Texas vs North Carolina Basketball Recap

Texas 103, North Carolina 90

In a very big stadium, Texas's big men lived large against the defending national champions. As a result, the No. 2 team in America told the nation that it just might be ready to win a championship of its own.

In-conference rival Kansas might be No. 1 at the moment, but Texas has surely earned a lofty place in the Big 12 at the present moment. Saturday's 13-point pasting of North Carolina showed that with league action just a few weeks away, UT has every bit the talent that Kansas owns. If the Jayhawks seem like the favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis next April, coach Rick Barnes's group is favorite 1-A.

The reason for Texas's prominence in the college basketball world is simple: In the massive and cavernous confines of Cowboys Stadium, Dexter Pittman and Damion James owned the stage.

Much as Ford Field has drawn over 70,000 people to watch Michigan State play basketball underneath a retractable roof, Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones was able to lure Texas to his billion-dollar pleasure palace in a made-for-TV showcase on Saturday afternoon. Roy Williams brought his title-holding Tar Heels into Arlington, Tex., for a five-star throwdown in cattle country, and the Longhorns - with Barnes, a coach born and bred in North Carolina ( Hickory, N.C., to be precise) - had to provide performers who could match the magnitude of the moment.

Enter Pittman and James. Texas's two main operators in the paint were able to rescue the Longhorns as the second half unfolded.

Carolina - trailing by double digits for much of the game - narrowed UT's lead to a slim 82-78 count with seven minutes remaining in regulation, but that's precisely when the Burnt Orange Boys trounced the Tar Heels with the pure power of Pittman and the agility of James. Pittman's might and muscle near the rim proved to be too much for Carolina's Ed Davis, while James's leaping ability enabled him to outplay UNC's Deon Thompson in all facets of this heavily-hyped confrontation. Pittman and James scored 12 of UT's next 14 points to give the Horns a 14-5 run and a 96-83 bulge with just 2:50 left, leaving the Tar Heels in the dust of suburban Dallas.

Lest you think that Texas won this game solely on the low blocks, the Horns also conquered Carolina in the backcourt as well. Guards Avery Bradley and J'Covan - both freshmen - combined for 43 points to give Rick Barnes the balance he needed in order to ride tall in the saddle at JerryWorld. All in all, Texas flashed the formidable skills and prime-time stage presence that herald a deep run in this season's NCAA Tournament.

Want to win a national title? Beat the reigning champion. Texas, after this super-sized statement in Cowboys Stadium, has to be very encouraged about its prospects in the months ahead.

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By Matt Zemek
Big 12 Fans Senior Staff Writer