Burnt Orange Nation: FanPosts

Favorite Wash-outs

2009-07-03T23:09:31Z

With it being the dog days of summer, I thought I might add a post for people to chime in on. I was wondering if other people had favorite wash-outs from UT. While I was attending UT, '90-'96, there was one player who was amazing on the football field and garbage in the classroom. His name was Butch Hadnot. His name will echo in the hearts and minds of people my age who were at UT during the early '90s. He was an awe-inspiring combination of size and speed. Hadnot would run over and around people for huge chunks of yardage. I rode with him alone in an elevator and the dude was built like a tank. Alas, the guy couldn't handle the student part of being a student-athlete and left the University. B. Hadnot was a shooting star that lit up Memorial Stadium and then burned out. Please list any of your favorites as well.

Most Underrated Plays in the Mack Brown Era

2009-07-03T18:46:36Z

I was thinking about doing something like ctex's post by listing the most painful losses in the MB era, but since he said he would do that himself at some point, I'll leave that to him. Plus, while I'm a guy who likes history, that doesn't seem like a particularly fun thing to do.

Instead, I'm going to try to pinpoint some plays that certain players have made over the years that were incredibly important in either big games or even for the season but seem to be swept away by more high profile highlights. This will be pretty subjective, obviously, and I hope a lot of people can give us some good memories they have. My memory is a bit fuzzier in the early years of Mack Brown's tenure, so I'll probably avoid looking too much into those times.

Here's my criteria:

1. Not seen in highlights much after the game, or at least otherwise quickly forgotten. That means plays like Vince Young's NC winning touchdown, Dusty Mangum's kick, Quan Cosby's Fiesta Bowl TD, etc., are out of the picture. Those plays have been seen a million times.
2. Impacted the game and/or future in a large way that is not discussed often. A momentum changer or a gamesaver that just doesn't quite get the attention it deserves.
3. A certain player in a big play doesn't get the credit he deserves. Somebody laying down a key block on a big play would be an example.
4. Long-term impact on the program. Big win or one that sets up a run for the team?

With those ambiguous things, I'll start with my 10. I'm guessing it will be exceedingly difficult to find Youtube clips of many of these, so I won't even try.

10. Bo Scaife TD against Okie State, 2004

When you see highlights of this game, they will invariably be Vince's run where he seemingly shoves a Cowboy defender out of the way like a rag doll for a TD, Ramonce Taylor's reverse, or a big Cedric Run. I hardly ever see Scaife's TD right before the half, which made that ridiculous 35-7 deficit into something a little more manageable. True, we ended up winning by more than a TD, but that was an important score going into the half to give us a little bit of life. There's nothing snazzy about this, but not only did this give us a boost to eventually win the game, it helped preserve our BCS hopes that would lead to our first Rose Bowl.

9. Crouch fumble, 1998.

This is actually on the highlight reel that ctex posted, but I don't think I hear a lot of talk about it. We remember that game for Major's heroics and Ricky's toughness, but Major had just tossed an ugly interception that gave Nebraska excellent field position. Not only did our defense keep seven points off the board, it kept three points off the board with that fumble. I believe we scored a field goal on the ensuing drive following a Major bomb, and that's essentially a ten point swing. We won by 4, by the way.

8. Tony Jeffries catches a difficult winning TD against Kansas, 2004

Vince gets all the credit this game, for both his fourth down saving run and his winning TD pass. However, as well as that ball was thrown, it was a very difficult catch with the defender all over Jeffries. Jeffries was not a great WR by any means, but heck, that was a darn good catch that helped keep our 2004 BCS hopes alive. Nobody seems to acknowledge that that was a heck of a reception anymore.

7. James Kirkendoll reaches for the first down against Ohio State, 2009 Fiesta Bowl

Quan Cosby deservedly gets his highlights and Colt got the MVP, but what about Kirk completing that crucial fourth down conversion. Gutsy, heads up play that saved our hides and set up Quan's TD. He even got ripped off by the spot but he still made it, and everyone but blind Buckeye fans will agree.

6. Curtis Brown tackling the OU punter, 2009

Highlights of this game are plenty. This includes OU's failed fake punt, but few talked about Curtis Brown's effort on that play. It looked for a second that the OU punter, now more known for his soccer acting, was about to make it, and Brown had already ran past him. He turned around, chased him down, and stopped him short of the marker. Great effort play by Brown that helped shift momentum back to us.

5. Cedric Griffin wallops Ohio State TE, 2005

Highlights of those games will always center around Limas Sweed's winning catch, Vince's plays, and Kelson's forced fumble. However, you always need a little luck when you win a title, and we got ours when the Buckeye tight end bobbled a perfect pass from Justin Zwick for a touchdown. That was lucky, but the second part was not. Even though he bobbled the ball, it still was an easy touchdown catch as the ball came right down towards him. Cedric Griffin punished him for his mistake by blasting him, knocking the ball loose as it came down to him again and saving a touchdown. Ohio State would have to settle for another FG. Great teams take advantage of their luck and make their own luck sometimes.

This was huge because this game set the stage for our title run. Huge play. I remember my heart stopped when the ball was floating in the air.

4. FG stand against Michigan, 2005 Rose Bowl

Vince just scored to pull us within three, and on the ensuing drive, a face-mask penalty put Michigan on our 14 yard line with a first down. Starting with a one yard loss from Hart, brought down by Dibbles, Michigan didn't move another foot and settled for a field goal to push the lead to six and keeping it within one score.

3. Kasey Studdard recovers a Vince Young fumble, 2006 Rose Bowl

It turns out Vince wasn't entirely perfect that game; he fumbled the ball on a big drive, a fumble caused by Rucker. As was the case all year it seemed, we recovered our own fumble, and Studdard made the heads up play of getting on the ball. We would score a FG on that drive to cut the lead to five and keep us within striking distance. If we lose the fumble, we lose the game. Plain and simple.

2. LenDale White fumbles the ball for the first time all season, 2006 Rose Bowl

The 4th and 2 stop gets all the attention, but if it weren't for this unlikely fumble the play before, we might not have stopped him short of the marker. White hadn't fumbled ALL SEASON, and on a third down draw, Aaron Ross stood his ground and punched the ball loose. The ball luckily went right into the arms of Steve Smith amongst so many Longhorns, initially making me curse the luck we had. However, White lost a crucial 1/2 to 1 yard on that fumble, and with a generous spot for White the next play, we didn't stop him by very much at all.

1. Brian Robison gets penetration, White is stopped on fourth down, 2006 Rose Bowl

Michael Huff gets all the credit for this play, and he deserves a lot of it; it was a gutsy and heads up play by one of the great defenders in UT history. However, the D-line got great penetration that play by submarining the blockers, and Robison led the way. The penetration slowed down the development of the play and allowed Huff to knife and stop White short of the goalline. If it wasn't for this, Huff has no chance to stop White. We all know what happened on the next drive.

There's my list, with a decided bias towards recent history. I'm sure there are a zillion other plays to be mentioned, especially in big, close games like all of our BCS games.

The Kindle Conundrum

2009-07-02T22:32:05Z

Hey, everybody. I'm a new member to the site, though I've been reading all your posts daily since I graduated from UT last year. First off, I'm incredibly impressed with all of the authors. Your insight, passion and professionalism truly make it a joy to read. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in. Secondly, all the other contributors/commenters show a lot of knowledge and (on average) less immaturity than people on, say, the CBS message boards. Thanks for being classy fans. You've done UT proud.

Getting to the point, I was wondering what was going to happen to Kindle, following his adventure through the wall. Mack has a history of doling out suspensions for various lapses in judgment like this. Now, Kindle has his past with the DUIs. Admittedly, he wasn't drunk when he plowed through the wall (as far we know) but it still resulted in property damage. Should he be suspended for this? Well, that's Mack's decision. We obviously won't need him for the first two weeks against ULM and Wyoming. However, I don't see Mack dropping the hammer and taking him out three games. My best guess compares this to Benson thinking it a good idea to steal some electronics and his result of a one-game suspension. And to the best of my knowledge, that was only for the first half too. I could be mistaken. Anyway, your thoughts on a possible suspension and duration?

Additionally, to prove I've been paying attention, I would like to point out that my Texas degree afforded me an extensive comprehension of the English language, so I have a pretty good grasp of grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation. So, here's hoping I made a good first impression and won't get booted...

Fiercest Rivalry and Texas preview

2009-07-02T17:10:31Z

Here's Pat Forde ranking the hottest, current rivalries in college football. Obviously, we know who landed on top. This year's RRS will be absolutely insane. Maybe I shouldn't have graduated. It's always intense, but considering what happened last season and the fact that both teams, if they don't lose, will be in the top 5 when they meet, it may very well be the most anticipated and hate-fueled game in the rivalry's history.

Here's also ESPN's preview of Texas. I'm not an ESPN Insider so I can't really comment on it

NCAA 2010 Player Ratings

2009-07-02T15:29:59Z

Ok, so this post is going to force me to disclose how big of a geek I am, but hey, its the off season, work is slow, what do you want from me?

This year, EA Sports is allowing gamers to build their own schools online. Create a program, customize, and then import it into the game when the game comes out. So I'm looking around in there (just curious, honest!) and see that you can use real teams as templates. Here is the link to Team Builder, but I think you have to have an EA account to view (doesn't cost anything though). And now that I've shamed myself, your 2010 Texas Longhorns (in descending order by Overall Rating).

Colt McCoy 98

Sergio Kindle 96

Jordan Shipley 95

Adam Ulatowski 93

Earl Thomas 92 (Earl getting some respect!)

Chris Hall 91

Rod Muckelroy 91

Chykie Brown 90

Brandon Collins 90

Kyle Hix 90

Cody Johnson 90

Blaine Irby 90 (Does EA know something we don't? You heard it here first!)

Jared Norton 89

Michael Huey 89

Lamar Houston 89

Malcolm Williams 89

Fozzy Whittaker 89

Vondrell McGee 89

Aaron Williams 89 (So excited!)

Hunter Lawrence 88

Deon Beasley 88

Eddie Jones 88

James Kirkendoll 88

Curtis Brown 87

Keenan Robinson 87

Charlie Tanner 87

Blake Gideon 87

Dan Buckner 86

Ben Alexander 86

Sam Acho 86

Christian Scott 85

David Snow 85

Montre Webber 85 (Deadlines are a bitch)

Tre Newton 85

Chris Whaley 85

Antwan Cobb 85

John Gold 85

Dustin Earnest 85

Tray Allen 85

Jeremy Hills 84

Britt Mitchell 84

Sherrod Harris 84

Desean Hales 84

Jarvis Humphrey 84

Justin Tucker 84

John Chiles (WR) 84

Mark Buchanan 84

Greg Smith 84

Emmanuel Acho 83

Steve Moore 83

Marcus Davis 83

Nolan Brewster 83

Ben Wells 82

Tariq Allen 82

DJ Grant (TE) 82

Garrett Gilbert 82

Ryan Roberson 81

Russell Carter 81

Dravannti Johnson 81

DJ Monroe 81

Kheeston Randall 81

Mason Walters 81

Alex Okafor 80 (This is WAY too low)

Kenny Vaccaro 79

RT 76 (Soph) 79

Mike Wilcoxon 77

Patrick Nkwopara 75

Kyle Kriegel 73

Some interesting omissions, especially with the Freshman. I'm sure that the community here will be able to help me fill in the blanks. I didn't spend too much time on this, so I apologize for spelling errors. I had to match up some numbers off of MBTF, but this should be 90ish percent accurate. Enjoy.

Saving Grace

2009-07-02T02:17:33Z

I am not sure how many of you guys and gals watch "Saving Grace" on TNT, but there is some very funny sparring between the characters focusing on the OU vs. UT rivalry considering one of the cops (Butch Ada) is a former UT quarterback. The show itself is fictionally set in Oklahoma City so that explains the emphasis. Anyway, this week's episode had Butch asking the other officers "What do marijuana and OU football have in common?". After a few seconds, he replied, "They both get smoked in bowls!". It was a good laugh...pass it on!

Free event with Brown and coaching staff

2009-07-02T00:48:39Z

From TexasSports.com

The Austin Longhorns Club, The Longhorn Foundation and the T-Association invite you and your guests to kick off the 2009 Texas Football season with Head Coach Mack Brown and his coaching staff.

This will be your first chance to sign up for the fall Austin Longhorns Club.

Sunday, July 19, 2009
5:30-7:30 p.m.

Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
Red McCombs Red Zone (enter through Gate 16)

Admission is free and no pre-registration is required. Light snacks, iced tea, lemonade and a cash bar are available at the reception.

Guests will have access on the field to view the new turf! Enjoy this special opportunity to visit with the coaches in a relaxed environment.

For more information, contact Longhorn Foundation staff at (512) 471-4439 or austinlc@athletics.utexas.edu, Austin Longhorns Club president Kyle Parks at kparks@mlrpc.com, or Carol Hastings (with the T-Association) at carol.hastings@athletics.utexas.edu.

Top 10 Games of the Mack Brown Era

2009-07-01T21:46:09Z

Over the past 11 seasons, Texas has arguably been involved in more iconic and memorable games than any other Div 1 program. One thing that struck me in compiling this list was how many of the close ones we have won. It's no great wonder that when you think of the 3 primary QB's of the Mack Brown era (Applewhite, Young, McCoy), clutch is among the first words that comes to mind. There are 3 games in particular that were tough to leave off of this list, and here are links to the game recaps. I'm sure people will disagree with some of these rankings, and that's kinda the point.

My criteria were as follows:

1. Program significance

2. Season significance

3. Great finish: Not a must, but it seems to almost always happen when Texas is in a big game anyway.

4. Strength of Opponent: This kept a couple of Tech games (2003, 2006) and Okie St 2007 out of the list. Also Vince's heroics @ Kansas.

Last 3 games out:

Ryan Bailey in the snow

Only win @ K-State

Another Nebraska winning streak eats it.

And there you have it. So, without further ado, here's my top 10 games of the Mack Brown Era, complete with links, videos, and cheesy headlines!

10. October 8th, 2005: Bomar'd.

Only true blowout on this list. This game was the big psychological hurdle for the 2005 title team, and for most Texas fans as well. After 5 straight years, it was time. Texas dominated from the locker room on.

Texas 45, Oklahoma 12

9. November 6th, 2004: The Comeback vs. Okie St.

After getting their ass kicked for 29 minutes, Texas finally showed up right before the half, with Vince hitting Bo Scaife for a touchdown. Add in a Mack Brown halftime speech, and the second half was pure Texas dominance.

Texas 56, Oklahoma St 35

8. October 31st, 1998: Nebraska's 47 game win streak snapped

One thing about Mack Brown: He owns Nebraska. 6-1 during his tenure vs the Huskers. This win, on the backs of Major and Ricky, ended a 47 game home win streak for Nebraska. Applewhite finds McGarity for the game winner with under 3 minutes to play.

Texas 20, Nebraska 16

7. December 28th, 2001: Major Holiday

Major Applewhite's final game as a Longhorn. Down 16 to start the 4th. Ivan Williams scores the game winner with :38 left. Holiday Bowl record for points scored. And I can't find a damn video of any of it.

Texas 47, Washington 43

6. October 11th, 2008: 45-35

Texas 45, Oklahoma 35

5. September 10th, 2005: Goodbye, Columbus

The entire country was jacked for this game. And it lived up to the hype. Love you always, Limas. I always liked the story afterward about Huff and someone else challenging Ted Ginn to a race, and Ginn backed down.

Texas 25, Ohio St. 22

4. January 5th, 2009: Quan's Fiesta

Ugly, ugly first half. But the second half had it all. Thank God we won this game, otherwise, we'd be no better than Cal fans.

Texas 24, Ohio St. 21

3. November 27th, 1998: Ricky's Run

Not only did Ricky seal the Heisman, but this was also a win by an unranked Texas team over #6 A&M on a Kris Stockton FG with 3 seconds left. Hell of a lot of good stuff for a regular season game.

Texas 26, A&M 24

2. January 1st, 2005: Vince Runs Wild on Wolverines

How did Vince get out of that sack? Still gets me every time. Also, watch the great block by David Thomas on the last touchdown run. He slows down to get the guy behind him, and then blows up a linebacker. God I miss David Thomas.

Texas 38, Michigan 37

1. January 4th, 2006: The Rose Bowl

Texas 41, USC 38

1. January 4th, 2006: The Rose Bowl
2. January 1st, 2005: Texas vs Michigan
3. November 27th, 1998: Ricky's Run
4. January 5th, 2009: Quan's Fiesta
5. September 10th, 2005: Limas @ Columbus
6. October 11th, 2008: 45-35
7. December 28th, 2001: Applewhite's comeback vs Washington
8. October 31st, 1998: Nebraska's 47 game win streak snapped
9. November 6th, 2004: The Comeback vs. Okie
10. October 8th, 2005: Bomar'd.

So there it is. Any thoughts?

Texas Gridiron Kick-Off

2009-06-30T21:52:14Z

Mack Brown, Will Muschamp and Greg Davis will be talking about the upcoming season on August 7th at the Austin Convention Center, Noon-1:30 P.M. The cost is $55 per person. The event is hosted by the Austin Sports Commission.

Information:
The Austin Sports Commission invites you to join us at the Austin Convention Center to enjoy lunch with some of
the most famous names in college football. Be there as Mack Brown discusses the upcoming Longhorn season
alongside offensive coordinator, Greg Davis and defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp. This year’s event will
mark the UT Football coaching staff’s final public appearance and final discussion before the season kicks off.
ESPN broadcaster Ron Franklin will conduct a panel interview with the coaches. The “Voice of the Longhorns,”
Craig Way, will be on hand to recognize local high school standouts as part of the Austin American Statesman’s
Preseason All-Centex Team.

Let us debate.

2009-06-30T14:16:59Z

Wanted to venture into the fanposts to propose a friendly offseason debate.

Scouts released a round table a few weeks ago "Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford, or Colt McCoy. Which one would you take if you take for this year if you were starting a college team."

I thought it would be a fun debate if we could leave our burnt orange at the door and have the same sort of discussion. I also am adding the link to the ESPN Hesiman site for easy access to numbers and bios. Some in the Scout site touched briefly on which quarterback you would take if you were starting a pro team. Feel free to discuss that too if you wish.

Godspeed.

Jeremy Hills

2009-06-30T14:04:10Z

Ok, so its been a damn slow week with Longhorn-related news, so I was just thinking, why the heck doesn't Jeremy Hills transfer? I say this not because I want to see him leave the program, but because I think he is a above average back with some wheels I want to see him succeed. Although I believe he's talented, he can't be that good as the coaches have him basically 4th on the depth chart (which is fine by me).

But, last season he had averaged 5.2 ypc (highest on the team) and broke a couple of 20+ runs in mop-up duty with the 2nd or 3rd string lines in - Even though we all know he only carried the ball 12 times this season. Now I know you are all thinking, why the heck is he even bringing this up? Well, after watching him in the games this year and some high school tape of him at Alief, I am starting to believe that he could prolly compete for a majority of the playing time at a school like Baylor or Texas Tech. Although hes not the most powerful back on the Texas roster, he makes great cuts and is pretty fast in the open field. We have 3 other talented backs, along with Whaley coming in this year, and I just dont see how Hills can compete for playing time.

I dont think I have ever seen a discussion about him or mentioning him on this site, so I was just wondering as to yalls opinions? Could he start somewhere else? Anyone else believe he has the talent to push for playing time at UT? Who, if any of the running backs is most likely to transfer? Newton? Hills? Padgett?

Don't Ride with Sergio Kindle

2009-06-27T05:36:02Z

Per Barking Carnival and AAS:

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/blotter/entries/2009/06/25/police_look_for_driver_who_cra.html

http://www.barkingcarnival.com/henryjames/sergio-kindle-drives-his-car-into-an-apartment

Chip Brown from Orangebloods has gotten the scoop from Kindle’s lawyer, Brian Roark. According to Roark, Kindle was texting when he lost control. Brown does not say if Roark used air quotes or not. The car is registered under Kindle’s father’s name, Johnny Walker. I am not making that up. And Kindle was convicted of DWI a couple of years ago.

Just when the summer was going so well.... my guess: 3 game suspension coming. Guess Sergio Kindle thought the building was Todd Reesing....

Torrea Peterson Commits to OU

2009-06-27T02:06:53Z

The Sooners nabbed their second defensive tackle commitment for the class of 2010 on Thursday night when San Antonio East Central defensive tackle Torrea Peterson announced his commitment to OU over a plethora of other high profile offers.

This was our lowest ranked offered prospect... many thought he'd suck up a scholarship that could go to a better player when our scholarships were tighter (ie before the two decommits). This saves Texas a bit and now we only have offers out to high quality players. Who are they all again?

Matthews, Hicks, Jeffcoat, Nelson, Cobbs, D. White, Seastrunk, Franklin... anyone I miss?

DKR SEATING? FOOD?

2009-06-25T17:04:22Z

I will be attending the October 10th game vs Colorado. Currently I am shopping my ticket/seating options and need some help with best selection. I have only been to 2 games in Austin, once in '99 and Last year vs Baylor, what sections would you choose to sit, with a budget of 130.00 per ticket?

I am also a foodie, I love to eat. Can you recommend some restaurants for me visit during my time there? Chuy's, Bikinis, and Opal Devine's are where we ate the last time in town.

Welcome to Longhorn hell

2009-06-25T15:18:58Z

Do you feel it? Is it looming over you, its shadow slowly expanding to fill the room?

It's here. And it's ugly. The off-season.

There are a few things that make this off-season different from recent years:

It's shorter. Hooray for baseball! By going three games, they extended their season to the latest possible date. So our gameless months are shortened considerably.
There's more anticipation. This holds true for both money-making sports. Both the football and men's hoops programs are regarded as top 5 pre-season prospects. Wow. Just, wow.
Personnel is particularly fascinating. Perhaps it's just me. But because of 2 above, the scrutiny regarding potential lineups is greater than ever. What's more, the breathless anticipation for the opportunity to evaluate new talent (particularly for running back and point guard, yes I know I'm mixing sports) is high, since these critical roles must be filled if there is any hope of a national championship run.

Any other Burnt Orange themes and ideas to preoccupy us? After all, today is the first day of the rest of the off-season.

Unoriginal opposing fans

2009-06-24T22:12:59Z

Since the cameras always seem to be zoomed in on LSU fans after every commercial break it got me wondering what's the most commonly used, most unoriginal gestures we see from opposing fans. Here's my list:

1 - Upside down Hook'em - Obviously this will always be #1 by default

2 - A sign that reads "We'll Mess With Texas", or something along those lines. - Those signs are just dumb to me.

3 - A sign that reads "Bevo... It's what's for dinner". - That one seems pretty common.

What else seems pretty popular yet terribly unoriginal?

Complete Irreverence

2009-06-24T19:25:17Z

Since I am bored at work, I decided to look something up. I wanted to see the LSU's batting average in games where right handed pitchers started over the course of the season, because of ESPN's praise for their 35-3 record against RHP. Prior to last nights game, the Tigers were hitting .319 in games where right handers started the ball game. Last night, Jungmann held them to 5 of 32, or .156, less than half of their season average. Now, I had to leave after the 5th inning last night, so I had to follow the game by contantly refreshing ESPN.com, and after the game had ended, I looked for a story to see what happened. They said that Jungmann had the CG, only allowing 5 hits, and of course talked about his 6 pitches in Game 1. That was it, no respect, no praise, as if it was the Nationals batting against the Red Sox (No offense). A Freshman went out last night and pitched a complete game against a team that was averaging 9.5 runs a game in the CWS. He was one missed hop away from a shutout. LSU's bats were supposed to be unstoppable, and when they did get stopped, it is as if it is no big deal. I know we are used to this, but, to me, this is on a whole new level.

Ok, I'm done ranting.

Harrison Smith leaving - ship issue solved?

2009-06-24T04:49:17Z

According to the Statesman, Harrison Smith is leaving to play for another school.

Here's the scoop.

So this brings up a couple of questions:

1. Will we miss Harrison? He hasn't contributed much overall, but was starting to come on with a few decent performances late last year. He pulled the trigger a bit too often for my taste, though, with some questionable shot selection.

2. Will this solve the scholarship issue? By Harrison leaving, Damion James now will retain his spot with no problem. If J'Covan Brown actually qualifies (as his dad claims, but the clearinghouse hasn't said so yet), Texas will be +1. Word has it that the transfer knew when he signed up that he may not get a scholarship the first year.

Any insights? I'm so very excited about this team.

LSU starter

2009-06-23T22:41:13Z

LSU pitcher Austin Ross, right-hander, gets the start tonight.

09-10 NCAA BASKETBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS

2009-06-23T21:25:20Z

Check these out-----> 09-10 NCAAB Rankings

Hook Em Horns!!!

Texas- In a big year for the Big 12, Texas (21-11, 9-7) will certainly prove a worthy adversary for Self’s Jayhawks. They return superstar swingman Damion James and bring ESPN’s 4th ranked recruiting class, headlined by Avery Bradley (SG, Rivals top 150 #4) and Jordan Hamilton (SF, Rivals top 150 #6). Bradley should more than make up for the loss of A.J. Abrams, and Hamilton will give defenses headaches by adding a third serious scoring threat to the Rick Barnes’ Lineup.