Coach: Rick Barnes, 10 years at school, 10 years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: At-large berth; South first round: def. No. 15 Austin Peay 74-54; South
second round: held off No. 7 seed
Miami (Fla.) 75-72; South semifinals: pulled away from
No. 3 seed Stanford 82-62.
They'll keep winning if: There can be no rest for the weary as D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams are logging a boatload of
minutes. Rick Barnes leans heavily on his starters and if they can handle the workload and continue to play at a high level, they'll give
Memphis all it can handle. Texas' depth is razor-thin and it can't afford to have anyone in foul trouble, especially Abrams, Augustin and
Damion James. Texas can draw from its experience against Kansas -- another team rich in talent and depth at all positions -- in preparing
for Memphis. The Tigers haven't been tested in many close games this season and when the game is tight, will it execute the end game to
John Calipari's satisfaction? While Memphis mulls its many options for defending Texas' three-headed monster -- defensive stopper
Antonio Anderson keyed the Tigers' defense on Friday -- the Longhorns have matchups to dissect including what to do against freshman
point guard Derrick Rose. Memphis has been atrocious at the foul line. But Texas can't claim much of an upper hand in that category. As a
team, the Longhorns aren't one of the elite foul-shooting clubs in the nation, but the primary scorers (Augustin and Abrams) hit about 80
percent. Against Stanford, Texas made 11 of 18 (61.1 percent) free throws.
Memorable moment: Losses in succession to Big Ten frontrunners Michigan State and Wisconsin (in Austin) had
some ready to reconsider the Longhorns' outlook entering Big 12 play. The Wisconsin loss, in particular, was disheartening. The Longhorns
allowed 13 offensive rebounds in the second half alone before a Michael Flowers 3-pointer with two seconds left in the game. Barnes
challenged the 'Horns to bounce back and, other than road losses at Mizzou and Texas A&M, UT answered the bell with a 13-2 record
since the calendar turned to '08 before falling to Texas Tech.
D. J. Augustin |
Go-to guys: All-American D.J. Augustin rarely comes off the floor. He can be prone to turnovers, but he makes up for it,
topping UT in scoring and assists. Sidekick A.J. Abrams is capable of a big night. He doesn't often get to the foul line but his pure jumper is
deadly from 3-point range. Freshman forward Gary Johnson joined the team for the second half of the season and has become a vital cog.
He's the first man off the bench most nights and averages around a rebound every two minutes. Johnson didn't play in the first round
because of an ankle injury.
Strengths: The backcourt. Guard play and offense gets a lot of deserved attention, but Texas tightens the clamps
defensively. If opponents shoot over 40 percent from the floor, they have a chance. Augustin leads the team in scoring, but he's not always a
shoot-first point guard. The sophomore wants the ball and delivers in the clutch. Abrams has a sweet stroke and range to threaten any
defense. He'll hoist without a conscience (6 of 10 vs. Miami) and is deadly when his shot is falling. Damion James is capable of a big night
(27 points, 16 boards at Missouri) and is a reliable forward who averaged a double-double in the regular season.
Weaknesses: Texas finished in the bottom half of the Big 12 in shooting percentage, a smidge over 40 percent.
When Augustin and Abrams go cold, the offense might develop icicles. Case in point: The duo was 9 of 31 in the Jan. 30 loss to Texas
A&M, 15 of 37 vs. Michigan State on Dec. 22 15 of 37 vs. Michigan State on Dec. 22.
Coach: Trent Johnson, four years at Stanford, three years in NCAA Tournament.
How they got here: At-large berth; South first round: def. Cornell 77-53; South second round: def. No. 6 seed Marquette 82-81 in OT
They'll keep winning if: Stanford is proving its point: Size matters. Brook and Robin Lopez combined for 48 points against Marquette. Look for the Cardinal to plant Brook Lopez on the block and make the Longhorns stop him, which might invite coach Rick Barnes to go with a bigger lineup. Reserves Dexter Pittman (6-10, 299) and Gary Johnson (6-7, 235) haven't logged big minutes lately for Texas but will be in the mix. Pittman hasn't played more than 16 minutes in a game all season and Johnson is fighting an ankle injury. Texas has an approach that will look a lot like Marquette's with a guard-heavy rotation that lives and dies with a slash-and-cash, 3-point happy attack. Stanford took better care of the ball against Marquette, when point guard Mitch Johnson played 44 minutes but had 16 assists and one turnover. The Longhorns' scoring comes from their guards.
Memorable moment: All that separated the Cardinal from at least a share of the Pac-10 regular-season crown was a controversial foul call on Lawrence Hill on a shot block against Darren Collison with 2.5 seconds left in regulation at Pauley Pavilion. What appeared to be a clean block became two game-tying free throws by Collison, forcing the game into overtime, where the Bruins pulled away to pocket their third straight league title.
Brook Lopez |
Go-to guys: Sophomore Brook Lopez can be almost unstoppable inside. The 7-foot forward has a unique style and can appear awkward at times. But he is powerful and athletic and scores in a variety of ways around the basket. Plus, he has a mean streak that fuels his competitive nature. Junior forward Lawrence Hill has traditionally made big plays for the Cardinal, but his play this season has been less predictable.
Strengths: The Cardinal brings its defense virtually every game. This is a staple, the one aspect of their game that is unchanged almost from game to game. The defense funnels the ball into the lane, where 7-footers Brook and Robin Lopez are waiting to swat shots. Both can find foul trouble, but neither typically leaves the ground to block shots, which tends to curb the hack attack.
Weaknesses: Stanford is an inconsistent shooting team from the perimeter. Mitch Johnson has overcome past reluctance to shoot when left open, but Anthony Goods and Lawrence Hill both have struggled this season to find offensive consistency. The Cardinal needs Goods, in particular, to shoot the ball well in big games.
