College Confidential

Sunday game times set for Austin regional

The game times are set for Sunday's regional games of the NCAA Tournament in Austin. The South Regional matchup between Miami and Minnesota will tip off at 5:10 p.m. The winner will advance to next week's South Regional finals at Cowboys Stadium. The late game will feature Miami vs. Illinios in an East Regional matchup. That contest will tip off at 7:40 p.m.

_ Jimmy Burch 

Texas WR Shipley tweaks hamstring, will be day-to-day for rest of spring FB drills #Longhorns

Texas receiver Jaxon Shipley strained a hamstring in Thursday’s practice and his availability for the remainder of spring drills will be determined on a day-to-day basis, school officials announced Friday. Texas will hold its spring football game March 30 in Austin.

_ Jimmy Burch

Fans face May 31 deadline to apply for tickets to 2014 Final Four in Arlington #NCAAtournament, #CowboysStadium

The application process has started for fans interested in purchasing tickets to the 2014 Final Four at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, with a May 31 deadline for submitting an order.

Fans are encouraged to apply for tickets online at www.NCAA.com/mbbtickets. All tickets for the 2014 Final Four in North Texas are sold in “books” for $190. Each book includes tickets to the national semifinals on Saturday, April 5, 2014 and to the national championship game on Monday, April 7, 2014.

Applicants’ credit cards will be charged upon submission of the application, including a $20 application fee that includes an NCAA Final Four game program along with shipping and handling fees. Fans will be allowed to apply to purchase up to four books of tickets. Only one application per individual/household will be accepted in the NCAA’s ticket selection process.

The NCAA will use a random selection process to determine ticket recipients. Individuals selected to purchase tickets will be notified by the end of September, 2013. Individuals not selected will receive a full refund, less the $20 application fee, by September, 2013.

For more information, visit www.ncaa.com/mbbtickets.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas A&M's Vaughan, a Mansfield Legacy grad, sets top U.S. mark to win national honor #TAMU

Texas A&M discus thrower Shelbi Vaughan, a freshman from Mansfield Legacy, was selected Monday as the national athlete of the week by the U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association for her efforts in last week’s Castillo Invitational in Tempe, Ariz.

Vaughan broke a 10-year-old school record on her first throw, then bettered the mark to finish as the top college competitor at the event with a toss of 185-feet (56.40 meters) in her first outdoor meet of the season. Vaughan, who also plays on A&M’s volleyball team, finished second in the meet and holds the mark for the longest longest discus throw by a U.S. competitor this season.

In addition, A&M javelin thrower Sam Humphreys also earned national athlete of the week recognition by setting a men’s meet record of 268 feet, 7 inches (81.86 meters) at the Castillo Invitational.

_ Jimmy Burch

OU quarterback Steve Davis: The last shall be first

He was a pudgy quarterback on the Oklahoma Sooners freshman team, and my dorm roommate and I thought it laughable that this Steve Davis we watched play no-frill freshman games on the practice field would one day be the starting quarterback at OU.

In 1972, he was one of eight -- eight! -- quarterbacks listed on the Oklahoma roster, which numbered around 130. The year 1972 was the first year freshmen had been made eligible for NCAA play, part of the transition to 30-scholarship limits. But in 1972, the 45-per-year limits had Oklahoma's roster so bloated that it took a good five minutes for the Sooners to clear the tunnel leading to Owen Field before a home game.

Steve Davis was an absolute revelation as a college football player. In 1973, deftly operating OU's 3-year-old, precocious Wishbone offense, the eighth quarterback on OU's roster as a sophomore in 1972 led OU to an 11-0-1 record playing seven teams ranked in the Top 20. He would help lead OU to national titles in 1974 and '75 (and the '73 team might have been the best of that bunch) and finish with a phenomenal 32-1-1 record as a starting quarterback.

He was, quite simply, a terrific Wishbone quarterback, an affirmation that dreams and transformations do happen.

Steve Davis, age 60, died Sunday in a crash of a private jet in South Bend, Ind.

Perhaps Steve Davis' public parting gift to Sooner Nation came during the OU-Texas game in October.

Louisville gets nod as NCAA favorite; oddsmaker likes Florida over Kansas in South despite seeds #NCAA

Louisville is the top overall seed in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, based on the findings of basketball selection committee members, but ranks as only a slight favorite over other teams – including No. 3 seed Florida, the favorite in the South Regional – based on odds released today by Bovada Sports Book (www.Bovada.lv).

Although the four top seeds in the various regionals rank among the website’s five teams with the best chance to win the tournament, Louisville (19/4) is given only slightly better odds than fellow No. 1 seeds Indiana (5/1), Gonzaga (10/1) or Kansas (10/1). Florida (7/1) actually received more favorable odds than Kansas, the Big 12 champion, to win the South Regional that will be decided March 29-31 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

With no Texas teams in this year’s event, schools from neighboring states given the best odds to cut down the nets in Atlanta on April 8 include New Mexico (25/1), Oklahoma State (75/1), Oklahoma (250/1), New Mexico State (500/1) and Northwestern (La.) State (500/1).

Below is a look at the odds for all 68 teams in the tournament field, released today:

 

Odds to win the 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship 

Louisville #1                              19/4

Indiana #1                                 5/1

Florida #3                                 7/1

Gonzaga #1                              10/1

Kansas #1                                 10/1

Duke #2                                   12/1

Miami, Fla. #2                           14/1

Ohio State #2                            16/1

Michigan State #3                      18/1

Georgetown #2                          20/1

Syracuse #4                              22/1

New Mexico #3                          25/1

St. Louis #4                              25/1

Michigan #4                              25/1

Wisconsin #5                            25/1

Pittsburgh #8                            33/1

VCU #5                                     40/1

UNLV #5                                   60/1

Arizona #6                                 60/1

NC State #8                              60/1

North Carolina #8                       60/1

Marquette #3                             66/1

Memphis #6                              75/1

Butler #6                                   75/1

UCLA #6                                   75/1

Minnesota #11                           75/1

Oklahoma State #5                    75/1

Kansas State #4                        75/1

Missouri #9                               75/1

San Diego State #7                   100/1

Creighton #7                             100/1

Notre Dame #7                          100/1

California #12                            150/1

Illinois #7                                  200/1

Colorado State #8                     200/1

Wichita State #9                        200/1

Villanova #9                              200/1

Temple #9                                 200/1

Iowa State #10                          200/1

Colorado #10                            200/1

Ole Miss #12                            200/1

Oklahoma #10                           250/1

Cincinnati #10                            250/1

Oregon #12                               300/1

St. Mary's #11                           300/1

Bucknell #11                             300/1

Belmont #11                              300/1

Middle Tennessee #11               500/1

Akron #12                                 500/1

Boise State #13                         500/1

LaSalle #13                               500/1

New Mexico State #13               500/1

South Dakota State #13             500/1

Montana #13                             500/1

Davidson #14                            500/1

Valparaiso #14                          500/1

Harvard #14                              500/1

Northwestern State #14              500/1

Iona #15                                    500/1

Pacific #15                                500/1

Florida Gulf Coast #15               500/1

Albany #15                                500/1

Western Kentucky #16               500/1

Southern #16                             500/1

James Madison #16                  1000/1

LIU Brooklyn #16                       1000/1

NC A&T #16                              1000/1

Liberty #16                                1000/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 NCAA Midwest Region  

Louisville #1                              11/10

Duke #2                                    15/4

Michigan State #3                      11/2

St. Louis #4                              15/2

Oklahoma State #5                    20/1

Creighton #7                             20/1

Missouri #9                               20/1

Memphis #6                              25/1

Cincinnati #10                            50/1

Saint Mary's #11                        50/1

Oregon #12                              66/1

Colorado State #8                     75/1

New Mexico State #13               75/1

Valparaiso #14                          100/1

Albany #15                                100/1

NC A&T #16                              200/1

Liberty #16                                200/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 NCAA West Region       

Gonzaga #1                              5/2

Ohio State #2                            11/4

New Mexico #3                          5/1

Wisconsin #5                            8/1

Pittsburgh #8                            8/1

Arizona #6                                 12/1

Kansas Sate #4                         16/1

Notre Dame #7                          33/1

Iowa State #10                          35/1

Ole Miss #12                             40/1

Belmont #11                              50/1

Boise State #13                         66/1

Wichita State #9                        66/1

LaSalle #13                               100/1

Harvard #14                              100/1

Iona #15                                    100/1

Southern #16                             100/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 NCAA South Region      

Florida #3                                 3/2

Kansas #1                                 7/2

Georgetown #2                          5/1

Michigan #4                              7/1

VCU #5                                     14/1

North Carolina #8                       16/1

Minnesota #11                           18/1

San Diego State #7                   25/1

UCLA #6                                   30/1

Villanova #9                              40/1

Oklahoma #10                           40/1

Akron #12                                 75/1

South Dakota State #13             75/1

Northwestern State #14              100/1

Florida Gulf Coast #15               100/1

Western Kentucky #16               100/1

 

Odds to win the 2013 NCAA East Region         

Indiana #1                                 5/4

Miami Florida #2                        7/2

Syracuse #4                              5/1

Marquette #3                             12/1

UNLV #5                                   15/1

Butler #6                                   20/1

NC State #8                              20/1

Illinois #7                                  25/1

California #12                            40/1

Davidson #14                            40/1

Colorado #10                            40/1

Temple #9                                 50/1

Bucknell #11                            50/1

Montana #13                             75/1

Pacific #15                                100/1

LIU Brooklyn #16                       200/1

James Madison #16                  200/1

 

 _ Jimmy Burch

 

 

Texas-Houston matchup in CBI set for Wednesday on AXS TV (Mark Cuban's network) #Longhorns

Texas will play at Houston in Wednesday’s opening-round matchup in the 2013 College Basketball Invitational (CBI), allowing the Longhorns to reach a postseason tournament for the 15^th consecutive season under coach Rick Barnes.

Texas (16-17) and Houston (19-12) will meet Wednesday night in Hofheinz Pavilion (8 p.m., AXS TV). The CBI features a 16-team field, with every game played on college campuses. Wednesday’s winner between the former Southwest Conference rivals will advance to a quarterfinal contest on Monday, March 25. The tournament semifinals are set for Wednesday, March 27.

In a unique twist, the CBI title is decided in a best-of-three championship series that will be played April 1-5. This is the Longhorns’ first appearance in the CBI after reaching the NCAA Tournament in each of Barnes’ first 14 seasons at the school.

 AXS TV, a network started by Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban, will broadcast most of the CBI tournament games, including each game of the championship series.

_ Jimmy Burch

UTA accepts postseason BKB invitation, will play home game Wednesday vs. Oral Roberts #UTA

UTA has accepted a postseason berth to the College Insider.com Postseason Tournament, school officials announced today, and will open with a home game Wednesday night against Oral Roberts (7:30 p.m., College Park Center).

UTA (19-13) missed out on an NCAA Tournament berth by losing to New Mexico State, 64-55, in Saturday night’s finals of the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas. The bid to the CIT to face Oral Roberts (18-14) marks the team’s second consecutive postseason appearance, following a berth in the 2012 NIT, and fourth in school history. It will be the team’s third postseason berth under coach Scott Cross.

Cross took the team to the 2008 NCAA Tournament, the school’s lone berth in that event. UTA also competed in the 1981 NIT.

Wednesday’s game will mark the first postseason contest at College Park Center, a 7,000-seat on-campus arena opened on Feb. 1, 2012.

In a statement, UTA athletics director Jim Baker said: “We’re extremely excited to continue our season … To be in the postseason for the second year in a row shows the tremendous progress coach Cross, his staff and the players are making in building our program into something special at UT Arlington.”

Ticket sales for the contest will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, with prices ranging from $3 for students (general admission), with reserved seats priced at $6 or $10 depending on the section. Group ticket discounts are available for parties of 10 or more. For ticket information, visit www.utatickets.com or call 817-272-9595.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Texas' men's college BKB teams expected to endure first NCAA Tournament shutout in 36 years

Without question, Texas is a football-first state. But the state still has had its share of memorable college basketball moments in its history, although today’s Selection Sunday proceedings are not likely to be included on any historic lists.

Barring an absolute stunner of an at-large bid during this afternoon’s CBS selection show that reveals the 68-team field, there will be no men’s college basketball team from Texas included in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1977.

That looms as an ill-timed Texas Shutout in a year when the NCAA Tournament will make regional stops in Austin (Friday-Sunday) and Arlington (March 29-31). But it’s reality and it’s been 36 years since the state’s college basketball fans found themselves without a Texas team to cheer in the annual Big Dance.
For the uninitiated, 1977 was an era when Jimmy Carter lived and worked in the White House, disco tunes and leisure suits were part of pop culture and Arkansas edged eight Texas-based schools for the Southwest Conference title. The NCAA Tournament field, in those days, included only 32 teams and the phrase “March Madness” had yet to surface.

But fans can expect the NCAA’s first Texas-free tournament bracket in 36 years to be released this afternoon (5 p.m., KTVT/Ch. 11).

The best hope for avoiding a shutout would be an at-large berth for Baylor (18-14), an Elite Eight team in 2010 and 2012 that lost to Oklahoma State, 74-72, in its opening game at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.

However, all signs point to the Bears winding up in the NIT, along with Stephen F. Austin (27-4), the Southland Conference regular-season champ that fell to Northwestern (La.) State, 68-66, in Saturday’s conference championship game.

In terms of chronology, UTA (19-13) wound up being the last Texas team playing for a guaranteed NCAA berth in Saturday night’s championship game at the WAC Tournament in Las Vegas. But the Mavericks fell to New Mexico State, 64-55, and project as participants in the CBI Tournament.

_ Jimmy Burch

UTA to play for berth in NCAA tournament tonight in WAC championship game #UTA, #NCAATournament

UTA will play for a berth in the NCAA Tournament tonight in Las Vegas (10 p.m., ESPNU) when the Mavericks meet New Mexico State in the finals of the WAC men’s basketball tournament.

UTA, the No. 4 seed heading into the conference tournament, earned its second victory in as many nights Friday by knocking off UTSA, 69-53, behind the double-digit scoring efforts of Karol Gruszecki (19), Jamel Outler (13) and Kevin Butler (10). The Mavericks (19-12) will meet New Mexico State, the No. 3 seed, in tonight’s winner-take-all game in Orleans Arena to determine the WAC representative in the NCAA field.

Each school benefitted from a first-round loss by the WAC’s top two seeds. Top-seeded Louisiana Tech fell to UTSA, 73-67, in its opening game before the Mavs ousted the Roadrunners (10-22) with Friday night’s second-round victory. New Mexico State managed to avoid Denver, the No. 2 seed, because the Pioneers feel to Texas State, the No. 7 seed, by a 72-68 margin in that opening matchup.

A victory tonight by UTA would mean the second NCAA tournament berth in school history and the first since 2008, when the Mavs reached the tournament by winning the Southland conference tournament.
The two teams split their regular-season meetings, with UTA winning 68-47 in Arlington and New Mexico State prevailing, 69-66, in Las Cruces, N.M.

_ Jimmy Burch

Below is a look at Saturday night’s box score from the victory over UTSA:

 

                               Box Score (Final)
                          Western Athletic Conference
                         UTSA vs UT Arlington (3/15/13)

VISITORS: UTSA (10-22)
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player                 FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 Hill, Jeromie....... f  5 10   3  5   4  7   2  4  6   4  17  2  4  0  2  33
32 Sims, Jordan........ f  4  9   4  9   0  0   0  1  1   1  12  1  0  0  0  37
03 Wilkins, Larry...... c  1  2   0  0   1  2   2  2  4   1   3  0  3  0  0  22
11 Hale III, Michael... g  2 10   1  6   1  2   1  3  4   2   6  4  1  0  1  39
22 Burrage, Kannon..... g  3 12   1  5   2  3   3  3  6   1   9  0  1  0  0  37
02 Thomas, Hyjii.......    0  3   0  3   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  1  2  0  0  13
20 McGregor, Edrico....    3  4   0  0   0  1   5  4  9   1   6  0  1  2  0  18
42 Wood, Tyler.........    0  1   0  1   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
TM TEAM................                            1  1
   Totals..............   18 51   9 29   8 15  13 18 31  10  53  8 12  2  3 200

             1st Half       2nd Half     Game Totals
TOTAL FG%:  7-25  .280    11-26  .423    18-51  .353
3-Pt. FG%:  3-14  .214     6-15  .400     9-29  .310
F Throw %:  3-6   .500     5-9   .556     8-15  .533
Deadball rebounds: 1

HOME TEAM: UT Arlington (19-12)
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player                 FG FGA FG FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 Butler, Kevin....... f  4  8   1  4   1  2   0  7  7   1  10  1  2  0  2  30
33 Gruszecki, Karol.... f  7 16   5 10   0  0   1  4  5   2  19  1  0  0  0  29
55 Reves, Jordan....... f  3  6   0  0   0  0   2  4  6   3   6  1  2  1  0  18
12 White-Miller, Shaqui g  0  1   0  0   0  0   0  1  1   1   0  7  2  0  0  26
25 Catlett, Cameron.... g  3  3   0  0   1  1   3  1  4   1   7  5  1  0  1  27
02 Davis, Luke.........    0  0   0  0   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
03 Outler, Jamel.......    4  8   3  6   2  2   0  2  2   1  13  0  0  0  0  15
04 Charles, Drew.......    1  4   0  1   2  2   0  4  4   3   4  2  1  0  1  21
15 McElvain, Kyle......    0  0   0  0   0  0   0  0  0   0   0  0  0  0  0   1
21 Gainey, Greg........    1  1   0  0   0  0   0  0  0   1   2  0  0  0  2   9
35 Edwards, Brandon....    3  5   0  0   0  0   1  3  4   3   6  0  0  0  1  17
42 Rodger, Deon........    1  1   0  0   0  2   0  0  0   1   2  0  0  0  1   6
TM TEAM................                         2     2
   Totals..............   27 53   9 21   6  9   9 26 35  17  69 17  8  1  8 200

             1st Half       2nd Half     Game Totals
TOTAL FG%: 12-27  .444    15-26  .577    27-53  .509
3-Pt. FG%:  5-11  .455     4-10  .400     9-21  .429
F Throw %:  4-6   .667     2-3   .667     6-9   .667
Deadball rebounds: 2

Date: 3/15/13       Site: Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV)  Attendance: 949
Officials: Larry Spaulding; Shawn Lehigh; Rick Batsell;
Technical fouls: UTSA-None. UT Arlington-None.
Score by Periods      1  2   Total
UTSA................ 20 33  - 53
UT Arlington........ 33 36  - 69

________________________________________

                          Newspaper Box Score (Final)
                         UTSA vs UT Arlington (3/15/13)

At Orleans Arena (Las
UT ARLINGTON 69, UTSA 53
UTSA (10-22)
Hill, Jeromie 5-10 4-7 17; Sims, Jordan 4-9 0-0 12; Burrage, Kannon 3-12 2-3
9; Hale III, Michael 2-10 1-2 6; McGregor, Edrico 3-4 0-1 6; Wilkins, Larry
1-2 1-2 3; Wood, Tyler 0-1 0-0 0; Thomas, Hyjii 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 18-51 8-15
53.
UT ARLINGTON (19-12)
Gruszecki, Karol 7-16 0-0 19; Outler, Jamel 4-8 2-2 13; Butler, Kevin 4-8
1-2 10; Catlett, Cameron 3-3 1-1 7; Edwards, Brandon 3-5 0-0 6; Reves,
Jordan 3-6 0-0 6; Charles, Drew 1-4 2-2 4; Gainey, Greg 1-1 0-0 2; Rodger,
Deon 1-1 0-2 2; White-Miller, Shaqui 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-53 6-9 69.
UTSA................ 20 33  - 53
UT Arlington........ 33 36  - 69
3-point goals-UTSA 9-29 (Sims, Jordan 4-9; Hill, Jeromie 3-5;
Burrage, Kannon 1-5; Hale III, Michael 1-6; Wood, Tyler 0-1; Thomas, Hyjii
0-3), UT Arlington 9-21 (Gruszecki, Karol 5-10; Outler, Jamel 3-6; Butler,
Kevin 1-4; Charles, Drew 0-1). Fouled out--UTSA-None, UT
Arlington-None. Rebounds-UTSA 31 (McGregor, Edrico 9), UT Arlington
35 (Butler, Kevin 7). Assists-UTSA 8 (Hale III, Michael 4), UT
Arlington 17 (White-Miller, Shaqui 7). Total fouls-UTSA 10, UT
Arlington 17. A-949