Morning Coffee

by Peter Bean on Mar 7, 2007 9:09 AM CST in Quick Hits

Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Powered By: Championship Week

The conclusion of the regular season means award mania: ESPN.com votes Kevin Durant Player of the Year. Rick Barnes is the Associated Press Big XII Coach of the Year. Matt Hill wins BON Coif of the Year.

In case you missed it in the diaries, the Chicago Sports Review makes the case for Texas as Syracuse 2003. The similarities are noteworthy, but these teams are significantly different in a few important regards. First and foremost, Syracuse could play a mean, mean zone. I needn't tell you that Texas cannot. Second, that team was l-o-n-g. One reason this Texas team is likely to get bumped during the tournament at some point is that our guards are so small. Even when they -do- rotate properly on the perimeter, they're not long enough to alter the shots of good shooters. With that said, there's a chance Texas could win six straight games in the tournament, but if they do, it will be as one of the greatest offensive teams of all time.

The Longhorn baseball team took care of Texas A&M Corpus Christi yesterday, 10-6, behind a career-high 5 RBI from Travis Tucker. The 'Horns pounded out 16 hits to win their fourth straight.

There's a nice feature on Colt McCoy and Texas on CNNSI, though one of the quotes burns a little bit. Talking about McCoy in the A&M game, Greg Davis says, "In hindsight, he shouldn't have played. He was cleared to play, he wanted to play, we wanted him to play, but in hindsight, he wasn't himself."

Jason Mayer notes in this diary that the buck stops with Mack Brown, and I agree. The coaching staff as a group is at fault for going with a semi-effective McCoy over a full strength Jevan Snead. There's no sense in getting worked up about it all over again, but it's worth noting for several reasons. Most importantly, the staff needs to work hard to develop the #2 quarterback behind Colt this year. We'll all hope and pray he makes it through the 12 game season unscathed, but there needs to be someone the coaches can trust to play if McCoy gets banged up.

Later today: Geoff Ketchum gives us a full report on spring football workouts.

--PB--

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Comments

lets not forget

Jevan had already packed his bags and called the movers before the A&M game. So it's not as easy as just plugging the #2 guy in there when your #2 guy is looking at brochures for other schools on the sidelines.

However, like was mentioned in the diary, this kind of thing probably wont happen next year as we'll have two backups at the ready.

by the other Andrew on Mar 7, 2007 9:17 AM CST reply actions

Back-up QB's

Unless they don't learn their lesson from the last 2 years and again fail to give the back-up(s) meaningful playing time.

"Only angry people win football games." --DKR

by OBdoc on Mar 8, 2007 8:15 AM CST up reply actions

Does Ketch have any insight

on Mack's sudden divergence from his patented recruiting formula?

Does anyone have any theories?

It seems like Mack is less concerned about top flight talent, pushing hard for more WRs (perhaps a love affair w/ the spread) and actually recruiting kids OOS in a proactive way.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Mar 7, 2007 9:40 AM CST reply actions

Recruiting

We'll cover recruiting with Geoff next week.

Also, and I'd might as well announce this now, I'm editing a book on Texas football for publication in mid- to late-July, which will include a chapter on this very question. Geoff's chapter will be about Mack's recruiting philosophy, how he's come to more or less dominate the state, and how it's evolving with time.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Mar 7, 2007 9:46 AM CST up reply actions

Interesting

and this book will be on paper, like from trees, with pages and such?

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Mar 7, 2007 9:51 AM CST up reply actions

Yes, a paper book

It won't be an online publication. Think Barnes and Noble.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Mar 7, 2007 9:55 AM CST up reply actions

Didn't you hear

Books are soooo 2001.

I have a commitment to the truth.

by steezy on Mar 7, 2007 9:58 AM CST up reply actions

Think BookPeople

That's what you really mean, right?

by Bob LaBlog on Mar 7, 2007 11:25 AM CST up reply actions

For sure

Best book store in Austin by a mile.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Mar 7, 2007 11:32 AM CST up reply actions

Also

As a chaser question, how does everyone feel about Mack "recruiting" (courting) a sophmore?
Full disclosure, I've seen this Sheppard kid play, because he's from the HS down the street from my parents -- and he will leave your jaw drop open at moments. But a lot of kids in that district will.

So, I have mixed feelings.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Mar 7, 2007 9:49 AM CST up reply actions

Texas moves up one spot to 13

... in the Baseball America poll with their sweep.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top25/263465.html

Texas is at 13 in the USAToday poll:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/baseball/usatpoll.htm

Officially a Limey Longhorn

by patienthornsfan on Mar 7, 2007 9:43 AM CST reply actions

Congratulations

..to Matt Hill. He's definitely a cut above the rest.

It makes me want to put together a Texas all-hair team. Boddicker's a shoe-in. I was also quite fond of TJ's freshman year corn rows.

by Meekrob on Mar 7, 2007 10:08 AM CST reply actions

James Thomas

no way there's a Texas All-Hair team without James Thomas

...til Gabriel blows his horn

by BigTexBD on Mar 7, 2007 10:28 AM CST up reply actions

TV schedule

Is the TV schedule for the Big 12 tourney out yet? I have searched DirecTV for the Friday games with no results. Are the games perhaps going to be televised on that low power Austin station?

by Caradoc on Mar 7, 2007 12:28 PM CST reply actions