14 Texas

A few days before the start of the NCAA tournament last March, Texas coach Rick Barnes looked on as reporters fired questions at guard Brandon Mouton, most of which were a variation on one theme: "You play so well during the season, but then you disappear in the tournament—what's up with that?" Barnes pulled his agitated player aside and said, "Brandon, I've heard all those questions. I know you don't choke. But if you don't play well in this tournament, that's what I'm going to tell the world you did"

Well, that really made Mouton mad, but more important, those words sharpened his focus. In contrast to the 2002 tournament, when he scored 7.3 points a game and shot 28.1% from the floor, Mouton was the Longhorns' leading scorer in three of their five tournament games in '03, including a 25-point night in the 95-84 loss to Syracuse in the Final Four semis. "After our little talk, he flipped a switch quick," says Barnes, "and he hasn't looked back."

Mouton maintained that focus through the summer. "I felt like I really had to work on my total game this off-season," he says. "I have dreams of the NBA, and I can't just rely on my jump shot to get me there."

Says Barnes, "He might have improved as much as any player that I've ever coached. And he has become an iron man."

Stamina will be an asset for Mouton, the undisputed go-to guy following the departure of point guard T.J. Ford, who left for the NBA after two spectacular seasons in Austin. Ford's playmaking will be difficult to replace, but at least in Royal Ivey, who moves to the point full time, the Longhorns have a member of the Big 12's all-defensive team. A deep and talented frontcourt, led by rebound hound James Thomas, will be among the best in the nation.

"Getting to the Final Four was a great experience, but we're not satisfied with that," says Mouton. "It gave us a taste of what could be." Now all they need is for someone to make them mad.

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