College Confidential

Texas adds fourth guard to its men's BKB signing class #Longhorns

Texas has added Martez Walker, a left-handed guard from Detroit, Mich, to its men’s basketball signing class, coach Rich Barnes announced today. Walker, who averaged 20.4 points per game last season for Pershing High School, is the fourth guard in a four-player class that Barnes described as being the culmination of a “concerted effort to improve our skill and athleticism on the perimeter.”

Texas’ top two scorers from last year’s 16-18 team, guards Myck Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan, will not return next season. Kabongo opted for early entry in the NBA draft and McClellan has announced plans to transfer to another school.

Other guards among Texas’ signees include Demarcus Croaker, Isaiah Taylor (Houston) and Kendal Yancy.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Saints praise "high football IQ" of former Texas safety Vaccaro, their first-round pick #Longhorns, #NFLDraft

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton said team officials were most impressed with the football IQ of Kenny Vaccaro, the former Texas safety the team selected with the 15^th overall pick in Thursday night’s opening session of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Vaccaro, a big hitter known for his versatility during this college career, had success a blitzer, a run stopper and a cover man at Texas.

“He’s got very good football intelligence,” Payton said. “Part of  being a pressure guy from the back end is anticipation, snap count and disguise. I think he’s an instinctive player, and you see that on tape. He’s got a high football IQ. I think that’s important ... He’s had a lot of snaps down over the slot and a lot of snaps where they were in the base package as opposed to the nickel package. He’s got that toughness and suddenness that you’d like at that position.”

Vaccaro becomes the 12^th defensive back from Texas on an active NFL roster, most of any school, and is the first Longhorn to be taken in the first round since 2010, when Seattle selected safety Earl Thomas.

Ironically, Vaccaro said he’s already talked to Thomas about adjusting to the NFL and plans to follow his advice.

“Earl Thomas told me to come in, have a chip on my shoulder and put an impact on this league,” Vaccaro said. “(Thomas said), ‘Don’t just sit around and wait for someone else to take your job.’ I am excited ... This is just the beginning. I am ready to do whatever the Saints want me to do.”

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Shipley joins Texas football staff in player personnel department #Longhorns

Bob Shipley, the head football coach and athletics director at Brownwood High School for the past four years, has been named as Texas’ football analyst in the player personnel department, Longhorns’ coach Mack Brown announced today.

Shipley, father of current Texas receiver Jaxon Shipley, will assist with the coordination and implementation of the daily operations, administrative and logistical processes within the football program in the newly created position. Shipley also will assist with high school relations by updating recruiting lists, monitoring contacts and securing transcripts of prospects.

Shipley’s previous high school coaching stops have included stints at Coppell, Burnet and Rotan. During his stint at Burnet, he coached his son, Jordan, a Longhorns’ All-America receiver in 2009. Shipley will report to Patrick Suddes, a former Alabama assistant and Texas’ newly named director of player personnel.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

TCU golfer Brun, Texas freshman Stone selected as 2013 Hogan Award semifinalists #TCU, #Longhorns

TCU golfer Julien Brun is one of 10 semifinalists for the 2013 Ben Hogan Award, given annually to the nation’s top college golfer.

Brun, a sophomore from Antibes, France who won a European Challenge Tour event as an amateur last fall, made the list of semifinalists for a second consecutive season. He was joined Thursday by Texas freshman Brandon Stone as well as Stanford’s Patrick Rodgers, one of three finalists in 2012.

The three finalists for the Hogan Award will take part in a live announcement of the winner May 20 in Fort Worth. The announcement is part of tournament week activities at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

Three of Thursday’s other semifinalists made the list for a second consecutive year: Washington’s Cheng-Tsung Pan, Alabama’s Justin Thomas and Washington’s Chris Williams. Other semifinalists include North Carolina State’s Albin Choi, North Florida’s Sean Dale, California’s Michael Kim and Alabama’s Bobby Wyatt.

The list of candidates will be trimmed to three finalists on May 8, with those golfers honored during the live announcement of the winner in Fort Worth. No TCU golfer has advanced past the semifinals stage in Hogan Award voting.

 But Brun, the No. 6 player in the Scratch Players World Amateur golf rankings, joins Williams (No. 1), Wyatt (No. 4) and Thomas (No. 5) among the highest-ranked Hogan semifinalists on the elite list.

 Thursday’s list of semifinalists includes the top four players, as well as eight of the top 10, in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings for college golfers. Brun is fourth on that list, which is topped by Kim, Dale and Stone.

Members of the Hogan Award selection committee consider a player’s record in both college and amateur events over the past year.

 

 

Texas signs three guards for men's BKB program, including Florida standout #Longhorns

Texas signed three guards to basketball scholarships Thursday, with two of them ranked among the nation’s top 107 prospects by Rivals.com. The list includes shooting guard Demarcus Croaker (No. 105), combo guard Kendall Yancy (No. 107) and point guard Isaiah Taylor.

Croaker, from Orlando, Fla., is a two-time Florida all-state selection who averaged 23.9 points per game as a senior. Yancy, who played at Richardson Berkner, took his team to the Class 5A state semifinals as a senior while averaging 12.2 points, 7.8 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game. Taylor played last season at The Village School in Houston, where he averaged 17.6 points and 10.0 assists per game.

Texas lost its top two scorers from last year’s 16-18 team when point guard Myck Kabongo opted to enter the NBA draft and shooting guard Sheldon McClellan announced plans to transfer to another school.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas PG Kabongo to enter NBA Draft, meaning team's top two scorers will not return next season #Longhorns

Texas point guard Myck Kabongo will enter the 2013 NBA Draft, bypassing his final two seasons of college eligibility, school officials announced Friday.

Kabongo played in 11 games as a sophomore last season, leading the team in scoring (14.6 avg.) and assists (5.5 avg.) after serving a 23-game NCAA suspension to start the season. He was selected Thursday as the team’s most valuable player and team captain at the Longhorns’ postseason awards banquet.

Kabongo’s departure, along with the announced transfer of guard Sheldon McClellan (13.5 avg.), means that the Longhorns’ top two scorers from a 16-18 team will not return next season. Texas’ top returning scorers for next season will be guard Julien Lewis (11.2), forward Ioannis Papapetrou (8.3) and guard Javan Felix (6.8).

In 45 starts during his college career, Kabongo averaged 10.8 points and 5.3 assists in 32.2 minutes per contest.

_ Jimmy Burch

 

Texas A&M OT Joeckel, Texas S Vaccaro to attend NFL Draft in NYC #TAMU, #Longhorns

Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, an Arlington High School graduate and the 2012 Outland Trophy winner, is one of 23 prospects that will attend the opening night of the NFL Draft, April 25 in New York City. Joeckel, considered a possible first overall selection by the Kansas City Chiefs, will be joined in New York by Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro and Aggies’ coach Kevin Sumlin.

If taken with the first pick, Joeckel would be the first A&M player selected No. 1 overall in an NFL draft. Four A&M players have been drafted No. 2 overall: linebacker Von Miller (Denver Broncos, 2011), linebacker Quentin Coryatt (Indianapolis Colts, 1992), running back John David Crow (St. Louis Cardinals, 1958) and running back John Kimbrough (Chicago Cardinals, 1941).

Vaccaro projects to be selected in the middle of the first round and could be available at No. 18, a pick owned by the Dallas Cowboys.

Other NFL draft prospects joining Joeckel and Vaccaro in New York will be: Ezekiel Ansah, BYU; Tavon Austin, West Virginia; Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina; Eric Fisher, Central Michigan; Sharrif Floyd, Florida; D.J. Fluker, Alabama; Lane Johnson, Oklahoma; Dion Jordan, Oregon; Eddie Lacy, Alabama; E.J. Manuel, Florida State; Dee Milliner, Alabama; Barkevious Mingo, LSU; Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee; Eric Reid, LSU; Xavier Rhodes, Florida State; Sheldon Richardson, Missouri; Geno Smith, West Virginia; Desmond Trufant, Washington; Chance Warmack, Alabama; Menelik Watson, Florida State and Bjoern Werner, Florida State.

_ Jimmy Burch

Texas G McClellan will transfer at end of spring semester #Longhorns

Texas guard Sheldon McClellan will transfer to another school at the completion of the spring semester, school officials announced today. McClellan, who averaged 13.5 points per game, was benched on multiple occasions by coach Rick Barnes because of what Barnes perceived as a lack of defensive intensity. On two separate occasions, McClellan played only one minute in a conference game (at TCU, at Iowa State) by coach’s decision.

In a statement announcing his decision, McClellan said: “I want to thank everyone who supported me … I enjoyed my time at Texas. I just need a change of venue.”

_ 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

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