Playmaker Magazine March 2011

page 3Playmaker Magazine

11 mAdness! mArCh 2011

6 The Six Shooter The Playmaker staff gives six bold thoughts on Texas Sports.

7 Texas Time Machine We ponder the possibilites for the Dallas Mavericks if the “Phantom Foul” hadn’t been called on Dirk Nowitzki in the 2006 NBA fi nals.

8 Out of Bounds with Cold War Kids Playmaker Magazine sits down with lead singer Nathan Willett to talk the band’s new album, Mine is Yours and the new direction they’ve taken.

10 Facing the Nation Fan favorite Michelle Beadle of ESPN2’s SportsNation talks about her hometown and her love of Texas sports.

20 Picking up the Pieces We discuss the future of Texas soccer and the possible talent that can be bred in the Lone Star State.

We outline the heroes, villains, and potential futures come tournament time for the many teams in Texas college basketball who are hoping to bring home a championship.

By Adam Sweeney, Bradford Harrison, and Javier Perez

Photo by Bradford Harrison

21 the sCorinG networKWe break down the profi les of the Texas Women’s teams who may be headed to the Final Four.

By Adam Sweeney, Bradford Harrison, and Javier Perez

Letter from the editorDear Playmaker Readers,

Welcome to the March issue of Playmaker Magazine. As temperatures rise, not a moment too soon in the Lone Star State, so go the hopes of college basketball teams making their way to the “Big Dance.” While I can’t claim to be the biggest fan of Disney movies, I am abso-lutely enamored with the idea of the Cinderella story in college basketball.

In a sports world on the verge of being split apart by professional leagues that have two sides unable to agree on how best to split a multi-billion dollar pie, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments serve as reminders that the concept of playing for the love of the game still exists. In honor of that idea, we bring you our NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Tournament Previews, filled with superheroes, sidekicks, and players you can’t help but “like.” You’ll see what we mean.

Outside of the “Madness,” we go “Out of Bounds” and talk to Nathan Willett of Cold War Kids, whose new album Mine Is Yours explores the highs and lows one experiences in relation-ships, a subject all sports fans should be familiar with. We also shine the spotlight Sports-Nation’s Michelle Beadle as she returns to her texas roots in an exclusive interview.

The March issue is our most ambitious yet, and we hope it will serve as a companion piece to your tournament obsession. So get your brackets ready. We’ll be cheering on all our favorite teams in Texas alongside you and falling to our knees when our brackets inevitably get busted. I’m not David Bowie, but it seems the only proper way to end this letter is in his words. Let’s dance.

Adam SweeneyEditor-in-Chief

Publishers

AdAm sweeney And brAdford hArrison

editor-in-Chief

Adam Sweeney

stAff editor

Bradford Harrison

Art direCtors

Tiffany Cunningham | James Wetz

story Contributors

Adam Sweeney | Bradford Harrison | Javier Perez | James Bolton

Photo Contributors

Adam Sweeney | Bradford Harrison | Javier Perez | Lucy Hamblin | NBAE/Getty Images | Andrew Kilzer & texags.com | Ivan Pierre Aguirre | Matthew Minard/Baylor Marketing and Communications | Texas Southern Athletics | Texas State Athletic Department | Michael Strong/Texas Tech Athletics | Stephen Pinchback

Copyright 2011 Playmaker Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Play-maker Magazine is published monthly. Views expressed in Playmaker Magazine are not necessarily the opinion of Playmaker Magazine, its staff, or its advertisers.

Playmaker Magazine does not knowingly accept false or misleading edi-torial content or advertising, nor is Playmaker Magazine responsible for the content or claims of any advertising or editorial in this publication. No content (articles, photographs, graphics) in Playmaker Magazine may be used for reproduction from the publisher. Playmaker Magazine is available free of charge.

ContACt us: Editorial Staff: (512) 696-7124Advertising Staff: (254) [email protected]

www.playmakeronline.comPage 4

Cover photo courtesy University of Texas Athletic Department

Cold War Kids inset photo by Lucy Hamblin

Page 5Playmaker Magazine

WHY SO SERIOUS?

Spurs forward Tim Duncan refl ects on the bench during a game against the Dallas Mavericks.


1 riCK BArNeS iS hiS oWN WorSt eNemY

Rick Barnes has to be feeling the pressure of another promising season ending too early afterTexas lost several games to teams the Longhorns should have blown out. With so many disappointing teams that have come up short of expectations in his tenure at Texas, he’s developed a bad reputation with some fans. The last two seasons, Texas started with a good ranking and quality wins only to see his teams crumble in March. If it happens again this month, it’ll be his fi rst three-year stretch of not playing in a regional fi nal since his fi rst three years in Austin.

This has to be the year he makes a breakthrough because he won’t get a better chance than this one. He gets contributions across the board from a deep bench, has more quality big men than any other top 10 team, and has the potential to play at sites in Tulsa, San Antonio and Houston. It’s more than any coach could ask for. But if he blows it, it’ll be stamped on his career as the biggest missed opportunity in Texas basketball history.

2 2011 CoULd Be the AStroS’ YeAr

The Houston Astros showed signs of life and a bright future in the 2nd half of last season. Even after trading away Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman, Houston played better than it did all season. It’s not the fi rst too little/too late 2nd half the Astros have had the last few years, but this run felt different with young talent showing their potential.

Realistically, it was all just talk because they’d still have to get past the St. Louis Cardinals and even the improbable division champion Cincinnati Reds. But the Cardinals have already lost Adam Wainwright for the season and that was after they found out that this will be Albert Pujols’ last season in St. Louis because the team was unable to meet his contract extension demands before his set deadline.

So will this be a wide open division race in the NL Central? With all the crazy things that have happened to the Astros over the years, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them play some great baseball in 2011.

3 YoUth moVemeNt BeGiNS for roCKetS

The Houston Rockets offense will be more focused on Kevin Martin after Aaron Brooks was traded to the Phoenix Suns. With point guard Kyle Lowry averaging a career-high in assists and Goran Dragic coming in as a spark off the bench, Martin could see the best offensive stretch of his career with more than half of Houston’s remaining games against teams with losing records.

The Rockets weren’t able to score a big free agent at the trade deadline to push them into the playoffs. They picked up young players with potential hoping that they can grow into winners together. Worst case scenario is that they can parlay several of those players into a big star to go with Scola for a solid inside-outside, 1-2 punch. But what if GM Daryl Morey put the right pieces together here? What if Houston fi nds some magic, starts making noise, and gets into the playoffs to play one of the other Texas teams in the fi rst round? We might not be so surprised if we fi nd out that the future is already here for Houston.

4 SPUrS mArCh toWArdS mArCh

The San Antonio Spurs have the toughest month of their schedule ahead. Among the teams they’ll play this month are the Heat and Trailblazers twice, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, and fi nish off with a home game against the Boston Celtics, who had the 2nd-best record in the NBA coming into this month.

The biggest of those matchups will likely be the one in Dallas on March 18th. The Mavericks have bragged that despite having just the 2nd best record in the NBA, they’re only behind San Antonio because of Dirk Nowitzki’s injury.Otherwise, they’d be challenging the Spurs for the top spot in the West. San Antonio fans feel they need the win to take a series split and prove that they’re superior to Dallas in their fi nal matchup should they meet again in the playoffs.

It can sometimes feel like the game only means something to the two cities involved, but make no mistake, the NBA and all its fans will be watching.

5 CoWBoYS, thiNK hArd ABoUt WhAt YoU Need

Here at Playmaker, we’re gearing up for the NFL Draft for the big event because, with the collective bargaining agreement, let’s face it, this could be the last time we see players in uniforms for a long time. Sure, they’ll be wearing suits under the uniforms, but it still counts.

Immediate needs for the Dallas Cowboys should be at offensive line and in the defensive backfi eld. The Cowboys obviously had trouble protecting the quarterback last year with Tony Romo taking big hits on standard rushes that eventually ended his season. Jason Garrett and Rob Ryan will also be looking for a linebacker or defensive end that can immediately contribute and play the fi erce kind of football that Ryan will demand in his new 3-4 scheme.

And don’t dismiss reports that Dallas is interested in drafting Cam Newton. Tony Romo is over 30 and Jon Kitna is nearly 40. And while Stephen McGee had his moments, he’s still only played in two games in his career. Why not give a Heisman Trophy winner a shot?

6 “BriCK BY BriCK”

That’s the motto for the Texas Longhorns football team this season. It not only represents the rebuilding of the Texas program from its fi rst losing season in 13 years, but the wall the team is putting up. It’s the fi rst time in Mack Brown’s tenure at Austin that he’s closed all spring practices to media and fans until the spring game in April.

Rarely does a team have a losing record and then have assistants take better jobs at big programs, but that’s what makes the Longhorns a unique program. Brown says that every position will be open, including quarterback, and that he doesn’t want fans or media to see his players until they are ready.

That means Brown may shed his mild-mannered coaching ways and get fi red up to motivate his team. After all, following a 5-7 season, maybe he feels his players don’t deserve the attention of media and fans during practice... or maybe he’s just trying to drive up ticket sales for the spring game. We’re not completely sure of his motivations.

eVery month the stAff At PlAymAKer mAGAZine fires off siX bold thouGhts About the Current stAte of sPorts in teXAs.


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By Adam Sweeney

For NBA conspiracy theorists, Game 5 of the 2006 NBA Finals stands as one of the most lethal smoking guns to have ever been fi red. Tied at two games a piece, the Dallas Mavericks took the Miami Heat to overtime. Up one point with 1.9 sec-onds, a foul on Mavericks’ forward Dirk Nowitzki sent Heat guard Dwyane Wade to the free-throw line, in spite of replays showing that Nowitzki made no contact. Wade made the fi rst of two free throws, and then referee Joe DeRosa claimed forward Josh Howard called the last of the Mavs’ time-outs, in spite of the team’s protest that they had done no such thing. Wade hit the second free throw to put the Heat up 101-100, and with no time-outs remaining Dallas was forced to inbound underneath the Miami basket rather than at half-court. Devin Harris’ fi nal shot mis-fi red, and the Mavs would go on to lose the series in six games.

But what if there was no “Phantom Foul?” Where would the Dallas Mavericks be now? We jump in the Texas Time Machine to defi nitively answer a huge “What if?” in Mavericks history. The past changes now…

The Mavericks shake their phantoms from the closet and win Game 5. Up 3-2 in the series, Dallas takes advantage of playing at home and closes out the series to give them their fi rst ever NBA title. Dirk Nowitzki wins the NBA Fi-nals MVP and German beer sales in Dallas go through the roof. The Big Nowitzki gets the key to the city and in spite of his ill-fated attempt at a solo rap career (The album Whistle While You Dirk is a monumental failure), he reaffi rms his commitment to the team by winning the NBA MVP in the 2006-2007 season (which happened in reality.) The supremely confi dent Mavericks take the top seed in the Western Conference

and run through the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors, ending up in the Western Conference Finals against their hated in-state rival, the San Antonio Spurs.

The Mavericks make the Spurs see déjà vu and take them down for the second straight season in Game 7. In the 2007 NBA Finals, Dirk and the Mavs shut down LeBron James and the one-dimensional Cleveland Cavaliers, sweep-ing them for title number two.

Heading into the 2007-2008 season with a two-time champion point guard in Devin Har-ris, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban holds off on trading for Jason Kidd and instead pulls the trigger on a deal for center Shaquille O’Neal in an attempt to neutralize the size of the surg-ing Los Angeles Lakers. Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant and L.A. prove to be too much for Dallas and the title run for Dallas ends. This is where both alternate timeline and reality converge, and the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio

Spurs are preparing for another duel in the 2011 Western Conference playoffs. Dallas fans hope for a third ring to match the one San An-tonio has, and the Spurs never miss a chance to play Dirk’s rap album in the pregame show when the Mavs come to town. With seven titles now between the Mavericks, Spurs and Hous-ton Rockets, the state of Texas is cemented as the best in basketball.

PM

What if the “Phantom Foul” hadn’t been called on Dirk?

Dallas wins back-to-back championships

Dirk Nowitzki silences his critics

Shaquille O’Neal comes to the Mavs


By Adam Sweeney

For a band always known for taking chances with their sound, Cold War Kids, the soul-punk quartet from California, are fl ipping the script in a novel approach with their new album, Mine Is Yours.

Looking to refi ne their underground sound that brought hits like the single “Hang Me Out to Dry”, the band brought in producer Jacquire King, who helped master Kings of Leon’s commercial success Only by the Night for the new album. The result is a hook-laden exploration into the give-and-take of relationships and has the band headed in the direction of rock stardom. Playmaker Magazine spoke with Nathan Willett, the raw and urgent lead singer of the band, and got his thoughts on the new album.

Playmaker Magazine: The theme of the album seems to be the shifting of different relationships. Can you elaborate on that idea?

Nathan Willett: For me, I knew after the second album that I wanted to write something more immediately visceral. This time period was the fi rst where we had really been home and not on tour through our writing. In that time, I got to reconnect with friends that I wasn’t really around for long stretches of time. The biggest thing I was getting from them was that we were reaching an age where we were looking at things in a different way. They were fi nding themselves and making deeper commitments. It’s kind of surprising when you live a life where you’ve been trying to avoid that for a long time. So it’s about peoples’ intentions and their commitments. I wanted to make that a straight-forward point. Mine Is Yours is about the challenging side of sharing in a relationship.

PM: Do you feel this album changed the band in any way? You discuss the idea of the album being more intimate.

NW: For a lot of reasons, we used to write in our rehearsal space, and once we had a couple of songs, we would record them quickly in a live fashion. That’s how we did things because it was cheap and spontaneous, and it felt good. So that’s how we did things. This album is the fi rst time we tried to break that apart and really be in the studio,

create in the studio, and try to capture things that could alter the way a song goes. That was the intention of this album. As far as our approach to the album, the songwriting and recording, the way we used to record brought things that weren’t necessarily great. They were in the moment and spontaneous so we thought they needed to be there, but now we’re focusing on more precise and particular things.

PM: The quote in the album liner from John Cassavetes is great. It really embodies the idea of how seismic the shifts can be in a relationship. How do movies affect your work and emotions going into it?

NW: I was defi nitely watching a lot of movies when we made the album. I guess I never really thought of it this way before, but the previous records I would read more fi ctional work. This one, I watched more movies than anything. I watched movies that had relationships in them, heavy confl ict. All the captivating movies are about that. I watched Woody Allen movies like Husbands and Wives. So yeah, I looked at that for more lyrical subject matter than other muses.

PM: You worked with Jacquire King, who has produced albums with Kings of Leon and Modest Mouse. What was that experience like?

NW: We were in Nashville for a couple of months with him. It was great. He was the kind of guy that we knew going in, well, he’s worked with such diverse artists so he watches the band and sees how they arrive at a decision. He did that with us. He would wait and then steer us when we got lost. He’s good at empowering an artist to go where they haven’t gone before.

PM: You’re coming to Austin in April. How does the city stand out to you, or does every venue have something special about it?

NW: Austin has always been very fun for us. From the fi rst time we were at SXSW, it was crazy. We had no idea what the music industry was about, so we’d play six shows a day for three days. I

remember we got our booking agent there. We met so many great people there. We have a lot of good memories of Austin. The town’s always been good to us.

PM: Touching up on King’s work Kings of Leon, they’re a band who has seen huge growth in popularity. As Cold War Kids continues to grow in popularity, the venues you play will likely grow. How do you maintain the intimacy your music possesses when you play venues like Radio City Music Hall?

NW: I really don’t know yet. We’ve always had a thing where we could play in England to ten thousand people and the next night play to four hundred in Australia. We’ve always been quick to adapt. The thing is we’re defi nitely stronger as a small club band than an outdoor venue type of group. So I think that’s a good question. It will be something we have to learn. I will have to watch some Queen DVD’s or something. (Laughs.)

PM: Freddie Mercury is defi nitely someone we all can learn from. We’ll see you out at Stubb’s in Austin and wish you continued success.

NW: Thanks a lot.

PM

COLD WAR KIDSOut of Bounds with

Cold War Kids are (from left) Matthew Maust, Jonathan Russell, Nathan Willett, and Matt Aviero. Photo by Lucy Hamblin.

COLD WAR KIDSCOLD WAR KIDSCOLD WAR KIDSCOLD WAR KIDSCOLD WAR KIDSBy Adam Sweeney

For a band always known for taking chances with

spoke with Nathan Willett, the raw and urgent lead singer of the band, and

The theme of the album seems to be the shifting of different relationships. Can you elaborate on that idea?

Nathan Willett: For me, I knew after the second album that I wanted to write something more immediately visceral. This time period was the fi rst where we had really been home and not on tour through our writing. In that time, I got to reconnect with friends that I wasn’t really around for long stretches of time. The biggest thing I was getting from them was that we were reaching an age where we were looking at things in a different way. They were fi nding themselves and making deeper commitments. It’s kind of surprising when you live a life where you’ve been trying to avoid that for a long time. So it’s about peoples’ intentions and their commitments. I wanted to make that a

Mine Is Yours is about the challenging side of sharing in a relationship.

Do you feel this album changed the band in any way? You discuss the idea of the album being

NW: For a lot of reasons, we used to write in our rehearsal space, and once we had a couple of songs, we would record them quickly in a live fashion. That’s how we did things because it was cheap and spontaneous, and it felt good. So that’s how we did things. This album is the fi rst time we tried to break that apart and really be in the studio,

create in the studio, and try to capture things that could alter the way a song goes. That was the intention of this album. As far as our approach to the album, the songwriting and recording, the way we used to record brought things that weren’t necessarily great. They were in the moment and spontaneous so we thought they needed to be there, but now we’re focusing on more precise and particular things.

PM: The quote in the album liner from John Cassavetes is great. It really embodies the idea of how seismic the shifts can be in a relationship. How do movies affect your work and emotions going into it?

NW: I was defi nitely watching a lot of movies when we made the album. I guess I never really thought of it this way before, but the previous records I would read more fi ctional work. This one, I watched more movies than anything. I watched movies that had relationships in them, heavy confl ict. All the captivating movies are about that. I watched Woody Allen movies like Husbands and Wives. So yeah, I looked at that for more lyrical subject matter than other muses.

PM: You worked with Jacquire King, who has produced albums with Kings of Leon and Modest Mouse. What was that experience like?

NW: We were in Nashville for a couple of months with him. It was great. He was the kind of guy that we knew going in, well, he’s worked with such diverse artists so he watches the band and sees how they arrive at a decision. He did that with us. He would wait and then steer us when we got lost. He’s good at empowering an artist to go where they haven’t gone before.

PM: You’re coming to Austin in April. How does the city stand out to you, or does every venue have something special about it?

NW: Austin has always been very fun for us. From the fi rst time we were at SXSW, it was crazy. We had no idea what the music industry was about, so we’d play six shows a day for three days. I

NW: Thanks a lot.

COLD WAR KIDSCOLD WAR KIDSOut of Bounds with



any way? You discuss the idea of the album being

For a band always known for taking chances with their sound, Cold War Kids, the soul-punk quartet from California, are fl ipping the script in a novel approach with their new album,

COLD WAR KIDS

Nathan Willett: For me, I knew after the second album that I wanted to write something more album that I wanted to write something more immediately visceral. This time period was the

way. They were fi nding themselves and making deeper commitments. It’s kind of surprising when you live a life where you’ve been trying to avoid that for a long time. So it’s about peoples’ intentions

CheCk out the latest album from Cold War kids, "mine is Yours", in stores noW.

WWW.ColdWarkids.Com PlaYing live in austin on aPril 1st.

By Javier Perez

We don’t know how we ever lived without SportsNation or Mi-chelle Beadle. The fan-friendly show on ESPN2 is always enter-taining and embodies the passionate philosophy that we like to follow here at Playmaker Magazine. The show hit the road and came to Texas for the Super Bowl, and that’s where we caught up with San Antonio native Michelle Beadle. Special thanks to Joel Thompson of Keller, TX for fi nding our lost camera near the set when we thought we’d lost it forever.

Playmaker Magazine: You grew up in San Antonio, what’s your favorite sports memory of growing up in the Alamo City?

Michelle Beadle: I was lucky enough to get to go to a lot of Spurs games and meet them through my Dad. So for me, David Robin-son, to this day, is still one of the all-time class acts. For me, that was a good memory.

PM: So when they won a championship that was a seminal mo-ment for you?

MB: That was one of my greatest memories, along with Texas beating USC in the Rose Bowl. It’s right up there.

PM: What’s one of the funniest stories you remember about working at Fiesta Texas?

MB: Other than the costume I had to wear?

PM: What kind of costume did you wear?

MB: I worked at the entrance, so we had to wear the lovely seno-rita outfi t with a poofy dress and a headband. It wasn’t attractive, and I kind of wish I still owned it. But that was pretty bad.

PM: Two years ago, not very many people knew you...

MB: Still don’t! Haha!

PM: ...unless they watched you covering a rodeo or interviewing celebrities. How has your life changed the most doing Sports-Nation?

MB: Nothing’s changed. I just live in Connecticut, which is a hell of a lot colder except for [Super Bowl] week in Texas.

PM: What’s it like having fans? Did you ever think you would be in this situation when you wanted to work in the media?

MB: No. I still really don’t even know what I’m doing. So for me, this is all kind of like a bizarre, awesome ride.

PM: What was it like coming back to Texas for the Super Bowl?

MB: It was different than I thought it was going to be. I was ex-pecting to get a little sun and maybe put some fl ip-fl ops on. But it was great to be home. I got to see my brother. So it was actu-ally kind of a good little homecoming.

PM: There’s going to be plenty of college basketball action in Texas with a San Antonio Regional and the Final Four in Hous-ton. Are you looking forward to that?

MB: Yes! I’m hoping that we get to take this show on the road for at least one stop, if not more, and check out a little hoops be-cause, you know, half of us don’t even pay attention until March. Ha ha!

PM: Well, we’ll have to talk to you again when you come back to Texas!

MB: Awesome! Thank you.

PM


FACING THE NATIONWITH MICHELLE BEADLE


Cover photos by the University of Texas

Athletic Department and Andrew Kilzer &

texags.comllustration by Tiffany

Cunningham


Why they’ll win...The term “easy baskets” is not in the Texas Longhorns’ vo-cabulary on defense. How good are they? Better than any Longhorns squad you’ve seen in the past decade. As of Febru-ary 24th, the team led the nation with an Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Rating of .841, a stat used to measure the average number of points scored on each of their opponent’s offen-sive possession.

Head coach Rick Barnes had this team selling out for the first three quarters of the regular season, just like last season’s cast that started the season on a 17-0 tear before plummet-ing to the Earth in meteoric fashion. At their best, this squad doesn’t mind getting dirty, and teams that takes pride in play-ing defense usually goes far come tournament time. However, teams that shoot poorly obviously don’t, and the ‘Horns have those symptoms. Almost all teams have one game in their tour-nament run where scoring doesn’t come easy, but the ‘Horns can stay in a game like that with their defensive effort. If they can find a go-to scorer, Texas could end up in the Final Four.

Why they’ll Lose...The weaknesses of the Longhorns come in the form of three big S’s; shooting, size and selfishness. Jordan Hamilton has been the Superman that the Texas

Longhorns have been looking for this season. Not only has he led the team in scoring and leapt over tall buildings with a single bound, as evidenced by our cover photo, the sophomore attacks the boards, grab-bing over 7 rebounds a game. At his peak, he’s worthy of Player of the Year consideration and possesses one of the most versatile offensive games in the nation. The definition of a wing player, Hamilton is as comfort-able posting up a defender as he is shooting behind the three-point arc, where he currently shoots 40%.

All superheroes have weaknesses though, and Hamil-ton’s comes when he shoots his team out of the game. In losses to Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas State, the sophomore shot a combined 15-of-58 from the field. When a shooter gets in a slump, the best way to fix it is attack the basket to get free throws, and this rings true for Hamilton since he is UT’s best free throw shooter. But when Hamilton chooses to ignore that fact and his teammates with the hot hand, he comes down to Earth. For the ‘Horns to go far in the Tourney, Hamilton needs to realize even Superman had the Justice League to help him when times got tough.

It’s nearly impossible to cut down the nets in the Tournament with-out being a good free throw shooting team, and Texas is one of the worst in the country when it comes to it. Forward Tristan Thompson shoots 47% from the line. Saying he needs a bit of work at the char-ity stripe is like saying Lady Gaga occasionally enjoys attention. Think teams will be putting him on the line at the end of games? Yeah, we do too. To his credit, he has worked hard to fix the issue, but free throw shooting is as much about the mental as the physical, and we’ve seen it kill teams’ title hopes before (Memphis and Derrick Rose in the 2008 Tourney, anyone?) Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself for UT’s sake.

And as selfless as the team is on the defensive end of the floor, Texas struggles when it comes to distributing the ball offensively, easily ranking outside of the top 100 in the country. Some of this can be attributed to the fact that Texas gets a good portion of their points off turnovers and transition baskets, but there will come a time in the Tourney when Texas can’t play that way. Can they switch tempos and make that extra pass when a team gets back on defense and denies them an easy look? We’ll soon find out.

The Superhero...

Photo by the University of Texas Athletic Department

Texas


the Nemesis... The Duke Blue Devils!!! When the Texas Longhorns have been pushed to the limit this season, it has almost always come from teams that are blessed with strong guard play. The Duke Blue Devils, the defending nation-al champions, fit that description. Duke guard Nolan Smith is as good as they come, averaging 21 points and 5 assists a game, and he has the defensive inten-sity to be the player who could tug on Hamilton’s cape.

While the Longhorns are tops in the na-

tion in Defensive Efficiency, Duke isn’t far behind, ranking sixth in the nation at .877. The Dukies are also eighth in offensive efficiency at a rate of 1.138. Compare that to Texas, who ranks 52nd in the same category at a 1.063 clip. Hate them all you want, and many fans do, but the Blue Devils are the definition of balance in college basketball.

Then there’s the matter of size in the paint. The Plumlee Brothers, Miles and Mason, both check in at 6’10”. While

Tristan Thompson and Hamilton have been beasts on the boards, neither are over 6’8”. The Blue Devils can pack the paint and dare the ‘Horns to beat them from outside, a scary strategy for the ‘Horns to have to compete against.

Combined with the championship pedi-gree of head coach Mike Krzyzewski and the tournament experience players like upperclassmen Kyle Singler possess, the Blue Devils could put an end to the Longhorns’ historic season.

Our Prediction...The Longhorns fall short again in the Sweet Sixteen.

*Defensive Efficency stats courtesy of Teamrankings.com

How far will they Go? Rick Barnes has gained the reputation, perhaps unfairly, of being a coach who can’t get his team to the finish line. We’ve seen his teams choke before once the calendar gets closer to March and as of now, history seems to be repeating itself.

Some coaches love playing the role of mad scientist as they constantly mix and match rotations until they find the right concoction. Barnes isn’t one of them, and is sometimes a bit too content to trust his players to come up with the right chemistry when things go wrong. The results have often blown up in Barnes’ face and the whispers of another late season UT meltdown are justified with three upset losses to unranked teams like Nebraska, Colorado, and a Kansas State team who has their number.

Tristan Thompson said the team loves the role of the under-dog, and he will get his wish. Unable to finish inferior op-ponents off when they’re down, the Longhorns threw away a chance at a No. 1 seed in the Southwest Regional in San An-tonio, which would have essentially had them playing before a home crowd for as long as they lasted in the Tournament. Year after year, the Longhorns always seem to have the tal-ent to make a deep run, but it’s hard to beat worthy opponents when you’re also fighting a stronger enemy at the same time in yourself. As an admitted die-hard Longhorns fan, this story has an all too familiar ending. As easy as it would be to put on burnt orange-colored glasses to make a Final Four pre-diction, logic says we’ve already seen the best basketball this team has to offer in for the 2010-2011 season. Prove me wrong, Longhorns, and I’ll gladly eat crow.

Photo by the University of Texas Athletic Department

By Adam Sweeney


Why they’ll win...Texas A&M is playing the most underrated brand of team basketball in the Big 12. With little media attention, a set of non-selfish role-players, and a workman-like tournament resume, the Aggies are the definition of a middle-ranked team that can surprise you. They even face adversity with determination and resolve well. After an early season loss to a middling Boston College team? A&M responded by reeling off thirteen straight wins to start the season 16-1. Lose three in a row in the midst of a strong Big 12 slate? Prove critics wrong by winning five conference games in February in a row. Texas A&M is also the king of the close game, at least of the Big12 teams. Of eleven games that were decided by five points or less and/or went into overtime, the Aggies pulled out nine wins. Combine all that with unselfish offensive play (four players average in the double digits in points scored) and defensive teamwork (rebounding stats across the team are evenly distributed among the top seven players with the most minutes), and you have the recipe for a cohesive tour-nament run.

Why they’ll Lose...

You know what the flip-side of unselfish team play and a penchant for close wins is? Lack of star power finishing and a waver-ing endgame focus. First, every team likes to have a finisher to take that last second, crucial shot. A&M has had five players who have had game deciding shots in their hands. The Aggies have come out on top in most of the situations, but against quality teams out-side the conference, the team has to find someone (perhaps in team leading scorer Khris Middleton) who can take that big shot consistently. Secondly, close games mean the Aggies let teams creep back in, or were severely outplayed in the early game. either way, this means unfocused team defense. With A&M already only averaging seventy points a game and shooting a mere forty-five percent from the field, the team, while decent defensively, leaves little room for error. Higher seeded teams, in general, find ways to win those close games, despite A&M prowess in that arena.

The Superhero...Khris Middleton. The Aggies leading scor-er is a jack-of-all-trades forward who is the glue of the team. In addition to chip-ping in almost fifteen points a game, he is third in rebounding and third in assists. His ability to promote team cohesion and ball distribution even as a forward is invaluable to his team. He shoots a good percent-age from the floor as well as possess-ing an impressive free throw percentage. He seems aware he is the leader on a team of equals, and while team cohesion is very important to any squad, he has shared the spotlight with teammates on game chang-ing plays this year. This can be good or bad, but the team’s success (and tourna-ment run) will hinge largely on his scor-ing ability and his “glue” factor through diversity.

Photo by Andrew Kilzer & texags.com

TexasA&m


the Nemesis...

North Carolina Tar Heels!!!The Tar Heels are the number one rebounding team in the nation, averaging almost forty-sev-en a game. Combine that with top-thirty rank-ings in both points scored and defensive effi-ciency, and you have a team that can easily take advantage of the slightest defensive miscues as well as dominate the Aggies on the defensive glass. With arguably the best front three in the country in Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes, and John Henson, the Tar Heels would be well suited to dominate the Aggies 79th ranked rebounding. UNC also rarely plays the close game for long, looking for the knockout blow early and often. A&M’s tenacity will keep them in a game like this, but two players need to step up and provide the scoring punch in games of this ilk.

A 2nd round appearance. The Aggies are better than sev-enty-five percent of the teams in the country, but they appear very vulnerable when they play top five seeds.given their slightly sub-par offense and their habit of playing to the level of their competition, good OR bad. If the team can find some Dominant offensive support to complement a rather good defense in the Big 12 tourna-ment, they can be a downright scary team. However, if the team lets subpar teams keep the score close, and plays poor offensive basketball, even the extreme luck of the this A&M squad may not hold forever.

How far will they Go?

Our Prediction...The Aggies battle their way to the second round.

Photo by Andrew Kilzer & texags.com

By Bradford Harrison


Why they’ll win...UTEP will win in March because they’re battle-tested on and off the court. Last year’s UTEP team shouldered the load among many contributors, but that’s not the case this year. Essentially, they’re doing it with the combined efforts of seven players and a brand new coach.

In the offseason head coach Tony Barbee, whose hard work turned around the program, left for Auburn. When Tim Floyd came in, he landed three solid recruits, but only one of them was academically eligible to play for the team. in early August, one of UTEP’s key bench players was dismissed. So after losing three key players from last season, including both of their posts, UTEP only got one to play with. They’d have to reach further into their bench to try to make it back to the NCAA Tournament. Quite a tall task, which is why they were picked to finish 4th in the conference.

But the offseason turmoil appeared to energize the Miners. They came out firing and grabbed an immediate and dominant lead when conference play began thanks to the aforementioned “Magnificent Seven.”

Randy Culpepper took his scoring to another level, Julyan Stone became the best point guard in the conference, Christian Polk provided an offensive spark as a 3rd option starter as opposed to coming off the bench like last year, and Jeremy Williams continued to do the little things he did so well the previous season. Gabe McCulley has seen more playing time this year to fill the roles that the other young recruits were supposed to take over, but the underrated key to this season has been the centers: Claude Britten and John Bohanon, two guys hindered by different forces.

For Britten it’s his own body. He’s an asthmatic big man that you’ll never see run the floor. His minutes are usually closely monitored because he can run out of gas quickly. He was a great substitute last year and should have played a solid role off the bench. But with both starting big men gone last season, and only one freshman big academically eligible to come in, coach Floyd decided that UTEP’s best chance to win was to have as much experience on the floor as possible. Of the seven players that see significant time, five are seniors, one is a junior, and the other is a freshman.

But the freshman, John Bohanon, has been just as important as the grizzled vets. Britten doesn’t start every game and only got garbage time in the Miners’ win against Memphis. When he does start, he’ll rarely play more than 15 minutes. Bohannon has been the key to bringing that extra energy and playing solid basketball while the smart and experienced playes ride the bench. The freshman fits into the offensive scheme perfectly without taking anything away from the team and stepping up when he gets the opportunity. Against Memphis, he was 6-6 from the field, everything a wide open, point-blank shot.

So even with everything they’ve been through, as the most experienced team in college basketball, there’s nothing you can throw at them that they haven’t seen.

UTEP will lose if they run into a team that has big men to throw at them because the Miners won’t be able to handle the size. Teams in Conference USA can’t do it and most tournament teams can’t either.

From Don Haskins to Tony Barbee and now with Tim Floyd, UTEP prides itself on defense. The teams that beat UTEP put points on the board because the Miners can lock you down and ride out victories. UTEP hasn’t lost a game this season in which they’ve held the lead in the final five minutes of the contest.


The Superhero...

The Nemesis...

How far will they Go?

Randy Culpepper can certainly fly. That’s reason enough to be a super-hero. He leads the team in points and steals and has the ability to turn around any game with a breakaway dunk. For a guy that stands just 5’10, he can throw down. He’s also the only Miner capable of having a hot shooting night because of his ability to get easy baskets off steals, change speeds to beat any man on or off the dribble, and acrobatically penetrate and force the other team to foul him and send him to the free throw line.

they’ll make the tournament. Their dominant win over Memphis at the Haskins Center, where they will host the Conference USA Tournament, was their big-gest statement win of the season. It could also see them pulling an upset if they’re a 12-seed or higher, or even if they get the right matchup as a 13-seed because they play defense well and they don’t turn the basketball over. They have the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in conference, which more than makes up for their lack of size against the bigger teams that they’ll face in the tournament.

Pitt. The Panthers would be a nightmare for UTEP because they’re one of the best rebounding teams in the country and rely on points in the paint to wear down opponents. They don’t need a good three-point shooting night to win, so rotation defenses and others that clamp down on the perimeter don’t bother Pitt.

Their leading scorer Ashton Gibbs isn’t a rebounder, but the other guys that crash the boards contribute offensively. Collectively, their top three rebounders account for more than 28 points per game on top of the 20 rebounds they get per game as well.

The guy that would give them the most trouble is all-everything player Brad Wanamaker. The Pitt guard leads the team in assists and steals per game, is 2nd in points, and 3rd in rebounding. The Panthers haven’t lost very many games this season, but none of those losses can be attributed to him because he plays well in every game and finds a way to contribute positively because he’s such a versatile player.

The Panthers are going to go far in the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully, UTEP won’t be in the way.

UTEP makes an appearance in the first round of the NCAA tournament

Our Prediction...

Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre

By Javier Perez


Texas Southern has been on a tear through the Southwesten Athletic Conference, going 13-1 as of this writing, and looking in complete command of the conference record-wise. The dark side of that impressive record is that nine of those confer-ence games have been decided by five points or less and/ or have gone into over-time. In a stressful three day SWAC tourney, can the Tigers hang on to that close-game edge they have displayed for most of the season? The Tigers are lead by senior Travele Jones who averages over seventeen points a game. The athletic, 6-8 forward, also leads the team in rebounding per game. Texas Southern, should they make the NCAA tournament, will likely face a top seed, but should be proud of their impressive run to rule the roost in their own conference.

Baylor is simultaneously one of the most promising and most frustrating teams to watch in all of the state this season. How can a team with the Big 12’s all-time lead-ing scorer (LaceDarius Dunn) and the projected number one pick in this year’s NBA draft (Perry Jones III)) play such turnover-prone and defensively porous basket-ball? The Bears lack a true point guard to act as a floor general and, other than a stellar team shooting percentage average, are lacking in scoring punch, rebound-ing, and ball distribution. The team, in the end though, follows the highs, lows, and frustrations of Jones III and Dunn. If Dunn has the hot hand and Jones III is play-ing great D and rebounding well, the Bears can hang with any team. Baylor has only been in four games this season decided by five points or less. That statistic defines the Bears’ tourney chances more than any other. If they can make an end of sched-ule run, some success will follow. However if the Bears fall prey to their emotions, crushing defeats will soon end their season.

Despite a 5-9 record entering conference play, Texas State has been going on a bit of a tear since then, winning ten games, including five straight at one point in con-ference to try and earn a first round bye in the Southland Conference Tournament. Tony Bishop commands the paint for the Bobcats. Bishop is second on the team with over twelve points a game, and leads Texas State with nearly eight rebounds a game. With Bishop providing team leadership, the Bobcats have a good chance at winning the Southland Conference tourney for the first time since 1997. Their comeback at home against UTSA on February 26th was indicative of everything the Bobcats need to do to grab an automatic bid: poise, tenacity, and heart.

Photo by Matthew Minard/Baylor Marketing and Communications

Photo courtesy Texas Southern Athletics

Photo by Texas State Athletic Department

By Bradford Harrison

The Sidekicks...

Baylor

Texas Southern

Texas state


CAUGHT IN TRAFFIC

Kyle Lowry (center) looks for an outlet against Dirk Nowistki and J.J. Barea



By James Bolton

in 2010, for the second World Cup in a row the United States Men’s national soccer team is elim-inated. After showing such promise by winning their group and battling against referees and opponents’ negative tactics the US succumbs to exhaustion and a shallow ros-ter. Where does the team go from here? What could possibly hold the nation’s interest in this sport for longer than one month every four years? As a nation these questions are hard enough to answer and ev-ery sports writer and commentator surely has their own ideas, but on a smaller scale, how does the state of Texas move on from what could be considered both a failure and a suc-cess in South Africa? Considering the cultural and geographic pecu-liarities of the state, Texas has more than ample opportunities to become the premier state in the union for soccer. Not only has the play itself matured but so has the bureaucracy within the sport.

Texas has the potential to create and nurture players of all backgrounds. Jose Francisco Torres is just such a player. Born to a Mexi-can father and an American mother, Torres has done well for himself in Mexico’s Primera Division, break-ing into Pachuca’s starting lineup during 2008’s Apertura season. Along with club honors, Torres has become a recurring character on the US national team and managed to make the 2010 World Cup squad.

Another Texas player of note with foreign ties is Stuart Holden. A native of Aberdeen, Scotland, Holden moved with his family to Houston at the age of 10 and at-tended Houston Memorial High School. Holden made his profes-sional debut in 2006 for Houston Dynamo and was a part of the squad that captured the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007. Holden had been a reliable player at Houston but had his breakthrough after a move to Bolton Wanderers of the English Premier League in 2010. With the ability to harvest the talents of the world the future of the game in Texas has a solid foundation to build upon the interest of the World Cup.

Clint Dempsey has stated that he would frequently watch tape of the Brazilian masters while growing up in Nacogdoches and by the looks of some his goals the infl uence is apparent. Dempsey’s goal against Juventus in the Europa league is frequently mentioned as one of the best goals of 2010. This ability to nurture and create excellent players also goes hand in hand with Texas’ newfound ability to produce winning squad.

In order to form winning teams in soccer an organization must fi nd a way to establish a system in which youth are introduced to high quality play at a young age. While the youth systems in the States aren’t quite comparable to those in Europe, the fact that they now exist is a step in the right direction. The Houston Dynamo have promoted Tyler Deric from their developmental academy becoming the fi rst such player in the Dynamo’s organization and only the second in the entire MLS, and with the void left by Pat Onstad’s trade Deric has a shot at increased playing time. On the other side of the Texas Derby, FC Dallas has managed to sign their fi rst player to come through their developmen-tal program, Bryan Leyva. Leyva, a Mexican international, also had training stints with Lille OSC in France and Racing Santander in Spain which attest to the potential that FC Dallas has in their youth system.

Is there a future for soccer in Texas? The simple answer is yes but the life of the sport depends on sup-port from the fans. Without it the MLS and the sport will fl ounder like so many American soccer leagues before it. The sport itself has proven to be stable and on its way up in the American frame of mind but to keep its rocket propelled popularity after the World Cup the people must not lose focus, for the success of the US National Team depends upon the success of the game domestically and region by region of the coun-try. Will we see a Texan in the next World Cup? Most defi nitely, but a better question is whether we will see one in World Cup 2030.

PM

Picking Up the Pieces:the future of soccer in Texas


Cover Photos by Bradford Harrison and the University of Texas Athletic Department


Texas A&M Womenʼs Basketball

LOCATION:COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS

HOME COURT:REED ARENA (SEATS 12,500 PEOPLE)

The Aggies have appeared in the NCAA Womenʼs Tournament 8 times.

Likes

Scoring

The team is fi rst in the Big 12 in scoring off ense*, currently averaging 77.1 points per game.

Protecting the ball

Getting A&M to make mis-takes isnʼt easy. Their turn-over margin is +6.62, tops in their conference. They also make smart decisions with the ball, leading the Big 12 with 15 assists per game, and play aggressively on defense, averaging 9 steals a game.

Dislikes

The Baylor Bears

In spite of their familiarity and two chances to beat them, Texas A&M hasnʼt fi gured out a way to take down Brittney Griner and the women from Waco. The two teams could meet again in the Final Four.

* All Statistics provided by Big12sports.com

THIS SEASON, AGGIES FANS MAY BE WATCHING THE BEST WOMENʼS BASKETBALL TEAM EVER TO COME OUT OF COLLEGE STATION. Coach Gary Blair has the team breaking boundaries and earned a contract extension through 2015 for it. The team wins by playing with discipline and wearing the opponent down inside the lane with the size and scoring of Forward Danielle Adams.

WHEREʼS THE LOVE FOR DANIELLE ADAMS? While a large portion of the buzz in Texas Womenʼs basketball has been about Baylor and their lengthy superstar, Brittney Griner, Texas A&M forward Danielle Adams has outperformed her in the major statistical categories. (Adams currently averages 24.1 points and 9.1 rebounds a game to Grinerʼs 23.2 and 8.7.*) The senior forward from Kansas City, Missouri is also clutch from the free throw line, shooting 82%.

GIG ʻEM DANIELLE! Danielle Adams scored forty points against Kansas on February 12th, a school record that hadnʼt been broken in 31 years.

THE SKYʼS THE LIMIT! The Aggies started the preseason ranked 8th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, a school fi rst. They are ranked 5th currently and could fi nish with their highest ranking in school history.

Texas A&M Womensʼ Basketball likes this.

LEAP YEAR Danielle Adams has been a force on both ends of the court for Texas A&M and her increase in key statistical areas from last year proves it:

Points Per Game Rebounds Field Goal Pct. 2010-2011 23.3 8.7 .5212009-2010 16.3 5.8 .490



by Adam Sweeney


Baylor University Lady Bearsʼ Basketball

LOCATION:WACO, TEXAS

HOME COURTFERREL CENTER (SEATS 10,500 PEOPLE) The Lady Bears have appeared in the NCAA Womenʼs Tournament 9 times.

Likes

Scoring Margin

Baylor beats its opponents by an average of 18.4 points* a game. Rebounding

The Lady Bears have grabbed forty more rebounds that the next closest team in the Big 12.

Dislikes

Monumental expectations

Baylor has one of the best three teams in the country. Can Baylor ignore the pres-sure in the fi nal three rounds of the tournament and fulfi ll the dominating journey they have travel this season to win the ultimate prize?


SIMPLY PUT, THE BAYLOR LADY BEARS HAVE THE BEST TEAM SINCE THEY WON THE 2005 NCAA TOURNAMENT. They have the best “big” in the colligate womenʼs game. They have the best record in a stacked Big 12 Conference and are on pace to take home the regular season title. With all those accolades, the only question Baylor has to ask itself is, “Are we the best team in the country?” The answer to that question is what the NCAA Tournament is for naturally, but Baylor can stake a claim to it already. Other than a loss to the then number one ranked University of Connecticut Huskies and a hiccup at a decent Texas Tech team, the Lady Bears have been playing poised and dominant basketball.

WHO IS A BRITNEY GRINER FANATIC? Their success starts with their star Brittany Griner, who is second in the Big 12 in scoring at almost twenty three points a game and leads the team in rebounding with eight. The 6ʼ8” true center is a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the court. She set a NCAA record last year when she blocked 223 shots and is the linchpin of the Bears stout defense and can seemingly score in the low post at will.

LADY BEARS Couldnʼt get a shot off with 6 second left against UConn. Wished we had saved that timeout for the end. Perhaps weʼll get our revenge in the National Title Game.

LADY BEARS Texas A&M was tough yet again, but we now know we are the toughest team in the state and in the Big 12. Bring on that tournament!

UConn Womenʼs Basketball likes this.

Posted Nov. 17

Posted Feb. 14Texas A&M Womenʼs Basketball Weʼll see you there, ladies.

LAST FOUR FINISHES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT2006–2007 NCAA Second Round 2007–2008 NCAA Second Round2008–2009 NCAA Sweet Sixteen 2009-2010 NCAA Final Four


by Bradford Harrison


Texas Longhorns Womenʼs Basketball

LOCATION:AUSTIN, TEXAS

HOME COURT:FRANK ERWIN CENTER(SEATS 16,400 PEOPLE)

Likes

Three point shootingTexas has struggled off en-sively this year compared to others, but they make up for it by creating shots from beyond the arc. While they rank in the middle of the pack in most of-fensive categories, Texas ranks 2nd in the Big 12 in three-point fi eld goal percentage.

Fast BreaksWithout much size and with so many guards that can handle the ball on the court at the same time, the Longhorns like to get out and run after every rebound. If Texas loses a game, itʼs probably not because they didnʼt put up points. Theyʼre 3rd in the Big 12, averaging more than 78 points per game.

Dislikes

Teams with SizeWhen Cokie Reed was lost for the season before any game was played, Texas was put in a jam with only one true post player. And in a conference dominated by size among the elite teams, they knew that they would struggle in the paint. Texas ranks last in the Big 12 in rebounding defense. Luckily, taking so many outside jumpers that create long rebounds, they rank 3rd in off ensive boards.

WHAT CANʼT KATHLEEN NASH DO? With Cokie Reed out for the season, Nash has been forced to play out of position all year, usually playing in the post on defense. She responded with solid defensive play and sheʼs top 5 in the Big 12 in rebounding. Nash is also 2nd on the team in scoring, can spot up for three-pointers. She is among the league leaders in free throw percentage. We wouldnʼt be surprised if she cooked the pregame meals too.

Texas has more quality losses than quality wins. Under Gail Goestenkors, Texas has struggled against ranked teams the last couple of years, but this season takes that to a another level. The Longhorns fi nished 1-10 against top 25 competition in the regular season. Itʼs going to take an impressive showing in the Big 12 Tournament just to get to the big dance.

BLOCK PARTY AT ASHLEYʼS! Ashley Gayle set the school record last year for blocked shots in a season. This year, as the only post, it was unlikely that sheʼd come close to repeating that feat and then broke her own record again anyway. The scary thing about Gayle is that sheʼs doing this while only playing 25 minutes per game.

FRESHMAN PHENOM Next year the team could contend for the Big 12 title because theyʼll get Reed back from injury, Gayle will return along with Ashleigh Fontenette, and Chassidy Fussell will be one year better. In her fi rst year, Fussell carried the team off ensively through the heart of the season as the Big 12ʼs leading freshman scorer with more than 17 points per game.

Photo by University of Texas Athletic Department

Photo by University of Texas Athletic

Department

by Javier Perez


Texas Tech Lady Raiders Womenʼs Basketball

LOCATION:LUBBOCK, TEXAS

HOME COURT- UNITED SPIRIT ARENA (SEATS 15,000 PEOPLE)

THE HAVE APPEARED IN THE NCAA WOMENʼS TOURNAMENT 18 TIMES

Likes

Defending the Three: Texas Tech is the second best team in the Big 12 at stopping teams from behind the arc.

Dislikes

Scoring Off ense: The Lady Raid-ers are eighth in their confer-ence in points scored per game.

Texas Tech is an enigma in Big12 play. They have handed ranked teams like Baylor and Iowa State surprising losses, and played much of the Big 12 close in conference play. They have also been beaten by teams like Nebraska and Oklahoma State, teams that are in the bottom two in conference standings. Figuring out which team they will be before the postseason starts will be key for the Lady Raiders going forward.

WHO LOVES KIERRA MALLARD? Mallard was named Big 12 player of the week for Feburary 14-20th after she led upsets over ranked teams back to back in February. In the win over then No. 20 Iowa State, Mallard scored 19 points and tallied nine rebounds while adding two assists, two blocks and a steal. She had 10 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, one assist and one steal against Baylor who was number one at the time. Her inspired play in high-stakes games will be the driving force for Tech as they enter the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments.


LADY RAIDERS We just beat the number one team in the country, Baylor!

LADY BEARS We are 16-1, one of the best starts in school history.

Posted Feb. 19

Posted Jan. 15

The Lady Radiers won the NCAA Tournament Cham-pionship in 1994


Photo by Michael Strong/Texas Tech Athletics

Photo by Michael Strong/Texas Tech Athletics

by Bradford Harrison


University of Houston Lady Cougars Basketball

LOCATION:HOUSTON, TEXAS

HOME COURT: HOFHEINZ PAVILION(SEATS 8,500 PEOPLE)

Likes

Veteran leadership Donʼt expect for the Cougs to panic if they get in a tight situ-ation come tournament time. Scott and Taylor, the 2010 Conference USA Players of the Year, bring maturity as seniors, and Landry has started at the point since she was a Fresh-man. While younger teams can certainly make deep runs in tournament play (Brittney Griner took the Baylor Bears to the Womenʼs Final Four as a Freshman in 2010), most head coaches will tell you theyʼd pre-fer players with experience.

Dislikes

Defensive ReboundingThere isnʼt a worse team in Con-ference USA than Houston when it comes to crashing the boards on defense. Against an undersize opponent, this isnʼt an issue but what happens when Houston has to match up against the likes of UCONN or Baylor?

New Coach on the BlockIn his fi rst season as head coach, Todd Buchanan has worked ath-letic miracles. He had been head coach at Houston Baptist Uni-versity for fi ve years and before that, he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with the Cougars for fi ve years, so the successful fi rst year is a return to his roots.

The Conference USA regular season champions have been ferocious, making it into the USA Today/ ESPN Coaches Poll for the fi rst time since Dec. 28, 2004. They also lead Conference USA in scoring and rebounding. The Cougars are playing as well as any team in the country and are 32nd in RPI rankings*, so the selection committee should reward them with a strong seed.

THREEʼS A CROWD? Not for the Cougars, who have three starters who average over fi fteen points a game (Brittney Scott averages 16.0, Courtney Taylor 15.2 and Porsche Landry scores 15.1 a game.) Scoring distribution of that magnitude gives opposing head coaches fi ts, and itʼs a large reason U of H is dominating Conference USA. They have their sights set on clawing their way to Indianapolis, home to the 2011 Womenʼs Final Four.

WEʼRE GOING STREAKING! Currently, the Houston Womenʼs team is undefeated in conference play, already crushing the previous school record of 13 straight wins.

*RPI Rankings courtesy of RPIRatings.com*Houston Cougars statistics courtesy of Conferenceusa.cstv.com and UHCougars.com

LADY COUGARS Think your Porsche can compete with this one?

ROAD WARRIORS! U of H has beaten four Top 25 ranked teams this season and all of the victories came on the road.

TAYLOR MADE. Courtney Taylor is the best rebounder in Conference USA, averaging 11.5 rebounds a game. Try and box her out. We dare you.

GREAT SCOTT! Brittney Scott shoots a Conference USA best 40% from the three-point line.

Photo by Stephen Pinchback

by Adam Sweeney


ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MAV KIND

Tyson Chandler (center) attempts an “Alley-Op” against the Houston Rockets


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Playmaker Magazine March 2011

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