Tag: texas longhorns basketball news

Texas falls to a four-seed in ESPN’s latest bracketology

According to ESPN’s latest bracketology, Texas will be a four-seed in the Midwest region. UT was a three-seed in the previous projection.

College basketball is just around the corner, with the Longhorns season opener against Louisiana scheduled for Nov. 10 in Austin. Shaka Smart will enter the season with a warm seat, needing to make the NCAA Tournament.

According to ESPN’s latest bracketology, not only will Texas make the big dance, but they will be a four-seed in the Midwest region. This is one seed lower since analyst Joe Lunardi’s previous prediction, which had the Longhorns as a three-seed.

Lunardi has Texas facing Murray State in the first round, a team coming from the Ohio Valley Conference. The Racers were 23-9 last season, finishing first in the OVC regular-season rankings.

If Smart’s squad got a win in the first round, the winner of Tennessee/Western Kentucky would be on the cards.

Here is the full region:

Five other Big 12 teams are in Lunardi’s latest projection, the fourth most for a single conference in the country.

Baylor (one-seed), Kansas (two-seed), Oklahoma (10-seed), Texas Tech (three-seed), and West Virginia (three-seed) will join Texas in representing the Big 12.

Texas will have the opportunity to rise from a projected four-seed throughout the entire season. Once again, the Big 12 is going to be the toughest conference in all of college basketball. Playing teams such as Kansas, Baylor, and Texas Tech twice a season gives the Longhorns great opportunities to boost their resume.

Shaka Smart did an excellent job scheduling nonconference games as well, starting with Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are the preseason No. 1 team in the country and will be visiting Austin on Nov. 13.

Then, Texas will be traveling to Maui, Hawaii to play in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. The field consists of Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Stanford, and UNLV.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Sunday Big 12 morning rush: Headlines from around the conference

The latest morning rush headlines from around the Big 12 including a local product heading to Kansas over Texas and Baylor.

Each morning Longhorns Wire will share the top stories from around the Big 12 Conference. For this edition of the Big 12 Morning Twitter, Sports Illustrated, and 247Sports provide the headlines.

Austin native K.J. Adams chooses Kansas over staying home

Austin Westlake power forward K.J. Adams decided to stay somewhat close to home and play basketball in the Big 12 conference. However, he didn’t choose to stay in his hometown of Austin, Texas. Instead he chose Kansas over Georgetown, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and yes Texas. The 2021 power forward is the 16th ranked power forward in the country and is set to play for the Jayhawks and Bill Self.

How Bringing in BYU Solves Every Big 12 Scheduling Dilemma

It was recently reported by Matt Mosely that the Big 12 wouldn’t consider bringing in Brigham Young University. However, desperate times call for desperate measures right? AllSooners of Sports Illustrated highlighted how adding BYU even for one season would fix their scheduling woes in 2020.

Start with the numbers: 10 games spread over 15 Saturdays, from Week 0 (Aug. 29) to Week 14 (Dec. 5), although there’s been much discussion about adding yet another week and pushing the regular-season finales to Dec. 12 — 16 weeks in all.

Try to keep the Thursday and Friday matchups where they are for TV purposes, and build around that if possible. With the final games on Dec. 12 and the Big 12 championship game pushed back to Dec. 19 (essentially what the Pac-12 announced on Friday), that would give every Big 12 team seven open dates to cope with positive COVID-19 test results if they happen, and thus manage rosters.

To start, do away with all existing non-conference games. Simple as that. Let the FCS and Group of 5 opponents figure out their own schedules.

Report: Big 12 closing in on preferred scheduling model for 2020

The Big 12 Conference is the last man standing so to speak. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the conference have yet to announce their 2020 schedule plans unlike their Power Five brothers. Jeff Howe of Horns 247 says that the announcement is coming in the next couple of days.

Texas has two Group of Five opponents left on the schedule, both of which are to be played at Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium: USF on Sept. 5 and UTEP on Sept. 19. If the league is planning on beginning league play in late September and goes to a plus-one scheduling model, the likely scenario would be the Miners coming to Austin to play the Longhorns before Texas opens conference play Oct. 3 with a road trip to K-State.

In theory, there’s a way Texas could play a full 12-game schedule. The Longhorns have the option to move their season opener to Aug. 29 (Kansas and Oklahoma are both due to kick off on the last Saturday in August) and they could potentially add an in-state opponent to fill the void created by the LSU cancelation, likely from Conference USA if Texas went down that road (the Jayhawks added a game with FCS Southern Illinois while the Sooners merely moved their game with Missouri State from September to August, which allowed them to begin preseason practice Friday).

Texas basketball: Two of the top centers name Longhorns among top 10

Two of the top centers in the 2021 men’s basketball recruiting cycle have named the Texas Longhorns among their top 10.

In the 2020 men’s basketball recruiting cycle, Shaka Smart earned only one commitment. That came from the number four power forward in the country Greg Brown II. Brown’s recruitment came down to signing with Texas or making the jump to the NBA’s G League. It is well known that his freshman season with the Longhorns will be his only as he will make the jump to the NBA.

As for the 2021 class, the Longhorns have already found a potential replacement for Brown at the power forward position. Keeyan Itejere of Grace Christian in Raleigh, North Carolina has already committed to the Longhorns. The Longhorns are also on the shortened list for two of the top centers in the 2021 class.

The number five center in the country, Daimion Collons of Atlanta, Texas has named the Longhorns among his top ten schools. According to crystal ball predictions on 247Sports, Collins is 100% to Texas based off of three predictions submitted.

His top ten schools:

  • Texas
  • Houston
  • Oklahoma
  • Kansas
  • Alabama
  • LSU
  • Texas Tech
  • Arkansas
  • Oklahoma State
  • Baylor

The second top 10 announcement came from Canada’s Charles Bediako. He is the number one rated player from Ontario, Canada and number three center in the entire class. Bediako stands at 6’11” and 215 pounds. His crystal ball is a little less clear cut as there are two predictions. One is for Alabama and one is undecided.

Bediako’s top 10:

  • Memphis
  • Alabama
  • Texas
  • Baylor
  • Maryland
  • Duke
  • Tennessee
  • Michigan
  • Ohio State
  • Southern California

If Shaka Smart can land either of these two centers, it would be a major win for Texas men’s basketball. The Longhorns are looking to get back to the top of the Big 12 and they will likely need a dominant big man to help them get there.

Texas announces full non-conference schedule

Texas has announced for full non-conference schedule for the 2020-2021 basketball season. UT will be facing some of the best in CBB.

Texas has announced for full non-conference schedule for the 2020-2021 basketball season. With this being Shaka Smart’s final chance to get the Longhorns into the NCAA Tournament, it will be important to pick up a key win or two to build the resume.

Here is the full schedule:

  • vs Louisiana, Nov. 10 (Tuesday)
  • vs Gonzaga, Nov. 13 (Friday)
  • vs Stetson, Nov. 17 (Tuesday)
  • Maui Invitational, Nov. 23-25 (Alabama, Davidson, Indiana, North Carolina, Providence, Stanford, UNLV)
  • vs Utah Valley, Dec. 1
  • Big 12 / Big East Battle vs TBD, Dec. 6 (Sunday)
  • vs Boston University, Dec. 12 (Saturday)
  • The Battleground 2K20 vs Louisiana Tech, Dec. 18 (Friday)
  • vs Colgate, Dec. 21 (Monday)
  • vs Brown, Dec. 29 (Tuesday)
  • Big 12 / SEC Challenge vs TBD, Jan. 30 (Saturday)

One thing that pops out is there is not a true road game as of now. One could come from the Big 12 / Big East Battle or the Big 12 / SEC Challenge, but for now, Smart’s squad will only play games in Austin, Maui, and Houston.

Texas will be facing off against the biggest names in all of college basketball, including a big home matchup against Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are expected to be a preseason top-five team in the AP poll and will once again be a favorite to win the national championship.

The matchups of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational have not been announced, but with North Carolina and Indiana in the field, the Longhorns could face off against two of basketball’s blue bloods. Texas has a combined record of 9-4 against the Tar Heels and Hoosiers, with the latest win coming against UNC in 2018.

It will be an uphill battle for Shaka Smart, who is desperate need of a good season to retain his job. With new five-star recruit Greg Brown coming into the program, expectations will be sky high for Texas.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Texas basketball offers 2022 three-star wide receiver

Shaka Smart and the Longhorns have offered 2021 SG Anthony Black. A two-sport athlete, Black is also a highly recruited football player.

Shaka Smart and the Longhorns have offered 2021 shooting guard Anthony Black out of Coppell, Texas. A two-sport athlete, Black is also a highly recruited football player, currently a three-star prospect.

247Sports has yet to rate Black as a basketball player but he should be highly recruited there as well. Over the past week, he has picked up offers from Saint Louis, TCU, and Texas Tech.

On the football side, Tom Herman has yet to offer the three-star wide receiver. Baylor, Kansas, and Iowa State have offered Black on the gridiron, with Arkansas and Georgia Tech being the only other Power Five schools to extend an offer.

A Texas legacy, Black’s mother played soccer for the Longhorns for two seasons.

“Texas is definitely up there considering my mom went there for two years,” Black said.

Nobody is quite sure which sport he will choose, but Black possesses enough talent to be an elite prospect in both. Only entering his junior season, he will have the opportunity to increase his rating in both football and basketball.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Shaka, Texas picks up Crystal Ball selection for 2021 five-star center

Texas has picked up a crystal ball prediction for five-star center Daimion Collins. The big man would be a huge pickup for Shaka Smart.

Texas has picked up a crystal ball prediction from Nick Harris of 247Sports for five-star center Daimion Collins. The big man would be a huge in-state recruit for Shaka Smart, hopefully replacing one and done prospect Greg Brown.

Rating
Stars Overall State Position
247 4 29 4 6
Rivals 4 20 – 5
ESPN 4 23 3 6
247 Composite 5 22 2 5
Vitals
Hometown Atlanta, Texas
Projected Position Center
Height 6-8
Weight 190
Recruitment
  • Offered on April 13, 2020
  • No visit yet
Offers (14 Total)
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Georgia
  • Houston
  • Kansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma State
  • Texas
  • Texas A&M
  • Texas Tech
Crystal Ball

[protected-iframe id=”0838c4a9b2f4d6392d3b755b2162358b-162776761-148907722″ info=”https://247sports.com/PlayerInstitution/Daimion-Collins-at-Atlanta-234094/CurrentExpertPredictions/Embed/?SnapShot=637291346578171402″ width=”600″ height=”200″ frameborder=”0″ class=”twofourseven-embed”]

Film

[protected-iframe id=”1909a0dc35b58a46ccf732be35934578-162776761-85508312″ info=”//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14205861/5e2c78f3d21b8506604a36f0″ width=”640″ height=”360″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]

Twitter

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Texas lands commitment from 2021 forward Keeyan Itejere

UT has landed 2021 PF Keeyan Itejere. Not rated by any recruiting sites yet, Itejere is the first player in the 2021 recruiting class.

Texas has landed a commitment from 2021 power forward Keeyan Itejere. Not rated by any of the major recruiting websites yet, Itejere is the first player in Shaka Smart’s 2021 recruiting class.

Continue reading “Texas lands commitment from 2021 forward Keeyan Itejere”

Big 12 basketball tournament to remain in Kansas City through 2025

The Big 12 Conference and the city of Kansas City have agreed to keep the basketball championship tournament there through 2025.

The Big 12 Conference announced that they will keep the postseason basketball tournament in Kansas City. The original deal ran through 2020 and will now remain there for five more seasons according to their website.

We were all looking forward to having our basketball championships back together in Kansas City in 2020. While the pandemic didn’t allow that to happen, this extension provides an additional year for our institutions and fans to take part in the Big 12 basketball atmosphere that has become synonymous with Kansas City.

With the plans we had in place to celebrate the men’s and women’s basketball championships being back to together in Kansas City, the 2020 Big 12 Basketball Championships were poised to be especially exciting,“ says Kathy Nelson, President & CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission. “The unfortunate cancellation of those events due to COVID-19 definitely left our community wanting more. We are excited and grateful that the Big 12 Conference has decided to extend our agreement to host both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships through 2025. – Bob Bowlsby, Big 12 Commissioner

There was some hope that the Big 12’s basketball championship tournaments would move to a more centralized location for all schools. Cities such as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma or Dallas, Texas. Unfortunately with the recent contract extension between Kansas City and the conference won’t allow that to happen until at least 2026.

The Texas Longhorns are hoping to have more competitive teams in the upcoming season. The men’s team will return with everyone from the 2019-20 team with the addition of the number one recruit in the country Greg Brown.

The women’s team will be under new leadership with the recent hire of Vic Schaefer, who came over from Mississippi State. There is a bit of excitement given the direction he had his previous program going.

Longhorns well-represented on 2021 Texas Sports Hall of Fame Ballot

The Texas Sports Hall of Fame listed their ballot for the 2021 class. The Longhorns have nine former athletes up for induction.

The Texas Sports Hall of Fame recently released their 2021 ballots and it has plenty of former Texas Longhorns on it. There are two ballots with one being the primary and the other being the veteran ballot. In total there are nine Longhorns and seven are on the primary ballot. The sports range from football, basketball, softball and track and field.

Primary Ballot

Phil Dawson, Kicker

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The first former Longhorn on the ballot is former kicker Phil Dawson. Dawson played for Texas from 1994-97. He would appear in 46 games in that span. Twice he led the conference in extra point attempts, extra points made and field goal percentage. He would finish his Longhorns career with 339 points scored, his career high of 108 was set in 1996.

He would go on to enjoy a NFL career that lasted until 2018. Most of his career was spent in Cleveland for 14 seasons. He would join the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons and the final two in Arizona with the Cardinals. He played in 305 games total. In that time he converted 83.8 percent of his field goal attempts and 97.6 percent of his extra point attempts.

He would finish his career with 1,847 points over his 20-year NFL career. He was selected to his only Pro Bowl in 2012, which would also be his last year in Cleveland. Dawson ranks second in Browns history for most points scored. He only trails legendary kicker Lou Groza.

Accomplishments:

  • All-American kicker and four-year starter who left UT with 13 Longhorn records, including all-time marks for scoring (339), field goals (59) and field goal accuracy (74.7 percent)
  • Finished his career ranked 16th on the NCAA all-time scoring list, 12th on the NCAA all-time kick-scoring chart and 31st on the NCAA all-time field goals made list
  • Set a UT record by hitting 15 straight field goals in 1996-97; set a UT record by making six straight field goals from 50 or more yards from 1995-97
  • Connected on 64.3 percent of his field goals from 40 yards and further (27 of 42) during his college career
  • Signed as free agent with Cleveland in 1999
  • Hall of Honor inductee in 2012
Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

With NBA set to return, should Kevin Durant?

The NBA Board of Governors voted to approve a 22-team league restart plan in Orlando. Should Kevin Durant come back and play for the Nets?

On Thursday, the NBA Board of Governors voted to approve a 22-team league restart plan in Orlando, Florida according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The top eight teams from both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference will travel to Florida, plus the Portland Trailblazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Phoneix Suns, and the Washington Wizards.

Each team will play eight games to conclude the 2019-2020 regular season. From there on, a normal playoff schedule will be in place, with the top eight teams from each conference facing off.

Within the top eight teams of the Eastern Conference is the Brooklyn Nets. This offseason, Brooklyn signed two major free agents in former Duke star Kyrie Irving and former Longhorn Kevin Durant.

However, nobody has seen Durant in a Nets jersey yet, as he has been sidelined with a torn Achilles since Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors. The original plan was to have him sit out the entire season and return for the 2020-2021 season.

Now, with a nearly four-month layoff due to COVID-19, should Kevin Durant return to the Nets and attempt to help them win a championship this season?

As thing stand, Brooklyn is in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, sitting at a record of 30-34. They are six games behind the sixth-placed Philadelphia 76ers and six games ahead of the ninth-place Washington Wizards. The Nets are more or less a lock for the playoffs at this point.

Assuming all seeding remains the same after eight games, their first-round opponent would be the defending NBA Champions, the Toronto Raptors.

Durant is not the only injured star for Brooklyn, as Kyrie Irving underwent season-ending shoulder surgery back in February. As of now, the Nets are without two players they are paying a combined $70 million.

If Irving was healthy and Brooklyn was seen as a competitive force throughout the season, Durant could have considered coming back for the playoffs.

Without the superstar point guard, there is no point in rushing back, especially as a 7-seed.  Assuming everything goes well, Durant should be able to be ready to go for the 2020-2021 NBA season.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]