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Texas-Rice Preview

Nov 29, 2009 - 3:17 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Texas (4-0) at Rice (4-1), 4:00 p.m. EDT

Texas entered this season with a promising array of freshmen thanks in large part to one of the best recruiting classes in school history.

The third-ranked Longhorns are going to have to rely on those talented first-year players a little more after losing starting guard Varez Ward for the season before their latest victory.

Redshirt freshman J'Covan Brown is expected to start again in Ward's place when Texas visits Rice on Sunday.

During warmups for the Longhorns' CBE Classic title game matchup with Pitt on Tuesday night, Ward crumbled to the floor after rupturing his right quadriceps tendon. The next day, Texas announced the sophomore would undergo surgery next week and miss the remainder of the season.

"I think he just came down and landed wrong," Barnes said. "He wasn't trying to do anything. It was just one of those freak things. He's such a big part of our team. He's had such a great offseason and preseason. It's just one of those tough breaks for him."

In the 78-62 victory over the Panthers, Brown logged a season-high 23 minutes and scored 12 points in Ward's absence. Fellow freshman Avery Bradley and junior Dogus Balbay also saw their most action this season, adding 10 points apiece.

Damion James earned tournament MVP honors after finishing with 20 points and nine rebounds in the title game, and is making an early push for national player of the year honors with 17.3 points - on 59.0 percent shooting - and 10.8 rebounds per game.

James and Justin Mason each had 12 points in last season's 77-56 home victory over the Owls. James, a 6-foot-7 senior, also had 18 points and 17 rebounds - then a career high - in the Longhorns' previous game against Rice, an 80-54 win Dec. 8, 2007.

With Michigan State's loss to Florida on Friday night, Texas (4-0) should move to No. 2 in the AP poll for the first time since Dec. 5, 2005, if it can earn its fifth straight victory over Rice.

The Longhorns have won the last four meetings by an average of 21.8 points, but in its second season under Ben Braun, Rice comes into this game off to its best start since 2004-05.

The Owls (4-1) have held opponents to 59.4 points per game and 38.0 percent shooting, but Texas has played even better, allowing an average of 51.3 points and 31.0 percent shooting.

Rice has scored just 67.6 points per game and shot 40.4 percent. Sophomore guard Connor Frizzelle (12.0 ppg) is one of two players averaging in double figures with freshman guard Tamir Jackson (10.4).

The Owls bounced back from a 66-49 loss at Arizona on Nov. 19 with Tuesday night's 77-65 win over Furman. Junior center Trey Stanton had a career-high 23 points and a season-best nine rebounds off the bench. Jackson was the only other player in double figures with 10.

Texas has won 11 of 12 over Rice and leads the series between the former Southwest Conference schools 132-59. The Owls are 2-7 when playing a ranked Longhorns team with their last upset coming Feb. 1, 1982.

The teams will play on Rice's campus for the first time since 1996, during the SWC's final season.