Bevo’s Daily Roundup: Texas softball gets top nod in Softball America’s final 2020 poll

Texas Longhorns softball (24-3) was a force to reckon with this season. That is, until the year came to a sudden halt due to the coronavirus outbreak that’s currently rocking the nation.

Burnt Orange Nation wasn’t the only members of the Texas sports universe to recognize these facts. In Softball America’s final poll for the 2020 season, Texas was ranked No. 1.

WHAT THE WISE MEN ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LONGHORNS

Austin American-Statesman: The Dotted Line: Texas targets Jordan Thomas, Clayton Smith lead Fab 55 Nos. 25-21

Sports Illustrated: Should Texas softball claim a national title for 2020?

Sports Illustrated: Will family legacy sway five-star OL to Texas?

247Sports: Roundtable: How can Texas dethrone OU from top of Big 12?

247Sports: The Flagship: Cat Osterman opens up on Olympics

247Sports: Ranking college football’s richest, poorest programs

NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE IN LONGHORN LAND AND THE BIG 12

• The Austin American-Statesman pulled together a list of current and former Texas athletes who are being impacted by yesterday’s Olympic postponement, including two-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant, Texas soccer sophomore Julia Grosso, among others.

• Sports Illustrated is continuing its countdown of the all-time greatest former Longhorns in the NBA. Coming in at No. 1 – you guess it – is Kevin Durant. From SI: “What if I told you that Texas was never Kevin Durant’s preferred college choice? The 6’9 sniper was rated as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2006 recruiting class. Earlier last year, Durant told The Players Tribune that UNC was one of his favorite schools throughout the recruiting process. “I wanted to go to Carolina,” Durant said. ... “They were stacked though, they had a nice senior class. They went to the Elite Eight that year.” With all of this talent down in Chapel Hill, Durant thought he would get lost in the shuffle and took his talents to Texas. In his lone season with the Horns, Durant received unanimous recognition as the National College Player of the Year award. Averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds, the Washington native was able to lead Texas to a 25–10 record, finishing third place in the Big 12, and reaching the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.”

• For the sake of boredom, as also noted in Sports Illustrated, watch newly hired Longhorns offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich draw up a few plays. Think touchdowns. Lots of ‘em.