Nov. 13, 2009
Complete Notes 
#3/3 Texas (0-0) vs. UC Irvine (1-0)
O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Regional Round
Sunday, November 15, 2009 • 1 pm (Central)
Frank Erwin Center (16,734) • Austin, Texas
GAME DAY QUICK FACTS
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by ESPNU. Dave Armstrong (pxp) and Reid Gettys (analyst) will call the action.
RADIO: The Longhorn Sports Network and KVET (FM 98.1/1300 AM Sportsradio The Zone) broadcast every UT game on the statewide network and on XM Satellite Radio Ch. 231. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
SERIES: First meeting
The 104th Season
Texas tips off its 104th season of intercollegiate basketball when it plays host to UC Irvine on Sunday, Nov. 15 as part of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. Tip is slated for 1 p.m. at the Erwin Center. The Longhorns hold an all-time record of 1,586-947 (.626) in their previous 103 years of competition. UT played its first varsity basketball contest on March 10, 1906 and recorded a 27-17 victory against Baylor in Austin. The Horns went on to post a 7-1 mark in the program's opening season. Texas has fielded a varsity basketball team in every year since then with the exception of the 1907-08 season.
Texas in Season Openers
Texas has posted an overall mark of 84-19 (.816) in its previous 103 season-opening games. The Longhorns are 9-2 in season openers under coach Rick Barnes.
Texas in Home Openers
Texas has posted an overall mark of 88-15 (.854) in its previous 103 home-opening contests. UT is 27-5 in home openers since the Frank Erwin Center opened prior to the 1977-78 season. The Horns are 9-2 in home openers under coach Rick Barnes.
O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic
Twelve teams will compete in the ninth annual O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. Texas, Pittsburgh, Wichita State and Iowa will serve as regional hosts for the event. The four hosts will advance to the Championship Rounds, to be played Nov. 23-24 at Sprint Center in Kansas City. The tourney was initially established in 2001 as the Guardians Classic, in partnership with the NABC. The event is now named after the College Basketball Experience, an interactive facility for college basketball fans that is part of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Texas actually won the 2005 Guardians Classic (2005-06 team advanced to the NCAA "Elite Eight"), posting wins against No. 13 West Virginia (76-75) in the semifinals and No. 18 Iowa (68-59) in the championship game.
Series vs. UC Irvine
This marks the first meeting between Texas and UC Irvine on the hardcourt. UT will play a pair of Big West Conference opponents in the first month of the year, as the Longhorns also will host Long Beach State on Dec. 7. The Horns have posted a 10-5 all-time record against current members of the Big West entering Sunday's contest (3-3 vs. Long Beach State, 1-0 vs. UC Davis, 2-0 vs. UC Riverside, 3-1 vs. UC Santa Barbara and 1-1 vs. Pacific).
11-in-a-Row
With their bid to the 2009 NCAA Tournament, the Horns extended their school-record streak of consecutive NCAA appearances to 11. Texas has advanced to the Big Dance in each of Rick Barnes' 11 seasons in Austin. Prior to the Barnes era, UT's previous mark for consecutive NCAA Tournament bids was four (set twice). Texas is one of just seven schools to have advanced to each of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments (1999-2009). Joining the Horns in this group are: Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
An "Elite" Program
Texas has reached the NCAA "Elite Eight" twice in the last four years and three times in the last seven seasons. During the Barnes era, the Horns have made trips to the regional final in 2003 (beat Michigan State to advance to the Final Four), 2006 (lost to LSU in overtime) and 2008 (lost to Memphis).
In "Sweet" Company
Texas has reached the NCAA "Sweet 16" five times in the last eight years. The Longhorns are one of just five schools to accomplish this feat, joining Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Pittsburgh. Texas has made 10 trips to the "Sweet 16" since 1960. UT made "Sweet 16" appearances in 1960 (25-team tournament), 1963 (25-team tournament), 1972 (25-team tournament), 1997, 2002 and 2004. Texas also advanced to the "Elite Eight" in 1990, 2006 and 2008 and the Final Four in 2003.
20 Wins ... Again
With its 23-12 mark in 2008-09, the Longhorns reached the 20-win mark for the 10th straight season. Texas has reached the 30-win plateau twice in the last four years (31-7 record in 2007-08, 30-7 mark in 2005-06). UT's current streak of 10 straight 20-win campaigns is a school record. Prior to the current streak, the previous school mark for most consecutive 20-win seasons was four (1988-89 to 1991-92).
Consistent Success in the Big 12
Texas has reached the 10-win mark in Big 12 Conference play (16 games played) a total of nine times in the previous 11 seasons under Rick Barnes. Texas posted a 9-7 conference mark in 2004-05 and a 9-7 record last year. The Horns have recorded at least nine wins in each of Barnes' 11 seasons in Austin. UT has recorded at least 13 conference victories in five of Barnes' 11 seasons in Austin (13-3 in 1998-99, 13-3 in 1999-2000, 13-3 in 2002-03, 13-3 in 2005-06 and 13-3 in 2007-08).
Horns at Home
Texas begins its 33rd year of play in the Frank Erwin Center on Sunday afternoon. The Longhorns have posted an all-time record of 376-91 (.805) in the building. Since Rick Barnes arrived in Austin, UT has recorded a 151-20 (.883) mark at the Erwin Center, including a 75-13 (.852) record in Big 12 Conference home games. Texas is 61-5 at the Erwin Center in the last four seasons (dating to the start of the 2005-06 season).
Strength of Schedule
To say UT will play a difficult schedule this season would be a gross understatement. Texas will face five opponents in the regular season who are ranked in the preseason AP Top 25: No. 4 UCLA (Dec. 4 in Austin), No. 6 Michigan State (Dec. 20 in Houston), No. 12 Oklahoma (Jan. 12 in Norman, Feb. 21 in Austin), No. 23 Villanova (Dec. 9 in New York City, Jimmy V Classic), No. 24 Kansas (Feb. 7 in Lawrence) and No. 25 Wisconsin (Dec. 23 in Madison). The Horns also could face No. 1 North Carolina and No. 9 Notre Dame during the EA Sports Maui Invitational (Nov. 24-26).
Defense Wins
Solid defense continues to be a Texas trademark under coach Rick Barnes. Last year, Texas held its opponents to an average of 65.6 points per contest and a combined 40.7% FG shooting. Since Barnes arrived in Austin, the Horns have held 182 of their 375 opponents to under 40% FG shooting. Texas sports a 165-17 (.907) mark in the Barnes era when accomplishing the feat.
A True Senior "Class"
For the first time since the 2003-04 "Sweet 16" team that featured a quartet of veteran seniors who had played major minutes in Brian Boddicker, Royal Ivey, Brandon Mouton and James Thomas, the Longhorns have the benefit of a senior class. The trio of Damion James, Justin Mason and Dexter Pittman (can also add redshirt junior Matt Hill to this class as well) have all made significant contributions to UT's success in each of the last three years. Entering the 2009-10 season, the James-Mason-Pittman trio have played in a combined 316 games (232 starts) and totaled 2,580 points and 1,724 rebounds in 7,416 minutes. They have led UT to a NCAA "Elite Eight" appearance in 2007-08 and NCAA Second Round trips in 2006-07 and 2008-09.
James, Pittman Among 30 Candidates for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Damion James and Dexter Pittman are two of the 30 candidates for the 2009-10 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as a NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. Texas is the only school to have a pair of candidates among the pool of 30 selected. The list of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on an official ballot. Ballots will be cast from a national poll of media, coaches and fans. Lowe's will announce the award for men's basketball at the 2010 NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis. This marks the ninth year for the basketball division of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
James, Bradley on Naismith Top 50 Preseason List
Damion James and freshman Avery Bradley hold two of the Top 50 spots on the Naismith Trophy 2009-10 preseason watch list. UT has had two winners of the Naismith Trophy in the last seven years (T.J. Ford in 2003 and Kevin Durant in 2007).
James on Wooden Top 50 Preseason List
For the second straight year, Damion James is among the Top 50 preseason candidates for the 2009-10 John R. Wooden All-American team. UT is the only school to have two winners of the Wooden Award in the last seven years (T.J. Ford in 2003 and Kevin Durant in 2007). In addition, D.J. Augustin was one of five finalists for the award in 2008.
James Getting Better by the Year
Damion James returns for his senior season as one of the top all-around players in the Big 12 Conference, if not the nation. A three-year starter who has played in all 108 games (106 starts), James tested the NBA Draft waters by going through individual workouts with quite a few teams before deciding to pull his name out of the Draft two days before the deadline. During his junior season, he earned spots on the NABC All-District 8 Second Team and the All-Big 12 Second Team. He led the team and ranked fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding (9.2 rpg) and was second on the team and 10th in the league in scoring (15.4 ppg) last year. He also led the team with 31 double-figure scoring games, 18 double-figure rebounding games and 16 double-doubles.
James Nears 1,000 Career Rebounds
Damion James enters his senior year ranked third in school history with 968 rebounds in 108 career games (9.0 rpg). He needs just 32 rebounds to become the third player in school history to reach the 1,000 career rebound plateau. James is just 110 boards shy of becoming the school's all-time leading rebounder.
James Close to 1,000-1,000 Club
Damion James is just 32 rebounds shy of joining some very impressive company in Texas Basketball history. He will become just the third player in UT history to record at least 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. LaSalle Thompson (1980-82) posted 1,463 points and 1,027 rebounds during his three seasons in Austin. James Thomas (2001-04) registered 1,149 points and 1,077 boards during his four years at Texas.
James Climbs UT Scoring List
Damion James became the 30th player in UT history to reach the 1,000-point milestone during his junior season (game at Oklahoma on Jan. 12, 2009). James begins his senior season at the No. 18 spot on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,306 points in 108 career games (12.1 ppg).
James Sees Double
Damion James enters his senior season with 37 career double-doubles to his credit, fourth in UT history James recorded 16 double-doubles as a junior and 17 during his sophomore season.
Pittman Shows Rapid Improvement
Dexter Pittman was one of the most improved players in the Big 12 Conference, if not the nation, as a junior. He shared the team's Most Improved Player honor with Dogus Balbay. Pittman increased his production from his first two seasons to his junior season in scoring (from 2.7 to 10.1 ppg), rebounding (from 2.1 to 5.5 rpg), minutes (from 6.2 to 16.6 mpg) and free throw percentage (from 52.0 to 69.1). He reached double figures in scoring 15 times in 35 games last year after achieving the feat just three times in his first two seasons (65 games).
Pittman Shines in the Postseason
Junior center Dexter Pittman was a dominating presence inside for the Horns during the team's five postseason games (three at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, two in the NCAA Tournament). In those five games, Pittman averaged 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per contest. He earned a spot on the five-person Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team, as he has averaged a team-high 17.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game. He set a career high with 26 points (9-of-13 FG, 8-of-12 FT) to go along with 10 rebounds against Colorado in the opening round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. He returned the next day and came within one point of posting the fifth 20-point, 20-rebound effort in UT history with 19 points (8-of-12 FG), 20 rebounds and four blocks in 34 minutes against Kansas State in the quarterfinals. Pittman then recorded 17 points (7-of-12 FG) and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes during the NCAA First Round win against Minnesota.
The Glue Guy
If you're looking for the individual who does all the dirty work and holds the team together, look no further than senior combo guard Justin Mason. Mason has played in all 108 games (101 starts) during his first three years in Austin. He has earned or shared the team's Most Outstanding Defensive Player honor in each of his first three seasons. Mason is a two-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection, earning the award in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Last year, he led the team in assists (4.0 apg) and ranked second on the team in steals (38) and minutes (30.0 mpg), fourth in rebounding (3.7 rpg) and fifth in scoring (6.7 ppg).
Ward Looks to Pick Up Where He Left Off
Combo guard Varez Ward returns for his sophomore season, and the coaching staff believes he may be the most improved player on the team since the end of last year. He shined during UT's two games at the NCAA Tournament last season, averaging 11.5 points and 2.5 assists in 23.5 minutes per game while converting 9-of-12 (.750) field goals. Ward posted a career-high 16 points (7-of-8 FG) in 21 minutes off the bench in the NCAA Second Round defeat against No. 6/5 Duke.
Ward Excels in the Postseason
Varez Ward provided a huge lift off the bench for the Horns throughout the postseason last year. During four postseason games (DNP against Colorado in opening round of league tourney), Ward averaged 9.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per contest while converting 14-of-21 (.667) field goals and 11-of-15 (.733) free throws. In the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship quarterfinal win against Kansas State, Ward entered the game at the 18:48 mark of the second half and played the rest of the way. He posted nine points (3-of-5 FG, 3-of-3 FT), three rebounds, a career-high two blocks and one assist. Ward scored seven straight points for Texas from the 12:37 mark to 10:42 left in the second half, lifting the Horns from a 40-39 deficit to a 46-40 lead.
Johnson Looks to Continue Improvement
Forward Gary Johnson returns for his junior season looking to continue the improvement he showed during his sophomore year. Last season, Johnson earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Reserve team (by league's media). He played in 32 games (nine starts) as a sophomore and ranked second on the team in rebounding (5.3 rpg) and fourth in scoring (10.0 ppg). Johnson posted 17 double-figure scoring games and led the squad in rebounding six times.
Balbay Gets the Point
Junior point guard Dogus Balbay had a solid end to his sophomore season. He started the final 13 games of the year and averaged 5.6 points per game while recording 63 assists against just 30 turnovers in the stretch. Balbay ranked fourth in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3 ratio) with 107 assists against 46 turnovers.
Wangmene Returns to Frontcourt Rotation
Sophomore forward/center Alexis Wangmene returns to the rotation after being sidelined with a right knee injury last year. He played in four of the first five games last season and averaged 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game. Wangmene had surgery on his right knee on Dec. 17, 2008 and was granted a medical redshirt. As a freshman in 2007-08, he played in 37 of 38 games and tied for third on the team in blocks (18).
Chapman, Hill Compete for Playing Time
Junior forward/center Clint Chapman and redshirt junior forward/center Matt Hill also should factor into the frontcourt rotation for the Horns this year. Hill, who has played in 44 career games, has fully recovered from a left heel injury that sidelined him for the entire 2007-08 season. Last year, Hill played in 21 games and recorded a season-high six points and five boards in a career-best 27 minutes at Texas Tech (Jan. 17). Chapman has seen action in 67 games during his first two seasons in Austin. Last year, he averaged 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 8.0 minutes per contest. He tied his career high with six rebounds against No. 15/12 Villanova at the Jimmy V Classic and posted a career-high nine points against Kansas State in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship quarterfinals.
Fresh Faces
UT welcomes a highly-touted freshman quartet that was ranked as the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 4 by ESPNU.
• J'Covan Brown was ranked as the No. 54 prospect nationally by Rivals.com and No. 69 by Scout.com in the Class of 2008. He was unable to see time on the court last year as he worked to gain admittance into Texas. Brown averaged 29.9 points per game while playing in 11 contests during his senior year at Port Arthur Memorial HS.
• Avery Bradley earned ESPNRISE.com High School National Player of the Year honors and was ranked as the No. 1 prospect nationally by ESPNU following his senior year. A McDonald's and Jordan All-American, he won the slam dunk contest at the McDonald's All-American Game. Bradley led Findlay Prep to a 33-0 mark last year and the mythical high school national championship. He averaged 19.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.9 steals per game while converting 54 percent of his field goal attempts.
• Jordan Hamilton earned Jordan All-America accolades and was ranked as the No. 8 prospect nationally by ESPNU despite not being able to play last season. Hamilton averaged 27.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game as a junior while leading Dominguez HS to a 32-3 mark and the California Interscholastic Foundation (CIF) Southern Section Division I-AA championship.
• Shawn Williams was a four-year letter winner at Duncanville HS who helped his teams posted a 130-20 record during his career. Williams led his team in both scoring and rebounding in each of his last two years, averaging 20.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a senior. Williams was ranked as the No. 46 prospect nationally by Scout.com and No. 53 by ESPNU following his senior year.
Lucas Eligible on Dec. 15
Junior point guard Jai Lucas (first name is pronounced Jay) will become eligible to play in the home game against UT-Pan American on Dec. 15. Lucas transferred from Florida to Texas prior to the start of the Spring 2009 semester. Per NCAA transfer rules, Lucas is permitted to practice with the Longhorns, but he will not be able to participate in games or travel with the team until the completion of fall semester exams. Lucas spent his freshman season (2007-08) at Florida and earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team while starting all 36 games for the Gators. He averaged 8.5 ppg and converted a team-best 43.5 percent of his three-point field goal attempts (37-of-85) while helping Florida post a 24-12 record (8-8 SEC, 4th East) and advance to the MasterCard Postseason NIT semifinals. Lucas earned McDonald's All-America and Parade All-America honors during his senior year at Bellaire High School in Houston, as he averaged 26.3 points and 7.5 assists per contest.
Three-Point Streak
The last time Texas did not convert a three-pointer in a contest came on Dec. 18, 1990, in an 87-84 overtime victory at UC-Santa Barbara. The Horns were 0-of-2 from beyond the arc on that day. The Longhorns enter Sunday's game having hit at least one 3-pointer in 618 consecutive games. In fact, UT has converted at least one three in 746 of 753 games since the trey was introduced prior to the 1986-87 season. The Horns have failed to attempt at least one 3-pointer just one time in school history (Feb. 24, 1988; at TCU, 69-55 win).
Year 12 at Texas for Barnes
The all-time winningest coach in Texas Basketball history, Rick Barnes begins his 12th season at Texas and sports a 270-105 (.720) mark with the Horns. He has compiled a 472-239 (.664) record in 22 years as a head coach at George Mason, Providence, Clemson and Texas. Along the way, he has guided his teams to a total of 17 NCAA (current streak of 14 consecutive) and three NIT trips.
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