Location: Austin, Texas | Founded: 1883 | Enrollment: 49,438 | Colors: Burnt Orange and White
Coach: Rick Barnes | Home Court: Frank C. Erwin, Jr., Special Events Center | Capacity: 16,755 Record:
(31-7, 13-3
Big 12)
The Texas starting five carried the Longhorns about as far as could be expected. A lack of quality depth and experience cost Texas in the end.
The Longhorns reached the championship game of the South Regional and were playing in Houston with a 7-0 all-time NCAA record in Texas working in their favor.
But the mission of top-seeded Memphis, a team disparaged all season for its weak schedule, proved too much for Texas to handle in an 85-67 defeat, which capped a 31-7 season.
Considering the win total was the best in Texas history, no one complained too loudly when the Longhorns were ousted.
Still, it can be argued Rick Barnes overachieved with this club. Sure, the Longhorns returned four starters. But the one key component from last season, Wooden Award winner Durant, left for the NBA after one season. That left Barnes to structure a completely different team.
Although progress was slow along the interior, where the development of returnees will still take some time, the Longhorns relied on an outstanding backcourt to tie Kansas for the Big 12 championship following a 13-3 run through the league.
But the beacons of his team, backcourt mates D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams, are both entering the NBA draft. While Abrams won't sign with an agent immediately, the prospect of losing both leaves Barnes to scramble to rebuild yet again.
Augustin ran the show and was among the best in the country dictating the pace of the game and involving his teammates. Abrams was a deadly 3-point threat, while forward Damion James was one of the best rebounders in the Big 12 despite being somewhat undersized.
As the season progressed, Texas improved defensively, though the lopsided loss to Memphis again pointed out the Longhorns' tendency to wither with a thin bench. In their seven defeats, the Longhorns allowed opponents to connect at a .492 percentage for an 82-point average.
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current players game? Do they have anything like that? Can you imagine what that alumni team would look like? Lets start putting one together, just for BS sake.
I truly hope the sources who revealed that Augustin intends to remain in the draft in lieu of returning to school are right. He is a special player and teamed up with the ridiculous catch and shoot play of Abrams the Longhorns are qujite formidable.
Since Rick Barnes took over I have really come to respect Texas' program and the rivalry that has been f
Was it a one and done? Or, will UCLA play Texas in Austin, next year? If Texas has all its returning starters and UCLA is without their players that have skipped off into the NBA sunset, it coult be a great game for Texas in Austin. Just wondering.
All-American point guard D. J. Augustin announced he is putting his name in
the NBA draft, and, while he did not immediately hire an agent, it looks like
he is giving up his final two years at Texas to try the pro ranks.
Meanwhile, head coach Rick Barnes has signed nationally ranked 6-2 combo
guard J'Covan Brown of Port Ar
D.J. Augustine AND A.J. Abrams are leaving for the NBA draft this year, and that hurts Texas tremendously. Neither has signed an agent, so hopefully, maybe, possibly, one will come back. Any thoughts on what next year's gonna be like without them?
J'Covan Brown Signs Basketball Letter of Intent to Texas
J'Covan Brown, the 6-2 nationally ranked combo guard from Port Arthur Memorial who committed to Texas several months ago, but couldn't sign a binding letter of intent, is 18 now and he signed a bending letter to Texas Monday and it arrived in Austin today (Tuesday).
Brown's parents wouldn't sign
AUGUSTIN: Sophomore point guard D. J. Augustin has not decided whether to return to Texas next season or enter the NBA draft. He has until April 27 to decide. I'm not predicting he will return to Texas, but I do think it is about 50-50 now and he was about leaning about 80-20 to going pro right after the season. If Augustin returns, the Longhorns, who were No. 5 in the nation in the final poll
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Most say he is the best PG in the nation. Some say he will be a top 10 pick but most put him around 10-15. Being an academic All-American, he seems to value his education more than some college players. But I'm definitely not staying turning pro means he doesn't value it. Durant was an easy call last year but DJ is not as easy a decision. I'm on the fen
