THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23. 2007
SPORTS
》 NBA
3B
Jae C. Hong/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chris Bosh, right, works around Tyson Chandler on a USA men's senior basketball practice game at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 22, 2007. Blue team won 105-104.
Team USA expects big things this year
BY BRIAN MAHONEY ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — Jerry Colangelo insists he was not out to build a team of All-Stars when he assembled this year's the USA Basketball national team.
But maybe an All-Star team is exactly what the United States needed.
The Americans brought a strong team into their FIBA Americas tournament opener Wednesday night against Venezuela, one that looked more like the dominant U.S. teams of the 1990s than the ones who struggled so much in this decade.
Carmelo Anthony was on U.S. teams that managed only bronze medals in their past two events, and he said that he likes the way this year's team stacks up.
"I think it's better than both teams just because we have more experience now," Anthony said. "We have guys who have been in situations, tough situations. Even though we lost last year, I think we took a step further toward where we want to be at."
Or, where the Americans used to be.
The United States started using professional players for international events with the Dream Team in 1992. The NBA's top players, such as Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen, all made multiple appearances in USA uniforms during the '90s.
The expected U.S. starting five in this tournament, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Anthony, Jason Kidd and either Amare Stoudemire or Dwight Howard, are all players who someday could join their predecessors in the Hall of Fame.
MLB
Nick Wass/ASSOCIATED PRESS
A scoreboard above center field displays the lipsided final score of the Baltimore Orioles' baseball game against the Texas Rangers in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday in Baltimore. Texas set a franchise record for runs scored in a doubleheader before the second game even started.
Texas-sized whooping: Rangers score 30 runs
BY DAVID GINSBURG ASSOCIATED PRESS
BALTIMORE — The Texas Rangers became the first team in 110 years to score 30 runs in a game, setting an American League record Wednesday in a 30-3 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.
Trailing 3-0 in the opener of a doubleheader, the Rangers scored five runs in the fourth inning, nine in the sixth, 10 in the eighth and six in the ninth.
It was the ninth time a major league team scored 30 runs, the first since Chicago set the major league record in a 36-7 rout of Louisville in a National League game on June 28, 1897, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Texas erased a 3-0 deficit by batting around in a five-run fourth. The Rangers made it 14-3 by scoring nine runs on 10 hits in the sixth. The 10 hits matched a club record for one inning.
hit grand slams for the last-place Rangers. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ramon Vazquez, the bottom two batters in Texas' lineup, each homered twice and drove in seven runs.
The Rangers' total of 29 hits was the most by a major league team since the Milwaukee Brewers had 31 in a 22-2 victory over Toronto on Aug. 28, 1992, according to Elias.
Marlon Byrd and Travis Metcalf
Hours after announcing manager Dave Trembley would return for the 2008 season, the Orioles absorbed the most lopsided loss in franchise history and set a team record for hits allowed in a game.
>> COMMENTARY
Longhorns have no reason to lose
All-American hopefuls, Heisman contenders make strong line up
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Sophomore quarterback for the Longhorns Colt McCoy threw 29 touchdowns as a freshman. This year he is considered a contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Texas coach Mack Brown has compiled quite the résumé since taking over the Longhorn program in 1998.
Brown has coached a Heisman Trophy winner, won the Paul "Bear" Bryant Trophy for being the nation's top coach, and most importantly, brought the National Championship Trophy to Austin, Texas. He has also won at least 10 games for six consecutive seasons.
So, there's no reason to believe that 2007 won't be number seven.
OFFENSE
Texas is ranked fourth in both the AP and USA Today preseason polls and looking at its offense, it's easy to see why. The Longhorns have three skill players in the preseason All-Big 12 football team.
Sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy is the Big 12's premier signal caller and threw for 29 touchdowns as a freshman. McCoy worked on getting stronger in the offseason in hopes of becoming less injury-prone. With all the right parts in place, McCoy is considered a contender for the Heisman Trophy in only his second year.
Senior wide receiver Limas Sweed is a virtual lock for the All-American team this year. Sweed has both size and speed that make him nearly impossible to cover. Opponents likely won't be able to double team Sweed either, as the Longhorns also return their second and third leading receivers, junior Quan Cosby and senior Billy Pittman.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Junior running back Jamaal Charles averaged over five yards per carry last year and should be even better in 2007. The Longhorns do lose three starters along the offensive line, but will reload thanks to Brown's always top-rated recruiting classes.
DEFENSE
The Longhorns were third in the nation against the rush last season. They return five of their front seven starters this year. Junior middle linebacker Rashad Bobino is the leader of
Longhorn senior wide receiver Limas Sweed is likely to be selected for the All-American team.
--the group and recorded nearly 20 tackles for loss in his first two seasons.
--the group and recorded nearly 20 tackles for loss in his first two seasons.
Massive defensive tackles like senior Frank Okam will clog the middle to let an experienced set of linebackers make tackles. Seniors Robert Killebrew and Scott Derry will play beside Bobino. Together the three have started over 50 games in their college careers.
'Texas' secondary shouldn't be as
impenetrable as the linebackers and defensive line. The Longhorns lose three starting defensive backs including two All-Americans. Senior strong safety Marcus Griffin is one of the Big 12's best but beyond Griffin, there are clear-cut holes
except for Kansas'. After completing their four non-conference games, the Longhorns play Kansas State at home.
The showdown with the Wildcats will be a chance for revenge as they were the team that knocked the Longhorns out of national title contention last year with an upset in Manhattan.
2006 recap
The Red River Shootout, Texas'
are clear-cut holes.
Regular season record: 9-3
overall, 6-2 Big 12
Bowl game: Alamo Bowl vs.
iowa, won 26-24
Points per game: 35.9
Opponents points per
game: 18.9
The Longhorns may begin the year with a rotation in the defensive backfield until a few underclassmen can prove they are capable of playing every down.
SEASON OUTLOOK
T h e Longhorns will probably be favored in all 12 of their games this year, which
Texas' nonconference schedule could be the easiest in the Big 12
annual rivalry game against O k l a h o m a, falls on Oct. 6 and the winner should have the best chance to win the Big 12 South, as usual.
makes the national championship game a definite possibility. The depth of the Big 12 South, however, makes it more likely that Texas will be defeated at least once.
PREDICTION
11-1, Big 12 Champion, Fiesta Bowl
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
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