lucky to only be down three points. Kansas' offense has had four passes sail lazily out of bounds or into the hands of Longhorns.
With 10:55 left in the first, Kansas 21, Texas 18.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas fans are competing with each other, and it's making the Sprint Center as loud as it's been this week.
On one end, every time the Jayhawks make a stop, the place erupts. Offensively, Darrell's Arthur's break-away jam just sent it to another level. Arthur has six points and a pair of boards.
With 14:58 left to go, Kansas 10, Texas 8.
NOTED: I'm not sure anyone in college basketball has more intimidating elbows than Kansas senior Sasha Kaun. He throws those suckers out there when he grabs a rebound. No one wants anything to do with them.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- No shockers in the starting lineups.
Texas is going with D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams, Damion James Justin Mason and Connor Atchley.
Kansas is countering with Mario Chalmers, Russell Robinson, Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackon.
Don't be shocked to see Kansas throwing a slew of players at both D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams. If the two guards heat up, KU would find itself in a world of hurt early on. It could easily override tournament history, which at least recently is in the Jayhawks' favor.
Kansas and Texas have now met in three consecutive Big 12 tournament finals, with KU winning 80-68 in 2006 in Dallas and then 88-84 last season in Oklahoma City.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- T-minus 90 minutes until tip-off in the Big 12 tournament title game, and the Sprint Center consists of every official in house getting ready.
From the red-coated security guards practicing walking to their spots on the foul line during timeouts to a group of seven award recipients at mid-court to ESPN's TV crew setting up shop, there is a different feel to this game already.
Continue reading "Sprint Center bustling on last day of event" »
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A.J. Abrams made D.J. Augustin's 17 points look as quiet as they could.
Abrams finished off the game -- and Oklahoma -- with 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting. He nailed seven 3s, and bigger yet, did so every time Texas needed a boost. The points helped turn a halftime nail-biter into a post-break laugher.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Barring the greatest comeback in the history of any sport, Texas is going to advance to the finals of the Big 12 tournament against the winner of Kansas-Texas A&M.
The Longhorns have a 26-point lead with 1 minute left to play. Thankfully, Oklahoma isn't fouling.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- D.J. Augustin just came out of the game after hitting the deck hard while making a jumper in the lane.
He made the ensuing free throw, but coach Rick Barnes quickly got his star on the bench and out of harm's way. Even that, though, probably won't be enough for the Sooners.
With 7:15 to go, Texas 66, Oklahoma 47.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A.J. Abrams and Co. are starting to take advantage of what looks like Oklahoma running out of steam.
The Longhorns have held a double-digit lead the last several minutes. Abrams leads all scorers with 18, and OU coach Jeff Capel is giving Blake Griffin (16 points) a bit of a rest.
With 11:01 left, Texas 54, OU 42.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas' A.J. Abrams is turning this into a personal battle between he and OU's Blake Griffin.
Abrams has added two 3-pointers this half to the three he had in the first and now has 16 points in the game.
With 15:59 left, UT 42, OU 36.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma's Blake Griffin is quickly becoming a favorite here at the Sprint Center.
Griffin earned his double-double about a minute into the second half when he grabbed his tenth rebound -- and his fifth on the offensive end. The board came off his own miss, and he quickly went back up for two more points.
After another rebound on the defensive end on Texas' ensuing possession, he now has 14 points and 11 rebounds.
With 17:55, OU 36, UT 36.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas' offense is starting to fire up.
At the half, the Longhorns already have guard A.J. Abrams (you know, that other really good guard in burnt orange) in double digits. Abrams has hit a trio of 3-pointers. Damion James has added eight, Aliexis Wangmene has seven and D.J. Augustin has six.
Oklahoma's Blake Griffin has already played two more minutes than he did during all of yesterday's game against Colorado, and he's making the most of it. The frosh has 10 points and nine rebounds, as well as the previously mentioned swat block that ended up in press row.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- This is not what we saw yesterday from Oklahoma.
The Sooners -- a team built on defense -- are moving the ball as well as they have all season. Blake Griffin has a pair of thunderous dunks (one off an alley-oop from Austin Johnson).
Texas, on the other hands, has already got two 3-pointers from A.J. Abrams.
With 6:10 left in the first, Texas 23, OU 22.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It's still early, but Oklahoma is holding on to a small advantage here at the Sprint Center.
While OU guard Tony Crocker has a game-high six points, the story so far has been freshman big man Blake Griffin. He's already blocked a shot into press row and is showing a good first step with the ball when he's posting up.
His work without the ball has been solid thus far, too.
With 11:19 left in the first, OU 13, UT 12.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma seems to have shaken off some of the sluggishness it played with on Friday, and it at the first media timeout holds a lead over top-seeded Texas.
OU guard Tony Crocker already has six points, and fellow backcourter Cade Davis hit an open 3-pointer.
With 15:54 left in the first half, OU 11, Texas 6.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- I've already talked this week about the rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.
Guess it's fitting then that today we find ourselves in the position of watching the two teams match up for a chance to play in the Big 12 championship game.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When Texas has a lead late, it doesn't lose. We all know that.
But what was impressive about the Longhorns on Friday was the team's ability to shut Oklahoma State down in the beginning of the second half in order to gain that lead.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Top-seeded Texas has finished off Oklahoma State 66-59.
The Longhorns will move on to face the winner of the Oklahoma-Colorado game on Saturday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State is now fouling to stop the clock.
With 40.5 seconds left, Texas 64, OSU 57.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Just as I thought Texas was going to wrap this up, Oklahoma State has hit three 3-pointers in the last two minutes, closing the gap to three points.
With 3:25 left, Texas 58, OSU 55.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas is not extending it's lead, but it certainly isn't giving up any ground.
All the while, the Longhorns are running clock. We've got just under 6 minutes left in the game, and we just hit our under-8 media timeout. Basically, D.J. Augustin is being allowed to dribble time off because Oklahoma State's Byron Eaton already has four fouls.
With 5:47 left, Texas 56, Oklahoma State 46.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- OSU's Ibrahima Thomas' free throws off a technical foul just marked the Cowboys' first points of the second half.
During the span -- 6 minutes, 28 seconds -- Texas turned went from down a point to up by 11. If Oklahoma State doesn't make a run soon, this one could get ugly.
With 13:32 to go, Texas 46, Oklahoma State 35.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- D.J. Augustin is one of those players who makes it look so easy.
In 1:20 of play in the second half, Augustin already has five points, a steal and an assist. The seven-point stretch has put the Longhorns back on top, and it's all thanks to the super-talented sophomore.
Methinks within a week of Texas' season ending -- which might not be for some time -- we'll finally here word out of Austin, Texas that Augustin is declaring for the draft.
With 18:40 left, Texas 39, Oklahoma State 33.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State is making this one heck of a game, despite the best efforts of UT point guard D.J. Augustin.
Augustin has pushed his point total to 12, joining teammate Damion James (13) in double figures. For Oklahoma State, it's still all about freshman Ibrahima Thomas. He ended the first half with 15 points and five rebounds. Three of his boards came on the offensive end.
The first five minutes of the second half will be key, if for no other reason we'll see if the Cowboys can maintain this intensity for more than the first half.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas freshman forward Gary Johnson was just helped off the floor by a trainer with a right ankle injury.
Johnson got tangled up while battling for a rebound with Oklahoma State forward Marcus Dove. Trainers now hoave Johnson's shoe off and are attempting to determine the severity of the injury.
With 12:15 to go in the first half, OSU 14, UT 13.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State's Ibrahima Thomas is starting today's game against Texas similar to how he did early in Thursday's game against Texas Tech.
The freshman is being extremely active around both baskets -- he has a pair a rebounds and was just fouled while making a layup. The problem against the Red Raiders, though, was he didn't stick around long enough to make an impact. Coach Sean Sutton limited him to 15 minutes, during which he was 3-of-4 from the field and had five rebounds.
Today appears to be a different story. He just knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers -- something we didn't see Thursday -- and has 10 points and three rebounds.
With 13:45 to go in the first half, Oklahoma State 13, Texas 11.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Everyone got a good chuckle out of the inflatable Baylor mascot, Judge, Thursday at the Big 12 tournament.
The 9 1/2 foot bear just cleared rims, and he even did that crazy, walk-on-his-head deal. I laughed.
But Oklahoma State's Cowboy, complete with the oversize head, just scares me. I can deal with the chaps and the leather vest and even white bandana hanging out of his back pocket (whose gang's color is white? not scary). But that oversized head. Seriously, I might have nightmares tonight.
His face looks like he spent about 35 hours in a tanning bed, and the stubble just came from being too sensitive to shave afterward.
Shivers.
AUSTIN, Texas -- For Longhorns fans, a win can't taste much sweeter.
With UT football star Vince Young in the house, the No. 11 Texas hoops team refused to give in on the hardwood, battling back from a four-point halftime deficit to knock off No. 3 Kansas, 72-69.
After D.J. Augustin missed the back end of two free throws in the game's final seconds, Kansas had a chance to tie the game with a three, but Kansas' Mario Chalmers shot at the buzzer rattled out as Texas held on for the victory.
"Kansas is a very difficult team to guard and they do a great job of passing the ball," Texas head coach Rick Barnes said. "But it was really an effort from our guys and they just found a way to get it done."
Another factor in UT's victory was a sold out and rowdy home crowd, which coach Barnes attributed to the team's success.
"When this building is full, its as good as any in the country," Barnes said.
And boy is he right.
Just ask Kansas' head coach Bill Self.
"I think they just outmanned us in the second half," Self said. "That was our focus at halftime and our guys did not respond to their aggressiveness."
According to Self, one of the reasons for the rise of the UT basketball program is due to the fact that the Texas defense has improved tremendously, one of the key reasons for the Longhorns big victory.
After getting outscored 42-38 in the first half of play, the Horns battled back to outscore the Jayhawks, 34-27, in the second half en route to a three-point nail-biting win at the Erwin Center.
However, when the Jayhawks' Chalmers addressed the media following the Longhorns' victory, he informed the reporters that Kansas is still the team to beat in the highly competitive Big 12 Conference.
"We're still the favorites and I think we're the best team in the conference," Chalmers said at the conclusion of Monday's game.
Texas might have something to say about that.
And sure enough, they did... But the Horns aren't about to get ahead of themselves.
"When you're behind and when it's a close game, it feels the same because you get lost in the game and just try to take care of the details," Texas junior guard A.J. Abrams said. "Sometimes you get behind and have to fight back, but fortunately today we shot the ball well in the first half and hung with them."
Connor Atchley led the Longhorns in scoring with 16 points, going 4-for-4 from 3-point range as well as grabbing four rebounds and dishing out two assists.
Longhorn sophomore guard D.J. Augustin also played a clutch game, despite a poor shooting first half.
"I've told him many times that I don't care what he's done up until the end of the game, but he's our guy and we're going to go to him," Barnes said. "I trust him totally."
And that's a good thing, especially considering the star guard's penetration in the second half helped propel the Horns to a big victory.
"There is no question when we get down to the end of the game, we are going to put it in his hands, because he knows his teammates so well," Barnes said. "He's got a lot of confidence and he's certainly going to do something to get A.J. [Abrams] involved."
Speaking of A.J., the junior guard notched 14 points in the Texas victory while teammate Damion James had a monster game, garnering a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
With the victory, Texas moves to 20-4 overall while improving to 7-2 in Big 12 play, as the Jayhawks drop to 23-2 overall and 8-2 in the conference.
"Our crowd really came out today and supported us," sophomore guard Justin Mason said. "We all can feel it in the atmosphere, the crowd was there early when we were shooting around, and I think that really helped us out with the victory."
Final Notes:
With Monday's victory over Kansas, Texas secured its ninth consecutive 20-win season, building on the prior school record of four (from the 1988-89 season to 1991-92).
In addition, UT is now 9-3 against Top 10 teams at the Erwin Center under the helm of Rick Barnes and improves to 12-2 at home in Big Monday contests.
Also, the Horns had four players score in double figures on Monday night against Kansas, the sixth time for that to occur this season.
Denton Ramsey may be reached via email at denton.ramsey@gmail.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Longhorns have finally done it.
UT knocked off Kansas in front of a sold out, rowdy crowd in Austin as 'The Eyes Of Texas' rained down on KU.
Texas finished the night on 22-for-51 shooting from the field (43.1 percent), while Kansas finished shooting 43.9 percent from the field (25-for-57) as UT held on for the W.
With the victory, Texas now joins the leaders in the Big 12 Conference as the Horns drilled home the biggest win of the season thus far.
The Longhorn's three-point victory came due primarily to fantastic, clutch free throw shooting by UT in the game's closing seconds.
Check back soon for postgame quotes and final stats...
AUSTIN, Texas -- I told you it was a good time to be A.J. Abrams...
Abrams just blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer by KU's Rush as Texas holds a 67-64 lead with 0:40 left and James at the line for two free throws...
AUSTIN, Texas -- The tides have turned, and now it's KU facing a four-point deficit. Kansas just called a timeout in an attempt to cool down the hot Horns.
UT currently holds a 67-63 lead with 2:29 left in regulation....
AUSTIN, Texas -- With a little under 2:30 left in regulation, the Texas Longhorns have a 66-63 lead over Kansas with Augustin headed to the line when we return to action.
As of lately, the Horns have taken control of the game and aim to close things out with a big victory here at home over KU.
Check back soon for the latest...
AUSTIN, Texas -- With just about 5:30 left in regulation, Texas holds a 62-57 lead over Kansas as the home crowd continues to voice their support for UT...
AUSTIN, Texas -- It's a good time to be A.J. Abrams.
The UT guard drew a charging foul against KU with 7:28 left in regulation and the game tied at 57-57 prior to a media timeout.
When we return to the hardwood, it's Longhorns ball as this dog fights continues in Austin...
AUSTIN, Texas -- The City of Austin may very well be the biggest fans of Texas Hold 'Em.
If the Horns can do just that over the final 11:18 of regulation, UT can pick up a big win in the Big 12 on Big Monday.
Currently, Texas holds a 54-53 lead over Kansas and we're midway through the second half of play.
This one's coming down to the wire...
AUSTIN, Texas -- After trailing by four at the break, the Texas Longhorns now hold a three point lead over KU.
And Kansas was just forced to call a timeout with 14:42 left in regulation as UT holds a 51-48 lead and the crowd continues to grow louder by the second...
AUSTIN, Texas -- You can't ask for a better game.
With UT down four at the break, the Horns came out hot to begin the second half and currently hold a 50-48 lead over Kansas with 15:44 left in regulation...
AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks currently lead by four at halftime over the pesky No. 11 Texas Longhorns, who refuse to go away as the burnt orange host KU.
Both teams have shot quite well, with Texas shooting 46.2 percent on 12-of-26 shooting from the field and Kansas shooting 45.9 percent (17-of-37).
Meanwhile, both squads are hot from the charity stripe, with UT shooting 80 percent on 7-for-9 shooting from the line compared to KU netting 85.7 percent from the line (6-for-7).
From beyond the arc, UT leads the 3-point charge on 6-for-13 shooting (46.2 percent) compared to 2-for-7 from the 3-point line for KU (28.6 percent).
In the scoring department, Texas' Atchley leads the Horns with 12 points while teammate Abrams has 10 at the break. For KU, Texas native Arthur (14 points) and Jackson (11) lead the Jayhawks in scoring at the half.
Looking at halftime stats, Kansas is pounding the ball in the paint, scoring 24 points inside compared to only 6 points for Texas. In addition, Kansas has done a remarkable job on the glass, pulling down 23 boards (while Texas only managed 13).
With the halftime clock hitting seven minutes and counting until the second half of play, it's time to get this blog at the half updated as we prepare to return to hardwood action here in Austin...
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Kansas Jayhawks just called a 30-second timeout as Head Coach Bill Self aims to get his team on the same page with KU on top, 41-38.
When we return to play, it's KU ball with 55 ticks left in the first half...
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Longhorns just called a 30-second timeout in an effort to cool down the Jayhakws.
Returning to action, it's UT ball with the Horns down 39-36 with just over two minutes remaining in the first half...
AUSTIN, Texas -- With 3:35 left in the first half of play, KU has a 35-33 lead after Kansas slammed home the go-ahead shot just seconds ago.
Texas has called a quick timeout and will retain possession when we return to play.
Halftime is right around the corner, and I will make sure to give fans the latest stats and news for tonight's game...
AUSTIN, Texas -- Leave no doubt, we are in for a battle here in Austin.
With 7:42 remaining in the first half of play, UT holds a slim 29-26 lead after A.J. Abrams drained a three-pointer to put Texas on top after KU battled back to knot the game at 26.
When we return to action, it's Kansas ball after a tough no-call drive to the basket by D.J. Augustin led to a UT turnover...
AUSTIN, Texas -- Near the midway mark of the first half, Texas holds a 20-18 advantage over Kansas with 11:50 remaining in the first half.
Atchley has drained three big 3's for UT, helping to propel the Longhorns to an early lead as Gary Johnson awaits free throws for Texas after we return from the timeout...
AUSTIN, Texas -- With 15:20 left in the first half, UT has a 15-12 lead over KU, due in a large part to two big 3-pointers by Connor Atchley.
Texas was just fouled driving to the lane and will get the ball after the TV timeout...
AUSTIN, Texas -- In just under two minutes, two of the nation's best teams will battle it out on the hardwood in Austin.
For NCAA basketball fans, nothing is sweeter than a match-up such as this one.
And right now, it's hard to both think and talk as 'Texas, Fight' echoes throughout the walls of the arena...
Check back soon as the Horns prepare to host the Jayhawks on ESPN on Big Monday. The lights are off and UT's players are about to be announced... Tipoff is right around the corner...
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Jayhawks just hit the hardwood to the boos of the Texas faithful, which means game time is just around the corner.
Shortly after the blue and red jerseys found their end of the court, UT's band struck up their fight song as the Longhorns hoops team hit the floor to a standing ovation.
It's hard not to get goose bumps in this type of setting, and as mentioned earlier, America, we're in for a fight to the finish... no doubt.
Vince Young just walked past press row to a roaring applause from the Texas band and student section, as a group of Longhorns fans quickly surrounded the football star to shake his hand and welcome him back to Austin.
With Vince in the house tonight, who knows ... maybe it's time for the Longhorn's losing streak against Kansas to end tonight with UT's super star at the Erwin Center showing his support.
We'll all find out soon enough, as tipoff is just mere minutes away.
And I can tell you right now that Vince and those in attendance are ready to bring down the house with a UT victory.
Check back soon for the game's opening tip and live coverage of tonight's super showdown between two of the Big 12's best...
AUSTIN, Texas -- Despite the hype surrounding this evening's highly anticipated match-up between the Longhorns and Jayhawks, the stadium remained only half-filled by 7:20 p.m. CT.
Don't worry, though, come tipoff time, I have no doubt that UT's house will be rocking.
A school with a rich tradition in football, it's taken a while for the Longhorns faithful to fall in love with basketball.
However, that is no longer an issue and the Horns look to take care of business tonight at home in a pre-March madness match-up with the No. 3 Jayhawks.
It's now 7:30 p.m. CT, and this place is beginning to fill to the brim with burnt orange passion... just 30 minutes and counting until game time.
A win for Texas could very well help propel the Longhorns to the next level by proving to the doubters that they can, and will, take care of business on their home hardwood.
A Kansas win, meanwhile, will solidify the Jayhawks as one of the best team's in the country, putting the Big 12 leader in the mix with teams such as Memphis and Duke as the nation's best squad.
Check back soon and often for the latest and greatest in Monday night's Big 12 battle between No. 3 Kansas and No. 11 Texas...
AUSTIN, Texas -- Kansas (23-1, 8-1 Big 12), ranked No. 3 in the nation in both the AP Poll and the ESPN Poll, will be battling it out with the No. 11 Texas Longhorns (19-4, 6-2) in a little over an hour here at the Frank Erwin Center.
Whether you love the Horns or hate them, this place is going to be rocking come 8 p.m. CT... and it will most likely be an automatic ESPN Classic.
Kansas, coming off a hard-fought 100-90 victory over the Big 12's big surprise, the Baylor Bears, is looking to secure their lead in the race for the conference title, currently sitting alone with in-state rival Kansas State with just one loss in Big 12 play.
Texas, meanwhile, aims to prove to the nation that they can beat the big names at the big times, especially at home, including a much-needed victory over the Jayhawks tonight in Austin.
If the game is anything like the prior four match-ups between these two highly touted squads, we're in for a fight to the finish.
Also, keep an eye on Texas native Darrell Arthur (Kansas' leading scorer) and UT guard A.J. Abrams. If either Arthur or Abrams catch fire, it may be smart for the opposing team's coach to call a quick timeout and stop the bleeding before it becomes a massacre.
Check back at 8 p.m. CT for the latest news and notes on the Kansas-Texas Big 12, Big Monday game of the week on ESPN.
Until then, break out a few cold ones and open those bags of Lays... an Austin barn-burner tips off in just over an hour...
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Aggies lift the Lonestar Showdown Trophy after dominating the Longhorns, 80-63.
Both sides talked about how important the start was, when the Aggies jumped out to a 31-10 lead. D.J. Augustin seemed really disappointed and Rick Barnes said his team's defense was the difference.
Mark Turgeon showed his appreciation for the amazing crowd, and talked about how much the Aggies have grown up in the last three games. He said he was confident they are making the turn.
That's it and that's all. The Aggies dominate the Longhorns at Reed Arena, 80-63. The next game for A&M is Saturday at home against Oklahoma, and next for the Longhorns is Saturday at home against Baylor.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The last seconds tick off the clock in Aggieland as the Aggies pull off the upset. Barnes had his players foul a few times in the closing minutes, but the Aggies had built an insurmountable lead. Josh Carter lead the Aggies with 19 and Dexter Pittman and D.J. Augustin paced the Longhorns with 14.
Quotes to come.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- This hotly contested rivalry game is near completion, and the Aggies are maintaining control with a 73-56 lead. The Longhorns have nailed some 3-pointers to stay close, but the Aggies have weathered the storms nicely.
Josh Carter is leading the way for A&M with a quiet 18. A&M has been getting DeAndre Jordan involved on the offensive end, and whenever he touches it, the fans get really excited. The 12th Man has maintained the noise all game. It looks like A&M has it wrapped up with under three minutes remaining and a solid cushion.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Wow, Alexis Wangamene was just ejected from the game for committing a flagrant foul. He elbowed DeAndre Jordan in a loose ball situation, and the referee wasted no time tossing him from the game. He left to an earful from the 12th Man.
After the long deadball, the Aggies nailed a few shots and forced Barnes to take another timeout. This place is rocking, and the 13,555 attendance I mentioned earlier was a record by a few hundred. I get the feeling the Aggies have taken control with 7 minutes remaining. 67-54, Aggies.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M is maintaining a comfortable lead at 55-40, but there is a feeling that Texas is not done yet. The Aggies had a chance to really seize control a minute ago after a score on offense and forcing a turnover on the end, but a bad pass led to an easy Texas score. The Longhorns still need Augustin to step up if they want to mount a comeback. 12 minutes left, and the Aggies lead.
Attendance was 13,555, well over capacity.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Longhorns and Aggies look out of sync to start the second half. Texas has outscored A&M, 5-2, but A.J. Abrams just fired an airball. Neither team has seized control but the Aggies maintain a 15-point lead at 48-33.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Almost everything went right for Texas A&M in the first half, and almost everything went wrong for Texas. The raucous crowd here at Reed Arena never got out of it, fed by a barrage of three-pointers by the Aggies and some exciting dunks to finish up. The Aggies are shooting 64 percent from the floor and 75 percent from behind the arc. They were making everything.
On the other end, Texas' D.J. Augustin was shut down effectively by Donald Sloan and Derrick Roland. That kept the Longhorn's offense from sustaining any consistent attack, although they made a good run with about eight minutes remaining. Texas shot only 30 percent from the floor and Augustin scored only four.
Halftime is about to wrap up on the first edition of the 2008 Lonestar Showdown, and A&M is winning big, 46-28.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- With about a minute left in the first half, Chinemelu Elonu made a big rebound for A&M, and converted a three-point play. That really got the crowd here at Reed Arena into the game.
The next possession, freshman DeAndre Jordan drove the baseline for a thunderous dunk and this place erupted. He also made a three-point play out of it and the Aggies close the half with six quick points and a giant momentum boost. The 12th Man gave them a rousing send-off to the locker room.
At the half, A&M is dominating 46-28.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Good damage control by Rick Barnes and the Longhorns, but the Aggies seemed to have regained some composure, as Donald Sloan buries a three-pointer.
The Aggies are ahead because they were doing a good job of shutting down Augustin, but the last few possessions he has gotten penetration and created for himself or his teammates. If he can continue to be a factor, Texas will not be out of it for long. Three minutes until halftime, 38-26 A&M.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The long television timeout was just what Texas needed. The Longhorns got a quick layup, two three-pointers and forced two Aggie turnovers out of the break. The score is now 31-18 as Turgeon calls a quick timeout to get things under control for A&M.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- With the game getting out of hand at 24-7, the Longhorns showed some frustration as Dexter Pittman picked up a technical foul after a held ball. That gave the Aggies two free throws and the ball. Barnes is furious with the referees, and the Aggie fans are loving it. Another three-pointer by Josh Carter makes it 29-7. The Aggies are on fire, hitting 83 percent from behind the arc. 29-7 A&M, with more to come.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Smart timeout by Rick Barnes, with the game getting out of hand early. But little has changed. The Aggies are hitting everything in sight, shooting 58 percent, and Damion James has done the only scoring for the Horns.
An unexpected matchup is taking place, with Donald Sloan guarding D.J. Augustin. It's working, though, as Augustin has not gotten anything going.
Another timeout as the Aggies commit their fourth foul. 19-5, A&M with more to come.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Longhorns have offered no answer to the inside presence of A&M. The Aggies have had an easy layup on almost every possession so far and have converted. When the Longhorns double-team, the Aggies have open three-pointers outside.
On the offensive end, Texas looks disjointed, committing a few turnovers. Connor Atchley has two fouls already. Texas needs a timeout, because the crowd is really into it. First timeout of the game, A&M leads 14-2.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Aggie War Hymn has been sung, and the starting lineups have been announced:
No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies (16-4, 2-3)
G-Dominique Kirk
G-Donald Sloan
F-Josh Carter
F-Joseph Jones
C-Bryan Davis
No. 10 Texas Longhorns (16-3, 3-1)
G-D.J. Augustin
G-A.J. Abrams
G-Justin Mason
F-Connor Atchley
F-Damion James
As expected, Reed Arena is bursting at the seems, and it is very loud. The house is full of white shirts, which were offered free on every seat at the beginning of the game.
Texas A&M wins the opening tip. And a quick three-pointer by Dominique Kirk. 3-0 A&M.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Electricity is in the air with about 15 minutes left until tip-off at Reed Arena. Both teams have taken their warm-up shots and headed back to the lockers. Aggies were cheered, Longhorns were hissed, as is tradition here in Aggieland.
The upper and lower tanks are somewhat slow filling up, but there is some time before tip. And both sides of the student section are packed from top to bottom. It is going to be loud in this arena if the game remains close. A&M just took the floor. First game update coming next, keep following.
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The Lonestar Showdown Rivalry will be renewed again tonight in Aggieland as No. 23 Texas A&M hosts the No. 10 Texas Longhorns. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET. The Reed Arena staff just opened the doors to the students and there is a mad scramble in the student section to procure the best possible seats for this heated rivalry.
Texas (16-3, 3-1) comes in on a three-game winning streak, having just dismantled Texas Tech. Their probably starters are:
Point guard- D.J. Augustin
Guard- A.J. Abrams
Guard- Justin Mason
Forward- Connor Atchley
Center- Damion James
The leader of the Longhorns is D.J. Augustin, one of the top point guards in the country. He is scoring 20.9 points a game and dishes 6 assists a game. The offense runs through him. One of the players Texas head coach Rick Barnes expected to make an impact is Justin Mason, a sophomore who has made his presence known and worked his way into the starting lineup.
The Aggies (16-4, 2-3) had a difficult start to their Big 12 schedule, losing three straight. But they just defeated Oklahoma State in a difficult road game and head coach Mark Turgeon said he has been pleased with his team's two latest performances. He said he feels the offense is coming around. They will start
Point guard- Dominique Kirk
Guard- Donald Sloan
Forward- Josh Carter
Forward- Joseph Jones
Center- Bryan Davis
An important player for the Aggies will be Kirk. He is the senior leader and scores 8.2 a game, but Turgeon said he's expecting him to expand his offensive role. He plays the point and will be guarding Augustin, a tough job. Davis, who scores 8.4 a game, has been the MVP of the Aggies on the young season. With his strong play recently and the struggles of freshman DeAndre Jordan, he has worked his way into a starting role. The inside performance of the Aggies, who are bigger than the Longhorns, will be the key to the game.
Approaching game time and Reed Arena is filling up. More to come.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Here are some notes and quotes from Michigan State's big victory over Texas this afternoon at The Palace:
* To say that Texas got nothing from its bench would be overrating it. Five guys played a total of 16:19 (including two seconds from Ian Mooney) and took only one shot, a made three-pointer by J.D. Lewis.
After the game, Longhorns coach Rick Barnes was obviously concerned.
"This week in practice, we didn't even play the first five much," he said. "We practiced the back ups a lot to try to get those guys going, because we know we are going to need more production from them.
"One of the bad things about our schedule right now is that it hasn't given us a lot of chances to play our bench. We haven't had too many games where those guys can play much."
* As I write this, Oakland leads Oregon by three at 15-12.
* Barnes also felt like his guys helped out Michigan State -- a lot. "Michigan State doesn't need a lot of help to beat you three times," he said.
Barnes was talking about defensive lapses and perhaps bad shooting. The Longhorns only had nine turnovers (Michigan State only had six) and out-rebounded the Spartans, 36-31.
* Damion James had a monster game with 15 points and 16 rebounds. Connor Atchley chipped in with 10 rebounds. On the scoreboard, Abrams totaled 24 and Augustin finished with 22. Thirteen of Abrams' points came in the last minute of each half. Augustin also had six assists and no turnovers.
* Obviously, Tom Izzo was pretty pleased with his team's performance. He thought the six turnovers were "probably a low in my 13 years here. We tend to throw the ball around a lot."
* Oakland is now up 25-17. Quick, someone pull the fire alarm!
* I mentioned before that the teams shot roughly the same percentage from long range, but Texas was 11-for-29, while Michigan State was only 3-for-8.
* Kalin Lucas' night was just outstanding on the stat sheet. He also had six assists and only one turnover. Not bad for a freshman. He wasn't the best point guard on the floor, but he wasn't a distant No. 2.
* The press room here was as poorly equipped as press row. There were only 12 chairs, although twice as many would have fit easily. As a result, while Izzo was talking, about 30 of us were jockeying for position against the wall, out of the way.
* After Augustin and Abrams addressed what was left of the media after Izzo had already left the press room, the SID with them told them to "keep drinking." How many college students really need to be told that?
* Oakland is now up 11 with 4:34 left in the half. I think I'll go check a little of that out before heading home.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- No. 10 Michigan State put on a stifling defensive performance in the second half and defeated No. 5 Texas, 78-72.
Texas scored two quick baskets to start the second half, but only hit three more buckets in the next 14 minutes. Several late baskets, including three A.J. Abrams three-pointers in the final minute, upped the Longhorns shooting for the half to 12-for-33. Texas ended up shooting 39.3 percent for the game.
The only play Michigan State had trouble defending was penetration by D.J. Augustin. The Spartans fouled Augustin seven times (by my count) on his forays into the lane. Izzo really let Travis Walton have it after one of those was his fourth foul. Izzo told him to go ahead and give him the layup rather than take his fourth foul with so much time left (about eight minutes).
Kalin Lucas and Raymar Morgan had 18 each for the Spartans, which shot 49.1 percent from the floor. The shooting difference was nearly all from two-point range though. Michigan State was worse than Texas on threes, shooting 33 percent to the Longhorns' 39.3. Neither team did much from the free throw line, as both shot about 65 percent.
Both teams are now 11-1 on the season. I'll be back in a little bit with some notes and quotes.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- I knew my battery was bad, but it was worse than I thought. I didn't even make it to tipoff.
MSU came out of the eight-minute timeout, went on an 11-0 run and leads 41-33 at halftime.
Both teams were sloppy at first, but Michigan St finally found their shot and ended up hitting 53.6 percent for the half. Texas never found a rhythm and shot 42.9 percent.
D.J. Augustin went out after getting his second foul early in the Spartans big run, and he was really the only thing working for Texas in the first half. He had nine points and showed a variety of moves on the floor, both to get his own shot and to create for others. Damion James had 10, but shot three of the worst free throws I've seen this year. A.J. Abrams has seven on 3-for-8 shooting. Augustin also shot 3-for-8, but for some reason, Abrams looked worse.
The Spartans got a spark from freshman Kalin Lucas, who came off the bench when Travis Walton got in some quick foul trouble. Lucas leads MSU with 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
Halftime Notes:
* Izzo is fun to watch on the bench. He ripped into Marquise Gray on the bench for not going after a loose ball (a mortal sin in Izzo's world), pounded the scorers table when Lucas passed up an open three early in a possession during the big run late in the half (when was the last time you saw a coach complain that a guy didn't shoot quickly enough?) and lament that he team was "givin' 'em points" at the line. That was before Abrams ever got there.
* The guy I thought was Jud Heathcote wasn't. I don't know who he is.
* The crowd has filled in nicely and it's a near sellout.
* The Izzone (student section) boos any time Texas fans are shown on the scoreboard.
* I missed about three minutes of the game when the Michigan State bench stood up in front of me. They have me crammed into an auxiliary press table, which is right up against the stands. For a guy my size (6-foot-1, all leg), it's pretty cramped. The guy next to me (6-foot-8) will need to have his knees surgically removed from his shoulders after the game, though.
* The stat sheet is in. Texas leads by one in rebounds and turnovers.
I see that the half has started. Better get back to my seat. More after the game.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The good news is that I made it to Auburn Hills for the Spartan Clash, a double header featuring No. 10 Michigan State against No. 5 Texas in the opener. Oregon plays Oakland in the nightcap, but I will not be sticking around for that.
The bad news is that if I had planned my day better, I could have caught No. 8 UCLA at Michigan earlier this afternoon.
The worse news is that my seat here, which is right behind the MSU bench, does not have a place to plug in my computer, so I may only be blogging until the first timeout or until my battery dies.
Tom Izzo, Jud Heathcote and Bill Raftery are chatting in front of me as the teams warm up before the start, which is 15 minutes away. I can't hear them, though.
This game features one of the more pleasant surprises nationally in Texas, which is 11-0 despite losing Kevin Durant from last year's team. D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams make up arguably the best backcourt in the country. They combined for 38.5 ppg and Augustin averages 6.4 assists.
Michigan State is led by senior Drew Neitzel and his 14.5 points and five assists, and Raymar Morgan, who averages 16.7 points and 7.4 boards from his small forward position. As always, the Spartans are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with a plus-11 margin.
Michigan State's only loss this year is to UCLA in the finals of the CBE classic in Kansas City.
The Palace isn't quite, but it is pretty nice. It seems newer than it is. The place holds just over 22,000, but there isn't more than 15 here -- yet anyway. It's pretty much a Michigan State crowd, as you might imagine. The Spartan band, cheerleaders (complete with Santa hats on the girls) and dancers are all here.
That's all for now. Maybe for good.
LOS ANGELES -- In what could be considered one of the better games of this season so far, No. 8 Texas has just upset No. 2 UCLA with a 63-61 victory in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series to snap the Bruins' 25-game winning streak at Pauley Pavilion.
Despite leading by four with less than two minutes to play, Texas responded when Damion James threw down a dunk off a missed shot from D.J. Augustin with eight seconds left that proved to be the game-winning basket.
Frazzled and surprised, the Bruins tried to get down the floor to score but were unable to answer on the ensuing possession as Luc Richard Mbah a Moute missed an open three-pointer from the right wing, leaving the Longhorns to celebrate at center court in front of a stunned crowd of 12, 048.
"Damion made huge plays," Texas coach Rick Barnes said afterward. "He made some clutch shots.
While Augustin managed Texas' offense well and tallied 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting in 36 minutes on action, it was James who really proved to be the difference for the Longhorns down the stretch, tallying 19 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and a steal.
For UCLA, Mbah a Moute led a team that featured four double-digit scorers with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting in addition to seven rebounds. Freshman phenom Kevin Love, meanwhile, never really got unleashed against the Longhorns' frontline, finishing with 11 points but just five rebounds in 24 minutes on the floor.
A big reason for that was Connor Atchley, who added nine points to Texas' scoring line, even though the Bruins were able to hold three-point striker A.J. Abrams at bay with the junior scoring only seven points on 3-of-8 shooting.
"UCLA did a good job with Abrams," Barnes remarked. "I knew they were going to come out with a big punch in the second half in which they got more physical. We knew we had to defend and not give up offensive rebounds."
Rebounding certainly belonged to Texas for much of the night, as the Longhorns held a 34-28 advantage over UCLA, and that was something that played into the loss for the Bruins.
Having to overcome a 11-point deficit at halftime, though, also seemed to be a big part in what resulted in Texas leaving Southern California with a 7-0 record.
"We lost to a very good team," UCLA coach Ben Howland said in his post-game press conference. "I was impressed with their athleticism and patience on offense. We had a great comeback after burying ourselves in the first half."
But while the loss to Texas will ultimately be a tough pill to swallow for Howland and his players, the Bruins can't get worry too much about this game with Davidson coming to Anaheim for the Wooden Classic next Saturday.
"We will just have to get better with practice, especially once we get our full team back," Howland added.
And maybe this could be just the beginning for a talented Texas team that doesn't need Kevin Durant after all.
LOS ANGELES -- Pauley Pavilion just exploded after No. 2 UCLA took a 59-55 lead on No. 8 Texas with three minutes remaining.
Following a pair of free throws by Kevin Love that knotted the game at 55-55, a tip-in by Lorenzo Mata-Real gave the Bruins the four-point lead, but D.J. Augustin came back with a three-pointer from the left wing to put the Longhorns down by one.
LOS ANGELES -- We're deadlocked at 51-51 with 6:35 remaining as No. 2 UCLA and No. 8 Texas are trading three-point field goals from D.J. Augustin and Josh Shipp.
Shipp has really picked it up in the second half for the Bruins, knocking down his shots from beyond the arc and driving the lane to get buckets or free throw attempts.
Down low, Kevin Love and Connor Atchley continue to go at it, and with each of them having three fouls, it could come down to whoever picks up number four with a little less than six minutes remaining here at Pauley Pavilion.
Damion James, in the meantime, has been unconscience for Texas. The sophomore guard-forward can't seem to miss from outside and continues to knock down every shot that leaves his hands.
LOS ANGELES -- Things are starting to heat up with No. 2 UCLA regaining the lead over No. 8 Texas with scoreboard reading 41-40 with a little more than 12 minutes to play at Pauley Pavilion.
After struggling from the field in the first half and trailing by 11 points, the Bruins have really picked up their defense and it's carried over to the offensive end in getting easy transition baskets.
Preseason All-American Darren Collison is playing some very good close defense on super point guard D.J. Augustin but still hasn't found his perimeter shot at the other end of the court.
LOS ANGELES -- Just when I was getting on Luc Richard Mbah a Moute for missing all three of his three-point attempts in the first half and tallying just four points, No. 2 UCLA has started the second half on a 6-0 run after a pair of free throws from the Cameroon Prince and a fastbreak layup from Darren Collison.
And with the Bruins down just six with 18:51 to go, Pauley Pavilion is really rocking as the sound decibel level is nearly defeaning.
LOS ANGELES -- It what may be a surprise to some, No. 8 Texas is really taking it to No. 2 UCLA, surging out to a 37-25 lead at halftime with some good play from its frontcourt and point guard D.J. Augustin has won the battle early against preseason All-American Darren Collison.
Much like the CBE Classic championship game against Michigan State in Kansas City, Mo., freshman phenom Kevin Love has been bumped and bruised early on as he's had to battle a solid frontline led by 6-foot-10 junior Connor Atchley, who has tallied six points at the break. Love does lead the Bruins with seven points at the half along with Collison, but Ben Howland's team hasn't got much from Russell Westbrook (two points), Josh Shipp (three points) or Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (four points).
Damion James, meanwhile, leads all scorers with nine points on 4-of-9 shooting, and Augustin has recorded eight points and three assists so far.
But you don't have to look much further than the field goal percentage differential to see what's been the real difference in the game. While the Longhorns have nailed 17 of their 32 shots for a 53.1 percent mark, the Bruins are shooting just 38.5 percent from the floor (10-of-28).
LOS ANGELES -- No. 8 Texas has continued to shoot well from the floor as the Longhorns hold a solid 34-21 lead over No. 2 UCLA with 2:35 remaining before halftime.
The Bruins have started to score the ball with more consistency over the last few minutes but haven't been able to stop their opposition at the other end of the floor.
Damion James has been a big boost for Rick Barnes so far, but D.J. Augustin has really been the leader so far for Texas, taking care of the ball-handling duties and managing the game well.
LOS ANGELES -- No. 8 Texas has taken over the lead with a 19-14 advantage at the 7:58-mark in the first half, and No. 2 UCLA is struggling to get the ball in the basket after starting fast with some hot shooting from the perimeter.
The Longhorns' 2-3 zone against the Bruins has proved to be effective so far, and freshman forward Kevin Love is still on the bench after hobbling to the sidelines when Connor Atchley knocked him over for an easy layup.
And as I was saying earlier about the possibility of UCLA three-point specialist Michael Roll playing today, the 6-foot-5 guard-forward entered the game around the 15-minute mark and has been playing a significant number of minutes so far. While Roll hasn't attempted a shot yet, he's got a tough assignment trying to guard another sharpshooter in A.J. Abrams.
Love, meanwhile, has returned to the game after taking a rest, but the Bruins are in a bigger hole now, trailing 26-14 with more than six minutes left before halftime.
LOS ANGELES -- Unlike the first game that we witnessed today with No. 4 Kansas sneaking by No. 22 USC for a 55-51 victory at the Galen Center, this one between No. 2 UCLA and No. 8 Texas looks to be a high-scoring affair with the Bruins and Longhorns going back and forth.
UCLA is holding a slight 12-11 lead with 15:23 remaining in the first half, but Texas is taking the ball to the basket and getting some early fouls on Kevin Love, Josh Shipp and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Texas has yet to commit a foul.
Shipp and Collison both hit threes to put the Bruins out in front early, but Rick Barnes' Longhorns have done a nice job on the last couple of possessions, getting to the goal for easy layups and dunks and cutting the lead to one.
LOS ANGELES -- After a short drive over on the 10 Freeway from downtown L.A. to Westwood Village, we're back at Pauley Pavilion to witness No. 2 UCLA take on No. 8 Texas as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series.
The Bruins are coming off an 83-60 spanking of Atlantic 10 foe and three-time NCAA Tournament participant George Washington, as sophomore point man Russell Westbrook led the way with 18 points and Josh Shipp chipped in with 15.
Preseason All-American Darren Collison, meanwhile, made his season debut Wednesday night against the Colonials after spraining his left knee and came out strong with 14 points and five assists. UCLA coach Ben Howland, however, didn't say after the win over GW whether his 6-foot junior would start today, so we'll see who the fifth-year coach has in his starting five when the players take the floor in a few minutes.
Howland, though, has had to deal with other injuries early this season, and we could see sharpshooter Michael Roll return to the floor for the first time this season after rupturing his plantar fascia in his left foot during a Nov. 3 practice. Right now he's listed as questionable for the game, but I have an inkling that the 6-foot-5 guard-forward from Laguna Niguel, Calif., could be making an appearance with the sort of implications surrounding this game.
Speaking of Texas, the Longhorns come into today's contest with six straight wins by a margin of at least 15 points for just the second time in school history and first since the 1915-16 season.
And after seeing Rick Barnes' team demolish then-No. 7 Tennessee last weekend in Newark, N.J., at the StubHub! Legends Classic, getting great guard play out of D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams and Justin Mason, this should be one of the better games during the month of December.
So with that said, let's get ready for the tip.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Well, there you have it folks.
No. 15 Texas just put on an old-fashioned whooping on seventh-ranked Tennessee, and maybe it's not as big of a surprise after the way the Volunteers escaped Friday night against West Virginia with a two-point win.
D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams were the Longhorns' one-two punch the whole night for Rick Barnes' squad, and now they'll head back to Austin to face Texas Southern before making their way to Los Angeles to take on No. 2 UCLA Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion in the Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series.
That's a game I'm certainly looking forward to as I'll be back in my old stomping grounds next weekend when the Longhorns and Bruins meet in Westwood, a place I grew up watching games as a kid with my dad.
And if Texas shoots the ball the way it did tonight against Tennessee, Ben Howland's club will be for a dogfight for sure. But the Bruins also haven't lost at home in nearly two years, and with that stiffling defense that UCLA plays game in and game out, it will be an interesting scenario for the 5-0 Longhorns.
Here's some final notes on tonight's championship game, and I'll have more once again in Hang Time for your reading pleasure.
-Legends Classic All-Tournament Team:
Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia
Connor Atchley, Texas
Chris Lofton, Tennessee
A.J. Abrams, Texas
D.J Augustin, Texas (Legends Classic MVP)
-All four of Texas' double-digit scorers finished with 20 or more points. Augustin led the way with 23 points along with eight assists and four rebounds, and Connor Atchley had an impressive 22 points down low to go along with a team-high 11 rebounds. Abrams, who shot 3-for-8 from downtown, and Justin Mason, who shot the ball particularly well in making six of his eight attempts, both finished with 21 each.
-Chris Lofton paced Tennessee with 18 points, but the preseason All-American never broke loose on the Longhorns, as Augustin and Abrams teamed up in defending the senior point guard, who shot 50 percent from the field (5-for-10) and from behind the three-point line (4-for-8).
-JaJuan Smith was one of the three double-digit scorer for the Volunteeers with 13 points, but the 6-foot-2 senior from Cleveland, Tenn., only made four of his 14 field goal attempts and just 1-of-4 threes. Tyler Smith added 11 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in 33 minutes, but Bruce Pearl's team didn't get much else on the interior with sophomore Wayne Chism managing just seven points in 19 minutes and Duke Crews scoring a meager four points in 21 minutes.
-The Longhorns held a 38-30 rebounding edge over Tennessee, as Damion James, despite playing with four fouls, and Abrams both tallied six while Augustin had four. On the other side, Crews pulled down five boards and Chism had four for the Vols, who shot just 38.8 from the field for the game -- quiet a comparison when you look at the Longhorns' 63.6 field-goal percentage along with its 10-for-20 efficiency from behind the three-point line.
-Lastly, the stat sheets that were handed out to the press state tonight's attendance was 4,327. With the way things looked in the crowd, though, The Prudential Center would have been lucky to have had 1,500 for both the consolation and championship games.
NEWARK, N.J. -- The small contingent of Tennessee fans are going to be headed home rather unhappy after the beat down that No. 15 Texas is putting on their seventh-ranked squad.
While the Volunteers have started to hit a few more shots from beyond the arc, they're failing to gain much ground, as Texas has beat its opponent down the floor on the last two possessions and got easy points from the free throw line after drawing fouls underneath the basket.
Connor Atchley has looked impressive in the last five minutes, knocking down a shot in the lane and then a three from the top of the key to push his point total up to 19 on 8-of-10 shooting.
The Longhorns have pushed their lead up to 20 now, 85-65, with just 3:44 left to play in this one at The Rock.
NEWARK, N.J. -- No. 7 Tennessee garnered much of the preseason hype coming into the season as the SEC favorite, but the Volunteers haven't shown much against No. 15 Texas in tonight's championship game of the StubHub! Legends Classic.
The three-point shooting of D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams has really been the difference so far, as the two guards have combined for 41 points of Texas' 69 points through 30 minutes of play. Augustin has made four of seven from long range for 22 points, while Abrams has hit three of his attempts from downtown for 19 points.
Connor Atchley is the third Texas player in double figures, tallying 14 points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds.
No Tennessee player has hit the double-digit point mark yet, but Tyler Smith and Jordan Howell both have contributed nine points for the Volunteers. Smith has a team-leading six rebounds to this point.
We'll see if the Longhorns can continue their hot shooting, with 25 of their first 40 shots (62.5%) going down.
NEWARK, N.J. -- No. 15 Texas is keeping a good distance from No. 7 Tennessee right now, as the Longhorns' lead has crept up to 61-48 with 15:37 remaining in the second half.
Chris Lofton has started to get it going a little bit for the Volunteers, but Bruce Pearl's team is still struggling to take care of the ball and penetrate a pretty good defensive front from Texas. That's forced them to take a lot of outside jumpshots, and with the way Tennessee is shooting the ball right now, at just over 40 percent, the Longhorns have a good chance of upsetting the Vols tonight.
D.J. Augustin has just hit a three, and Texas' lead is all the way up to 17 now with the Longhorns leading, 69-52
NEWARK, N.J. -- No. 15 Texas has gotten out to a 50-41 lead at halftime over No. 7 Tennessee in the championship game of the StubHub! Legends Classic, and while it may be a surprise to some to see the Longhorns leading, Tennessee hasn't played up to its potential in its first six games this season.
The Volunteers, after all, barely escaped last night with a 74-72 win over West Virginia and now find themselves down by nine with 20 minutes left before heading back to Knoxville for games against North Carolina A&T and Louisiana-Lafayette -- not exactly prime-time competition after the field that the Gazelle Group put together for this annual preseason tournament.
Looking over the halftime stat sheet, dimunitive Texas point guard D.J. Augustin is leading all scorers with 14 points, and Connor Atchley has put together a solid first half with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
For Bruce Pearl's Vols, Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism have each recorded seven points and Chris Lofton, Jordan Howell and Cmaeron Tatum all have six to in the first 20 minutes of action.
The teams are now in their layup lines, so we'll brace ourselves for the second half of this thrilling Top 15 matchup.
NEWARK, N.J. -- D.J. Augustin is having himself a nice game in the first 16 minutes of the StubHub! Legends Classic championship game, knocking down 4-of-5 shots, including both of his three-point attempts, to record 12 points with 3:57 remaining before halftime.
His backcourt mate D.J. Abrams is also starting to put it together from the perimeter, knocking down his last two attempts from three to put the Longhorns up, 43-39, with about three minutes and change left.
Now with 2:11 remaining, Abrams has just hit his third straight three to put Texas up by nine, and Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl is probably giving it to his guys in the 30-second timeout that followed. After the way Abrams stroked the ball against New Mexico State last night, it's amazing that the Volunteers haven't been more conscious of Abrams and his ability to sizzle rather quickly.
NEWARK, N.J. -- The first 10 minutes of the StubHub! Legends Classic has been a high-scoring affair, as No. 15 Texas is out in front of No. 7 Tennessee with a 25-18 lead.
Wayne Chism is leading the way for the Volunteers with seven points, making all three of his attempts from the field, and preseason All-American has chipped in six in the first nine minutes of the game.
Connor Atchley, meanwhile, has got off to a great start for the Longhorns, tallying 11 of Texas' 25 points on 5-of-6 shooting and grabbing a team-high three rebounds.
Neither side has been able to slow the other's offense down and we'll see if both teams can continue their hot shooting -- Tennessee is 11-for-14 (78.6%) from the field while Texas is 7-for-15 (46.7%) -- through the rest of the first half.
NEWARK, N.J. -- We're underway in our championship game of the StubHub! Legends Classic at the brand new Prudential Center in downtown Newark, N.J., and so far it's been close between No. 7 Tennessee and No. 15 Texas.
The Longhorns come in after a big 100-87 win Friday night over New Mexico State in the tournament's semifinals, and A.J. Abrams has been a big reason why Rick Barnes' team has gotten off to a 4-0 start to the season. The junior guard has averaged 30.5 points per game and hit 70.8 percent of his three-point attempts (17-of-24) in the last two games. D.J. Augustin hasn't been too bad himself after recording 25 points and 10 assists in Friday's win, his second double-double already of the season.
On the other side, the Volunteers are in tonight's title game after a 74-72 victory over West Virginia with preseason All-American Chris Lofton having his best game of the season so far, leading all scorers with 19 points in addition to three steals. Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl will sure need that kind of performance out of his senior point guard against an even better opponent if he hopes to leave the East Coast with a championship trophy and a 6-0 record to begin the 2007-08 campaign.
NEWARK, N.J. -- A.J. Abrams did come back into the game for Texas, so that's good news for Longhorn fans. Texas used its early lead and was able to keep New Mexico State at bay the whole second half, never letting them get closer than 10 points, as they won 102-87, and hit 100 points for the second straight game.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Texas can't quite squash the Aggies and put them away, even though they have 86 points with 7:29 remaining in the game, pretty impressive offensive shootout.
NMSU trails by 13 here, and good news for you Texas fans, Abrams is back on the bench by himself, not receiving attention any more on his leg at the end of the bench. As I'm typing this, he just went back over to the end of the bench where he's standing, but he's walking around putting pressure on it, which is certainly better than when he was helped off. I'd expect to see him tomorrow night here in Newark in what should be the championship game for Texas.
More of a crowd is filling in here, with the time approaching 9pm, which is when Tennessee and West Virginia are scheduled to tip-off. There's an overwhelming number of Vols fans of the four teams i'd say. But I'll wait for that judgement until after we're done here.
Texas still trying to put NMSU away, leading 87-73 with 7 minutes left.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Well, just like that, A.J. Abrams is out of the ballgame with an apparent leg injury. Trying to guard a three, Abrams went sprawling down into the NMSU bench area and didn't get up until the Texas trainers got over there to help him back over to the bench. He's now being attended to and doesn't look to be in as much pain as he was to begin with, but with this game well in hand, Abrams won't have a shot at the Texas record for three pointers in a game, as he'll fall one short of tying it with nine.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Texas guard A.J. Abrams is flirting with a Texas record with 11:53 left in the game. He's hit nine three-pointers and has 29 points.
What are the Texas records? The individual record for threes in a game is 10 when Al Coleman did it against Kansas State on Jan. 12, 1997. As for points, he still has a long way to go for the Texas record of 49 from back in 1956 when Raymond Downs torched Baylor and in 1949 when Slater Martin (one of the legends being honored in this tournament) scored 49 against TCU.
Either way, Abrams is unconcious from downtown, not to mention he's basically been wide open.
We just had our first Bob Huggins sighting, as he came strolling by the writers' table as he'll watch the end of this game before WVU takes the court. His counterpart, Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl, has been scouting all night.
As for the game, Texas now leads, 82-59, with 11 minutes left.
NEWARK, N.J. -- At the half here in Newark, it's Texas 57 and New Mexico State 46. Give some credit to the Aggies for fighting back late in the first half to cut it to 11 and make a game of it. It also helped that Texas actually missed some shots, something that they didn't do a lot of in the first half.
Texas finished shotting 55.3 percent, including a blistering 11-for-19 from downtown. The 11 three-pointers in a first-half ties a record, and falls just one shy of the school record for three-pointers in a half (they hit 11 against Kansas on March 3 of last year in a first half, but hit 12 against Kansas State in a second half back in 1997.
A.J. Abrams leads the way for Texas with 20 points, after scoring 30 in his last game. Not bad. He's already hit his season's average. Abrams is 7-for-12 from the field, including a ridiculous 6-for-9 from the field.
Other noteables for the Longhorns, big man Connor Atchley has 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-for-3 from downtown. Damion James also is in double figures with 10 points.
Taking a look at New Mexico State, the Aggies actually shot 60.7-percent from the field, but when you take into account the fact that they took 10 fewer shots, and hit four fewer threes, that's how you get our score.
Leading the way for the Aggies, Jonathan Gibson with 15 points and Paris Carter hit three 3 pointers to finish with 11 in the half. Give credit to the Aggies, they outrebounded the Longhorns 19-10, but did finish with a horrendous 14 turnovers, something that will obviously have to change if they want to stay in this thing.
Second half just about to get underway with NMSU looking to get back into it.
NEWARK, N.J. -- I think we have a record on our hands already, with only 6:48 remaining in the first half. Texas' A.J. Abrams hit his sixth three pointer of the half, and according to the Longhorns record book, that ties a school record for the number of three's made in a half. Abrams hit eight in their last game against Arkansas-Monticello, and should be well on his way past that!
As for the game, the Aggies have cut into the lead a little bit thanks to a few threes of their own, and trail 43-30 with just about six minutes to play.
NEWARK, N.J. -- This thing is getting out of hand and we're only just under the 12-minute timeout. Texas has raced out to a 30-14 lead on the Aggies, largely from hitting six three-pointers in the first seven minutes and seven overall. A.J. Abrams has only missed one three-pointer, going 4-for-5 from downtown in the early going to lead all scorers with 12 points.
In fact, when Augustin just missed a three, there was a collective groan from the crowd, as they were shocked that someone actually missed.
Part of New Mexico State's problem is that they can't get the ball upcourt after a made basket by Texas. It's not because the Longhorns are pressing, either. The Aggies have thrown the ball away or to a Longhorn at least five times in those spots and have turned the ball over, on my count, seven times here in the first eight minutes. Not a good way to come out against the No. 15 team in the country.
But, it's still early.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Texas has gotten off to a nice start, thanks in large part to a couple of horrendous turnovers by New Mexico State on in-bounds passes.
Just about five minutes into this one, Texas is out to a 14-8 lead behind five points by Connor Atchley, and of course, a three-pointer from 5-foot-11 guard A.J. Abrams.
A quick sidenote: When LSU just lost in triple overtime to Arkansas on the football field, a loud cheer came up from the skyboxes here. I have a feeling there are some happy West Virginia fans in this place, even before their team takes the court later tonight.
NEWARK, N.J. -- So just what is the Legends Classic? Besides being a tournament sponsored by Stubhub, one player from each team here will be honored for making a significant contribution to collegiate basketball. The names are pretty impressive: Jerry West from West Virginia, Bernard King from Tennessee, Lou Henson from New Mexico State and Slater Martin from Texas.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Welcome to Newark, New Jersey and the brand new Prudential Center, which even before being completed had already been nicknamed "The Rock."
We have a doubleheader on tap, with No. 15 Texas and New Mexico State squaring off at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 7 Tennessee and West Virginia.
This is all part of the Stubhub! Legends Classic, which has an interesting format to say the least, but we'll get to that later. First, a preview of the Longhorns and Aggies...
