Who are the Horns?

Posted on 16. Mar, 2009 by JF in 2008-2009

You can’t know the players without a program, and the odds of getting a program delivered to you on your couch are pretty slim. For the rest of us, I’ve assembled a quick guide to the Texas Longhorn roster. If you see egregious errors (this means you Texans), please enlighten us.

Note: players are listed in numerical order.

Player: Gary Johnson
Height: 6’6”Weight: 230 lbs.
Should remind you of: Raymar Morgan with out the infectious diseases or the propensity not to care.
Key Statistics: 10.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 0 three-pointers all season.
Best game: 20 points on 8-12 shooting and 4 rebounds in a loss to Michigan State
Worst game: 7 points on 2-10 shooting with 1 rebound in a loss to Missouri
Reason to worry: Could pull Colton Iverson or Ralph Sampson III away from the basket and beat them off the dribble.
Reason for confidence: Minnesota’s length could neutralize his mid-range jumper and he doesn’t have the size to score on the inside.
Most likely match-up: Ralph Sampson III

Player: A.J. Abrams
Height: 5’11” Weight: 160 lbs.
Should remind you of: A very short Craig Moore.
Key Statistics: 16.3 ppg, .93 assist to turnover ratio, 39% three point shooter, 54% of field goal attempts were three pointers.
Best game: 31 points on 9/18 shooting (5/9 from three) in a win over UCLA
Worst game: 9 points on 3/15 shooting with 3 turnovers in a loss to Oklahoma State
Reason to worry: Abrams is an excellent three point shooter, and Minnesota’s three point defensive woes are obvious
Reason for confidence: He is the only Longhorn who is a real outside shooting threat, and his assist to turnover ratio is woeful for a guard his size. Al Nolen’s four inch height advantage could make three pointers anything but easy.
Most likely match-up: Al Nolen

Player: Dogus Balbay
Height: 6’0” Weight: 176 lbs
Should remind you of: Chester Frazier without the defense
Key Statistics: 3.3 ppg, 2.74 assist to turnover ratio, 45% free throw shooter
Best game: 10 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists in a win over Oklahoma
Worst game: 6 points (2-4 shooting) and 5 turnovers in a win over Kansas State
Reason to worry: Gets his teammates involved and is more essential to the Longhorn’s interior scoring than any of the interior players.
Reason for confidence: Kevin Payton is more of an offensive threat, even when he is on the bench.
Most likely match-up: Lawrence Westbrook

Player: Damion James
Height: 6’7″ Weight: 222 lbs
Should remind you of: DeShawn Sims
Key Statistics: 15 ppg, 9 rpg, 47% field goal shooting
Best game: 21 points (9/14 shooting) and 14 rebounds
Worst game: 7 points (3/7 shooting) and 3 rebounds in a win over Kansas State
Reason to worry: Athletic and versatile forwards always seem to dominate the Gophers.
Reason for confidence: Damian Johnson should be able to devote all his attention to shutting down James.
Most likely match-up: Damian Johnson

Player: Alexis Wangmene
Height: 6’7′ ‘Weight: 241 lbs
Key Statistics: Out with a knee injury since November

Player: Matt Hill
Height: 6’10” Weight: 241 lbs
Should remind you of: An underweight Spencer Tollackson
Key Statistics: 1 point and 1 rebound in 6 minutes per game
Best game: 6 points and 5 rebounds in 27 minutes in a win over Texas Tech
Worst game: Didn’t leave the bench in 12 games
Reason to worry: If he gets in, it may be a sign that Texas is winning in a rout
Reason for confidence: He should remind you of an underweight Spencer Tollackson
Most likely match-up: A referee blocking his view from the bench

Player: Harrison Smith
Height: 6’2”Weight: 195 lbs
Should remind you of: Travis Busch, if Busch realized he is actually a guard
Key Statistics: 2 ppg, 1.7 rpg in 7.6 minutes per game
Best game: 12 points (5/9 shooting) and five rebounds in a loss to Oklahoma State
Worst game: Didn’t leave the bench in 21 games
Reason to worry: Isn’t completely horrible if gets significant playing time.
Reason for confidence: Has only scored 26 points the entire season
Most likely match-up: Kevin Payton

Player: Justin Mason
Height: 6’2”Weight: 194 lbs.
Should remind you of: Chester Frasier with less defense
Key Statistics: 6.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.2 apg
Best game: 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a win at Oregon
Worst game: 0 points, 1 rebound, and three turnovers in a loss to Oklahoma State
Reason to worry: Has the potential to put up a lot of points and is an excellent rebounder for a player his size
Reason for confidence: Productivity has fallen off a cliff, and has only scored in double figures once since January
Most likely match-up: Devoe Joseph

Player: Connor Atchley
Height: 6’10” Weight: 228 lbs
Should remind you of: The son of a plantation owner, or John Leuer
Key Statistics: 4.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 29% three point shooting
Best game: 14 points (4/6 shooting) and 4 rebounds in a win over Oklahoma State
Worst game: 3 points and 4 turnovers in a loss at Nebraska
Reason to worry: Despite his height, he has shown in the past that he can knock down outside shots.
Reason for confidence: Soft on the inside, and forgot how to shoot from the outside
Most likely match-up: Paul Carter

Player: Dexter Pittman
Height: 6’10” Weight: 298 lbs
Should remind you of: Goran Suton with more pounds and less mobility
Key Statistics: 10 ppg, 5 rpg, 70% free throw shooting
Best game: 19 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Kansas State
Worst game: 6 points and 4 fouls in a loss to Michigan State
Reason to worry: The Gophers can’t match his physical presence and his rebounding numbers are unheard of in the Big Ten.
Reason for confidence: Has a hard time staying on the floor and has had four or more fouls in 13 games. The Gophers also have plenty of bodies to throw at him.
Most likely match-up: Colton Iverson, with plenty of back-up from Jonathan Williams

Player: Clint Chapman
Height: 6’10”Weight: 235 lbs
Should remind you of: A less coordinated Colton Iverson
Key Statistics: 2.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg in 8.2 minutes per game
Best game: 9 points and 1 rebound in a win at Kansas State
Worst game: 2 points (1/7 shooting) and 4 rebounds in a win over UCLA
Reason to worry: In a war of attrition, he’ll have a big advantage over Jonathan Williams
Reason for confidence: If he is in, Pittman is out.
Most likely match-up: Whichever Gopher center is left