The Game

Against Purdue in the NIT Pre-Season Tip final. I'll let ESPN do the game-capping.

The Numbers

40 minutes, 5-13 from the field, 8-13 from the line, 21 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers.

Offensive game

Griffin has the ability to score proficiently with his back to the basket, showing off an ability to spin off defenders to get into the lane, using his explosiveness and strength to out-quick and over-power most collegiate defenders. He doesn't have a traditional hook shot, but with his spin moves renders it largely unnecessary, as Griffin sometimes uses multiple spin moves in the same drive, maintaining impressive body control despite his size. He uses the spin move, which he worked on extensively in the off season, particularly well when he catches the ball out on the perimeter with his back to the basket, feeling the defender and spinning the opposite direction while varying the speed at which he makes the decision, sometimes looking for double teams and sometimes spinning almost directly after the catch. His ability to do so can often effectively negate any advantage the defender acquired by forcing him to catch the ball far out from the  basket.

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For Longhorn fans, it was a fitting farewell to Stephen McGee at DKR on Thanksgiving. Tormentor and Enemy of the Nation, McGee presided over a competitive and victorious period of two wins and a lost Heisman for the Aggies against their biggest rival. Yet, at the end, slowed by shoulder injuries and a relatively talentless group of teammates whose emotions couldn't overcome a Longhorn squad with revenge in their hearts and a BCS championship on their minds, McGee stood silent and alone on a despondent Aggie sideline. There would be no miracles on this evening.

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Enemy of the Nation McGee to possibly start. Games against A&M during Stephen McGee's career have been painful affears for Longhorn denizens. Any shot at a Heisman Trophy slipped out of an uncharacteristically subdued (by illness, Texas fans later learned) Vince Young's hands as McGee took on any Longhorn tackler in his vicinity on his way to 108 yards rushing (42.5% of his season total) and his only two rushing touchdowns on the season.

Hit by the Longhorn defense so hard the following year that he was throwing up, McGee and the Aggie triple option marched 88 yards in 16 plays and 8:56, with McGee finishing the drive himself from seven yards out. Of course, that set the stage for two McCoy interceptions and two hits by Aggie defenders that left McCoy unaware of his surroundings for quite some time. Spawning as well questions about McCoy's toughness and his derogatory nickname, Cart McCoy.

And yes, there is more. McGee hadn't yet gashed the Longhorns in the passing game, the talent that helped he and Jordan Shipley break Texas high school aerial records. McGee did so for 362 yards and three touchdowns on 69% accuracy. For McGee that season it was his highest completion percentage (only one other time did he crack 60%), most touchdowns, most yards, and most yards per attempt. This is the long way of saying that McGee performs well against the Longhorns...and anyway from mediocre to poor against everyone else. Despite his lost senior season to injuries and Jerrod Johnson's emergence as the future at quarterback for A&M, the fact that McGee is listed as co-starter against the Longhorns is enough to dredge up a lot of negative memories for UT fans.

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Sam Panayotovich and Jon Burkett were nice enough to ask someone from the Nation to talk about Texas basketball on their Maui Invitational edition of MVN Live, which begins at 4:00 p.m. CT. I'll be doing the honors today, with my interview starting at 4:45 p.m. CT. Catch the live stream here, or download the show in its entirety later at the same link.

Riddle me this. Since the great writers here at BON have already laid out the case for Texas, analyzed the BCS, broken down the head-to-head debate, and refuted the arguments of rivals, there isn't much room left for analysis. But I do have one significant question. The Harris poll voters have both SEC teams, Alabama and Florida, ahead of Texas and Oklahoma. How does that happen? Alabama is fine at the top, that's to be expected. But Florida in front of Texas? The team that lost to Ole Miss at home? Against a team that lost on the road on the last play in the biggest game in the opposing program's history?

Florida's defining victory was their smashing of Georgia, but the best team the Bulldogs have beat is the increasingly pathetic LSU. Sure, Florida beat two teams that were in the top 10, but neither of those teams looks particularly worthy of those rankings now. Texas owns victories over three teams that are legitimately in the top 12 in the country. If voters are punishing Texas for the more recent loss, they should consider that it came after the toughest four-game stretch any team has played in college football for 60 years. I don't get it.

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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 scouting reports for the two widely heralded recruits in the 2009 Longhorn basketball class are up on the website (Avery Bradley here and Jordan Hamilton here). That leaves the third member, 6-7, 205-pound small forward/wing Shawn Williams of Duncanville, TX, the lone representative of the Lone Star State in the class. While Wililams doesn't possess the elite talent of Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton, players like Williams who will remain and grow in the program for four years are nearly as important as the stars who remain for only a year or so. Don't sleep on Wiliams' talent, however, as he possesses good size, strength, and athleticism for his wing position. Enough talent to draw offers from Florida and Louisville, programs that aren't in the business of offering players lacking legitimate talent.

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While Avery Bradley has the potential to be an incredible college player (check here for the definitive scouting report), 6-7, 215-pound wing Jordan Hamilton (Scout No. 13, Rivals No. 5), from Dominguez High School in Compton, California, is perhaps the crown jewel of the 2009 No. 2-ranked Texas recruiting class. In fact, the Longhorn might not have secured the commitment from Hamilton had it not been for his friend Bradley, as the two talked about playing in college together as Bradley's plan to play with former Bellarmine Prep teammate and Washington commit Abdul Gaddy fell through. Hamilton and Bradley met through AAU tournaments and participating in camps together. 

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Too bad for Applewhite. Just as speculation about Muschamp succeeding Mack Brown began with his hiring, so did speculation about Major Applewhite having a significant coaching role at Texas in the future, possibly even as the head coach. Handicapping the likelihood of one or the other taking over for Mack Brown, many probably would have chosen Applewhite, as most only expected Muschamp for a year, or two at most. Now, with Tuesday's announcement, Applewhite seems on the outside looking in, leading writers to wonder if Applewhite is the loser in this situation.

While it certainly means that Applewhite will likely never be the head coach at Texas, I don't think it precludes a long career for Applewhite as a coach for the Burnt Orange. There's a strong possibility that Applewhite will take over as offensive coordinator if Greg Davis gets a head coaching job (unlikely) or retires when Mack Brown does (much more likely). Applewhite and Muschamp seem to have a strong working relationship, which makes it unlikely that Muschamp will bring in his own assistants (except, perhaps, a defensive coordinator) at the expense of Applewhite. At only 30, Applewhite looks to need a half-decade or so of experience (and some significant experience as offensive coordinator) before being a strong candidate for a job good enough to compel him to leave Austin.

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