March 28, 2008
Longhorns Face Tall Order in Sweet 16
#2 seed Texas (30-6) vs. #3 seed Stanford (28-7)
6:27 p.m. Central, Reliant Stadium ยท Houston, Texas
TV/Radio: CBS / KVET (98.1 FM/1300 AM)
After cruising through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, the second-seeded Texas Longhorns earned the chance to play the rest of their games in the cozy confines of their home state.
The Longhorns face the Stanford Cardinal at 6:27 pm tonight at Houston's Reliant Stadium, with the winner to play either Memphis or Michigan State on Sunday. If Texas were to emerge as the winner of the South Regional, they would advance to the Final Four in San Antonio.
But the Longhorns are facing a tall hurdle in tonight's game: Stanford seven-footers Brook and Robin Lopez. The twin brothers have combined for an average of 29 points and 14 rebounds per game this season. Brook took over the game in the Cardinal's second-round victory over Marquette, scoring 28 of his 30 points in the second half.
Even if Texas is able to control Stanford's big men, the Cardinal still offer plenty to contend with. Guard Anthony Goods provides a threat from three-point range, and Mitch Johnson calmly runs the offense from the point guard spot.
The Longhorns will counter with the same attack that has earned the team a record-tying 30 wins this season behind All-American candidate guard D.J. Augustin. Damion James has been a reliable scorer and rebounder in the tournament, and A.J. Abrams has scored 26 points in each of the first two rounds.
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