In this week's edition of the Verbal Commit podcast, our experts look at the team's that have been off to a fast start in 2013 recruiting.
Give it a listen.
Give it a listen.
The Texas baseball team got back in the win column Tuesday after dropping two out of three games at the Houston College Classic.
Senior outfielder Tyler Maitland hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Longhorns a 2-1 win over Dallas Baptist at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Before that inning, Texas had just three hits, but sophomore infielder Alex Silver’s bloop single in the 12th got the rally started. Taylor Stell pinch-ran for Silver and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Kirby Bellow. That’s when things got dramatic.
The Patriots tried to set up a double play by intentionally walking Jordan Etier, and Mark Payton appeared to oblige the move when he hit a slow roller to short stop. The sophomore Payton was able to beat the relay throw from second base to give Texas runners on the corners with two outs.
In stepped Maitland.
The senior bounced a 1-0 pitch towards DBU short stop Joel Hutter, but with Maitland’s speed, Dallas Baptist had no play at first. Hutter instead went to third to try and retire Etier before the winning run could score, but Stell crossed the plate first with the winning run.
Six Longhorns pitchers combined to allow just one run and five hits over 12 innings. Corey Knebel (1-0) earned the victory, pitching a scoreless 12th inning, allowing one hit while striking out one. Parker French, who entered in the 8th, pitched four scoreless innings allowing two hits and notching a strikeout. Nathan Thornhill and John Curtiss each tallied two scoreless innings.
Dallas Baptist (6-6) pounced on the Longhorns for a run in the top of the first inning. R.J. Talamantes doubled to the gap in right centerfield to start the frame and moved to third on a fly out to deep leftfield. Boomer Collins drew a walk to put runners on the corners and Talamantes scored when Collins drew the throw to second on a double-steal attempt.
Texas (5-7) knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Silver was hit by a pitch and replaced at first base by Bellow who grounded into a fielder’s choice. Etier singled and Mark Payton walked to load the bases. Maitland was hit by a pitch to drive in Bellow with the equalizer.
Etier was the only player in the game to register multiple hits, going 2-for-4 on the day.
Michael Smith (1-1) was the hard-luck loser for Dallas Baptist. He allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out six over 5.2 innings. Andrew Elkins pitched 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two.
Senior outfielder Tyler Maitland hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 12th inning to give the Longhorns a 2-1 win over Dallas Baptist at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Before that inning, Texas had just three hits, but sophomore infielder Alex Silver’s bloop single in the 12th got the rally started. Taylor Stell pinch-ran for Silver and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Kirby Bellow. That’s when things got dramatic.
The Patriots tried to set up a double play by intentionally walking Jordan Etier, and Mark Payton appeared to oblige the move when he hit a slow roller to short stop. The sophomore Payton was able to beat the relay throw from second base to give Texas runners on the corners with two outs.
In stepped Maitland.
The senior bounced a 1-0 pitch towards DBU short stop Joel Hutter, but with Maitland’s speed, Dallas Baptist had no play at first. Hutter instead went to third to try and retire Etier before the winning run could score, but Stell crossed the plate first with the winning run.
Six Longhorns pitchers combined to allow just one run and five hits over 12 innings. Corey Knebel (1-0) earned the victory, pitching a scoreless 12th inning, allowing one hit while striking out one. Parker French, who entered in the 8th, pitched four scoreless innings allowing two hits and notching a strikeout. Nathan Thornhill and John Curtiss each tallied two scoreless innings.
Dallas Baptist (6-6) pounced on the Longhorns for a run in the top of the first inning. R.J. Talamantes doubled to the gap in right centerfield to start the frame and moved to third on a fly out to deep leftfield. Boomer Collins drew a walk to put runners on the corners and Talamantes scored when Collins drew the throw to second on a double-steal attempt.
Texas (5-7) knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Silver was hit by a pitch and replaced at first base by Bellow who grounded into a fielder’s choice. Etier singled and Mark Payton walked to load the bases. Maitland was hit by a pitch to drive in Bellow with the equalizer.
Etier was the only player in the game to register multiple hits, going 2-for-4 on the day.
Michael Smith (1-1) was the hard-luck loser for Dallas Baptist. He allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out six over 5.2 innings. Andrew Elkins pitched 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two.
The boys at the Solid Verbal podcast are new members to the Grantland network, and I jumped on with Ty and Dan this week to preview the Big 12's first season in its third configuration in three years.
Here's where you can have a listen
.
Can WVU and TCU crash the Big 12 party and win the league? Is the window still open for someone other than Oklahoma and Texas to win the league? How will David Ash progress? Is K-State good enough to be better than 2011?
How far, if at all, will Baylor and Oklahoma State fall without their world-beating pass/catch duos?
Will Mike Stoops revitalize Oklahoma's defense? Can Paul Rhoads or Charlie Weis build something special at Iowa State and Kansas, respectively?
We touched on the whole Big 12. You won't be disappointed. All that and more on the podcast. Give it a listen.
Here's where you can have a listen
.
Can WVU and TCU crash the Big 12 party and win the league? Is the window still open for someone other than Oklahoma and Texas to win the league? How will David Ash progress? Is K-State good enough to be better than 2011?
How far, if at all, will Baylor and Oklahoma State fall without their world-beating pass/catch duos?
Will Mike Stoops revitalize Oklahoma's defense? Can Paul Rhoads or Charlie Weis build something special at Iowa State and Kansas, respectively?
We touched on the whole Big 12. You won't be disappointed. All that and more on the podcast. Give it a listen
.Chat reminder: Join us today at 2 p.m. CT
March, 6, 2012
3/06/12
9:40
AM CT
By HornsNation staff | ESPN.com
We're chatting today. Spring football, the latest commitment, the start of the Big 12 hoops tournament -- it's all up for grabs.
Carter Strickland will be taking your questions at 2 p.m. CT today.
Submit your questions here.
Carter Strickland will be taking your questions at 2 p.m. CT today.
Submit your questions here.
If Texas is going to make a run at a 14th consecutive NCAA tournament, it will do it without forward Alexis Wangmene.
The 6-foot-8 senior suffered a broken wrist in Saturday's game against Kansas. He will undergo surgery to repair his dislocated left wrist.
After consulting with a specialist Monday, it was decided that surgery was the best option. The recovery time, however, will keep Wangmene out of any postseason play.
The Longhorns open the Big 12 tournament Thursday against Iowa State.
The 6-foot-8 senior suffered a broken wrist in Saturday's game against Kansas. He will undergo surgery to repair his dislocated left wrist.
After consulting with a specialist Monday, it was decided that surgery was the best option. The recovery time, however, will keep Wangmene out of any postseason play.
The Longhorns open the Big 12 tournament Thursday against Iowa State.
AUSTIN, Texas -- There was plenty of blame to pass around last year when it came to Texas’ inconsistent passing game.
Put it all on the quarterbacks if you want, but offensive lineman Mason Walters knows it wasn’t just about David Ash, Case McCoy and their receivers.
That’s the approach the Longhorns offense is taking this fall. All 11 are responsible for bringing back the confidence in Texas’ passing attack.
Put it all on the quarterbacks if you want, but offensive lineman Mason Walters knows it wasn’t just about David Ash, Case McCoy and their receivers.
That’s the approach the Longhorns offense is taking this fall. All 11 are responsible for bringing back the confidence in Texas’ passing attack.
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Durham Smythe is done with his visits and ready to make a decision.
The Belton tight end told HornsNation he’s planning to announce his choice by the end of this week. After making a trip to Palo Alto this weekend, his choice is down to Texas or Stanford.
“I really enjoyed the trip,” Smythe said. “The campus was beautiful, the coaches were really fun to be around and I really enjoyed my experience overall.”
The Belton tight end told HornsNation he’s planning to announce his choice by the end of this week. After making a trip to Palo Alto this weekend, his choice is down to Texas or Stanford.
“I really enjoyed the trip,” Smythe said. “The campus was beautiful, the coaches were really fun to be around and I really enjoyed my experience overall.”
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
Ole Miss picked up its third commit on Monday, as ESPNU 150 Watch List receiver Dannon Cavil (San Antonio/Madison) gave his verbal commitment to the Rebels.
Cavil, a big receiver at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, told Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze personally that he wanted to be a part of the change Freeze is anticipating. Cavil chose Ole Miss over offers from Baylor, Cal, Clemson and South Carolina. Arizona State, Boise State and Arkansas were among the schools showing interest.
“I made the decision in front at Freeze’s desk,” Cavil said. “I like the sheer fact there’s a rich tradition here. I want to bring championships back to this school and this family. It’s a tight-knit community here. Everybody around here loves Ole Miss.”
Cavil, a big receiver at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, told Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze personally that he wanted to be a part of the change Freeze is anticipating. Cavil chose Ole Miss over offers from Baylor, Cal, Clemson and South Carolina. Arizona State, Boise State and Arkansas were among the schools showing interest.
“I made the decision in front at Freeze’s desk,” Cavil said. “I like the sheer fact there’s a rich tradition here. I want to bring championships back to this school and this family. It’s a tight-knit community here. Everybody around here loves Ole Miss.”
To continue reading this article you must be an Insider
US Presswiretbd by editorIt's that time of year. It's championship week. Many teams, including the Texas Longhorns, will be watching and awaiting their NCAA tournament fate. Texas still holds a slim chance at a 14th straigh tournament bid, but they'll need help.
For Texas to even have a chance, it must get a win (or two) in the Big 12 tournament. Texas will open the conference tournament Thursday against Iowa State at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Myron Medcalf provides a primer of the second half of Championship Week:
Big 12
When: Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10
Where: Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Another (final) Kansas-Missouri classic? In their first matchup, Missouri and Kansas staged a memorable game that the Tigers won in the final minutes. In their second meeting this season, the Jayhawks stormed back from a 19-point second-half deficit to beat Missouri in overtime on Feb. 25 at Allen Fieldhouse. It's a shame that this rivalry will end next season when the Tigers leave for the SEC. But we could see one more battle between them in the Big 12 championship game on Saturday. We should be so lucky.
Fred Hoiberg and Co.: The Mayor did not want to wait. When he took over the Cyclones, his alma mater, two years ago, he immediately grabbed a crew of transfers and set his sights on the here-and-now. And his vision has been realized. With All-Big 12 first-teamer and Newcomer of the Year Royce White playing part-time point guard -- yes, he employs a 6-8, 270-pound point guard -- Hoiberg led the Cyclones to a tie for third in the Big 12 and an all-but-guaranteed at-large NCAA tourney bid in just his second season with the program. The Big 12 tournament is another showcase for the Cyclones and Hoiberg, who earned co-Big 12 coach of the year honors with Bill Self on Sunday.
Thomas Robinson: The Kansas power forward is locked in a two-man race for National Player of the Year honors with Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis. Robinson, who's averaging 18.0 ppg and 11.9 rpg, led Kansas to its eighth consecutive Big 12 regular-season title. Voters have a multitude of reasons to pick him for national player of the year. And this will probably be their last opportunity. Robinson will soon take his services to the NBA.
In the Monday edition of Bracketology, the Longhorns are still in.
Joe Lunardi has Texas as one of his last four teams in the tournament. The Longhorns are listed as a No. 13 seed.
Lunardi provides a checklist for bubble teams heading into conference championships.
The Big 12 tournament is in Kansas City this week. Here’s hoping for a rubber match between Kansas and Missouri in Saturday's championship game at the Sprint Center. Of course, getting to the title game won’t be easy for either team. Here are this season’s final Big 12 Power Rankings.
Kansas - The Jayhawks have now won eight straight league titles, which is the most by a team from a power conference since John Wooden’s UCLA Bruins won 13 in a row from 1967-79.- Missouri - Frank Haith appears to have been an excellent hire for the Tigers, who are hoping to become the first team in school history to reach the Final Four. It’s certainly doable with this group.
- Iowa State - Saturday’s victory over Baylor at Hilton Coliseum forced a tie between the Cyclones and Bears for third place in the Big 12 standings. The Cyclones will be the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 tournament. Baylor will be No. 4
- Baylor - Scott Drew’s squad will face Kansas State in the quarterfinals of this week’s Big 12 tournament. The teams split the season series, with the games being decided by a combined two points. Pierre Jackson had 35 points at Iowa State Wednesday.
- Kansas State - The Wildcats have won four of their last five games and are a lock to make the NCAA tournament. They could greatly improve their seed, however, by defeating Baylor in Thursday’s semifinals.
- Texas - With a 19-12 overall record and a 9-9 mark in the Big 12, the Longhorns are still on the NCAA tournament bubble. A victory over Iowa State in Thursday’s semifinals would certainly enhance their résumé. Two wins this week would secure a bid.
- Oklahoma State - The Cowboys have lost six of their last eight games, but they open Big 12 tournament play Wednesday night against Texas Tech, the Big 12’s worst team. Keiton Page is averaging 27 points in his last five games.
- Oklahoma - Wednesday’s game against Texas A&M will mark the second time these teams have played in less than a week. The Sooners defeated the Aggies 65-62 in the regular-season finale Saturday in Norman, Okla.
- Texas A&M - The Aggies have lost nine of their last 10 games, and six of those defeats have come by single digits. Khris Middleton has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.
- Texas Tech - The Red Raiders’ only Big 12 win came on Feb. 11 against Oklahoma. Billy Gillispie’s squad is improving, though, and could threaten to upset an Oklahoma State team that will be without star freshman Le'Bryan Nash.
Joe Lunardi's latest Bracketology update
March, 4, 2012
3/04/12
11:13
AM CT
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Editor’s note: This update does not include BYU-Gonzaga in the WCC tournament.
NOTABLE
Xavier
Northwestern
South Florida
Colorado State
First Four Out
Texas
VCU
Oregon
NC State
Next Four Out
Miami
Tennessee
Saint Joseph’s
Dayton
BRACKET MATH
Take the “solid” at-large candidates (current Tournament Odds at 90% or better) and there are now 34 teams in the field. Add in the remaining automatic qualifiers and that’s another 20 spots. All told there are 54 of the 68 spots accounted for, with 14 still up for grabs among current “Bubble” teams.
S-CURVE PROJECTIONS
1-KENTUCKY 2-SYRACUSE 3-KANSAS 4-NO. CAROLINA
8-Ohio State 7-Missouri 6-Duke 5-Michigan State*
9-Marquette 10-Georgetown 11-Baylor 12-Michigan
16-UNLV 15-Florida 14-Indiana 13-Wisconsin
17-Louisville 18-Wichita State 19-Florida State 20-TEMPLE
24-CREIGHTON 23-Notre Dame 22-Murray State 21-Vanderbilt
25-Gonzaga 26-New Mexico 27- San Diego State* 28-MEMPHIS
32-Purdue 31-Kansas State 30-Iowa State 29-SAINT MARY’S
33-Alabama 34-Cincinnati 35-Virginia 36-Southern Miss
40-Connecticut 39-Washington* 38-California 37-Saint Louis
41-West Virginia 42-Seton Hall 43-Harvard* 44-LONG BEACH STATE
48-Colorado State 47-Mississippi State 46-Brigham Young 45-Arizona
49-South Florida 50-Northwestern 51-Xavier 52-IONA
56-NEVADA 55-ORAL ROBERTS 54-DREXEL 53-MIDDLE TENNNESSEE
57-Belmont 58-DAVIDSON 59-AKRON 60-VALPARAISO
64-UNC Asheville 63-UT ARLINGTON 62-MONTANA 61-BUCKNELL
65-LONG ISLAND 66-STONY BROOK 67-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 68-SAVANNAH STATE
72-NC State 71-Oregon 70-VCU 69-Texas
73-Miami (Fla.) 74-Saint Joseph’s 75-Dayton 76-Tennessee
Bold - automatic qualifier; * - current conference leader.
ALL CAPS: Regular-season champion (NIT auto-bid if needed)
CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
Big East (10)
Big Ten (7)
Big 12 (5)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
Pac-12 (3)
West Coast (3)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)
NCAA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
UNC Asheville (Big South)
Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
Belmont (Atlantic Sun)
NOTABLE
- North Carolina moves up to top line as projected No. 1 seed.
- Belmont (Atlantic Sun) clinches fifth NCAA bid in seven years.
- Texas falls out of field, replaced by Xavier (“Last Team In”).
Xavier
Northwestern
South Florida
Colorado State
First Four Out
Texas
VCU
Oregon
NC State
Next Four Out
Miami
Tennessee
Saint Joseph’s
Dayton
BRACKET MATH
Take the “solid” at-large candidates (current Tournament Odds at 90% or better) and there are now 34 teams in the field. Add in the remaining automatic qualifiers and that’s another 20 spots. All told there are 54 of the 68 spots accounted for, with 14 still up for grabs among current “Bubble” teams.
S-CURVE PROJECTIONS
1-KENTUCKY 2-SYRACUSE 3-KANSAS 4-NO. CAROLINA
8-Ohio State 7-Missouri 6-Duke 5-Michigan State*
9-Marquette 10-Georgetown 11-Baylor 12-Michigan
16-UNLV 15-Florida 14-Indiana 13-Wisconsin
17-Louisville 18-Wichita State 19-Florida State 20-TEMPLE
24-CREIGHTON 23-Notre Dame 22-Murray State 21-Vanderbilt
25-Gonzaga 26-New Mexico 27- San Diego State* 28-MEMPHIS
32-Purdue 31-Kansas State 30-Iowa State 29-SAINT MARY’S
33-Alabama 34-Cincinnati 35-Virginia 36-Southern Miss
40-Connecticut 39-Washington* 38-California 37-Saint Louis
41-West Virginia 42-Seton Hall 43-Harvard* 44-LONG BEACH STATE
48-Colorado State 47-Mississippi State 46-Brigham Young 45-Arizona
49-South Florida 50-Northwestern 51-Xavier 52-IONA
56-NEVADA 55-ORAL ROBERTS 54-DREXEL 53-MIDDLE TENNNESSEE
57-Belmont 58-DAVIDSON 59-AKRON 60-VALPARAISO
64-UNC Asheville 63-UT ARLINGTON 62-MONTANA 61-BUCKNELL
65-LONG ISLAND 66-STONY BROOK 67-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 68-SAVANNAH STATE
72-NC State 71-Oregon 70-VCU 69-Texas
73-Miami (Fla.) 74-Saint Joseph’s 75-Dayton 76-Tennessee
Bold - automatic qualifier; * - current conference leader.
ALL CAPS: Regular-season champion (NIT auto-bid if needed)
CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
Big East (10)
Big Ten (7)
Big 12 (5)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
Pac-12 (3)
West Coast (3)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)
NCAA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
UNC Asheville (Big South)
Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
Belmont (Atlantic Sun)
Notes: Kickers struggle; no interceptions
March, 3, 2012
3/03/12
6:09
PM CT
By
Carter Strickland | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- Forget about the Texas quarterbacks for just a second.
OK, so it is nearly impossible. But just try. Because for all those sky-is-falling fans out there -- you know who you are and there are more of you than you might think -- the thing that needs to worry you, wait, check that, send you into a panic, wait, cause cold sweats at 3 a.m., is the kicking game.
That’s right, it’s no longer about arms at Texas. It’s all about the legs. Or the lack thereof. The latter was clearly evident in the second spring practice open to the public. Ben Pruitt missed a 32 and a 37-yarder. William Russ missed a 32-yarder as well.
"That’s not my area,’’ said a relieved Bryan Harsin when asked about the kickers.
"That’s not my area,’’ the co-offensive coordinator said a second time.
Whether that second utterance was to drive the point home or just Harsin relishing for one second that he was not at the crux of the biggest flaw in the Longhorns is unclear.
What is clear is that Nick Jordan, the high school all-American from Coppell, is still in high school but will be welcomed with open arms when he does arrive in June. Until that time Texas will have to continue to work with Pruitt and Russ.
Here are a few other observations from the open practice:
OK, so it is nearly impossible. But just try. Because for all those sky-is-falling fans out there -- you know who you are and there are more of you than you might think -- the thing that needs to worry you, wait, check that, send you into a panic, wait, cause cold sweats at 3 a.m., is the kicking game.
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"That’s not my area,’’ said a relieved Bryan Harsin when asked about the kickers.
"That’s not my area,’’ the co-offensive coordinator said a second time.
Whether that second utterance was to drive the point home or just Harsin relishing for one second that he was not at the crux of the biggest flaw in the Longhorns is unclear.
What is clear is that Nick Jordan, the high school all-American from Coppell, is still in high school but will be welcomed with open arms when he does arrive in June. Until that time Texas will have to continue to work with Pruitt and Russ.
Here are a few other observations from the open practice:
ABOUT HORNSNATION
Sean Adams
Sean Adams has covered the Texas Longhorns and college football for the last 12 years as a writer and radio host. Sean co-hosts "The Big Show" with Erin Hogan each afternoon on ESPN Austin 104.9 The Horn. He lives with his family in Round Rock, Texas. Email him at thisean@gmail.com.
Max Olson
Max Olson joined ESPN in 2012 after covering the University of Nebraska for the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald and high school and college sports for the World-Herald and Rivals.com. Olson is a University of Nebraska graduate and lives in Austin, Texas. Email him at maxolsonespn@gmail.com.
Carter Strickand
Carter Strickland joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the University of Oklahoma for The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman and Washington State University for The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review. Strickland lives with his wife and family in Austin. Email him at cstrickland70@gmail.com.
William Wilkerson
William Wilkerson joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering high school sports, college sports and the Texas Rangers over four years at the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram. William is a University of Texas graduate and lives in Austin. He can be reached at wilkerson.espn@gmail.com.