The faces of the Kansas players weren’t the only ones that were a bit astonished Feb. 11. The No.1 Jayhawks had just been taken to the wire in overtime against a Texas team that had not broken until the very end in a 110-103 loss in Austin.
Back on Dec. 29, it appeared Chris Owens’ knee wasn’t the only thing that had been fractured as the Longhorns were left without its strongest link. Owens, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, was the hinge that was going to keep this team of inexperienced underclassmen and role players from breaking. But with the help of some unknowns and surprisingly good coaching, Texas did not implode and is now a Final Four dark horse on many lists.
First, a large amount of credit must be given to coach Rick Barnes, who has finally proven that his system can thrive with his players. When Barnes took over for Tom Penders in 1998, he was coaching the run-‘n-gun ‘tweeners that had personified Texas basketball for the previous decade. With the last three seasons producing early NCAA tournament exits, it was evident Barnes did not have the players he needed to run his half-court, ACC-style offense. But Barnes has been able to buy the groceries, and the results have been mouth-watering.
Analysis of the Longhorns begins and ends with T.J. Ford, national freshman of the year. The point guard leads the nation in assists with 8.3 per game but also averages 10 points per game and leads the team in minutes at 33 per contest. Ford is a classic point guard in the mold of Isaiah Thomas, with astonishing quickness and arguably the best court vision of any player in the country. Only a freshman, he runs the pick-and-roll to perfection, producing open shots both on the perimeter and in the post.
When Ford is feeding down low, he’s nourishing the appetites of Texas’ mean big men. Long maligned for playing finesse basketball and lacking true enforcers without a Rasheed Wallace temper, the ‘Horns finally have a cast of players that can simply be described as “nasty.”
The most vicious of the bunch is sophomore forward James Thomas, named third-team all-Big XII. Thomas leads the team in blocked shots, rebounding and field goal percentage. Beyond stats, Thomas brings a vigor and passion to the defensive side of the ball that has rubbed off on the other players, namely Deginald Erskin.
The past two weeks it has been Erskin, filling in for Owens, who has sparked the ‘Horns. In two Big XII tournament games and two NCAA games, Erskin has averaged 14.5 ppg. — compared to his 6.5 in the regular season. Erskin stands 6-foot-5, is extremely muscular and was considered one of the top tight ends in the state coming out of high school. He is effective in the low post due to his quickness, primarily attacking the basket rather than settling for mid-range baby-hooks.
The Longhorns’ other two starters, Royal Ivey and James Mouton, have been the biggest beneficiaries of Ford’s skill and of Thomas and Erskin’s presence. At 6-foot-4, Mouton controls the baseline and is the Longhorns best threat from beyond the arc, shooting at a 40 percent clip for the year.
Ivey is a true two-guard, averaging 11 ppg and is UT’s best free-throw shooter. Ivey has come far from 2001, when he only averaged 2.8 ppg.
The ‘Horns use four players off the bench, although none of the quartet are particularly difference-makers. Brian Boddicker and Jason Klotz are decent rebounders but are often used to eat up fouls. Sydmill Harris and Freddie Williams spell Ford and Ivey respectively and are reasonable at creating offense
