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W. Carolina-Texas Preview

Nov 17, 2009 - 7:11 PM ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Western Carolina (1-0) at Texas (1-0), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Hampered by nervous energy, some of Texas' newcomers got off to a slow start in their collegiate debuts.

If the second half of the third-ranked Longhorns' season-opening victory was an indication, that shouldn't be a problem in Wednesday night's CBE Classic game against visiting Western Carolina.

Freshman guard J'Covan Brown committed two of his six turnovers in the first 2 minutes Sunday against UC Irvine as the Longhorns fell into a 6-0 hole.

Texas' most celebrated recruit, guard Avery Bradley, misfired on his first two shots, and Jordan Hamilton failed to convert two of his first three 3-point attempts.

Fortunately for the Longhorns, seniors Damion James and Dexter Pittman - the program's first four-year players since 2003-04 - were there to help. They combined to score 15 of the team's first 18 as Texas cruised to an 89-42 victory.

James finished with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added 15 rebounds, while Pittman made 10 of his 11 shots en route to 21 points.

"We knew we had to set a tone. We had to show (the freshmen) how it was done," Pittman said. "We weren't trying to steal the show."

Brown settled down to hit three 3s and was the top scorer among the newcomers with 13. Hamilton scored six of his 12 off the bench in a 2:17 span in the second half, punctuating that run with a dunk.

Bradley shook off his slow start to finish with 10 points and showcased his own flashy slam in the second half.

"We know how good they are. They're going to be great," James said. "You can't throw a freshman in there and expect them to just go to the top."

To begin one of its most highly anticipated seasons, Texas shot 56.5 percent from the field and outrebounded the Anteaters 49-30. The Longhorns also limited the visitors to 27.4 percent shooting.

"As the game went on, the older guys did a really great job," coach Rick Barnes said. "I told our team the great thing was the freshmen were out there for a long period of time. I think now they have a greater appreciation for just how hard it is and how hard those older guys play and how they can sustain it."

Western Carolina opened with a 65-41 win over NAIA opponent St. Catharine on Saturday night.

Senior guard Brandon Giles was the only starter to score in double figures for the Catamounts with 12, and another senior, forward Kendall Russell, added 12 off the bench.

Coming off its first winning season since 1996-97, Western Carolina was picked to finish atop the Southern Conference's North Division again. Giles and sophomore forward Harouna Mutombo were named to the preseason all-conference team.

Mutombo averaged team bests of 14.4 points and 4.6 rebounds last season to earn SoCon freshman of the year honors, and Giles also averaged in double figures with 13.2 points.

After facing Western Carolina for the first time, Texas will travel to Kansas City to face Iowa as the tournament continues Monday night.