Go pro or no? UT trio must decide

[Horry For 3!]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3749805.html

March 27, 2006, 12:52AM
Go pro or no? UT trio must decide
Return of Tucker, Aldridge, Gibson would preserve Longhorns' status as Top 10 team

By JOSEPH DUARTE
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

ATLANTA - The focus for the Texas Longhorns this offseason will be on who's coming — and who might be leaving.

The Longhorns will have to replace at least two starters from this year's team that set a school record for victories and came within one victory of a trip to the Final Four. That number could grow as three others — center LaMarcus Aldridge, guard Daniel Gibson and forward P.J. Tucker — consider leaving early for the NBA draft.

"I think we're going to be really good again next year," Texas assistant coach Rodney Terry said. "We're excited where the program is and where it's heading. We feel we're really close to winning a national championship here."

How good the Longhorns are during the 2006-07 season will depend on the magnitude of personnel losses. After Saturday's 70-60 overtime loss to LSU in the Atlanta Regional final, Aldridge, Gibson and Tucker, the Big 12's player of the year, said their immediate plans are to be back next season. Aldridge and Gibson will be juniors next season, and Tucker will be a senior.

That could all change between now and the filing deadline to enter the draft. The players could opt to enter the draft and not hire an agent, which would allow them to retain their eligibility.

'Future looks great'

"The future looks great for us," Aldridge said. "We have great guys here and great guys coming in. We have to get the young guys ready and try and do the same thing next year."

Aldridge is the most likely to leave early. He is a projected lottery pick and could be drafted No. 1.

"As far as I know, I'm coming back," said Aldridge, who refused to put a timetable on making a decision.

If they return virtually intact, the Longhorns can again expect to be a preseason Top 10 team and a favorite to win the Big 12. The loss of senior starting forward Brad Buckman and senior point guard Kenton Paulino will be cushioned with the arrival of one of the nation's top recruiting classes. The class is headlined by Kevin Durant, a 6-9 wing player from Maryland who is the second-rated player in the country.

The Longhorns also signed one of the nation's top point guards — D.J. Augustin, a Hurricane Katrina evacuee who played this season at Hightower. UT also signed 6-10 players Dexter Pittman (Rosenberg Terry) and Matt Hill (Lincoln, Neb.) and combination guards Justin Mason (Amarillo) and Harrison Smith (Jones).

Augustin is the likely candidate to replace Paulino at point guard, and Durant is projected to play small forward, allowing the Longhorns to move Tucker to power forward if he returns. If Aldridge leaves, the Longhorns probably will take a look at junior Mike Williams, who came on strong in the NCAA Tournament, and Hill.

"The standards we've set allow (Durant) and big-time recruits to want to be a part of the tradition," Gibson said. "We're definitely a program on the rise."

Texas has advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight straight seasons, reaching the Final Four in 2003, the Sweet 16 in 2004 and the Elite Eight this year.

"Texas basketball is on the map," Buckman said.

'Pretty special year'

The Longhorns began the campaign ranked No. 2 and remained in the Top 10 all season. They set a school record with 30 victories and won a share of the Big 12 regular-season le.

"The expectations that were put on the program — maybe the most ever — and the way we were able to fight through it and get within one game of possibly getting back to the Final Four," Texas coach Rick Barnes said, "will be something in a couple of weeks we'll look back on and realize it was a pretty special year."

[Horry For 3!]

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/5443748

Texas' Gibson will stay in school

ATLANTA - LaMarcus Aldridge may not be ready to announce his intentions after a poor performance in Texas' loss to LSU, but his teammate, Daniel Gibson, is certain where he'll be next year.

"I'm definitely coming back to Texas," said the sop re guard. "I'm 100 percent sure."

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Gibson averaged 13.4 points this season and scored a team-high 15 points in the loss to LSU.

Aldridge, who scored just 4 points on 2-of-14 shooting against the Tigers, was non-committal about his decision. Many NBA executives have the 6-foot-11 sop re as possibly the top overall pick in the draft.

"I'm not going to get into that," Aldridge said. "We just finished our game. That'll come later."

[Horry For 3!]

Gibson is back for sure, PJ will be back for sure. I suspect that LaMarcus will be back.

Starting Line-up for next year....

PG Augustin
SG Gibson
SF Durant
PF Tucker
C Aldridge

....that would be beautiful.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Aldridge is a dumbass if he sticks around.

Leave, and he's got a chance being #1. Stay in school, and he'll be behind 4-5 guys next sure.

I'm sure Tom Hicks will find him a summer job being the ball boy for the Rangers or something to convince him to stick around one more year

[Horry For 3!]

Aldridge is a dumbass if he sticks around.

Leave, and he's got a chance being #1. Stay in school, and he'll be behind 4-5 guys next sure.

I'm sure Tom Hicks will find him a summer job being the ball boy for the Rangers or something to convince him to stick around one more year

Well, for one, you want him to leave for your fantasy team, second, no one will want to face Texas with that potential line-up that I posted which will be the starting line-up if LaMarcus is back.

[Horry For 3!]

If LaMarcus isn't back, we're stuck with Mike Williams at C who is 6'7 or Matt Hill a freshman who is 6'10", I don't know how good Matt Hill is though. That means Texas' SF Durant will be taller than PJ and Mike who are the PF/C that would be ed.

[timvp]

PJ Tucker is not a PF.

Bump.

[Horry For 3!]

Bump.

Well I meant to put he isn't a PF but he does play it at times. But he will be a PF now that Buckman is gone and Durant is an bad ass SF. PJ has the power of a PF so he can get moved to there.

[timvp]

The chances of him declaring for the draft are about the chances that Gibson goes #1 overall.

[Horry For 3!]

The chances of him declaring for the draft are about the chances that Gibson goes #1 overall.

I think PJ will be in the NBA, he could contribute. Depends on what team he gets on.

[JMarkJohns]

I really hope Aldridge stays.

1. It helps UA's recruitment of Darrell Arthur as so long as Aldridge is at Texas, he's got a starting, 30-minute per spot.
2. I think he's a great player that fits the Suns style and hope he falls to them in 2007 at whereever it is the Hawks end up as Phoenix owns that pick.

Of course, I'd love it if Phoenix got Joakim Noah, but to do so, their two picks this year and that Hawks pick would likely be necessary.

[koopa]

gibson has to stay, he has talent but damn he sucks when it comes to making decisions, i hope this year was just a sop re slump cause damn he was on the of big reasons UT couldn't get it done.

tucker should probably stay cause he still has a lot of room for improvment and probably right now he's a late first rounder to a second rounder.

i hope aldridge stays one more year and bulks up more cause big baby rapped him on thursday, but i don't know, ppl gonna be telling him he's a top three pick and money might sway him away from returning. if he does stay we will be in the final four i guarantee it

[Horry For 3!]

I think Gibson will improve more since he sucked it up a lot this year.

[samikeyp]

IMO LaMarcus needs to stay and bulk up. If all three are smart, they will stay.

[King]

IMO LaMarcus needs to stay and bulk up. If all three are smart, they will stay.

Exactly. Unless he puts on about 30 lbs, he's going to get pushed out of the key everytime by NBA guys. He couldn't get an inch on Davis (who is huge) but NBA guys are every bit as strong.

[mookie2001]

I don't see what the big deal is with PJ and gibson
these chodes are staying
if the leave they'll be playing in Spain Division III and NBDL Scoutteams next year

[mookie2001]

Exactly. Unless he puts on about 30 lbs, he's going to get pushed out of the key everytime by NBA guys. He couldn't get an inch on Davis (who is huge) but NBA guys are every bit as strong.

like bosh and garnett

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Aldridge is a dumbass if he sticks around.

Leave, and he's got a chance being #1. Stay in school, and he'll be behind 4-5 guys next sure.

How so? He gained mad muscle and went from a zero to a dominant big twelve center in one ing year...if he stayed again and put on more muthle (for his huthle) and practiced more on his game (so he doesn't rely on fadeaways for an entire game) he'll be right up there in the 07 draft just like he is for the 06.



If PJ Tucker increased his dribbling skills by like 500%, and his court vision a little, he could make it in the NBA.
But he's not there now. I'll wait until the end of next season to say for sure if he can make it or not. But he's got a long way to go. If he does what he needs to do, he'll be a playa.

[mookie2001]

pj can make it in the nba if people want a barkleyesque, malik rose who can handle the ball type forward
but these kind of guys dont leave early

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

How so? He gained mad muscle and went from a zero to a dominant big twelve center in one ing year...if he stayed again and put on more muthle (for his huthle) and practiced more on his game (so he doesn't rely on fadeaways for an entire game) he'll be right up there in the 07 draft just like he is for the 06.

If he goes pro this year, he has a chance at #1. Next year's #1 will be Greg Oden and there isn't any debate on that one.

[IcemanCometh]

what does an aggy know about basketball? especially aggy hoopsfan

[mookie2001]

tpain had his mock draft already
morrison at 1
re at 2
and aldridge at 3 (if he declares)

[StylisticS]

I want to see how good Augustine and Durant are tomorrow in the AA game. I hope Lamarcus stays but if he doesn't, looks like UT goes center by committee.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

what does an aggy know about basketball? especially aggy hoopsfan

Well your dumb ass didn't even think A&M would be in the tournament, so what the do you know?

[IcemanCometh]

should you be complaining about Pop?