The Longhorns let another opportunity at a key win slip away last night. They battled all game, but came up short in the end. Â A win last night would've put Texas in 4th place in the Big 12, right behind Kansas, Baylor and Missouri. One would think 4th place in the Big 12 will be good enough for an NCAA tournament bid, especially give the fact that the 3 teams holding the top 3 positions are all ranked in the top 10 nationally. All that is irrelevant now though. The loss puts Texas in a 3 way tie for 5th with Kansas State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
Rodney McGruder led Kansas State with a career high 33 points, including a game sealing dunk that extended the Wildcats lead to 4 with a little over 9 seconds remaining. McGruder and the Wildcats came out on fire. They jumped out to a 16 point lead midway through the 1st half, but the young Longhorns fought back and finished the half only down 1. Myck Kabongo led the charge. Â The talented Canadian point guard displayed the playmaking ability that made him so highly recruited coming out of high school. Â The 2nd half was one of ups and downs for the Longhorns. Â They looked strong offensively, getting a big contribution from Sheldon McClellan. Â Sheldon, like Myck played his best game of the season thus far. Â He scored an efficient 19 points, giving Longhorn fans hope that he has finally broken out of the shooting slump that has plagued him recently. Â The Longhorns came up short on the defensive end though. Â To put it simply, they were outhustled by Kansas State. Â The Wildcats ran the same play for most of the 2nd half, and most of the time it resulted in a made basket or an offensive rebound. Â If the Longhorns are serious about beating any of the other top tier teams in the Big 12, they will have improve their defensive rebounding.
What Lies Ahead for Texas:
With Kansas coming to Austin on Saturday, this is not where the young Longhorns wanted to be at this point in the season. Â The Jayhawks are 5-0 in conference and are playing as well as anybody in the country right now. Â A Texas win on Saturday would do wonders for their NCAA tournament hopes.
Keys to Success for Texas:
- Contain Thomas Robinson: In addition to playing good defense on Robinson, the Longhorns need to keep Robinson off the glass and attack him to attempt to get him in foul trouble.
- More playing time for Sterling Gibbs: Gibbs came in against Kansas State and was pulled immediately after making a mistake. Â He didn't even see the floor for the rest of the night. Â Bad coaching move on Rick Barnes' part. Â He's essentially killing Gibbs' confidence right now. Â Texas could certainly use another good defender at the guard position with all the talented guards in the Big 12 this year.
- Throw the zone away: Â Kansas State hit 3 straight 3s to build a double digit lead last night when Texas went to the zone. Â For some reason, they aren't playing the zone well, yet Rick Barnes keeps switching to it. Â There is one constant in all of Texas' losses. Â The zone defense has given teams wide open shots time after time.
- Rebound: Pretty self explanatory. Â The strange thing about this Longhorns rebounding woes is that they are actually a pretty good rebounding team. Â They lose a lot of defensive rebounds to teammates fighting over the ball, guys not being able to hold on to the ball when it comes into their hands and fumbling the ball out of bounds.
- Start fast: The Longhorns have not started well against a good team all season long. Â It seems like they don't start playing until they are down. Â A fast start against Kansas on Saturday will energize the crowd as well as give the young Longhorns confidence. Â And we've seen how well Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis shoot the ball when they're confident.
- More touches for Jonathan Holmes: Holmes' versatility isn't being utilized well enough by the Texas coaching staff. Â If Texas wants to attack Thomas Robinson, Jonathan Holmes is the guy to do it. Â He has a good enough handle to take Robinson off the dribble, and can shoot the ball well enough to make Robinson play him honestly the entire possession.
- Keep playing hard: You can see the frustration on their faces at times. Â The little mistakes they make turn into made plays for the opposition, they are missing layups and easy shots, they are attacking the rim and aren't getting the calls they should get. Â All that stuff happens in basketball. Â They just have to realize that they are a good team and soon, very soon, good things will start to happen for them and to them if they keep playing hard. Â By reading their tweets, it seems like they are in good spirits and these losses are only making them stronger and hungrier. Â Texas fans can only hope so
Game Notes:
- Myck Kabongo notched his 2nd straight double double, finishing with 14 points and a game high 10 assists
- J'Covan Brown led the Longhorns with 22 points on 8 for 28 shooting.
- Sheldon McClellan added 19 points
- Clint Chapman continued his strong play with 11 points
On February 1st, Longhorn fans will know which new soldiers they can count on do do battle on behalf of the burnt orange army for the next several years. Defending the 40 acres has been tough the last two seasons and Mack and company are excited about another stellar haul of recruits. With what many are considering the top 1 or 2 recruiting class in the country the Longhorns like their chances at landing one, maybe more prizes in the recruiting war. Texas brought a whopping 6 signees on campus this week which includes 2 junior college transfers, to begin classes today. Mack is known as "Mr. February" for his recruiting prowess and this year is clearly no exception. While Texas should be fully satisfied with the current group of commits, they aren't. Like John Rambo in a Burmese knife fight, they are still hungry for more.
Without further adieu, let's take a look at who's still in the Horns' line of fire and how much of a shot Texas has to land them.
The Crème de la Crème
Dorial Green-Beckham, Wide Receiver
Hillcrest High School, Springfield Missouri
DGB has played his cards well and has truly kept his potential decisions to himself. While most recruiters worry about a player committing early and ultimately de-committing, Dorial has made certain that once his decision is made it is final. Widely considered the consensus #1 prospect in the country, Dorial Green Beckham is the real deal. The 2012 U.S. Army Player of the Year was recruited by just about every program in the country but has made only 1 official visit. That visit was to the University of Texas campus on November 18th, 2011. Sounds good for Longhorn fans, right? Yes and no. Obviously the fewer official visits he takes the better chance Mack has of signing him.  Conversely Green-Beckham is scheduled to visit the Arkansas campus this Friday. Missouri and Oklahoma are schools also mentioned when he is discussed amongst recruiting analysts and bloggers alike.
He is a physical specimen and stands 6'6 with great speed , big hands and everything else you would expect from a future NFL superstar. Undoubtedly he is the prize catch for the program that lands him. So what are the odds he chooses Texas? Not great, but Texas still has a shot to nab him. We think Arkansas and Mizzou have the best chances of signing Dorial simply because of the proximity of his home in Missouri to these schools. Arkansas has lost several receivers to attrition and DGB would be a welcome recipient of Tyler Wilson's passing abilities. The University of Missouri is basically in his own backyard which makes the school a strong contender and Oklahoma returns Landry Jones which must spice up the DGB potential a bit. Texas is in development mode at the quarterback position and this could have an impact on whether Texas would be a good fit for him, speaking short-term. With Thomas Johnson de-committing, Texas could really use DGB. Right now we think Texas has a shot at landing him but Arkansas still seems to be the frontrunner.
Mario Edwards, Defensive End
Ryan High School, Denton, Texas
Ryan Standout Mario Edwards has been a Florida State commit since March of 2011. It is impressive that he has maintained his commitment to FSU for this length of time but as of late, Mario has mentioned a couple of other schools as potentials. Texas is one of them, along with LSU. He visited Florida State last week and is schedule to make a trip to Baton Rouge this Friday. Mario visited both Texas and Oklahoma in December but has since crossed Oklahoma off his list of potential schools. The way we see Edwards, he is Florida State's to lose. With that said, Texas is still a strong option for Mario who lives in Texas. Couple that with the reality that Ryan teammate Alex De La Torre has already signed with Texas and is attending in classes on the 40 Acres this semester makes it enticing for Edwards.
Edwards is easily ranked one of the top recruits in the nation and we haven't seen a prospect ranked higher in Texas with this class. At 6'4, 280 he is a beast of an end and would easily fit into Manny Diaz's defensive scheme. Frankly, with Edwards on the team, the Longhorn defense would be downright frightening (as if it already isn't). We like Mario's chances of signing with Texas more so than DGB's and think the Horns have a better than average shot.
Others of Note
Christo Kourtzidis, Tight End
Lutheran High School, Orange, California
What seems like an out of nowhere visit, Florida state commit Christo Kourtzidis will visit Austin this weekend. Kourtzidis is a highly regarded tight end prospect. Tight ends coach and Co-Recruiting Coordinator Bruce Chambers thinks Kourtzidis has a lot to offer the team. Maybe Mario Edwards and Kourtzidis will jump ship together and head West to Austin? We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Daje Johnson, Athlete (CB/WR)
Hendrickson High School, Pflugerville, Texas
Daje Johnson has been a solid commit to Gary Patterson's TCU Horned Frogs since March of last year, but will be making a trip to Austin sometime before National Signing Day. Johnson has a ton of interest in Texas but received no offer and choose TCU over Big XII schools Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. While it is unclear if he would shun TCU for Texas, the four star recruit will have time to soak in all that is The University of Texas during his visit.
Daniel Brooks, Athlete
Calhoun High School, Port Lavaca, Texas
An Oklahoma commit as of March 2011, Brooks is scheduled for a visit to Texas, which offered him a scholarship last year. Brooks is a speedy track star athlete who played quarterback and wide receiver in high school. More than likely Brooks will remain with OU but Texas hopes to sway him otherwise.
Vincent Hobbs, Tight End
Horn High School, Mesquite, Texas
Hobbs is a middle of the road guy from Mesquite that has received a lot of interest from some of the smaller programs. Hobbs is scheduled to visit The 40 Acres this weekend, and if offered a scholarship, we assume he would accept. Hobbs is 6'3, 230 and has good speed.
While recruiting is somewhat of an art and less of a science, ultimately February 1st will tell the tale for Texas and other schools. If history is any indicator of the success the Longhorns can expect, then Mack Brown should feel pretty good about his 2012 class. The University of Texas does not play second fiddle to anyone and the hard work from the staff continues to show on the field as well as each February. Congratulations to Coach Brown and Staff for another recruiting class that might be "more" on February 1st.
On February 1st, Longhorn fans will know which new soldiers they can count on do do battle on behalf of the burnt orange army for the next several years. Defending the 40 acres has been tough the last two seasons and Mack and company are excited about another stellar haul of recruits. With what many are considering the top 1 or 2 recruiting class in the country the Longhorns like their chances at landing one, maybe more prizes in the recruiting war. Texas brought a whopping 6 signees on campus this week which includes 2 junior college transfers, to begin classes today. Mack is known as "Mr. February" for his recruiting prowess and this year is clearly no exception. While Texas should be fully satisfied with the current group of commits, they aren't. Like John Rambo in a Burmese knife fight, they are still hungry for more.
Without further adieu, let's take a look at who's still in the Horns' line of fire and how much of a shot Texas has to land them.
The Crème de la Crème
Dorial Green-Beckham, Wide Receiver
Hillcrest High School, Springfield Missouri
DGB has played his cards well and has truly kept his potential decisions to himself. While most recruiters worry about a player committing early and ultimately de-committing, Dorial has made certain that once his decision is made it is final. Widely considered the consensus #1 prospect in the country, Dorial Green Beckham is the real deal. The 2012 U.S. Army Player of the Year was recruited by just about every program in the country but has made only 1 official visit. That visit was to the University of Texas campus on November 18th, 2011. Sounds good for Longhorn fans, right? Yes and no. Obviously the fewer official visits he takes the better chance Mack has of signing him.  Conversely Green-Beckham is scheduled to visit the Arkansas campus this Friday. Missouri and Oklahoma are schools also mentioned when he is discussed amongst recruiting analysts and bloggers alike.
He is a physical specimen and stands 6'6 with great speed , big hands and everything else you would expect from a future NFL superstar. Undoubtedly he is the prize catch for the program that lands him. So what are the odds he chooses Texas? Not great, but Texas still has a shot to nab him. We think Arkansas and Mizzou have the best chances of signing Dorial simply because of the proximity of his home in Missouri to these schools. Arkansas has lost several receivers to attrition and DGB would be a welcome recipient of Tyler Wilson's passing abilities. The University of Missouri is basically in his own backyard which makes the school a strong contender and Oklahoma returns Landry Jones which must spice up the DGB potential a bit. Texas is in development mode at the quarterback position and this could have an impact on whether Texas would be a good fit for him, speaking short-term. With Thomas Johnson de-committing, Texas could really use DGB. Right now we think Texas has a shot at landing him but Arkansas still seems to be the frontrunner.
Mario Edwards, Defensive End
Ryan High School, Denton, Texas
Ryan Standout Mario Edwards has been a Florida State commit since March of 2011. It is impressive that he has maintained his commitment to FSU for this length of time but as of late, Mario has mentioned a couple of other schools as potentials. Texas is one of them, along with LSU. He visited Florida State last week and is schedule to make a trip to Baton Rouge this Friday. Mario visited both Texas and Oklahoma in December but has since crossed Oklahoma off his list of potential schools. The way we see Edwards, he is Florida State's to lose. With that said, Texas is still a strong option for Mario who lives in Texas. Couple that with the reality that Ryan teammate Alex De La Torre has already signed with Texas and is attending in classes on the 40 Acres this semester makes it enticing for Edwards.
Edwards is easily ranked one of the top recruits in the nation and we haven't seen a prospect ranked higher in Texas with this class. At 6'4, 280 he is a beast of an end and would easily fit into Manny Diaz's defensive scheme. Frankly, with Edwards on the team, the Longhorn defense would be downright frightening (as if it already isn't). We like Mario's chances of signing with Texas more so than DGB's and think the Horns have a better than average shot.
Others of Note
Christo Kourtzidis, Tight End
Lutheran High School, Orange, California
What seems like an out of nowhere visit, Florida state commit Christo Kourtzidis will visit Austin this weekend. Kourtzidis is a highly regarded tight end prospect. Tight ends coach and Co-Recruiting Coordinator Bruce Chambers thinks Kourtzidis has a lot to offer the team. Maybe Mario Edwards and Kourtzidis will jump ship together and head West to Austin? We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Daje Johnson, Athlete (CB/WR)
Hendrickson High School, Pflugerville, Texas
Daje Johnson has been a solid commit to Gary Patterson's TCU Horned Frogs since March of last year, but will be making a trip to Austin sometime before National Signing Day. Johnson has a ton of interest in Texas but received no offer and choose TCU over Big XII schools Iowa State, Baylor, Kansas State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. While it is unclear if he would shun TCU for Texas, the four star recruit will have time to soak in all that is The University of Texas during his visit.
Daniel Brooks, Athlete
Calhoun High School, Port Lavaca, Texas
An Oklahoma commit as of March 2011, Brooks is scheduled for a visit to Texas, which offered him a scholarship last year. Brooks is a speedy track star athlete who played quarterback and wide receiver in high school. More than likely Brooks will remain with OU but Texas hopes to sway him otherwise.
Vincent Hobbs, Tight End
Horn High School, Mesquite, Texas
Hobbs is a middle of the road guy from Mesquite that has received a lot of interest from some of the smaller programs. Hobbs is scheduled to visit The 40 Acres this weekend, and if offered a scholarship, we assume he would accept. Hobbs is 6'3, 230 and has good speed.
While recruiting is somewhat of an art and less of a science, ultimately February 1st will tell the tale for Texas and other schools. If history is any indicator of the success the Longhorns can expect, then Mack Brown should feel pretty good about his 2012 class. The University of Texas does not play second fiddle to anyone and the hard work from the staff continues to show on the field as well as each February. Congratulations to Coach Brown and Staff for another recruiting class that might be "more" on February 1st.
After watching his team's 16 point lead cut to 5 midway through the 2nd half, Flip Pressey took over. Â Pressey scored 7 straight points, including a crowd igniting dunk off a steal, which put the final nail in the coffin for the Tigers' win. Â To be quite honest, the game was over as soon as it started. Missouri hit 8 of their first 11 3 point attempts in the first half to open up a double digit lead. A lead they would never relinquish. J'Covan Brown's sweet shooting got Texas within 5 midway through the 2nd half, but Missouri responded to the Texas run eventually ran away with the game.
The Tigers came into the game as one of the best shooting teams in the country, and they lived up to that today. They shot 54% from inside the arc and 47% from 3. What makes their hot shooting even more impressive is the fact that most of their shots were contested. What was even more impressive was the fact that the Tigers stuck together and continued to play hard while Texas had the momentum midway through the 2nd half. Â They seemed unfazed. Â Maybe that comes with experience. Maybe they just knew they were better than the Longhorns. Â Whatever it is, Texas needs to learn from what they saw at Mizzou Arena. All season long, the Longhorns have rushed shots, failed to run plays properly, fought over the ball, pouted during timeouts and other things good teams don't do. Yes they are young, but so is Kentucky. Â There is no doubt the Longhorns have the skill to win a lot of games in the Big 12. There is no doubt they have the physical toughness to win a lot games in the Big 12. The question is do they have the mental toughness they need to win a lot of games in the Big 12? From what I've seen so far, the answer is no.
What Lies Ahead For Texas:
1 down, 5 to go. Texas has to regroup and regroup quickly, as they will head to Manhattan to take on Kansas State on Wednesday. A Kansas State team that will no doubt be ready to play after losing to Oklahoma on Saturday. This will undoubtedly be the Longhorns' biggest test of the season so far. Yeah, the Dean Dome was rocking last month, but it will be twice as loud in Manhattan on Wednesday. If the Horns start the game playing timidly and scared like they have started every game away from the Erwin Center this year, it will get ugly fast.
Keys to Success For Texas:
- Run more plays for J'Covan Brown: Brown is averaging 19 points per game right now, but it's evident that the freshmen are not ready to help out to the extent that they need to be right now. He is capable of scoring 30 a night, so let him.
- Play Sterling Gibbs more: Sterling Gibbs needs to get more playing time. Â He changes the game when he comes in. He did a good job at UNC when Kabongo was benched, I don't understand why his minutes are so limited. Kabongo is getting better at the point, so Gibbs could play off the ball. The way Julien Lewis and Sheldon McClellan have been shooting the ball of late, it's not a bad idea. Gibbs is a good defender, and he could have been used on Pressey yesterday.
- Play McClellan at the 4: We aren't getting anything from Bond and very little from Wangmene. It's time to try something else. By having McClellan or Holmes on the court, Texas will have versatile 4s out on the floor at all times. McClellan could also use his speed advantage to get bigger 4s in foul trouble.
- No more zone this season: It got us torched against Oregon State, NC State, UNC and Missouri.
- Stop rushing shots: It started in the North Carolina game and it has continued ever since. I don't know whether they are scared of getting their shots blocked or it's just bad luck. Whatever it is, they need to stop doing it.
- More post touches for Clint Chapman: He has been very effective when he gets the ball in the post. Â He plays better defense when he scores, he gets everybody excited, and our guards are able to get better shots. It's a no brainer.
Game Notes:
- J'Covan Brown became the 33rd player in UT history to score over 1,000 points. Brown came into the game needing 17 to get to 1,000. He led all scorers with 34 points.
- Myck Kabongo finished the game with 12 points and 10 assists for his first career double double.
After watching his team's 16 point lead cut to 5 midway through the 2nd half, Flip Pressey took over. Â Pressey scored 7 straight points, including a crowd igniting dunk off a steal, which put the final nail in the coffin for the Tigers' win. Â To be quite honest, the game was over as soon as it started. Missouri hit 8 of their first 11 3 point attempts in the first half to open up a double digit lead. A lead they would never relinquish. J'Covan Brown's sweet shooting got Texas within 5 midway through the 2nd half, but Missouri responded to the Texas run eventually ran away with the game.
The Tigers came into the game as one of the best shooting teams in the country, and they lived up to that today. They shot 54% from inside the arc and 47% from 3. What makes their hot shooting even more impressive is the fact that most of their shots were contested. What was even more impressive was the fact that the Tigers stuck together and continued to play hard while Texas had the momentum midway through the 2nd half. Â They seemed unfazed. Â Maybe that comes with experience. Maybe they just knew they were better than the Longhorns. Â Whatever it is, Texas needs to learn from what they saw at Mizzou Arena. All season long, the Longhorns have rushed shots, failed to run plays properly, fought over the ball, pouted during timeouts and other things good teams don't do. Yes they are young, but so is Kentucky. Â There is no doubt the Longhorns have the skill to win a lot of games in the Big 12. There is no doubt they have the physical toughness to win a lot games in the Big 12. The question is do they have the mental toughness they need to win a lot of games in the Big 12? From what I've seen so far, the answer is no.
What Lies Ahead For Texas:
1 down, 5 to go. Texas has to regroup and regroup quickly, as they will head to Manhattan to take on Kansas State on Wednesday. A Kansas State team that will no doubt be ready to play after losing to Oklahoma on Saturday. This will undoubtedly be the Longhorns' biggest test of the season so far. Yeah, the Dean Dome was rocking last month, but it will be twice as loud in Manhattan on Wednesday. If the Horns start the game playing timidly and scared like they have started every game away from the Erwin Center this year, it will get ugly fast.
Keys to Success For Texas:
- Run more plays for J'Covan Brown: Brown is averaging 19 points per game right now, but it's evident that the freshmen are not ready to help out to the extent that they need to be right now. He is capable of scoring 30 a night, so let him.
- Play Sterling Gibbs more: Sterling Gibbs needs to get more playing time. Â He changes the game when he comes in. He did a good job at UNC when Kabongo was benched, I don't understand why his minutes are so limited. Kabongo is getting better at the point, so Gibbs could play off the ball. The way Julien Lewis and Sheldon McClellan have been shooting the ball of late, it's not a bad idea. Gibbs is a good defender, and he could have been used on Pressey yesterday.
- Play McClellan at the 4: We aren't getting anything from Bond and very little from Wangmene. It's time to try something else. By having McClellan or Holmes on the court, Texas will have versatile 4s out on the floor at all times. McClellan could also use his speed advantage to get bigger 4s in foul trouble.
- No more zone this season: It got us torched against Oregon State, NC State, UNC and Missouri.
- Stop rushing shots: It started in the North Carolina game and it has continued ever since. I don't know whether they are scared of getting their shots blocked or it's just bad luck. Whatever it is, they need to stop doing it.
- More post touches for Clint Chapman: He has been very effective when he gets the ball in the post. Â He plays better defense when he scores, he gets everybody excited, and our guards are able to get better shots. It's a no brainer.
Game Notes:
- J'Covan Brown became the 33rd player in UT history to score over 1,000 points. Brown came into the game needing 17 to get to 1,000. He led all scorers with 34 points.
- Myck Kabongo finished the game with 12 points and 10 assists for his first career double double.
Savior? No, we're not talking Tim Tebow but we are getting a bit metaphysical... We're talking quarterbacks. Texas quarterbacks...
Even before the season ended for the Texas Longhorns, fans could not help but wonder what next season would hold for Mack Brown's team. Mack had no idea that the quarterback controversy that plagued his team early on would last deep into December and even into the new year. Heck, our starting quarterback for the season, Garrett Gilbert, was basically run out of Austin after starting the Rice and BYU games and eventually transferred after having shoulder surgery. Gilbert took a beating from alumni and fans. Boy, did he take a verbal whipping. I cannot repeat some of the things I heard said about "GG" from my circle of Texas friends. I would have to visit the confessional tomorrow if I did. In hindsight Gilbert wasn't that bad. After watching the McAsh Project for the rest of the season, ultimately Texas fans understood what we were given to "work with" this past season. Even now, fans are wondering if we will have a clearly defined leader under center next year. The coaching staff is more than likely wondering the same thing. The Longhorns return a mean and hungry defense, an improved offensive line and a running back corps that will arguably be the best in the nation next year.... But where's the beef? Yeah, the qb? The Longhorns have the nation's top recruiting class heading to Austin this year and things can only get better, right? That depends. On what? On the quarterback. Would be a shame to waste the talent at every other position, right?
David Ash was the guy tabbed by Brown, Harsin and Applewhite as the player with the most upside, which earned Ash the start in the Holiday Bowl. It looks like the job will be Ash's to lose this year but he is going to have to fight tooth and nail to keep it. The illustrious 2012 Texas recruiting class brings with it two quarterback potentials - dual threat Jalen Overstreet and gunslinger Connor Brewer. Brewer, rated a notch higher than Overstreet graduated high school early and signed his scholarship papers on January 11th. Brewer is already on The 40 Acres and will participate in Spring Camp. We will talk more about Overstreet as the summer inches closer but know this - Brewer is a legitimate threat to win the starting quarterback job at Texas. Obviously he will need to adjust to the speed of the college game and learn the schemes but the early word on Brewer is that he is a tight pocket passer who makes good on-field decisions. Brewer held a 4.0 GPA at Chaparral High School in Arizona and is a good kid with nothing but upside.
Only time will tell if Brewer is the guy to lead Texas to the promised land, but he has a good opportunity to make a name for himself. One thing is for certain: Texas is one position player away from being one of the best teams in the country in 2012. Will Connor Brewer fill that role? Will David Ash? Will Case McCoy? Will Jalen Overstreet? Someone needs too. That's all I know.
Savior? No, we're not talking Tim Tebow but we are getting a bit metaphysical... We're talking quarterbacks. Texas quarterbacks...
Even before the season ended for the Texas Longhorns, fans could not help but wonder what next season would hold for Mack Brown's team. Mack had no idea that the quarterback controversy that plagued his team early on would last deep into December and even into the new year. Heck, our starting quarterback for the season, Garrett Gilbert, was basically run out of Austin after starting the Rice and BYU games and eventually transferred after having shoulder surgery. Gilbert took a beating from alumni and fans. Boy, did he take a verbal whipping. I cannot repeat some of the things I heard said about "GG" from my circle of Texas friends. I would have to visit the confessional tomorrow if I did. In hindsight Gilbert wasn't that bad. After watching the McAsh Project for the rest of the season, ultimately Texas fans understood what we were given to "work with" this past season. Even now, fans are wondering if we will have a clearly defined leader under center next year. The coaching staff is more than likely wondering the same thing. The Longhorns return a mean and hungry defense, an improved offensive line and a running back corps that will arguably be the best in the nation next year.... But where's the beef? Yeah, the qb? The Longhorns have the nation's top recruiting class heading to Austin this year and things can only get better, right? That depends. On what? On the quarterback. Would be a shame to waste the talent at every other position, right?
David Ash was the guy tabbed by Brown, Harsin and Applewhite as the player with the most upside, which earned Ash the start in the Holiday Bowl. It looks like the job will be Ash's to lose this year but he is going to have to fight tooth and nail to keep it. The illustrious 2012 Texas recruiting class brings with it two quarterback potentials - dual threat Jalen Overstreet and gunslinger Connor Brewer. Brewer, rated a notch higher than Overstreet graduated high school early and signed his scholarship papers on January 11th. Brewer is already on The 40 Acres and will participate in Spring Camp. We will talk more about Overstreet as the summer inches closer but know this - Brewer is a legitimate threat to win the starting quarterback job at Texas. Obviously he will need to adjust to the speed of the college game and learn the schemes but the early word on Brewer is that he is a tight pocket passer who makes good on-field decisions. Brewer held a 4.0 GPA at Chaparral High School in Arizona and is a good kid with nothing but upside.
Only time will tell if Brewer is the guy to lead Texas to the promised land, but he has a good opportunity to make a name for himself. One thing is for certain: Texas is one position player away from being one of the best teams in the country in 2012. Will Connor Brewer fill that role? Will David Ash? Will Case McCoy? Will Jalen Overstreet? Someone needs too. That's all I know.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/HB-Trophy-150x150.jpgThe 2011 Texas Longhorns season is one that could be considered a partial success but not a complete failure; both observations at the very same time. There were low expectations to start the season, but with some early wins and surprises, the expectations grew with the alumni and fans throughout the start of the season.
Four straight wins and suddenly everyone was thinking a great season was ahead. Then they suffered two tragic losses then two more crushing defeats and then a win and a loss was how the season went. To call it a roller coaster would be an understatement, but while there were “What the heck†moments, there were plenty of things to look at and be excited about. It seemed at times they lost total concentration and then the next game they would play like conference champions. I guess the best word to describe their performance for 2011 is inconsistency.
Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot to be concerned about and question during this season, but there is plenty to look forward to about 2012. Obviously ending the season on a high note victory in the bowl game was one of the major plusses. For some fans, just making a bowl game was reason to be happy. I can’t say it didn’t make me happy…it did!
The only confusing thing that didn’t make a lot of sense was the fact that the coaching staff tried to float with two quarterbacks. I would hope and pray that Mack and his staff would realize that the dual quarterback system never works. Apparently they didn’t and once they tried to stick with one, they couldn’t do it for more than a couple games at best. Hopefully during the spring they can decide on one solid choice and plan to ride with that choice for the whole season…but I digress.
While this season was better than some expected, and probably worse than some wanted, all I can say is, we ended with a victory and have some positive momentum built up going into 2012. There is a lot of youth and untapped talent returning next season, and a lot of the youngsters received valuable playing time this season. So there is some positive outlook for 2012. It also appears they will have a banner recruiting class with a lot to look forward to from their freshmen coming in.
In a few short weeks, there will be recruiting excitement with signing day and then spring camp. At that point the 2011 season will be but a memory. Thank God! Here’s to looking forward to 2012, Hook ‘em Horns!
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/HB-Trophy-150x150.jpgThe 2011 Texas Longhorns season is one that could be considered a partial success but not a complete failure; both observations at the very same time. There were low expectations to start the season, but with some early wins and surprises, the expectations grew with the alumni and fans throughout the start of the season.
Four straight wins and suddenly everyone was thinking a great season was ahead. Then they suffered two tragic losses then two more crushing defeats and then a win and a loss was how the season went. To call it a roller coaster would be an understatement, but while there were “What the heck†moments, there were plenty of things to look at and be excited about. It seemed at times they lost total concentration and then the next game they would play like conference champions. I guess the best word to describe their performance for 2011 is inconsistency.
Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot to be concerned about and question during this season, but there is plenty to look forward to about 2012. Obviously ending the season on a high note victory in the bowl game was one of the major plusses. For some fans, just making a bowl game was reason to be happy. I can’t say it didn’t make me happy…it did!
The only confusing thing that didn’t make a lot of sense was the fact that the coaching staff tried to float with two quarterbacks. I would hope and pray that Mack and his staff would realize that the dual quarterback system never works. Apparently they didn’t and once they tried to stick with one, they couldn’t do it for more than a couple games at best. Hopefully during the spring they can decide on one solid choice and plan to ride with that choice for the whole season…but I digress.
While this season was better than some expected, and probably worse than some wanted, all I can say is, we ended with a victory and have some positive momentum built up going into 2012. There is a lot of youth and untapped talent returning next season, and a lot of the youngsters received valuable playing time this season. So there is some positive outlook for 2012. It also appears they will have a banner recruiting class with a lot to look forward to from their freshmen coming in.
In a few short weeks, there will be recruiting excitement with signing day and then spring camp. At that point the 2011 season will be but a memory. Thank God! Here’s to looking forward to 2012, Hook ‘em Horns!
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/lsshowd.jpgIt started off ugly, but the Longhorns overcame a horrific start to beat the Aggies by the score of 61-51 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. Julien Lewis worked his magic coming off the bench and scored 16 points to lead Texas, while junior J'Covan Brown put up 14 points in the win. Brown, who injured his ankle in the conference opener against Iowa State a week ago, looked like the ankle was still bothering him at times tonight. Nonetheless it was good enough for him to help Texas win its 2nd consecutive conference game.
The Longhorns couldn't get much going in the first half which was filled with sloppy play and poor shooting. Texas turned the ball over 12 times but it was Texas A&M that lost the turnover battle, losing 17 balls. Khris Middleton and Elston Turner led the Aggies in scoring with 19 and 13 points respectively. Texas wins round one of the Lone Star Showdown and will travel to College Station on February 6th for a rematch against rival Texas A&M.
Texas has little time to celebrate the win as they travel to Columbia to play a top-10 ranked Missouri team on Saturday.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/lsshowd.jpgIt started off ugly, but the Longhorns overcame a horrific start to beat the Aggies by the score of 61-51 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. Julien Lewis worked his magic coming off the bench and scored 16 points to lead Texas, while junior J'Covan Brown put up 14 points in the win. Brown, who injured his ankle in the conference opener against Iowa State a week ago, looked like the ankle was still bothering him at times tonight. Nonetheless it was good enough for him to help Texas win its 2nd consecutive conference game.
The Longhorns couldn't get much going in the first half which was filled with sloppy play and poor shooting. Texas turned the ball over 12 times but it was Texas A&M that lost the turnover battle, losing 17 balls. Khris Middleton and Elston Turner led the Aggies in scoring with 19 and 13 points respectively. Texas wins round one of the Lone Star Showdown and will travel to College Station on February 6th for a rematch against rival Texas A&M.
Texas has little time to celebrate the win as they travel to Columbia to play a top-10 ranked Missouri team on Saturday.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rthumb.jpgFormer Texas Running Back Ricky Williams is still doing what he loves most – playing the game of football. And at 34 years old, he is still pretty good at it. He doesn’t have the speed he did while running the turf in a Longhorn uniform, but he can still hold his own. Williams, the backup to Ray Rice in Baltimore, has had an NFL career filled with its share of ups and downs, but he has quietly run his way into the record books again. In college he broke the all-time NCAA rushing record held by Tony Dorsett and went on to win the Heisman Trophy (Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne broke Williams’ record a year later). On January 1st the Ravens played their last regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals and Ricky Williams carried the ball six times for 28 yards.  Only 28 yards you might ask? Doesn’t sound so stellar but it signifies so much more for the veteran back and what he has accomplished in his rather quiet career in the NFL.  With those 6 carries Ricky Williams accomplished an amazing feat, joining only 25 other running backs who have rushed for 10,000 yards.
At age 34 Ricky Williams still has the speed and the gas left to play a few more years in the league. Will he play another year or two? Only Ricky knows. Until then, run Ricky, run and Hook'em.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rthumb.jpgFormer Texas Running Back Ricky Williams is still doing what he loves most – playing the game of football. And at 34 years old, he is still pretty good at it. He doesn’t have the speed he did while running the turf in a Longhorn uniform, but he can still hold his own. Williams, the backup to Ray Rice in Baltimore, has had an NFL career filled with its share of ups and downs, but he has quietly run his way into the record books again. In college he broke the all-time NCAA rushing record held by Tony Dorsett and went on to win the Heisman Trophy (Wisconsin’s Ron Dayne broke Williams’ record a year later). On January 1st the Ravens played their last regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals and Ricky Williams carried the ball six times for 28 yards.  Only 28 yards you might ask? Doesn’t sound so stellar but it signifies so much more for the veteran back and what he has accomplished in his rather quiet career in the NFL.  With those 6 carries Ricky Williams accomplished an amazing feat, joining only 25 other running backs who have rushed for 10,000 yards.
At age 34 Ricky Williams still has the speed and the gas left to play a few more years in the league. Will he play another year or two? Only Ricky knows. Until then, run Ricky, run and Hook'em.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/kab.jpgWith J'Covan Brown nursing an ankle injury, the team would have to rely on others to take charge in Saturday's game against Oklahoma State. While Brown did play 25 minutes on the floor, he scored only 6 points and was 2-4 in shooting.  Brown's presence certainly made way for others to score, like Myck Kabongo, who led Texas in scoring with 15 points. Kabongo played a fantastic game which included great defense and six assists. Barnes and company liked what they saw in Kabongo's game last night, as did Texas fans - Leadership from a freshman player is just what coaches want to see. Another Freshman, Jonathan Holmes came off the bench to score 11 points which was second only to Kabongo's 15. The Longhorns played well enough to notch the victory, but Oklahoma State did not do itself any favors. The Cowboys turned the ball over 21 times compared to Texas' 10 turnovers.
Texas notches its first conference win and improves to 11-4 (including a perfect 10-0 record at home this year). The Longhorns continue conference play against the Aggies on Wednesday night at the Erwin Center in Austin.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/kab.jpgWith J'Covan Brown nursing an ankle injury, the team would have to rely on others to take charge in Saturday's game against Oklahoma State. While Brown did play 25 minutes on the floor, he scored only 6 points and was 2-4 in shooting.  Brown's presence certainly made way for others to score, like Myck Kabongo, who led Texas in scoring with 15 points. Kabongo played a fantastic game which included great defense and six assists. Barnes and company liked what they saw in Kabongo's game last night, as did Texas fans - Leadership from a freshman player is just what coaches want to see. Another Freshman, Jonathan Holmes came off the bench to score 11 points which was second only to Kabongo's 15. The Longhorns played well enough to notch the victory, but Oklahoma State did not do itself any favors. The Cowboys turned the ball over 21 times compared to Texas' 10 turnovers.
Texas notches its first conference win and improves to 11-4 (including a perfect 10-0 record at home this year). The Longhorns continue conference play against the Aggies on Wednesday night at the Erwin Center in Austin.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/UT1-150x150.jpgLake Buena Vista, FL...Stolen from several sources..
There are 90 players assembled for the Under Armour All-American Game and Texas has 10 of those players.
Except tight end they have a starter at every position. Texas has a QB/ Connor Brewer, a RB/Johnathan Gray, 2 WR/Cayleb Jones and Thomas Johnson,2 OL/Curtis Riser and Kennedy Estelle, 2 DT Alex Norman and Peter Jenkins. Add to that list a CB/Bryson Echols.
All indications are the future Longhorns are having a blast. "It's a time for us to all get a lot closer," Norman said. "Then you get to compete against each other and work out together. That helps with the camaraderie. It seems like all the Texas guys have a real good relationship with one another. We are comfortable together. We have bonded very well."
"To be able to come out here and play with some of the guys does a lot of good things for me," Brewer said. "I get to throw to them and I get excited about it. And I am excited to get to Texas with all these guys."
So what do 10 kids spend their time doing. Well in this case they are working on uncommitted players like  the nation's top-rated prospect, defensive end Mario Edwards(Denton, Texas/Billy Ryan), and five-star safety Landon Collins (Geismar, La./Dutchtown). Mario Edwards is committed to Florida State, but there certainly has been some serious talk that he could flip to another school -- and Texas is in that discussion. "We have to get Mario," Brewer said. "He's from Texas and he's hanging out with everyone from Texas. It would be a good spot for him, and to be honest, I think Texas is in good shape with him."
"The dude I want for Texas is Landon Collins," Echols said. "I've been working him. I didn't realize he was announcing on Thursday. Are you for real?" Well, there's 10 of them, and they have two more days to work on him. You can watch these future Longhorns on ESPN, 6:30 pm on Thursday night and as always Hook Em Horns.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/UT1-150x150.jpgLake Buena Vista, FL...Stolen from several sources..
There are 90 players assembled for the Under Armour All-American Game and Texas has 10 of those players.
Except tight end they have a starter at every position. Texas has a QB/ Connor Brewer, a RB/Johnathan Gray, 2 WR/Cayleb Jones and Thomas Johnson,2 OL/Curtis Riser and Kennedy Estelle, 2 DT Alex Norman and Peter Jenkins. Add to that list a CB/Bryson Echols.
All indications are the future Longhorns are having a blast. "It's a time for us to all get a lot closer," Norman said. "Then you get to compete against each other and work out together. That helps with the camaraderie. It seems like all the Texas guys have a real good relationship with one another. We are comfortable together. We have bonded very well."
"To be able to come out here and play with some of the guys does a lot of good things for me," Brewer said. "I get to throw to them and I get excited about it. And I am excited to get to Texas with all these guys."
So what do 10 kids spend their time doing. Well in this case they are working on uncommitted players like  the nation's top-rated prospect, defensive end Mario Edwards(Denton, Texas/Billy Ryan), and five-star safety Landon Collins (Geismar, La./Dutchtown). Mario Edwards is committed to Florida State, but there certainly has been some serious talk that he could flip to another school -- and Texas is in that discussion. "We have to get Mario," Brewer said. "He's from Texas and he's hanging out with everyone from Texas. It would be a good spot for him, and to be honest, I think Texas is in good shape with him."
"The dude I want for Texas is Landon Collins," Echols said. "I've been working him. I didn't realize he was announcing on Thursday. Are you for real?" Well, there's 10 of them, and they have two more days to work on him. You can watch these future Longhorns on ESPN, 6:30 pm on Thursday night and as always Hook Em Horns.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/tcu_helmet-150x150.jpgWhile most of the chatter last week was around the 2012 SEC football schedules being released and who the Aggies will play in their inaugural year in the SEC, it was all but announced that Texas has a new Thanksgiving night foe. Yes, it appears that the Longhorns will play incoming Big XII newcomers TCU annually on Thanksgiving night. A worthy replacement of our friends in College Station? Not yet. Could be down the road though. TCU has better looking women. Listen, I grew up in Fort Worth and went to many Horned Frog football, basketball and baseball games (I even used to clean Amon Carter Stadium after home games with my high school baseball team) so I respect TCU for what they are. But they aren’t Texas and they aren’t A&M. TCU is a small, private university and has always thought it could play with the big boys. They have a had players such as Davy O’Brien, Sammy Baugh, Bob Lilly and LaDainian Tomlinson. Big names for a small school, we know.
Texas is 61-20-1 against TCU all time. Texas first played TCU back in 1897 and last met the Horned Frogs in 2007. The two schools played together in the Southwest conference for many years and in fact, TCU won a national championship in 1938 under head coach Dutch Meyer. In recent years TCU has had a lot of success on the football field under head coach Gary Patterson. They beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl last year (2nd straight BCS Bowl appearance) and finished 13-0 and finished with a #2 ranking. This year they finished 11-2 with a win over Louisiana Tech in the Poinsettia Bowl.
While the Thanksgiving night pairing has not been finalized, we expect it to be soon. Texas fans have lobbied for the Longhorns to play Notre Dame instead, but it has not materialized. A Texas/TCU Thanksgiving night ticket will be fun and entertaining but it still will not mean as much or be as fun as beating the Aggies. At least not yet.
http://www.bevoball.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/tcu_helmet-150x150.jpgWhile most of the chatter last week was around the 2012 SEC football schedules being released and who the Aggies will play in their inaugural year in the SEC, it was all but announced that Texas has a new Thanksgiving night foe. Yes, it appears that the Longhorns will play incoming Big XII newcomers TCU annually on Thanksgiving night. A worthy replacement of our friends in College Station? Not yet. Could be down the road though. TCU has better looking women. Listen, I grew up in Fort Worth and went to many Horned Frog football, basketball and baseball games (I even used to clean Amon Carter Stadium after home games with my high school baseball team) so I respect TCU for what they are. But they aren’t Texas and they aren’t A&M. TCU is a small, private university and has always thought it could play with the big boys. They have a had players such as Davy O’Brien, Sammy Baugh, Bob Lilly and LaDainian Tomlinson. Big names for a small school, we know.
Texas is 61-20-1 against TCU all time. Texas first played TCU back in 1897 and last met the Horned Frogs in 2007. The two schools played together in the Southwest conference for many years and in fact, TCU won a national championship in 1938 under head coach Dutch Meyer. In recent years TCU has had a lot of success on the football field under head coach Gary Patterson. They beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl last year (2nd straight BCS Bowl appearance) and finished 13-0 and finished with a #2 ranking. This year they finished 11-2 with a win over Louisiana Tech in the Poinsettia Bowl.
While the Thanksgiving night pairing has not been finalized, we expect it to be soon. Texas fans have lobbied for the Longhorns to play Notre Dame instead, but it has not materialized. A Texas/TCU Thanksgiving night ticket will be fun and entertaining but it still will not mean as much or be as fun as beating the Aggies. At least not yet.
It was a season of ups and downs but Texas finished strong with a win over Cal in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl and achieved a preseason goal of winning at least 8 games. A young team, Texas struggled to find its identity and was forced to deal with a slew of injuries to key contributors. Now that the dust has settled, here's what we know.
Quarterbacks
The biggest question mark heading into next year is again the quarterback position. David Ash has emerged as the winner of the quarterback battle – at least heading into spring. Mack indicated last week at his press conference that Case needs to improve but he will have his chance to compete again. The Longhorns also have incoming quarterback recruit Connor Brewer headed to the 40 acres as an early enrollee in January. Brewer graduated from high school this month from Chaparral High School in Arizona. Look for Brewer to make things interesting in the spring, along with fellow recruit and dual threat quarterback Jalen Overstreet.
What does all this really mean? Essentially that the quarterback position is wide open for the taking by either of these young men.  Those interested in Connor Brewer’s abilities – see the video below.
Running Backs
The loss of Fozzy Whittaker was huge in terms of leadership and on-field production. Texas had to learn to live Fozzy-less in early November when Whittaker tore both his MCL and ACL in the Missouri game. Stud freshmen Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron picked up where Fozzy left off but both suffered injuries that would plague them the entire season. D.J. Monroe and bruiser Cody Johnson both played as well. 2012 sees heralded running back and coveted recruit Johnathan Gray (Aledo HS) come to Texas and play immediately. The stable of backs in the 2012 Texas offense is down right scary. Health will be the key. These guys stay healthy.... Watch out.
The Texas Defense
Manny Diaz is an absolute genius. This unit was ferocious and stout all year and look for them to be even better next year. With Safety Kenny Vaccarro announcing he will be staying for his senior season and Alex Okafor's expected return in 2012, the Texas defense will be in great shape. The loss of Manny Acho and Keenan Robinson are not to be taken lightly, but with another year comes a more experienced group of returnees. Demarco Cobbs will get elevated playing time and JUCO transfer Brandon Moore will most likely play immediately. Jackson Jeffcoat returns as a the cornerstone of the defensive line. This group could easily be the best in the Big XII and one of the best in the nation in 2012.
Realistic Expectations for Next Year
Even with the uncertainty at quarterback Texas fans should expect the Longhorns to compete for a Big XII title next year. National championship contention is probably a little too much to ask for next year, but 2013 will manifest a mature senior class that should be in the mix. Mack Brown is excited about the next few years for a reason - because the goods are there. The off-season should be extremely productive since Texas has smoothed out most of the road bumps they encountered this year. Keeping the coaching staff in place is critical to future success, as just about every assistant coach was approached by other schools about coaching vacancies before the 2011 season started. Look for Deloss Dodds to tack a few more years on to the existing Mack Brown contract which currently goes through 2016.
