Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Another year, another national player of the year candidate.
That’s the way it’s gone for the Longhorns. Last season, they had freshman superstar Kevin Durant. He took home more awards than Amy Winehouse.
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“They have a really good team. They’re going to be a team for anybody to play in the tournament that you don’t want to get behind late.”
—Bill Self, coach, on Texas
Earlier this year, Texas guard D.J. Augustin appeared poised to do the same. Now, after struggling in a 72-69 victory against Kansas, his chances of getting national recognition are getting slimmer and slimmer. The Longhorns guard scored just 10 points, 1 of 13 field goals and missed a free throw that would’ve made Mario Chalmers’ heave at the buzzer irrelevant before it flew off target. Not what you would expect from someone regarded as a front-runner for national player of the year two months ago.
It became obvious Augustin would have a tough night from the very beginning. On his first drive to the hoop, Brandon Rush rejected him, and Augustin fell to the ground. Kansas blocked Augustin twice in the first half. He seemed to spend more time on the floor in the first half than on his feet.
Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins and Mario Chalmers, who got burned repeatedly by Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells on Saturday, kept Augustin in front of them the entire game, restoring KU’s reputation of having a solid defensive backcourt. Augustin’s struggles did little to soothe Chalmers’ pain.
“I think it’s frustrating,” he said. “I figured we could have won, but some other guys stepped up late.”
The game continued Augustin’s streak of disappointing performances. He made just 18 of his last 61 field goals in the four games before the Kansas game. In one those games, against Baylor, he scored only nine points.
Fatigue might be the problem. Augustin is only 6-feet tall and plays an average of 37 minutes a game. Those minutes take a toll on a small body.
His decline didn’t hurt Texas on Monday night, though. Plenty of other players filled in and gave the Longhorns the victory. Connor Atchley didn’t miss from the outside, scoring 16 points. Damion James scored 14 points after sitting for most of the first with foul trouble. A.J. Abrams and Justin Mason helped out, too, getting key offensive rebounds down the stretch.
Their play kept Texas (20-4, 7-2) in position for a Big 12 title. If the Longhorns can beat K-State in Manhattan, they could become favorites for the regular season championship.
Augustin’s chances for national player of the year might be fading, but he and his teammates are doing enough to maintain Texas’ reputation as one of the top teams in the country.
“They’re good,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “They have a really good team. They’re going to be a team for anybody to play in the tournament that you don’t want to get behind late.”
— Edited by Katherine Loeck
Full coverage of the game can be found here.
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