Back to the drawing board for Texas

The Texas Longhorns men’s hoops team posted 91 points in a 40-point domination over Nebraska.

Now, Nebraska is at the bottom of the Big 12 foodchain, but Texas did something this game that they have had trouble all season, shoot free throws. Before the Nebraska game, the Longhorns were shooting 61 percent from the line. Aginst the Cornhuskers, they hit 22 of 30 free throws(73%).

J'Coven Brown has stepped for Texas, averaging 10 points in just 22 minutes a game in his freshman season.(AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Texas still needs more support from the bench. They accounted for 29 points against NU, but only came from two players. J’Coven Brown scored 28 in the losing effort against Kansas, the only player to score off the bench.

The Horns have a big road test against Missouri tonight, a team that has only lost one home game in the last two years. The bench will need to help the starting five on the road. Missouri has only given up 65 points a game this season.

Horns on Texas-size slide

Since being ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history, the Texas Longhorns have lost 5 of their last 7 games.

Texas began their reign atop the men’s college basketball ranks with a difficult road win at Iowa State. Texas returned home and was taken to overtime by rival Texas A&M. After staying perfect in their first week as the best team in the nation, it all went downhill from there.

On ESPN’s famed Big Monday, Texas traveled to Kansas State, who was ranked No. 9. The Longhorns started the second half down 36-26, and after staging a comeback, the Wildcats pulled away for a 71-62 win. The following Saturday, Texas went to UConn and was dominated the entire game, losing by 14 points.

Texas dropped to No. 6 in the Coaches’ Poll the following week. Texas Tech came to Austin and threatened Texas in the first half, before star Damion James broke out with 28 points. All of Texas’ starting five scored double figures.

Texas found themselves in their second overtime game of the season after finding themselves down nine points at home to the Baylor Bears. J’Coven Brown and Avery Bradley both missed 3-point field goals with less than ten second left and Baylor game texas their third loss of the year.

Texas traveled through Oklahoma to lay Oklahoma State. Jordan Hamilton came off the bench to score 27 in a 72-60 win over the Cowboys. The Longhorns went to Norman next to play a struggling Sooners team. Texas found themselves down 18 at the end of the first half and shot just 31%(10-27) from the free throw line all game, a problem they have been facing all year. Texas fell to Oklahoma 80-71.

No. 1 Kansas came to Austin and dominated Texas for their second straight loss. However, Texas might have found a permanent guard in J’Coven Brown, who scored 28 in the loss. Brown and Damion James scored 52 of the Horns 68 points. In fact, Brown’s 28 points were the only points to come from the bench.

Free throws have been Texas’ number one concern, ranking 326 out 334 teams in Division 1. They are in the top 5 in scoring offense, but field goal percentage has fallen in the past few weeks. They play Nebraska at home and then travel to Missouri and Texas Tech. As long as they establish a permanent guard and hit free throws, they will find their way back into the top 10.

End of March brings Final Four

March Madness, was indeed, a month full of madness. However, some things fans love to see, such as upsets, and Cinderellas, were nowhere to be found in the ’09 tournement.

Well, if you want to call Cleveland State’s win over Wake Forest an upset, even though they dominated the entire game, then you might as well. Dayton went onto beat West Virgina, but then got stomped on by Kansas. Still no Cinderella.

But wait, could Western Kentucky be a bracket buster for the second straight year. They beat a scrappy Illinois team in the first round, giving all fans hope. In comes Gonzaga, who would go coast to coast with one second on the clock and put in the game winning basket.

East Tennessee fell short of an upset over Pitt, and Memphis escaped Cal State Northridge. Come on! Did you actually think it was going to happen?  Since the 64-team tournament was made thirty years ago, not one no.1 has been upset by the 16th seed. No. 2’s have beaten No. 15’s 96% of the time, and that hasn’t happened since Iowa State went down to Hampton by 1 point in 2001.

Now to the final four, where Nova won as time expire, knocking off Pitt, a big favorite to take the title, as well as my favorite. Lousiville, the overall no. 1, loses to Tom Izzo’s Spartans. North Carolina dominated All-American Black Griffin and the rest of Oklahoma, then UConn took out Missouri. Two no. 1’s, a no. 2, and a no. 3.

How does it all go down? Nova doesn’t get past North Carolina. No way does Ty Lawson come back into the tournament and lose in the final four. UConn will dominate with outside shooting, and leave MSU in the dust. As for the championship; Roy Williams brings back the championship to Chapel Hill.

March Madness starts with a bang.

The NCAA Men’s Baseketball tournament started Mar. 19 and has not disappointed. Besides a few lopsided  wins by North Carolina and Connecticut(winning by combined 99 points), most matchups left everybody at the edge of their seat at one point during the game.

No. 2 seeded Memphis was put to the test against No.14 seeded Cal St. Northridge. Top seeded Pittsburgh also survived an upset against No. 16 East Tennessee State.

As for upsets, one stands out the most. You could almost define it as the way it was supposed to be. No.4 Wake Forest was completely dominated by No.13 Cleveland State. Cleveland led the entire game, and won by a score of 84-69. However, Cleveland State could not continue their run against Arizona.

Today determines the last pairings for the Sweet 16, which will begin on Mar. 26. All of the top seeds remain. The lowest seed that remains is No.12 Arizona. Cinderella? No way, they would have to run through Louisville. Give them credit though, they should not have made it to the tournament.

Wake Forest Unblemished No Longer

Is it possible to go undefeated throughout an entire college basketball season?

Well, obviously it is. As a matter of fact, 9 Division I teams have been able to accomplish this amazing feat. However, it has been 32 years and counting since the last time a team went unblemished, that being the Indiana Hoosiers in 1976.

How come nobody else has been able to finish undefeated? Well, one reason is “looking ahead” in your schedule. Obviously that was the case for Wake Forest againt Virgina Tech tonight. The Demon Decons were set to battle No. 2 Duke in a week.

Will it happen again? Who knows, maybe two undefeated teams make it to the National Championship sometime, assuring us of some perfection. We will have to wait, however, after seeing Wake Forest go down, at home, to unranked Virgina Tech.