Texas Longhorns

AUSTIN, Texas -- Blake Gideon is well aware of the trappings that usually come with being a starting defensive back at Texas.

“A lot of guys have come out of that room and made a lot of money,” Gideon said.

Gideon is trying to be the next one. But his name doesn’t carry the cache of an Aaron Ross, who just signed a new $15 million deal, or Quentin Jammer, a top-10 pick. Nope, he is Blake Gideon, the guy who started 52 games at Texas, the second-most all-time. And, if not for Tuesday’s pro day on campus, he might not have even received a look from the NFL.

“I just wanted a chance,” the former Texas safety said.

Gideon, along with 13 other former Longhorns, got their chance to impress more than 50 scouts and coaches Tuesday. The goal was to move the needle and show the NFL that they belonged.

The reality is that aside from three or maybe four players -- Keenan Robinson, Kheeston Randall, Emmanuel Acho and Fozzy Whittaker -- it is a long shot to even turn the pro scouts’ heads.

“It is what it is,” offensive lineman David Snow said.

What it was for Snow was a disappointing day when it came to doing the 225-pound bench press. He is an offensive lineman and needs to display a tremendous amount of upper body strength. He only had 23 reps at 225, the same amount as Whittaker, a 194-pound running back.

“I wish I could do the 225 over again,” Snow said.

A lot of the players probably want do-overs. That is not the way it works.

“You have to come out give it your all and leave it all on the field and on the track,” offensive lineman Tray Allen said.

Allen said he posted a 5.1 time in the 40-yard dash. For a 300-pound player, he did leave plenty out there, but undoubtedly in the coming months he will question whether he could have done better.

Gideon was accepting of his 4.56 in the 40 but said he could post a lower number, as he had in training. Randall chose to participate only in individual drills in the practice bubble, under the watchful eye of scouts. He did not lift or run.

Whittaker only benched, upping his combine total of 20 by three.

Likewise, Robinson was reserved in what he did. But the 6-foot-3, 242-pound prospect might have done just enough to secure a pick in the top three rounds.

“I’ve heard anywhere from end of the first to the fourth,” he said. “I just hope I get in a good situation with a good team.

“I wanted to show them I am a big guy who moves well in space.”

Robinson posted the same time on his 40 as he did at the NFL combine, 4.78. He improved his vertical jump to 36.5 inches and his broad jump to 10 feet, 5 inches.

“All I can do now is sit back and wait and see what happens,” he said.

While many of the players will have individual meetings with teams and additional workouts, that is essentially the same situation everyone is in now. The waiting game has started. So has the worrying game.

But one NFL veteran had some wisdom for his brother.

“Sam told me not to worry about where you get picked, just worry about getting through the door,” said Emmanuel Acho, who opted out of many drills because of a quadriceps injury.

And it appears that the younger Acho has taken that advice to heart.

“Now I can exhale,” he said at the end of the workouts.

We're chatting today. Join William Wilkerson today at 2 p.m. CT when he'll be talking recruiting, pro day, spring football, the tourney, pretty much anything you want to talk about.

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1. Pro day arrives: Texas will hold its pro day today. There is definitely not a sure fire NFL stars who’ll be working out at Denius Field today, and no Texas player is projected to go very early in the draft.

However, there could be players working out today who could turn out to be players with good, long NFL careers. When it comes to players like Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson, they didn’t blow the world away with their showing at the combine in February, and might not today either. But, the NFL can always find a place for smart, athletic linebackers who know how to thrive in multiple-set defenses.

Then there’s Fozzy Whittaker. He was the heart and soul of the Longhorns until being injured in the Missouri game. He won’t be a sought-after NFL player either, but it will be good to see him working out again.

2. Ross gets paid: While pro day is all about boosting your stock, one guy who needs no help now is Aaron Ross. The former Longhorns, and now former New York Giant, is now a Jacksonville Jaguar after reportedly agreeing to a three-year $15.3 million deal. Ross had mostly been the third corner for the Super Bowl champs, but did start 15 games last season after Terrell Thomas was injured. Now in Jacksonville, Ross should get the chance to be a full-time starter.

3. Coach G calls it quits: Texas women’s basketball coach Gail Goestenkors resigned yesterday.

“My heart tells me it was time to take a break,” she said in her news conference yesterday.

She came to the 40 Acres five years after an incredibly successful stint at Duke, but something never clicked at Texas. She went 102-64 with the Longhorns, but never advanced past the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Texas’ administration – in this case, women’s AD Chris Plonsky – have been patient with all their coaches and would probably have liked to keep her around. So, perhaps the differences of life at Texas compared to Duke and the struggles on the court really hurt Coach G.

As Mechelle Voepel writes, she will benefit from getting away:

Goestenkors said she needs time away, to rest and re-evaluate her life. She's an inherently very kind and caring person, which some people don't realize because -- believe it or not -- she is also fundamentally pretty shy and can seem distant. Goestenkors has never been the kind of coach to sell recruits on how great she is or talk about her strengths with X's and O's, even though they are considerable.

Right now, she says she's "out of basketball," but time away might replenish her passion to coach. I suspect that it will, on the college or pro level. She's still got a ton to offer at either, if she chooses to go back.

Hopefully, she finds what she was missing in Texas and the Longhorns can find another top-notch coach.

We want to hear from you. Join us in the forum for more conversation.

We wrapped up our list of the Big 12's top 25 players in 2012 last week, but it's time to look ahead.

Who was way off this year's list that could crack it in 2013? Here's a few names.

Quandre Diggs, CB, Texas: Diggs' fellow corner, Carrington Byndom, nearly made this year's list, and perhaps should have. Next year, though, Diggs could make both of UT's cornerbacks among the league's best. As a true freshman, Diggs led the team in interceptions, with four.

Josh Boyce, WR, TCU: Boyce (and his quarterback, Casey Pachall) would have been easy selections this year, but they weren't in the Big 12. They will be in 2012. Boyce caught 61 balls for 998 yards and nine scores, and figures to be as productive next year.

Quarty McBackerson, QB, Oklahoma State: Call this a placeholder. Brandon Weeden is gone, but Oklahoma State has a great offensive line and lots of weapons around whoever wins the Cowboys' spring quarterback derby. Look for Clint Chelf, Wes Lunt or J.W. Walsh to make this list next year.

Malcolm Brown, RB, Texas: Brown led the Longhorns in rushing as a true freshman, but was hampered by injury and the team limited his touches early in the season. There won't be any restrictions this year, and if he stays healthy, he could be a 1,000-yard back, even with Joe Bergeron and Johnathan Gray sharing carries.

Darrin Moore, WR, Texas Tech: If you read this blog, you know how big of a Moore proponent I am. I see Biletnikoff Award potential in him. Tech needs a new top receiver, and if Moore stays healthy, don't rule out a 1,500-yard season for the 6-foot-4, 215-pounder.

Terrance Williams, WR, Baylor: Williams wasn't too far off this year, but he didn't make our honorable mention. He had a quiet 900-yard season this year, but without Kendall Wright, Williams is the top target for new quarterback Nick Florence.

Corey Nelson, LB, Oklahoma: Nelson had a somewhat underwhelming year, but without Travis Lewis' leadership, Nelson could emerge as a breakout defensive player this fall.

The Big 12 looks like it's stabilized, but there's plenty we still don't know about the turbulent past few months that resulted in Missouri and Texas A&M's exits from the Big 12 into the SEC.

David Briggs of the Columbia Tribune shed some light on a lot we don't know from Missouri's exit. Namely, the Tigers' exit was much more contentious behind the scenes than even the often-frank administrators admitted publicly.

The biggest revelation from the piece, which stemmed from emails obtained by the Tribune?

The Big 12 had its lawyers put together a lawsuit that Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas could "wave around," though the league did not plan to officially file it.

From the Tribune:

The lawsuit, slated to be filed in Boone County Circuit Court, never came to pass. But the 12-page draft of a petition for injunctive relief was obtained by the Tribune this month. It charged the SEC with illegally enticing Missouri to breach its contractual commitment to the Big 12 — an effort the suit states was "willful, deliberate and in bad faith" and the cause of "irreparable injury to the Big 12 for which money damages is not an adequate remedy."

The draft requested an injunction to bar the SEC from accepting Missouri before June 30, 2016, the final day of the current Big 12 member agreement.

The Big 12 was clearly desperate, and this reeks of a desperate move. TCU and West Virginia were good replacements on the field, but the tradition and rivalries of Missouri can't be duplicated.

Additionally, the Big 12's new $1.1 billion, 13-year television contract with Fox Sports could have been voided or renegotiated if Missouri had left and West Virginia had been unable to join the league in 2013. The same could have happened with the league's first-tier (over the air) media contract with ABC/ESPN.

It was public before this story, but Neinas made his opinion clear: Everyone would be better off if any future moves were held off until the 2013 season. That obviously didn't happen, but he expressed this desire in the revealed emails.

Big 12 administrator Burns Hargis also expressed displeasure at some of the anti-Missouri rhetoric that emerged as the Tigers mulled the possibility of a future in a new league.

On Oct. 24, an anonymous Big 12 administrator told the Austin American-Statesman the conference would be better off with West Virginia than Missouri. The official said, "West Virginia has better football than Missouri, better basketball than Missouri, a better budget than Missouri and more passion among its fans than Missouri. They're better, anyway you turn 'em."

In an email, Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione wrote to Holder, "Sad and disgusting someone would say that even out of frustration."

"Wow," Alden wrote to Holder. "I didn't know folks harbored that kind of sentiment about us."

"Pretty obvious who feels this way," Holder replied. "Not a sentiment shared in Stillwater."

Not a sentiment shared on the Big 12 blog, either. The story also details Kansas Citians' efforts to keep the Tigers put, and a surprising effort from former system president Gary Forsee, who joined the fold to keep Mizzou in the Big 12.

Check out the full story. Fascinating stuff.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Its 19-point lead had been chipped away to nothing, and Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates looked around at his teammates' eyes and liked what he saw.

There wasn’t any panic, only opportunity.

“That’s the way it’s got to be, and that’s the way it’s been all season for us,” Gates said. “We knew they were going to make a run, but we knew we’d be there with an answer. We're used to being in these situations. It's like that every night in the Big East."

Gates did a lot of the answering himself, as No. 6 seed Cincinnati held on to beat 11-seed Texas 65-59 in the second round of the NCAA tournament’s East Regional at Bridgestone Arena.

It was a strange game from the outset, mostly because the basket might as well have been a pin hole for the Longhorns, who were just 4-of-25 from the field in the first half.

“We were up in them pretty good, trying to make everything tough,” said Cincinnati senior guard Dion Dixon, who helped hold Texas’ leading scorer, J'Covan Brown, to 6-of-15 shooting and five turnovers.

“There were some shots that they just missed, but our defense was pretty good. It wasn’t as good as it needed to be when they made their comeback, and that’s something you can’t have. The important thing is getting stops when you’ve got to have them.”

Gates, who led the Bearcats with 15 points and 10 rebounds, made perhaps the biggest shot of the game when he absorbed contact then buried his leaning hook in the lane to put Cincinnati back on top 54-52 with just under three minutes to play.

His basket came after Texas had come all the way back from 19 points down early in the second half. The Longhorns actually had a chance to take the lead, but Brown lost the ball out front.

Gates knew the Bearcats couldn’t give the Longhorns any more openings.

“We got those stops, and we knew we had to turn those stops into some points,” Gates said.

The 6-foot-9 senior added a jumper from just inside the 3-point line to put the Longhorns away once and for all with 1:14 to play. It was almost as if Texas senior center Clint Chapman dared him to take it, and Gates didn’t hesitate.

“It was just confidence, even from teammates telling me to shoot it earlier in the game, where early in the season, I wouldn’t have shot that,” Gates said.

Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said Gates is a different player from the one who was suspended for six games after throwing punches in the Xavier brawl back in December. It's a big reason the Bearcats (25-10) have won eight of their last 10 games and are pointing toward a deep March run.

“You know, he’s come a long ways. ... He’s matured so much as a player,” Cronin said. “I’ve just got to make sure I get him rest. That’s the biggest issue at times. In the second half, I should have gotten him out earlier, and I didn’t get him early rest.”

Even with its rotten start, Texas (20-14) managed to claw its way back into the game.

But when the Longhorns had chances at the end, they couldn’t capitalize.

"Defensively, I thought we played hard throughout, but we tied the game and actually had two chances to take the lead, and sort of where our season has been, [we] turned it over and [didn’t get] a very good shot," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "But I’m really proud of the fact that these guys fought.”

The day is here, friends.

It's Basketball Christmas.

Hope you enjoy all the games today, and it's time to celebrate a little hoops on the blog.

We've done it in the past, and I'll do it again. If I had to craft a hoops team from guys on the gridiron, here's who I'm taking.

PG: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

The man makes plays with the ball in his hand. That wouldn't change on the hardwood. He led he nation in all-purpose yards and the 5-foot-9, 174-pounder could help put some points on the board. The Big East leader in punt returns is a man I'd want with the ball in his hands as much as possible.

SG: Roy Finch, RB, Oklahoma

Nobody in this league is shiftier, and Finch has the most lethal spin move in the country. Anybody stopping him from taking it to the tin? No way. Good luck staying in front of him. Maybe he's a little undersized at 5-foot-7, 166 pounds, but I'll take him as my slasher/scorer.

SF: Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State

You want versatility? (Obviously, yes). You got it with Klein. The big man can do it all. At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, he can help get physical down low, but offer some good speed and athleticism on the outside, too. Sure, his shot looks a little wonky, but it gets the job done.

PF: Steve Edmond, LB, Texas

Edmond's packed on a little weight, and you know nobody wants a Texas middle linebacker in the middle of the paint on the glass. The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder is a little undersized in height, but he'll make up for it with toughness.

C: Tayo Fabuluje, OL, TCU

The big man in the middle checks in at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds. You want to tell me he wouldn't be a beast on the boards? Good luck blocking him out. The man makes his living blocking others and has the size to make sure you don't get past him in the paint.

Coach: Bill Snyder, Kansas State

So, maybe my team doesn't have the best shooters. It doesn't have the biggest size -- at least, in terms of height. But you and I both know the right man for the job to bring this group together. Snyder could take a one-day crash course with Princeton guru Pete Carril and have this team in championship shape in no time.

Who's on your dream team?

We're chatting today at 11 a.m. CT. Join Sean Adams for a lively discussion of Texas' first round NCAA tournament game, spring football and more.

Submit your questions here.