All Hats Off to Horns, Turner After Impressive Debut, Big Wins

Texas basketball fans came out in force last weekend to check out the program’s newest star and see just how bright the immediate future might be.

Sparked partially by a strong returning cast and mostly by the arrival of heralded freshman Myles Turner and his bucket hat, Texas entered the season with a top-10 ranking. Nothing the more than 9,000 fans – the most to take in a Longhorns’ season opener since 2005 when 10,483 watched then-second ranked Texas beat Southern — who turned out for Friday’s opener didn’t see anything to lessen expectations, both of the team and of Turner.

“Add Myles Turner to the list of impressive debuts at Texas,” wrote the Associated Press’ Jim Vertuno following Friday’s 85-50 win

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Turner’s first impact came with his fashion sense. With a nod to the sensation he created on signing day, UT’s announced a promo that boosted attendance, offering free bucket-style hats to the first 1,000 students who showed up, as Kirk Bohls reported in the Austin American-Statesman.

The big freshman’s official introduction came later than expected as head coach Rick Barnes brought him off the bench, but if he fretted not starting the game, he made up for lost time.

“Now he just has to catch up with his clippings, which could take a while,” Bohls wrote. “His debut in an emphatic 85-50 win over North Dakota State only served to enhance the considerable billing the 6-foot-11 freshman showed up with on campus.”

On his first touch he swished in a 10-footer off the baseline. Then he drained a jumper from just inside the three-point line. He followed those makes up with a Nowitzki-esque step-back jumper off one foot from the baseline for another hoop. By the time he took Demarcus Holland’s pass and slammed home a two-handed dunk, you’d have thought the Longhorns were hosting Kansas and not North Dakota State.

Texas’ win over the Bison was far from a one-man show. Texas may be one of the deepest teams in the country: a benefit of returning 11 letter-winners and adding two talented freshman – Jordan Barnett showed both an outside shot and ability to drive to the basket. Senior Jonathan Holmes got the Longhorns off and running with a basket and pair of threes before Barnes turned to Turner, who showed none of the nerves he said he had before the game.

ESPN’s Jay Bilas took notice of Texas’ impressive freshman on Twitter.

The gushing continued following Sunday’s 85-53 win over Alcorn State. Texas led 19-1 and never looked back. Barnes emptied the bench for the second straight game, and Turner improved on his defense, blocking six shots after getting just two in the opener. Texas’ biggest problem against Alcorn, Brian Davis wrote in the Statesman, was connecting on alley-oops.

“If Sunday’s game showed anything, the Horns need to practice their alley-oops,” he wrote. “Holmes threw one about three feet above Turner’s head in the second half. Taylor’s running lob to Jordan Barnett was off the mark, too.”

Texas takes the floor in New York Thursday for the semifinals of the 2K Classic against Iowa, an ESPN2 broadcast. The nation’s spotlight will shine brightest on Texas early next month, when the Longhorns visit top-ranked Kentucky as part of the Big 12-SEC challenge. Texas’ top freshman will face off with a host of talented classmates, most notably Wildcat big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

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