He could say, ‘I’ll be 50th this year or next year, so what’s the difference?’ “

I think it’s more like “I could be undrafted this year or next year, so what’s the difference?” But that’s just my opinion. And the difference between this year and next is a free degree (or at least a step closer), and that’s pretty damn valuable in my opinion.

Andy Abrams said that he would like to see his son play point guard if he returns to the Longhorns, a position at which he might be more attractive to NBA scouts.

But one scout from an NBA Eastern Conference team who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “A.J.’s not a point guard. He’s a shooting guard.”

For next year’s team, I trust Mason at the point a whole heck of a lot more than I trust Abrams. And yeah, at his size, he really does need to be a point guard. But it’s not gonna happen. Still, he’s a pretty damn good college shooting guard with one of the quickest releases I’ve ever seen, and I’m glad he represented our team.

Should Abrams not return, the Longhorns could be incredibly understocked on the perimeter.

Funny how things change in just one year.

Augustin, in a statement released by the team, said, “I have had a great experience here at the University of Texas. All I can say is ‘thank you’ to my teammates, coaching staff and fans that have supported us during my two years at Texas. I have matured a lot as a person, both on and off the court. I have dreamed of playing in the NBA since I was a little boy, and I am ready to start living this dream.”

And thank you for being one of the finest players to ever wear Burnt Orange, DJ.

I actually know Andy, and he’s absolutely one of the best people I know. But, I gotta say that his reaction surprises me.

I think, if Abrams hires an agent, he’ll be serious about going pro. If he doesn’t, I think it’s a plot to get him hyped. Plus, I can’t be the only person who thinks that AJ won’t be a good pro (just my two cents).

His little act of upstaging made DJ look all the better.

did not receive proper credit for his accomplishments

I think A.J. has received adequate attention for his “accomplishments,” as in, when he was on and raining 3’s he received plenty of attention; and when he slumped it was accurately noted. Plus, outside of maybe one big play all season, his defense stunk and that was also properly credited.

Anyway, I like the guy’s energy and when he is scoring in bunches he is quite an asset. But with his inconsistency and lack of defensive ability, I cannot believe he would be drafted this year or next.

And point guard? Not a chance.

PB took the lead on this one because my comments would have been a lot harsher.

I love AJ but the Abrams’ family decision here is chicken shit and selfish.

Thank you DJ for coming to Texas. Thank you DJ for being an outstanding individual both on and off the court over the last two years, for being a great role model to your fans and your teammates, and for helping lead the Longhorns into the discussion as one of the premier basketball programs in the country.

Everything I’ve heard about AJ’s father has indicated he’s a stand-up guy. But this move was so not cool. Especially since he’s just testing the waters, by his own admission, he should have let DJ have his day in the sun.

Jealous, anyone?

how much of this is AJ and how much of it is papa abrams. papa made clear that it was him talking, not AJ, and maybe it’s one of those things where AJ made some offhand comment once and his dad took that to be an indicator that AJ feels slighted. my mom does things like this all the time. i say something and then when she repeats it to someone else, it’s completely distorted because she didn’t have the context for the true meaning of what i said.

regardless, i’ve got no problem with AJ declaring and don’t even mind the timing. they only have a couple days left anyways; it’s not like he could have delayed it a significant amount of time to not distract us from DJ’s announcement. the only problem i have is placing himself above the team. and hopefully that was just his dad, not him.

I don’t buy this “feeling unappreciated” theory. If he is planning to come back, then he becomes the star player and the center of attention. The publicity he nets from starring on a championship contender will greatly boost his chances in the draft. The right PR move, then, is to announce that he is committing to stay and take over the team from DJ. Announcing interest in the 2008 draft will not help him in 2009.

I’ve been thinking that Harrison Smith, J’Covan Brown, Dogus and Justin Mason will cause a log jam at the gaurd positions.
All of them need PT, IMO.

AJ is coming back, unless he decides to play Euro ball or join PJ Tucker in the Gaza strip.

He is not a point guard. So Papa AJ needs to get that idea out of his noggin. This issue has been covered many times before – and probably on the BON site by some of us. But AJ is a classic spot up shooter with a sugar dusting of athleticism. He doesn’t handle the ball very well, his defense has size/strength limitations and when he goes cold the games turn in to brick laying festivals.
Putting AJ at the point would be a complete waste of talent with Dogus/J’Covan/Mason not running the offense. Has anyone ever seen AJ penetrate the lane and either score or pass with any degree of success? He either gets swatted like a mosquitoe or misses the shot, because of his size.
Just plain stupid.

From what I hear AJ is a smart kid and I love how he handles himself in press conferences. Maybe he should stay in basketball, but maybe just as a coach or GA or something.

AJ as PG…. no way… I see my man J-Mase in control of this team. Besides, we can’t have 3 consecutive PGs named TJ,DJ, and AJ.. :) AJ plays his position well, when he’s on.. but before we get too down on him, remember the BAD CONNOR from last season. AJ could make some drastic changes this summer for the better.