College Confidential

TCU golfer Brun joins Texas players Frittelli, Spieth on 2012 Ben Hogan Award watch list

TCU golfer Julien Brun joins Texas counterparts Dylan Frittelli and Jordan Spieth on the 28-player watch list for the 2012 Ben Hogan Award, given to the top player in college golf. The watch list, released today, also includes UCLA’s Patrick Cantlay, last year’s U.S. Amateur runner-up and one of three finalists for the 2011 Hogan Award.

In addition to Cantlay, three other golfers who were first-team All-Americans last year are on the watch list: Illinois’ Luke Guthrie, Georgia Tech’s James White and Stanford’s Andrew Yun.

The Hogan Award is presented annually in Fort Worth as part of tournament week activities during the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. The 2012 winner will be announced May 21 in a presentation at Colonial Country Club.

The award is open to all college golfers and members of the selection committee consider collegiate and amateur playing records during the past 12 months. A list of 10 semifinalists will be released April 11, with the three finalists announced May 10.

Below is a full list of the watch list candidates, in alphabetical order: Blayne Barber (Auburn, Jr.), Zac Blair (BYU, Jr.), Julien Brun (TCU, Fr.), Patrick Cantlay (UCLA, So.), Sean Dale (North Florida, Jr.), Derek Ernst (UNLV, Sr.), Dylan Frittelli (Texas, Sr.), Luke Guthrie (Illinois, Sr.), Stephan Jaeger (Chattanooga, Sr.), Brooks Koepka (Florida State, Sr.), Jace Long (Missouri, Jr.), Bryden Macpherson (Georgia, Jr.), Daniel Miernicki (Oregon, Sr.), Corbin Mills (Clemson, Jr.), Cheng-Tsung Pan (Washington, Fr.), Thomas Pieters (Illinois, So.), Patrick Rodgers (Stanford, Fr.), Kyle Souza (Chico State, Sr.), Jordan Spieth (Texas, Fr.), Justin Thomas (Alabama, Fr.), Ethan Tracy (Arkansas, Sr.), Harold Varner (East Carolina, Sr.), T.J. Vogel (Florida, Jr.), James White (Georgia Tech, Sr.), Cory Whitsett (Alabama, So.), Chris Williams (Washington, Jr.), Eugene Wong (Oregon, Sr.) and Andrew Yun (Stanford, Jr.).

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Post-game sentiments differ between Longhorns, Aggies after finale; Barnes reiterates that Texas won't play A&M in future

The difference of opinions in the wake of tonight’s final scheduled basketball game between Texas and Texas A&M was striking during post-game interviews.

Texas won, 70-68, to secure its first road victory in Big 12 play and improve to 1-7 in games decided by six points or less this season. But Longhorns’ coach Rick Barnes said he got no special charge from watching Texas (15-9, 5-6 in Big 12) beat A&M (12-11, 3-8) in the last scheduled meeting between the schools.

“Not really,” Barnes said. “We’ve got a lot of rivals.”

He did say he liked “winning on the road any time” and that it was nice to see the Longhorns close out a close game for a change.

But don’t look for any future non-conference meetings between the schools. A&M coach Billy Kennedy raised the possibility of a neutral-site meeting last week and Barnes said he informed Kennedy before tonight’s game that such a meeting would not happen.

“We could meet them again in the tournament. But non-league wise, we won’t play them,” said Barnes, who made a similar pronouncement in October.

A&M guard Elston Turner, on the other hand, was devastated by the setback in which A&M squandered a 67-66 lead in the final 1:03. Texas guard J’Covan Brown scored the Longhorns’ final four points on a driving layup and a pair of free throws to seal the win.

“This was a big game, not just for the basketball programs. But for the schools,” Turner said. “We wanted to win. Not just for us. But for the whole university.”

A&M coach Billy Kennedy shared similar sentiments to Turner after the Aggies got swept by Texas in the home-and-home season series.

“I feel badly for our fans, alumni and students,” Kennedy said. “You’ve got to give Texas credit. The executed at the end. We couldn’t stop them when we needed to.”

_ Jimmy Burch

Baylor G Jackson earns weekly honor from Big 12 after helping Bears into tie for league lead

Baylor guard Pierre Jackson and Missouri guard Marcus Denmon earned weekly honors today from Big 12 officials.

Jackson received Big 12 rookie of the week honors after leading the Bears (21-2, 8-2) to road victories over Texas A&M and Oklahoma State that lifted Baylor into a three-way tie for first place in the league standings with Missouri (21-2, 8-2) and Kansas (18-5, 8-2). Baylor plays both of its fellow co-leaders this week, with a Wednesday game against Kansas (6 p.m., Waco) and a Saturday game at Missouri (12:30 p.m.).

Jackson averaged 15 points and 4.5 assists per game in Baylor’s victories over A&M and OSU. Denmon averaged 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in helping Missouri to victories over Texas and Kansas, including a 29-point outburst in Saturday’s 74-71 victory over the Jayhawks.

_ Jimmy Burch

Rooting interest in Super Bowl is easy for Gary Patterson this year

TCU coach Gary Patterson learned his lesson.
For today’s Super Bowl, he’s pulling for the New England Patriots and two of his former Horned Frogs.
Last year, Patterson had split loyalties when it came to picking his Super Bowl favorite.
The AFC Pittsburgh Steelers practiced at TCU's campus and were stationed at the Omni Hotel in downtown Fort Worth, so Patterson felt obligated to root for the Steelers.
He did so despite former Horned Frog Marshall Newhouse on the NFC’s Green Bay Packers roster, and Curtis Fuller, a former Frogs All-Conference safety who played on Patterson’s No. 1-rated defense in 2000, on the Packers’ coaching staff.
“The Steelers were working out here so I didn’t want to get locked out of my office,” Patterson quipped. “I had to root against them and the football gods got me.”
The Packers beat the Steelers at Cowboys Stadium.
Former TCU players offensive tackle Marcus Cannon and reserve defensive back Malcolm Williams are both rookies for the Patriots. The New York Giants are Frog-free, making the choice easy this year.
“I’ve got to root for the Patriots with two TCU guys,” Patterson said. “It makes a big difference.”

-- Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs

Big 12 board begins search for new commissioner

The Big 12 board of directors met today to begin the process of finding a full-time replacement for interim commissioner Chuck Neinas. A search committee, expected to be chaired by Oklahoma State president Burns Hargis, will oversee the selection process. No timetable has been set to find Neinas’ replacement.

In a Twitter post, Kansas State president Kirk H. Schulz called the session an “excellent” meeting with “good discussion on conference future and commissioner search.”

TCU and West Virginia are scheduled to join the 10-member league on July 1, the same day that existing Big 12 members Texas A&M and Missouri join the Southeastern Conference.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Baylor guard Jackson one of 11 finalists for 2012 Bob Cousy Award

Baylor’s Pierre Jackson and Missouri’s Phil Pressey are two of 11 finalists for the 2012 Bob Cousy Award, given the top point guard in college basketball, award officials announced today.

Jackson, a junior, is averaging 12.6 points, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game for the sixth-ranked Bears (20-2, 7-2 in Big 12). He has connected on 49.4 percent of his three-point shots, including the game winner in Wednesday’s 63-60 victory over Texas A&M in College Station.

_ Jimmy Burch

TCU Baseball single-game tickets now on sale, plus remaining season tickets available

TCU baseball single-game tickets are now available. There are also approximately 30 season tickets remaining. Season tickets can be purchased through the TCU ticket office for $200 ($5.88 per game) for adult reserved seats and $100 ($2.94 per game) for youth reserved seats. Season tickets for 2012 guarantee season tickets for 2013, TCU's first season in the Big 12.

TCU was ranked 10th nationally in attendance in 2011 with an average of 4,100 fans per game.

The 54-game 2012 schedule features a school-record 34 home contests with 23 games against 2011 NCAA Tournament teams. The season opens with a three-game series against Ole Miss, Feb. 17 at Lupton Stadium. TCU also hosts future Big 12 foes Oklahoma State (March 2-4), Baylor (March 6), Texas Tech (March 9-11), Texas A&M (April 24) and Oklahoma (May 1).

Single Game Ticket Prices
Adult Reserved $12
Youth Reserved $8
Adult GA $8
Youth GA $6

 

TCU's signing day class of 2012.

Signee	Video	Pos	Ht	Wt	Hometown	School
LaDarius Anthony	Watch	TB	6-0	192	Kilgore, Texas	Kilgore HS
Austin Aune	Watch	QB	6-2	185	Argyle, Texas	Argyle HS
Gerren Ballard	Watch	TE	6-6	250	Whitewright, Texas	Whitewright HS
Josh Carraway	Watch	DE	6-3	225	Flower Mound, Texas	Marcus HS
B.J. Catalon	Watch	TB	5-8	190	Houston, Texas	Westside HS
Chad Childs	Watch	OT	6-5	280	La Grange, Texas	La Grange HS
Aviante Collins	Watch	OT	6-6	310	Houston, Texas	Willowridge HS
Keivon Gamble	Watch	CB	5-10	190	Dallas, Texas	Lincoln HS (Trinity Valley CC)
Griffin Gilbert	Watch	TE	6-5	215	Austin, Texas	Lake Travis HS
Deante' Gray	Watch	WR	5-10	180	Houston, Texas	Westside HS
A.J. Hilliard	Watch	LB	6-2	215	Klein, Texas	Klein Oak HS
Joey Hunt	Watch	DT	6-3	285	El Campo, Texas	El Campo HS
Zach Jackson	Watch	S	6-0	185	Snellville, Ga.	Brookwood HS
Terrell Lathan	Watch	DE	6-5	260	West Monroe, La.	West Monroe HS
Kolby Listenbee	Watch	ATH	6-0	170	Arlington, Texas	Bowie HS
Tyler Matthews	Watch	QB	6-3	205	McPherson, Kansas	McPherson HS
James McFarland	Watch	LB	6-3	240	West Monroe, La.	West Monroe HS
Jaden Oberkrom	Watch	PK	6-3	170	Arlington, Texas	Martin HS
Ethan Perry	Watch	P	6-4	220	Spring Branch, Texas	Smithson Valley HS
Halapoulivaati Vaitai	Watch	OT	6-6	265	Haltom, Texas	Haltom HS