Marquise Goodwin Wins Second NCAA Championship, Joins Prestigious Class of Longhorns

When it comes to Longhorns athletics, is there such thing as an off-year? With the rise of Baylor, and the subpar performances by a handful of Texas teams (i.e. football and baseball), it would seem as if the wheels are falling off in Austin.

Have no fear though my fellow Horns’ fans. The titles have been rolling in as of late, reminding us all that we are still one of the top athletic programs in the country.

The men’s golf team got the championship roll started with a dramatic victory over Alabama to bring home the 2012 Men’s Golf NCAA title.

Following suit, junior long jump specialist Marquise Goodwin won the long jump national championship (his second career NCAA title) to open the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Goodwin blazed through the field, posting the top four jumps of the day. On his final attempt he jumped a career best 27-0′, which also meets the Olympic A standard mark.

Goodwin would take sole possession of first place after his first attempt, posting a jump of 26-10.75′.

Goodwin on his latest accomplishments (courtesy of TexasSports.com):

“It feels great. I have a great supporting cast out here. It was a great day to compete out here. There were a lot of great competitors out here jumping that beat me before, but I just felt it today and went out there and got it done.”

“It was a good series. During warm-ups I felt good, but during the 4×100 (relay) we had a little mishap and it kind of pushed me a little bit. It kind of gave me an extra edge today. It’s just one of those things that happens, but I tried to build off of it. I tried to put it behind me as fast as I could with limited time. I came out here and did what I needed to do today to get 10 points for the team.”

With this title, Goodwin joins a prestigious class of Longhorns. He is only the second athlete in school history to record multiple long jump national titles (Goodwin won the 2012 long jump NCAA championship), the other being former Longhorn great Eric Metcalf (’86, ’88). Goodwin also becomes just the eighth athlete to win multiple titles during his Texas career.

Congratulations Marquise from the Longhorn Nation. Hook ‘em Horns!

Tradition Tuesday – Texas Football Offensive Legend Major Applewhite

From Whence They Came- Part One: The Stars and Vets

The University of Texas is well-represented in the NBA, putting 12 former Longhorns into the league. The results have ranged between superstar and perennial all-star, to mere back-up roles. In a blast from the past, we will take a look at where these Texas alum have gone, and how they got there since leaving Austin for the NBA.

We’ll start off with Part One: The Stars and the Vets

KEVIN DURANT, Oklahoma City

The obvious headliner when it comes to naming former Longhorns, Kevin Durant has shined in his five years with the Oklahoma City franchise. After first getting drafted second overall to Seattle behind the perma-injured Greg Oden, Durant has left no doubt as to which top selection has lived up to expectations.

The 6-foot-9 scoring machine wrapped up his third consecutive scoring title this season, posting 28 points per game while averaging a career-best in rebounds.

Durant is part of the core that drives the Thunder’s offensive exploits. Him being a critical component to Oklahoma City’s “Big Three” has put the Maryland-native near the top of the basketball world. A three-time All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year in 2008 and All-Star Game MVP, Durant is beginning to build a trophy case that history’s stars have experienced at one point in time.

Will any rings be a part of that? That is a story for another day.

LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE, Portland

LaMarcus Aldridge spent two seasons in Austin before jumping to the next level as the second overall pick in 2006 to the Chicago Bulls, who quickly sent him to Portland where the returns have been highly satisfactory for the Blazers.

As a full-time starter beginning in the 2007 season, Aldridge has been a model of consistency on the offensive end, averaging 19 points and 7.9 rebounds per game since then. Though he is just beginning to hit his prime as a featured playmaker for the Blazers, Aldridge has yet to claim the title of a 20-10-type of forward.

Nevertheless, this first-time All-Star in 2012 has become a cornerstone for a Portland franchise that has suffered from blowing injuries to Greg Oden and Brandon Roy.

It is unlikely that Aldridge will fade into the West Coast sunset, but without some serious help, he could be stuck without the best kind of hardware one can get in the NBA.

D.J. AUGUSTIN, Charlotte

What a basketball career that D.J. Augustin has had…

After getting displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Augustin found a place at Texas through Hightower High School in Missouri City, Texas. Although he is still considered an undersized guard, Augustin has been highly serviceable with the Bobcats since getting drafted ninth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot point guard posted a career-high in assists with 6.4 per game in the 2012 season, but his other offensive numbers have taken hits.

Augustin unfortunately runs the offense for the worst team in the NBA, and the Draft Lottery was even more unkind, providing the 7-59 Bobcats with the second—not the first—overall pick in the 2012 draft.

There were some references of Steve Nash in Augustin’s game coming out of college, his moxie, floor leadership and ability to distribute the ball properly, but he has yet to realize that sort of idealized potential. He has many years ahead of him, but to say that Augustin will end up on Nash’s level would be quite a complement so far.

MAURICE EVANS, Washington

The eight-year veteran Maurice Evans has been the model journeyman in his NBA career.

After spending two seasons at Wichita State and one year in Austin, Evans went undrafted in 2001, but has had no shortage of experience at the professional level. Since joining the pro ranks that year, Evans has suited up for nine different clubs, including two European teams between 2002 and 2004.

Despite his long list of employers, Evans has never really exploded onto the scene, averaging just 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in his career. But at this point in his basketball lifespan, he represents a seasoned veteran who has been around the block and back.

In the 26 games he appeared in for Washington in the 2010-2011 season, Evans posted career-highs in minutes (27.4) and points per game (9.7), so perhaps there is some light at the end of a relatively dark tunnel for Evans.

ROYAL IVEY, Oklahoma City

Seven seasons removed from his admirable three years at Texas, Royal Ivey has jumped around the league, but has never really set his feet on solid ground.

He began his career in Atlanta for three years before alternating between Milwaukee and Philadelphia for the next four. With a bit of fortune, Ivey wound up with another Texas alum by the name of Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City, where his minutes and production are still modest at best.

As the 37th overall pick by the Hawks in 2004, Ivey never came off as a guy who could leap into a leadership role and produce. But his 12.5 minutes per game over his career say that he at least has the ability to play consistently from the bench.

DANIEL GIBSON, Cleveland

Fortunately for Daniel Gibson, he got drafted by a Cleveland team that also inked this guy named LeBron James a few years earlier. And for a scoring guard like Gibson, he slid nicely into a role with the Cavs that primarily involved taking shots from behind the arc.

In six seasons with the Cavs, Gibson has shot at a 41.6 percent clip from deep and has consistently been one of the top jump shooters for the club. But unfortunately for him, and the rest of the Cleveland community, when LeBron darted for South Beach, the Cavs kind of sunk into a cave.

The knock on Gibson is that he struggles to create his own looks and generate consistent offense. As a spot shooter along the arc, however, he has realized his greatest strength that will earn him paychecks in this league.

Perhaps on the up-and-up, with the introductions of rookies Kyrie Irving and fellow Longhorn Tristan Thompson, the Cavs may be brewing something special in Cleveland.

Big 12 Baseball Regular Season Wrap-Up, Longhorns Point of View

Well, the season is finally over, and we finally have a team to give the crown to, the Baylor Bears. Although we knew that over two weeks ago, now it’s official. Their 20-4 conference record was never even sniffed by another team, and at one point, they were standing at an unbeaten 18-0 in conference play. Second place belongs to Texas A&M at 16-8, and Texas fell shortly behind them in the three spot at 14-10. Before dissecting the last conference series played (Texas and Baylor), let me break it down for a second.

I am now two years into my tenure at the University of Texas at Austin: the land where Ricky Williams is a god and Vince Young is more than just the name of a steakhouse. In a land where football is usually dominate over foes, in my day, they hold many winless records against foes, and that includes Baylor. Yes, yes I know, it’s crass to say losing to Baylor is awful because their history is worse than ours, but I thought of something.

If someone told me 10 years ago: “you’re going to be 0-2 against OU after your first two years,” I’d say: “Okay, understandable,” because when I was 10, those were the Simms days. If someone told me: “you’re going to be 0-2 to Kansas State after two years,” I would be bummed, but again it wouldn’t be the end of the world. However, if someone told me that I’d be winless against Baylor both years, and that during my sophomore year they would have a Heisman winner and beat us in every sport until the Sunday baseball game, I honestly may have considered applying to Georgia instead.

Baylor has been on the rise, and their programs have had the upper hand on the Longhorns in practically every sport, especially football. Apparently having a a terrible record against Garrido, and a winless record against Rick Barnes and Mack Brown was getting on their nerves. Then, when they discovered how to finally sew together offense in each sport a new strategy of theirs was born: Score more points than the other team, and then rush the field senselessly afterwards, and that’s just what they have done the past two years. But on to baseball:

Baylor Bears (40-11 overall, 18-3 conference) vs. Texas Longhorns (29-18 overall, 13-8 conference)

The final conference series was finally upon us. Baylor had just come off a winless weekend against Oklahoma in Norman, but that didn’t really matter since they had clinched the conference long before that series was played. Texas, on the other hand, was trying to finish in the top 3 in the Big 12, and trying to achieve 30 wins on the regular season, a feat they had not fallen short of since 1998.

Game 1 was a slaughter. Our starting pitcher failed to make it through the second inning, and Baylor proceeded to hang a plethora of runs on our team as they beat us 16-5. Game 2 wasn’t much better as Baylor handed the Horns their second shutout of the season at Disch-Falk Field.

Then there was Game 3. After a controversial double play in the 7th inning, the 8th saw the Longhorns bringing home the winning run off a wild pitch delivered by the Baylor coach’s son. Texas takes this game 2-1, improving their record to 30-20, being the only team to not be swept by anybody else in conference play, and finishing third in conference behind Texas A&M.

Another accomplishment from this past Saturday, Game 3 preserved the all-time best conference record held by Texas. In 2009, when the Big 12 had 10 competitors in baseball, Texas finished 24-3, shattering the old conference record. This year, Baylor flirted with the record, but playing less games and being swept by OU didn’t do them any favors, as they finished with less wins and more losses (20-4).

This victory also meant that Texas finally beat Baylor in a major sport in the 2011-12 season. Good grief, this better not be the story next year, because I’m sick of all my Bear friends telling me their school is better than mine at everything. No it’s not, because my school’s success history is longer than 3 years total.

What Lies Ahead

The Big 12 tournament starts Wednesday with top-seed Baylor facing off against 8th-seed Kansas State. Second seed A&M will face Kansas, followed by 3rd-seeded Texas vs. 6th-seeded Missouri. This is the conference’s first year back to a double elimination format after the pool play setup that took place for several years.

Texas A&M has a chance to get a top 16 seed and regional awarded to them at home, while Baylor still has a shot to land a seeding rewarding the Bears both a regional and super regional in Waco. Texas on the other hand just needs to come out and not lose pointless games to bad teams. Also, I’m praying we don’t lose to A&M AGAIN, or I will lose my mind and tear my own hair out. At least we have softball… and our Law School program. Hook’em…I guess.

More from Bevo’s Block: ESPN’s College Football Images of 2011, Legendary Montage

This Week in Big 12 Baseball: Aggie Pitching and Baylor Hitting= Staggering

Another crazy weekend of Big 12 baseball has been completed, with plenty of action and drama present throughout the conference. The Lone Star Showdown once again proved to be full of gut wrenching losses for both teams. Baylor lost their first game in months last Tuesday, however it didn’t phase them in their weekend series.

Baylor Bears (38-8 overall, 18-0 conference… STILL)

On Tuesday, Baylor’s 24-game win streak dating back to March 13 ended with a 4-1 loss to UTSA. Big problem for the Bears? Not at all. While they didn’t bring the “boom stick” to this match-up, they saved the thundering offense for this weekend.

Baylor showed up to play on Friday and Saturday. The Bears sent the Aggies of New Mexico State back to Las Cruces looking for answers. Against a well stacked, and nationally ranked, New Mexico State team, the Bears sowed up two dominating victories with a score of 5-0, followed by a matinee of 15-5. The Aggies (of New Mexico State) had to call uncle after 8 innings in Game 2.

With a full weekend off from the diamond the Bears will have plenty of rest heading into the remainder of the Big 12 schedule. Factor in that they no longer have the pressure of the 24-game win streak to uphold, and the Bears will be quite the force to reckon with as we head into the postseason.

Texas Longhorns (25-16 overall, 12-6 conference) v. Texas A&M (31-13 overall, 11-7 conference)

This series had huge build-up between the two fan bases, because once more, eternal bragging rights were on the line as A&M heads to join the SEC. The only thing one could take away in this rivalry is that the Aggie pitchers absolutely dished.

The series commenced on Friday in College Station with the Ags taking game 1, 6-5. Don’t let the close score fool you; A&M ace Wacha pitched eight full innings of shutout baseball bringing a 6-0 lead into the top of the ninth. Then, in New York Mets fashion, the bullpen proceeds to allow five runs before FINALLY grasping the final out and escaping with the victory.

Escape was not the case on Saturday in Austin, however. A&M pounded the ball giving them a 12-4 victory, clinching the series win and a Lone Star Showdown competition victory in its last year. Once again, the starting pitching for Texas made numerous errors; while the Aggies’ pitchers found their groove from the get go.

For the Longhorn readers, don’t worry: this article eventually gets a little better.

Enter Sunday. A&M is going for the first sweep of the Longhorns since, well, before I was even born. The last sweep dates all the way back to 1991. Yikes! The Aggies once again took a shutout lead into the bottom of the ninth, before the bullpen allowed several base hits and two runs to come home, giving Texas the victory. With the win, Texas now lays claim to second place in the Big 12 standings, behind undefeated Baylor, and A&M is now tied for third with Oklahoma State.

Perhaps the Aggies need assistance from America’s friend, Dr. Henry J. Heimlich, to help them out after this heartbreaker. It hasn’t been long since he visited College station, I think he made an appearance to help the football team last year on November 25, 2011, the day after Thanksgiving.

One thing that really got me thinking was: who actually takes scoreboard in this match-up. I originally thought the Aggies would since they beat us twice, one of which was their most decisive victory in the past 20 years, and took the series. HOWEVER, Texas did win the last game, and by scoring the last run rather than recording the last out. Either way, it’s for the fans to decide/bicker at each other over meaningless blogs like Texags.com.

Any way you want to look at it, this is a bummer way to exit the rivalry for the Horns, having lost a series to the Aggies for the first time since 2003.  Even that year saw the Longhorns take two games from A&M in the conference tournament, giving them victories in 3 out of 5 games on the season.

Hey, A&M had to have scoreboard in something before they changed conferences, or else it’s not really a rivalry, right? Yeah, yeah, we hear you Ags, y’all still have women’s tennis and golf. Good for you.

Now the Longhorns, or any team in the Big 12 for that matter, won’t get another shot at them in a long time. Texas A&M heads to the SEC West next year, where in most states the official bird, flower, and tree is the NASCAR. Hopefully they carry some of that “Aggie Swag” we’ve heard, and for most of us, laughed about as they enter the buzz saw that is “SEC football.”

More from Bevo’s Block: Ricky Williams, Greatest Running Back’s ESPN Special (Video)

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