Freshmen are not supposed to act like this.
Normally, one would take that sentence to mean immature, unguided and more prone to wild swings of emotion.
Try telling that to the Texas Longhorns basketball team.
With a maturity that defies the age of the players, the Longhorns have persevered and thrived this season, despite the lack of veteran leadership.
Texas' road to the NCAA Tournament was not an easy one. The season started off rocky with only three wins out of the first six games.
December proved to be a good month for the Longhorns, giving Texas six wins in seven games, including an overtime victory against the Stanford Cardinal, 83-75 Dec 1. The Longhorns' only loss came at the hands of Utah, 71-61, Dec. 29.
The good fortune continued into January for Texas with six consecutive wins, giving the team seven wins total for the month.
However, along with some highs, there were some troublesome lows. The only losses Texas had during January came at the hands of Texas A&M and Kansas State. These teams combined for only 22 victories in 2001-'02.
The Longhorns' luck was inconsistent in February. They lost three out of five home games, starting with an overtime loss, 85-84, to Oklahoma early in the month. The Longhorns won the next two games, then lost to Kansas in another overtime heartbreaker, 110-103, Feb. 11.
After a win over Missouri, 72-70, Texas lost at home to Oklahoma State, 85-80, and then added another at Oklahoma, falling 96-78.
The Longhorns' season ended with two wins against Texas Tech, 96-71, and Iowa State, 79-76.
So far, the postseason has been just as up and down as the regular season for the Longhorns. Texas lost to Oklahoma in the semifinals at the Big 12 Tournament, 67-51, after defeating Missouri in the quarterfinals, 89-85.
While the team has been up and down, the one constant has been Longhorn Head Coach Rick Barnes.
In the NCAA Tournament, Barnes leads a young team of five juniors and seniors and nine freshmen and sophomores. Barnes is in his fourth year with the Longhorns and has a career record of 270-165.
In his first season (1998-'99) with the Longhorns, Barnes was able to bring the team to the NCAA Tournament, losing in the first round to Purdue, 58-54.
The following year, they were back in the dance, losing to Louisiana State University in the second round, 72-67. Last year, the team was again able to make it to the Big Dance, where it lost to Temple, 79-65, in the opening round of the Tournament.
While Barnes has given his young team a direction, the main catalyst in Texas' success this season has been the play of freshman guard T.J. Ford. With 8.8 apg, Ford leads the nation in assists'a first for a freshman in NCAA history.
Ford is also third on the team for rebounding with 3.9 rpg and fifth in scoring (10.6 ppg). He set the school single-season record in assists as he has 255 assists in 30 games played this season.
Another key player for the Longhorns is sophomore forward James Thomas. Thomas, with 8.8 rpg, leads the team in rebounding. He is also the team's leading shot blocker with 23 blocked shots this season.
Sophomore guard Brandon Mouton leads the Longhorns in scoring with 14.3 ppg. He stands second on the team for rebounds with 4.6 rpg.
The young team has looked to older players like senior forward Chris Owens, who is out with a knee injury after playing 11 games, and senior guard Fredie Williams for guidance.
Despite the lack of veteran leadership on the Texas squad, the Longhorns survived a difficult nonconference schedule, a grueling Big 12 season and two conference tournament games.
Now, the Longhorns are reaping the benefits of their labor from the beginning of the year, as they defeated Boston College and Mississippi State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Even though this team is very young, Texas has proven itself through its maturity.
Guess this proves that even kids can play with the big boys.
