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Texas Longhorns (2001: 25-9)

The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I teams, be sure to order the 2001-02 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.

King Football is not abdicating the throne any time soon. The sport played with pads and the pointy oblong ball is still the one that stirs the passions of fans in the Lone Star state.

For a basketball coach born and raised in ACC country, Rick Barnes continues to fight the good fight. He believes the Longhorns' basketball program can be one of the nation's best. And never mind the fact that he is trying to create the sort of emotional following in Austin that he witnessed growing up in the shadow of Tobacco Road's hoops giants.

Barnes came to Texas from Clemson and in three seasons, his 38-10 record in league games is the best in the Big 12 Conference. Barnes' first three UT teams have been successful because of rock-solid defense and a pound-it-inside offensive philosophy.

While it produces victories, that style doesn't attract fans. In three years under Barnes, UT has had one sellout.

That should change this year.

Texas figures to have a player who plays the kind of dazzling, game-stopping ball that should have fans standing at games and buzzing amongst themselves between games.

Freshman point guard T.J. Ford is considered the most ballyhooed recruit in Texas' 95-year basketball history. "We're going to have some fun this year,'' Barnes predicted. "The bottom line is winning, but I do expect we'll have a different team. I always coach to my team. My job is to put my players in the best spots for us to win. I expect us to play much quicker, to get it out and go. T.J. will play a big part in that. He's defined by winning.'' And if Barnes continues to have his way, Texas could wind up being defined by more than football and spring football.

Projected starters

PG - T.J. Ford (5-11, 165 lbs., FR, #11, 12 ppg, 9.4 apg, 7.8 spg, Sugar Land Willowridge HS/ Houston, Texas)

Last spring, Texas was worried that Ford was going to need neck surgery to correct spinal stenosis, a condition that causes abnormal narrowing of the openings in the spinal column that the spinal cord runs through. While Ford is not cured, he's not expected to experience any problems.

For the next few seasons, the Longhorns hope that Ford is a pain in the neck for opponents.

One of the highest-rated recruits ever to sign with the Longhorns, Ford was tabbed as a consensus top 20 national prospect by all the major recruiting services and ranked as the best pure point guard prospect in the nation by Bob Gibbons' All Star Report.

The third McDonald's All-American in school history, he averaged 12 points, 9.4 assists and 7.8 steals per game while leading Sugar Land Willowridge High School to a 39-0 overall record, the Class 5A state title and a final national ranking of No. 2 in his senior season.

Texas' offense needs a jolt and Ford should provide it. In three previous seasons, Barnes has made do without a point guard. Now, he's got a player who can break down defenses and deliver the ball to the right player at the right time.

SG - Brandon Mouton (6-5, 210 lbs., SO, #3, 20.2 mpg, 5.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .394 FG, .373 3PT, .500 FT, St. Thomas More HS/Lafayette, La.)

An athletic player who can score by slashing to the goal as well as spotting up from three-point range, Mouton played in all 34 games in his freshman season. He ranked sixth on the squad in scoring and fifth in assists (43) and blocked shots (10). Mouton posted seven double-digit scoring performances during the season and was the second-best three-point shooter on the squad. If Mouton plays like he did against eventual national champion Duke last season, he could give the Horns the scoring punch they need on the perimeter.

In Texas' preseason NIT semifinal loss to Duke, Mouton had a career-high 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in 31 minutes off the bench.

SF - Brian Boddicker (6-9, 225 lbs., SO, #33, 19.6 mpg, 5.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, .365 FG, .355 3PT, .694 FT; Duncanville, HS/Duncanville, Texas)

With the addition of Ford, the Horns have two McDonald's All-Americans on the roster for the first time in school history. Boddicker, a former McDonald's All-American who was also voted UT's Most Improved Player last year, is a solid inside-outside scoring threat who has made great strides in his post defense.

The Texas coaching staff is trying to make Boddicker into an inside-outside threat. Barnes likes the fact that Boddicker can be a difficult match-up for opponents. Boddicker has spent considerable time studying tapes of former Notre Dame star Troy Murphy and former Oklahoma star Eduardo Najera.

Unfortunately last season, the match-up problems Boddicker caused opponents also worked against him. He had a team-high 114 personal fouls and fouled out of five games. He began last season by coming off the bench for the first five games, before making 14 consecutive starts at center from early December through late January. Boddicker then returned to his sixth-man role and played his best ball during the team's late-season surge, averaging 9.5 points while hitting 9-of-16 (.563) three-pointers during the final six games of the regular season.

Boddicker ranked fifth on the squad in scoring (5.7 ppg) and rebounding (3.9 rpg) while hitting 35.5 percent from three-point range. He posted 10 double-figure scoring performances, tops among the talented Texas freshman class.

PF - Chris Owens (6-8, 245 lbs., SR, #20, 30.5 mpg, 14.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.7 bpg .391 FG, .641 FT, Duncanville HS/Duncanville, Texas and Tulane)

Owens should be one of the top power forwards in the nation. As a member of the USA World University Games team, Owens earned a starting role last summer. One of 50 returning players across the country to be selected to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List, Owens is a powerful two-way player.

His 92 blocked shots last year set a single-season record at Texas, breaking the mark held by Chris Mihm. Owens also led the team in rebounding (7.9 rpg, fifth in the Big 12) and double-doubles (nine) and ranked second in steals (35) and third in scoring (14.4 ppg).

A great nephew of Olympic track and field legend Jesse Owens, the sculpted senior needs to improve his ability to finish plays inside. While he can rebound and block shots like an All-America power forward, his scoring touch is barely all-conference. Last season, he made just 39 percent of his field-goal attempts and shot 64 percent from the free-throw line.

"I expect Chris Owens to make a big push for All-America honors," Barnes said. "He's really turned the corner. He has simplified his game offensively, finding two or three go-to moves that he can use from 15 feet and in."

C - James Thomas (6-8, 220 lbs., SO, #0, 7.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, .484 FG, .457 FT, 20.7 mpg, Schenectady, N.Y. and Hargrave Military Academy/Chatham, Va.)

Thomas, a broad-shouldered man-child, had a solid rookie season. His hard work, particularly in offensive rebounding, made Thomas a fan favorite in the Erwin Center.

Thomas made 20 starts and became the first freshman to start a season opener since Terrence Rencher in 1991-92. Thomas ranked second on the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg), blocks (28) and field-goal percentage (.484) and fourth in scoring (7.0 ppg).

Bottom line

Texas appears to have the makings of the best team in school history. The Longhorns return 58.6 percent of their scoring and 72.9 percent of their rebounding from last year's team.

The 2000-01 edition finished with 25 victories, just one shy of the school record -- despite the fact that for much of the season, the offense was dysfunctional.

"There's no doubt that if I was playing Texas, I'd probably pack everyone inside of 20 feet and make us hit shots,'' Barnes said after his team loss to Temple in the NCAA Tournament's first round. "We have to hit shots and we have to penetrate."

Texas has had one of its best and most consistent stretches of basketball under Barnes' leadership. The Longhorns are a gritty, defensive-oriented team. They're always tough to beat.

Now, Barnes knows what comes next. To make the move from a top 25, NCAA Tournament program to a top 10, Final Four program, Texas needs to learn how to score points while not giving up its defensive mindset.

Ford's arrival should provide a boost to the offensive attack, but turning the ball over to a freshman doesn't always guarantee consistency. Barnes is not the kind of coach who will suffer turnovers and mistakes gladly. If Ford struggles to get his game together at times, Barnes will have to grin and bear it.