The Women's basketball team beat Kansas.

Burnt Orange Beat talks Texas hoops with Longhorns assistant coach Russell Springmann.

Q: Where do you see the team right now and what areas are needed for improvement?

A: One thing we were able to do last night (versus Oklahoma State) is take care of the ball. We’ve had an issue really protecting the ball. When I say protecting the ball, I also think that shot selection is part of protecting the ball. Last night, we were tremendous and it was obviously our best offensive output and if we can continue to take care of the ball, we’ll have more success.

Barking Carnival wants to know if UT athletics are recession proof.

There is no guarantee that Texas will not feel the pain that others are enduring right now to the bottom line, especially if this downturn stretches out. But UT is in a more solid position to ride out the recession, thanks in part to deciding decades ago that concentrating on fewer varsity sports, and giving those sports full resources was the way to go.

Right now Texas supports 20 varsity sports. There are 328 male varsity participants and 295 female participants. That makes a total of 623 varsity athletes, or 24% fewer than Stanford, and 39% fewer than Ohio State.

Not exactly off to a good start at Baylor. A Bear recruit was arrested for marijuana possession 10 days before signing his letter of intent.

OU Daily has recruiting by the numbers. They look at what players were lost for 2009 and what recruits are coming in.

Ohio State's Malcolm Jenkins was in Oklahoma to receive the Jim Thorpe award and he sympathized with the Sooners.

"Ohio State," people will say, "y'all can't win the big game."

"Well, you were watching me play in the big game," Jenkins will reply, "so I'm not worried about it."

He chuckled at his retort, and yet, you have to think he's used it a few more times than he cares to admit.

"You've gotta be able to defend yourself," he said.

Buckeyes and Sooners have been on the defensive in recent years more than anyone else in college football. That's because five of the past six BCS national championship games have been lost by either Ohio State or Oklahoma.

Was this actually a question? Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree is fast enough for the NFL.

No matter what Crabtree runs in the 40, he isn’t likely to have a long wait on draft day. NFL Draft Scout, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper and Scouts Inc. all have Crabtree as the top player in the draft, though he isn’t likely to go first overall to the Detroit Lions.

Remember the ESPN's version of Sports Rushmore for each state? Tim Griffin has his own for each Big 12 school.

The Mike Leach watch. Double T Nation has the updated saga.

Basketball

Selection Sunday is only four weeks away. Bracketologists are getting busy.

Yahoo Sports' Jason King has the Big 12 basketball power rankings.

Former Tech basketball coach Bob Knight thinks Gatorade is performance enhancing drug.

What schools have elite football and basketball programs?

Why can't basketball schools be good at football?

Football powers are starting to figure out the round ball. Run your finger down the final football poll, and count three top-10 schools that also have elite basketball programs: Florida, Texas, Oklahoma.

The American Football Coaches Association rules committee approved keeping the same clock rules.

For the first time since 2005, the clock rules will stay the same. Last year, the game implemented a 40/25-second play clock and a running clock when a ball carrier goes out of bounds.

SI's Andy Staples believes college football coaches should be judged by their second recruiting class.

It isn't fair to judge a coach on his first recruiting class at a school. Typically, the new guy has two months or less to cobble together a group that mixes players recruited by his departed predecessor with players he barely knows. The second class, assembled after coaches have had a year to forge relationships and evaluate, always provides the superior measure.