One more time, all together. Kirk Bohls is talking #1 seed, but fails to mention to real prize - an assignment to Houston. Being #1 instead of #2 in Charlotte, Detroit, or Phoenix wouldn't be much of an advantage; being the #1 or #2 in Houston... different story. Just keep that in mind as we get ahead of ourselves throughout the rest of the season.

(And by the way, #2 in Houston is exactly where we're slotted on Joe Lunardi's board. Let's stay hot.)

Movin' on up. Texas boosted its statistical profile with last night's throttling of A&M, jumping up five spots to #13 in Ken Pomeroy's pythagorean rankings. Texas' 54.2 eFG% helped it reclaim the top spot in offensive efficiency in the country, but the real story was on defense, where Texas harassed A&M into a woeful 30.9 eFG%. It was, overall, Texas' best defensive effort of the season since blowout wins over lowly UC Davis and Arkansas-Monticello. And we've always known this team could score; now we're seeing it defend. That gives me hope that a Final Four run is at least a possibility.

Mark Turgeon is (still) a sissy. You may recall A&M coach Mark Turgeon's whiny comments earlier this season after his team lost three games in a row. Asked last night if he's concerned about his team's current two-game losing streak, Turgeon defensively whined, "Oh, come on. We whipped them. They whipped us. Maybe we'll play 'em again."

As with his earlier comments, it's not so much that what he's saying is inaccurate, but the comments regularly reflect an insecurity I'd prefer not see in a coach. Recall, for example, Mack Brown's defensive remarks following the string of summer arrests this past offseason. Though he was right - bad apples shouldn't spoil the whole barrel - it was the wrong tone, wrong message, wrong time. That's how Turgeon sounds to me. At a time when his team needs to hear how much it needs to improve to get to the NCAAs, he's defending them, seeking validation.

Garrett Gilbert to have surgery on torn labrum. The word from Lake Travis is that Garrett Gilbert has a torn labrum which will require surgery. Without knowing the type of labrum tear Gilbert suffered, we can't speculate with certainty on his rehabilitation.

Here's what we know. Labrum tears are devastating for baseball pitchers, but the prognosis is much better for quarterbacks. You may remember Drew Brees' dislocating his shoulder in his penultimate game as a Charger in 2005, tearing his labrum in the process. He underwent surgery and four months of rehab, but made a full recovery and enjoyed a Pro Bowl season in New Orleans in 2006.

Though the prognosis is good for quarterbacks with labrum tears, there are two important caveats:

(1) If a player tries to return from this injury to quickly, it can have a "cascading" effect; as the quarterback compensates for his injured shoulder by altering his mechanics, he can inadvertently create other injury problems. The key is to take rehab slowly and surely. No rushing back.

(2) The biggest worry with labrum injuries is that they can become a recurring problem. A full recovery is probable, if not certain, but the quarterback is more vulnerable to injury upon return.

If I'm Mack Brown, I might reconsider my decision to offer Russell Shepard only as an Athlete. Of course, I'd have him reconsider even if Gilbert were 100% healthy, too.

Consistency demands it... We were adament last season that Kevin Durant had to be the National Player of the Year. So I'm with TB on Michael Beasley: he's your '07-08 POY. The ridiculous freshman dropped 40 and 17 this past Saturday over Missouri to get K-State back in the win column. After Texas hosts Oklahoma this Saturday, the team will travel to Manhattan for its third straight Big Monday game. Managing Michael Beasley's going to be quite a task, especially in his home building.

--PB--