After an ugly first half in which the Longhorns very much looked like a team that hadn't played in 10 days, Texas came alive in the final 20 minutes, outscoring Appalachian State 46-20 en route to a comfortable 73-48 win at the Drum -- the 35-point final margin their largest of the season. Eight Longhorns logged double-digit minutes, with two others (Atchley - 8, Smith - 7) not far behind, as Rick Barnes used a swarm of players and lineups to overwhelm the much smaller and less talented Mountaineers.

Given the wide range of contributions up and down the roster tonight, as well as the holiday break from the Texas Basketball Report, what follows is a TBR player-by-player review, starting with performances tonight but working outward, with particular emphasis on roles heading forward.

TEXAS BASKETBALL NON-CONFERENCE PLAYER REVIEW

Damion James 19 minutes, 14 points, 13 rebounds, 4-7 FGs, 0-1 3PFGs 6-7 FTs

ESPNU's broadcast team of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum spent half their telecast expressing disappointment that Damion wasn't dominating this game like Michael Jordan in a Fort Lauderdale church league, a silly meme given both the context and DaMo's final stat line in less than a half of play.  That said... their ramblings did help me connect a few dots as relates to Texas' talented but at times enigmatic junior. I think a lot of us expected -- certainly hoped -- that James would be for this year's Texas team a special, near-superstar type player. Not only did he take an enormous leap forward between his freshman and sophomore seasons, but Texas basketball fans (myself included) have gotten used to the idea that one or more player on the roster is capable of performing at a level that leads to their name being called early in the NBA Draft. If you need a refresher, take a look:

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Atchley. Through the first half of the Michigan State game on Saturday, Connor Atchley looked for all the world like the lost little boy wandering onto the basketball court that he has for most of the season, aka Bad Connor or Mr. Hyde. He played only three minutes in the first half, continuing his disturbing trend of missing badly, launching several airballs. Rick Barnes pulled him from the game, swearing at and verbally berating Atchley, finally questioning his manhood.

The second half brought quite a reversal in Atchley's play. Barnes went repeatedly to a stagger screen play using Gary Johnson and Connor Atchley as the screeners in an attempt to get AJ Abrams open. The play failed to spring Abrams, but did produce some good looks from three for Atchley, two of which he knocked down following a made jumper, a two-minute stretch that produced all eight of his points in the game.

The hot stretch didn't last, however, as Atchley failed to connect on his next three shots, including another open look from the stagger screen set and another on a designed play late in the game after a timeout, any one of which would have put Atchley into the magical double digit realm in which the Longhorns have never lost over Atchley's career. A make on the first of Atchley's three misses, an open look on a possession he kept alive with an offensive rebound, would have put the Longhorns up by eight with a little more than 12 minutes to go. The last miss would have put the Longhorns up by two with a little more than two minutes left and constituted the last good look from long range that the Longhorns would have in the game.

Just like a schizophrenic battling to keep one personality dominant over another, Atchley's struggle is completely internal. One prevalent story from the media this year is that Rick Barnes has spent time doing yoga to lose weight recently, even having his team participate in the practice. It's relevant because yoga (and, as a corollary, mindfulness meditation) helps the practitioner establish the kind of relaxed intensity, the necessary transcendence, if you will, that alleviates tension and allows integration into the flow of the game.

When Atchley shoots the ball completely without touch, the reasons are twofold. First, Atchley isn't mentally ready to shoot the ball as he catches it, followed by the decision that he needs to shoot because he's open. Secondly, Atchley misses because of the tension in his muscles on release--he's not letting the moment act through him to produce the fluid, relaxed stroke that allows him to shoot a high percentage from long range. Yoga and mindfulness meditation have helped me greatly shooting the basketball and I believe they could do the same for Atchley. It's an understatement to say that Atchley needs to play well for the Longhorns to be successful this season.

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I need to free-flow a little bit here, so I'm hitting the bullet points: 

FOOTBALL

• What kills me about the situation Texas finds itself in is that it's Oklahoma who might be the team inching out the Longhorns for a trip to Kansas City/Miami. When it was Texas Tech? I was cool with it, and towing the "2008 has been a hell of a success, no matter what" line wasn't so hard. But if Oklahoma edges us out in the final week? It'll take some time before I'm able to appreciate without bitterness what a great year that it's been.
• A note to Tech fans: I'm certain my cavalier dismissal of your team from this conversation has to rub the wrong way. I don't blame you. I'll only say (1) See above, and (2) The stakes are just too damn high. Practically and factually speaking, you're out of this race. All I can say is that unlike with Oklahoma... with you guys it ain't personal. 

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The Tournament

The 25th EA Sports Maui Invitational, a three day, eight team tournament annually played Thanksgiving week and featuring some of the best teams in college basketball, is one of the most hotly-contested and prestigious of the preseason college basketball tournaments (really only the Pre Season NIT at Madison Square Garden compares). That trend will continue this season, as the pool contains North Carolina and Notre Dame, as well as the Longhorns. The other trend that will no doubt continue is the habit of participating coaches donning horrifically ugly Hawaiian shirts for the games. Just wanted to warn you so you can prepare your eyes for the visual assault they will experience.

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The Boom shall resonate indefinitely about the ATX. Even more than eight hours after hearing the news that everyone's favorite Youtube legend will be the next head coach of the Texas Longhorns (the money quote: "If I had left Austin, my wife would have stayed here."), when Mack Brown decides to mosey on over to the AD's office. There's no doubt that speculation about the length of Muschamp's stay began before the ink even dried on his contract. As did questions about a possible Muschamp ascendancy, or even the possible replacements.

Earlier in the day, I found myself wondering if the now-unemployed Greg Robinson might find his way back into a more flattering shade of orange. After all, I still credit Robinson's intensity in 2004 with Cedric Griffin's effort knocking Ohio State's tight end free of the potentially game-clinching catch in the Horseshoe.

That idle speculation was spectacularly silenced. Beyond the new rounds of speculation about how long Mack Brown will remain head coach (and the impact of this decision on Major Applewhite), the immediate question is how the announcement impacts the 2009 recruiting class. The first subject to consider is Jamarkus McFarland, whom I discuss later. After McFarland, though, consider that Texas still has offers out-of-staters and nationally elite defenders like corner Dre Kirkpatrick, defensive end Devon Kennard, and linebacker Jarvis Jones, who constitute the majority of outstanding UT offers for '09. Retaining Muschamp could be the final selling point for Austin.

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Here's a tough decision: Decide who is the bigger catch for the 2009 Longhorn recruiting class between Avery Bradley (Rivals No. 8) and Jordan Hamilton (Rivals No. 5). Let's just say 1a and 1b. Naw, forget that. How about this--they are both phenomenal players. I'll be taking a look at Jordan Hamilton sometime soon, which leaves the 6-3, 180-pound Avery Bradley, a product of the Seattle/Tacoma area who now attends high school at Findlay College Prep in Henderson, Nevada.

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Basketball tidbits. Just a reminder that the men's basketball season starts on Friday as the Longhorns host Stetson. That's right, it isn't just a hat. The news from the team is that Alexis Wangmene has returned from Cameroon and is practicing again. The young big man returned to his native country after the unexpected death of his mother.

After a scrimmage against Gonzaga, Rick Barnes reports that Dogus Balbay is still adjusting to his role on the team and attempting to find the proper mix of not being too agressive, but also not being passive. I believe John Wooden put it best, "Be quick, but don't hurry." Barnes says that Balbay is sometimes the Roadrunner, but spent the scrimmage being a turtle. Barnes wants something in between. One of the most important aspects of being a point guard is understanding the right tempo at which to operate. Players like Deron Wiliams and DJ Augustin are excellent at that part of the game, changing speeds, but also understanding when to press the advantage in transition and when to back it out and run the offense. Balbay's ability to do all of those things will factor greatly into how much he plays point guard, since Justin Mason and AJ Abrams are both probably better served operating off the ball.

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Griffin extraordinaire. Besides new coach Art Briles, true freshman quarterback and all-around stud Robert Griffin is the biggest story for this year's Baylor Bears. The Copperas Cove product won the Big 12 400-meter hurdles before he even stepped onto the football field for Baylor. After that? Well, he just went 209 pass attempts without throwing an interception, a streak that ended last week as the Bears tried to rally against Missouri.

The easy comparison here is Vince Young, which many people are quick to make. Personally, I don't see it. Griffin is two inches shorter than VY and weighs about 20 pounds less. He's also much thinner in the joints, which I believe will leave him less durable in the long run and more susceptible to big hits. I have seen him nicked up a little bit in the several games I've seen Baylor play. Yes, he's so good that he will make you watch Baylor football. He's also a much more polished passer coming out of high school than Vince Young. In terms of body type and running ability, I would compare Griffin more to former Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon, except perhaps even more explosive running the football. 

How to stop him? Well, I'm not really sure, although I do know that Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Missouri have all held him under two yards per carry. Not having watched those games, I'm not sure what those teams did schematically, but I can guarantee that Will Muschamp knows.

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Shortish, undersized dude takes over tight end. Short maybe, but very quick and quite a football player. That would be Jordan Shipley, national Offensive Player of the Week and owner of the longest kickoff return in TX/OU history. Cedric Golden is right about Greg Davis calling a great game and inserting Shipley in the pseudo-tight end slot position was the highlight, answering my calls during the week and early in the game to keep Peter Ullman and Greg Smith off the field.

I expect it to become our base formation for the rest of the season, testing the depth of opposing secondaries or creating absurd mismatches against linebackers. It baffles me that Brent Venables kept a linebacker on Shipley instead of going to a nickel package. Either the OU nickel back is terrible (perhaps he only has one leg), or Venables made a serious tactical error. What a minute, am I suggesting that Greg Davis out-coached the OU staff? Why, I believe I am. Kudos, GD.

Stay at home, defenses. Mack Brown commented in his Monday presser that Missouri blitzes 50% of the time (although he failed to thank Texas high school football coaches for the OU win--egregious oversight on his part). Considering the pass blocking excellence of the Texas offensive line and the superlative blitz pick-up abilities of Chris Ogbonnaya makes me wonder whether Missouri follow that tendency.

Blitzes haven't bothered Texas much, particularly because Colt McCoy is so comfortable and accurate hitting his receivers quickly. Texas didn't move the ball as well in the first half when OU was blitzing as they did in the second half, but that's more about the move to four wide receivers than anything. Picking up the OU blitz wasn't a big problem and seemed like a tactic borne of fear. Any Missouri blitzing will be as well.

Straight out of HALO. PB and dimecoverage picked up on Mack Brown's comment about Blake Gideon being the biggest surprise on the football team. It's less surprising considering he's a coach's kid (Mack always asks if there are any who should know about when recruiting) and enrolled early. Still, he plays with a maturity belying his age, evidenced by the great quote about how he asks Mack Brown if the latter is nervous before the game. No nerves on that young'un.

Not only does he play with great maturity, but there's something about the way he moves that I really like. It took me a couple of weeks to figure out what it was, finally settling on his robot/soldier-like economy of movement. Coupled with his visor, it reminds me of a guy from HALO, while his tacking of Jermaine Gresham, who has five inches and 60 pounds on him, looked like Michael Huff tackling USC's much-larger Fred Davis or a cheetah bringing down it's heavier prey. Relentless and unaccepting of failure.

Don't make Culpepper mad. Former Longhorn linebacking great Pat Culpepper sounded like he was about ready to start looking for a helmet and an OU player to hit. Sitting behind the OU bench, he heard an assistant yelling to his players, "They haven't changed one bit. They're out of shape. They can't stand the pressure." The next play, Jordan Shipley took the kickoff 96 yards to paydirt. So in the way of analysis, 1) no, 2) no, and 3) no.

Aside from the offensive playcalling, the biggest revelation in the game was Texas wearing down the OU offense and defense and proving the assistant wrong (Darian Hagan would call it getting clowned, I suspect). Texas was simply a better-conditioned football team on Saturday. Phil Loadholt's holding of Brian Orakpo throughout the game was criminal (the fine will come from his smaller NFL contract) and OU's defense tired late in the game, a result of the Longhorns dominating possession of the football, which will be key again in the coming weeks. 

Rick Barnes is the man. Hey, I'm only sayin' it so I can win the understatement of the year trophy, which I covet, being an understated person (well, when not watching football that is). News of the ongoing negotiations with North Carolina on a four-year series (yes, please sir, may I have another and another and another?) only further reinforces the official declaration of "The Man"'-ness of Rick Barnes after inking stud Jordan Hamilton. Wow, talk about how getting guys like Kevin Durant and TJ Ford can continue the positively impact the program. And I haven't even mentioned 2010 no. 1 player Tristan Thompson.

Looking ahead to this season, Andy Katz puts the 2008-09 version of the Longhorns' basketball team in the second tier of contenders, which seems legitimate, while calling the interior of the team a question. It's probably true, since Matt Hill hasn't shown much and Sexy Dexy hasn't logged significant minutes either. It seems an easily-answerable question, however, as Pittman seems poised for a breakout season and Alexis Wangmene, Clint Chapman, and Gary Johnson should all improve after a year in the program. I think the biggest question there is the allocation of minutes.

Katz is spot-on in wondering about offensive playmaking abilities without DJ Augustin. Balbay is certainly a question mark, but I believe the offense will operate inside/out rather than running as much and several players will step up to make plays, particularly Damion James if he has improved his handle. Even considering the potential loss of James to the NBA, the narrative for 2008-09, while reasonably optimistic, mostly likely says look to 2009. But we all know how that can change, right?

From the Land of Miscellany. Mark Mangino was as surprised as any skeptical Texas fans by Greg Davis's play calling against OU. Good thing he didn't have a heart attack...Colt McCoy now leads the Heisman race...Hard to watch Quan Cosby de-cleat Lendy Holmes too many times...Still hard for Mack Brown to get any respect...Great story about why he's so positive with the team ($):

I do think that Coach (Barry) Switzer helped me with that [staying positive] in 1984 in that we were playing a really bad Kansas team, they were the worst in the league, we were the best, it was the Big 8 then, and Troy Aikman was our quarterback because Danny Bradly got hurt and another one had gotten suspended. It was raining and we were ahead, 10-7, and we were awful. It was an older offense with a true freshman quarterback and I went in and yelled at the offense and cussed them out and told them how bad they were doing and if they didn't do better they'd lose the game, and we lost the game. After the game we were getting on the plane going back and Barry walked over and he basically said "You've got to be really careful of what you convince your team. You convinced them at halftime they could lose and they did." So, walking off the field with the 35-14 Oklahoma State lead, that moment hit me, and I walked in and said "Boy are they playing good. Give 'em credit, that team is really playing good and they can't play that good for the rest of it, so let's start over here, we're going to be fine."

Throw your Horns up, baby, it's time to believe!

UNDERHYPED?

I'll never forget the phone conversation I had on a Sunday afternoon in April 2007 when the Kevin Durant "Is he going pro?" speculation was at its peak. Trying to confirm two previous reports on Durant's decision, I wound up getting in touch with someone who was able to confirm without any doubt (in my mind) that KD was gone for the pros.

It was, for twenty minutes, one of the worst conversations ever; after all, I really, really wanted him to stay. As did many of you.

But the final fifteen minutes of that conversation made it all worth the while: If there was very little joy in sitting down to report that Durant would indeed announce his departure, it was tempered by the supplemental information that this source took the time to discuss with me, including some very nice words about the incoming Dogus Balbay:

Perhaps the most interesting part of my conversations on Sunday surrounded the last person I talked to, who moved through some other information on Durant before switching topics to Balbay. I was told that there's not nearly enough hype surrounding [Balbay's] commitment to Texas and he doesn't understand why. In his eyes, he's a huge pickup for Texas and will be a tremendous boost to our backcourt.

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