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Enron Mail |
Part 2
The Pre-Season Blue Chips Here's my updated list of the top Texas football recruits. The ones in bold type are my Fabulous 40. I have significantly upgraded kids who are drawing heavy recruiting efforts from top Division I programs because the top D-1 coaches are the final judges of who's who in recruiting. They know more abo= ut it than anyone else. The ones who don't won't be around very long. (Note to E-Mail Subscribers: I have put **** at each position category to separate the Fabulous 40 players from the rest) The Early Elite 80 Recruits Quarterback (6) Matt Nordgren, 6-5, 225, 4.7, Dallas Bishop Lynch (UT, A&M, Fla, LSU) Jason Carter, 5-11, 180, 4.5, Caldwell (Neb, A&M, TCU) **** Mike Pankratz, 6-3, 200, 4.8, Katy Taylor (A&M, UCLA, OU, KSU, ND) Davon Vinson, 6-3, 185, 4.5, Kilgore (A&M, Ark, OU, Bay) Tye Gunn, 6-4, 200, 4.62, La Grange (A&M, UT, Pur) Kevin Ford, 6-0, 188, 4.5, Madisonville (Rice Commitment) Running Back (7) Cedric Benson, 5-11, 200, 4.4, Midland Lee (UT, Ala, ND, A&M, OU, Ark, Az) David Underwood, 6-0, 220, 4.38, Madisonville (Michigan Commitment) Anthony Johnson, 5-11, 195, 4.4, Jefferson (KSU, UT, FSU, TCU, OU, LSU) Donta Hickson, 5-9, 180, 4.4, McKinney (FSU, Neb, A&M, OU, Mich, Tenn, TT) **** David Williams, 5-11, 180, 4.4, Carrollton Smith (FSU, A&M, Colo, UT, OU, M= ia) Anthony Evans, 5-9, 195, 4.5, Pearland (Bay, A&M, Az, KSU, UCLA) Cody Thibodeaux, 6-1, 200, 4.5, Winnie East Chambers (A&M, Neb, UT, Ok St, LSU) Fullback (2) Darnell Sims, 6-2, 230, 4.7, Aldine (A&M, UH, LSU) **** Mark Pierce, 6-2, 218, 4.6, Weatherford (Bay, OU, A&M, UT, TCU) Tight End (2) James Moses, 6-3, 225, 4.7, GP North Shore (UT, A&M, Az, Mich, Colo) **** Brian Wang, 6-6, 250, 4.9, FW Southwest Christian (TCU, A&M, Bay, Ark, OU) Wide Receiver (10) Armon Dorrough, 6-1, 168, 4.4, Lancaster (ND, Tenn, Mia, Fla, FSU, A&M, UT) Brandon Jones, 6-3, 205, 4.4, Texark. Liberty-Eylau (Ky, Ark, A&M, FSU, UT) Bennie Brazell, 6-2, 168, 4.4, Houston Westbury (LSU, UCLA, Ark, Ky, LSU, M= ia) Thomson Omboga, 6-2, 175, 4.5, Grand Prairie (UT, OU, ND, Ga, A&M, Mo) Cedric Williams, 6-0, 170, 4.4, Jefferson (KSU, FSU, LSU, Neb, A&M, OU) Keith Mills, 5-11, 175, 4.4, Garland (A&M, UT, FSU, Fla, Ark, TT, OU) **** Terrence Thomas, 5-9, 175, 4.4, Houston Washington (Mia, FSU, UCLa, A&M, UH= ) Corey Roberts, 6-4, 190, 4.4, Carthage (LSU, A&M, SMU, TCU, UT) Jesse Woods, 6-4, 190, 4.5, Katy Taylor (A&M Commitment) T. J. Jenkins, 5-11, 180, 4.4, Dallas Hillcrest (FSU, TCU, Fla, UT, TT) Offensive Line (12) Jonathan Scott, 6-7, 290, 4.9, Dallas Carter (UT Commitment) Jami Hightower, 6-4, 295, 5.2, Jacksonville (UT, A&M, FSU, OSU, TCU) Ben Wilkerson, 6-4, 265, 4.9, Hemphill (A&M, Mich, ND, Neb, Ark, LSU, OU) Abe Robinson, 6-6, 270, 4.9, Jersey Village (UT Commitment) William Winston, 6-6, 330, 5.3, Houston Madison (A&M, UT, LSU, Mia, Syr) Mike Garcia, 6-5, 280, 5.2, Galena Park (UT Commitment) **** Will Allen, 6-5, 300, 5.2, Cypress Falls (UT Commitment) Roman Reeves, 6-6, 295, 5.2, Livingston (UT Commitment) Terrance Young, 6-6, 330, 5.5, Longview (A&M, UT, Ark, LSU) Shane Simms, 6-2, 300, 4.9, Tomball (A&M, Ark, Bay, OU, Colo, Neb, TCU) E. J. Whitley, 6-5, 290, 5.3, Texas City (Ky, A&M, Mia, OU, Ok St) Clint O'Neal, 6-6, 290, 5.2, Weatherford (Colorado Commitment) Defensive End (8) Kevin Everett, 6-5, 225, 4.6, Port Arthur Jefferson (UT, ND, Colo, Pur, Mia= ) Lawrence Hooper, 6-4, 255, 4.7, Aldine (A&M, PSU, LSU, Colo, Fla, OSU, UCLA= ) Simeon Jones, 6-3, 240, 4.7, Houston Jones (A&M, UH, Colo, UT, Bay) McKenzie Tilmon, 6-3, 235, 4.7, Irving MacArthur (KSU, UT, A&M, Tenn) Jamie Jackson, 6-3, 225, 4.7 Andrews (TT, OU, A&M, UT) **** Colin Allred, 6-3, 225, 4.7, Dallas Hillcrest (UT, Neb, TT, TCU, Mich) Bret Rayl, 6-7, 265, 4.9, Lewisville (A&M, FSU, OU, PSU, TCU) Quintene Newhouse, 6-2, 250, 4.7, Emory Rains (A&M, Ky, Mich, UT, Bay, TCU) Defensive Tackle (7) Tommie Harris, 6-3, 280, 4.8, Killeen Ellison (UT, FSU, A&M, Mia, UCLA) Thomas Derricks, 6-1, 275, 4.9, Dallas Jesuit (ND, PSU, A&M, NW, Colo, Neb) **** Clayton Harmon, 6-6, 260, 5.1, Stephenville (A&M, TT, UT, Colo) Sharod McGowan, 6-2, 250, 4.7, Waco (A&M, UT, TT, NC, OU, NC) Brandon Goodlett, 6-2, 280, 5.1, Conroe (Ky, OU, Neb, UT) Jeremy Calahan, 6-3, 260, 5.0, Pflugerville (UT, ND, A&M, OSU, Stan, TCU, V= an) Fred Thwreat, 6-2, 270, 4.9, Midland Lee (TT, A&M, Az) Outside Linebacker (6) Derrick Johnson, 6-3, 205, 4.5, Waco (UT, FSU, A&M, OU, Ark, UCLA, TCU) Jonathon Jackson, 6-2, 220, 4.56, GP North Shore (PSU, UT, LSU, FSU) Lance McFarland, 6-2, 225, 4.6, Jefferson (UT, KSU, Ark, OU, FSU, LSU) Lee Foliaki, 6-2, 200, 4.5, Euless Trinity (A&M, UT, FSU, Neb, KSU, TCU) **** Shawn Willis 6-2, 215, 4.6, Flatonia (A&M, FSU, UT, Bay, TT) Justin Crooks, 6-1, 210, 4.6, Round Rock McNeil (Rice, TCU, Bay) Inside Linebacker (2) **** Jeff Billings, 6-2, 232, 4.7, Pasadena Rayburn (A&M, Ky, Az, ASU, NW) Yamil Lebron, 6-2, 240, 4.7, Killeen Ellison (UT Commitment) Cornerback (7) Byron Jones, 5-10, 180, 4.4, Bay City (LSU, UCLA, A&M, NW, Ark, Ky) Cedric Griffin, 6-1, 180, 4.42, San Antonio Holmes (A&M, Neb, UT, Colo, Was= h) Moses Harris, 6-1, 170, 4.4, Dallas Carter (UT, FSU, OU, Mia, TCU, Gramb) Dee Durham, 5-11, 174, 4.4, Mansfield (Colo, Mich, Mia, OSU, VT, UT) **** Warren Wilson, 6-0, 170, 4.4, Texas City (Pur, A&M, LSU, Ky, Az) Anthony Kelly, 6-0, 175, 4.5, Ald. Eisenhower (A&M, LSU, Colo, KSU, Bay, UT= ) Courtney Sterling, 5-7, 170, 4.4, Dallas Carter (Arizona State Commitment) Safety (5) Dewayne Brandon, 6-3, 198, 4.46, Temple (UT, Neb, FSU, A&M, Ky) Rufus Harris, 6-0, 180, 4.4, LaPorte (A&M, LSU, Az, Mia, Ky) **** Kendall Briles, 5-10, 175, 4.5, Wolfforth Frenship (UT Commitment) Jarvis Mayes, 6-2, 180, 4.45, Dallas Kimball (A&M Commitment) Jaxson Appel, 6-0, 190, 4.5, Friendswood (A&M Commitment) Athlete (6) Joseph Addai, 6-1, 195, 4.5, Hstn Sharpstown (KSU, UT, Neb, Kan, Mich, A&M) Quan Cosby, 5-10, 180, 4.4, Mart (UT, A&M, UCLA, FSU, Bay) Gainus Scott, 5-9, 170, 4.4, La Porte (FSU, Az, Tenn, Mia, ASU, Ky) **** Ryan Gilbert, 5-11, 180, 4.4, Dallas Hillcrest (UT, Mich, Neb, Mia, Tenn, F= SU) Braden Johnson, 6-2, 200, 4.5, Euless Trinity (UT Commitment) Brian Carter, 5-11, 180, 4.5, The Woodlands (UT Commitment * * * * The 25 "Difference Makers" These are Texas' top 25 players, in my opinion, and I have seen all of them play, either on tape or in person: 1. DT Tommie Harris, Killeen Ellison 2. OL Jonathan Scott, Dallas Carter (Texas) 3. OL Jami Hightower, Jacksonville 4. LB Derrick Johnson, Waco 5. RB Cedric Benson, Midland Lee 6. S Dewayne Brandon, Temple 7. RB David Underwood, Madisonville (Michigan) 8. C Ben Wilkerson, Hemphill 9. QB Matt Nordgren, Dallas Bishop Lynch 10. OL Abe Robinson, Jersey Village (Texas) 11. WR Armon Dorrough, Lancaster 12. DE Kevin Everett, Port Arthur Jefferson 13. WR Brandon Jones, Texarkana Liberty Eylau 14. Ath Joseph Addai, Houston Sharpstown 15. DE Lawrence Hooper, Aldine 16. Ath Quan Cosby, Mart 17. WR Bennie Brazell, Houston Westbury 18. LB Jonathon Jackson, Galena Park North Shore 19. RB Anthony Johnson, Jefferson 20. TE James Moses, Galena Park North Shore 21. CB Byron Jones, Bay City 22. DT Thomas Derricks, Dallas Jesuit 23. LB Lance McFarland, Jefferson 24. OL William Winston, Houston Madison 25. RB Donta Hickson, McKinney Out-of-State Prospects Texas is recruiting several out-of-state players. Here are the ones who are still considering UT: Quarterback Bret Rawls, 6-5, 200, 4.7, Shreveport Evangel (LSU, UT, FSU, baseball) Running Back Jabari Davis, 5-11, 224, 4.5, Tucker, Ga. (Ga, Tenn, UT, Neb, Ala) Fullback James Buchanan, 6-2, 240, 4.7, Sarasota, Fla. Mooney (FSU, UT, ND, Fla, Mic= h, Neb) Defensive End Eric Hall, 6-3, 232, 4.5, Clarksville, Tenn., NW (UT, FSU, Tenn, Neb, LSU) Defensive Tackle Marcus Spears, 6-5, 275, 4.8, Baton Rouge Southern Lab (LSU, A&M, Mich, UT) Marquise Hill, 6-7, 290, 4.8, N. Orleans De La Salle (FSU, LSU, Mich, A&M, = UT) Basketball Team in Early NIT The Texas basketball team will host Navy on Nov. 13 in the first round of t= he Preseason National Invitation Tournament. The starting time will be announc= ed later. The winner of the Texas-Navy game will advance to play the winner of the Mississippi State-California first-round contest in the second round on Nov= . 15. The site for the second-round game has not been determined, but it will start at 7 p.m. and will be televised nationally by ESPN2. The field also includes four other teams who advanced to play in last season's NCAA Tournament (Duke, Temple, Indiana and Pepperdine) and six squads which played in last season's postseason NIT (New Mexico, California= , Princeton, Villanova, Marquette and Delaware). The other teams selected for the 16th Preseason NIT are Fairfield, Mississippi State, George Mason, Navy and South Alabama. The semifinals and finals will again be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The semifinal round is Nov. 22, with both games televised nationally by ESPN. The third-place game and championship game are Nov. 24. The championship game will also be televised nationally by ESPN. No game times for the semifinals or finals have been announced. This is Texas' third appearance in the Preseason NIT. The Longhorns lost at Iowa State in the first round of the 1988 NIT and finished in fourth place with a 2-2 record during the 1991 Preseason NIT. The Longhorns concluded the 1999-2000 season with an overall mark of 24-9 a= nd advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They had a final AP ranking of No. 15, which was the highest post-season ranking ever at UT. Here is the complete schedule: First Round Game 1 Monday, Nov. 13 Delaware at Temple Game 2 Monday, Nov. 13 George Mason at New Mexico Game 3 Tuesday, Nov. 14 Pepperdine at Indiana (6 p.m., ESPN) Game 4 Tuesday, Nov. 14 South Alabama at Marquette Game 5 Monday, Nov. 13 Mississippi State at California (11 p.m., ESPN2= ) Game 6 Monday, Nov. 13 Navy at Texas Game 7 Tuesday, Nov. 14 Fairfield at Villanova Game 8 Tuesday, Nov. 14 Princeton at Duke (8 p.m., ESPN) Second Round (at campus sites) Game 9 Wednesday, Nov. 15 Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner Game 10 Friday, Nov. 17 Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner Game 11 Wednesday, Nov. 15 Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (7 p.m., ESPN2) Game 12 Friday, Nov. 17 Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (6 p.m., ESPN) Semifinals (at Madison Square Garden) Game 13 Wednesday, Nov. 22 Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner (tba, ESPN= ) Game 14 Wednesday, Nov. 22 Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner (tba, ESP= N) Finals (at Madison Square Garden) 3rd-Place Game Friday, Nov. 24 Game 13 loser vs. Game 14 loser Championship Friday, Nov. 24 Game 13 winner vs. Game 14 winner (tba, ESP= N) Barnum Hopes Fade The Longhorns' hopes of getting Greg Barnum, the great center prospect who left Tennessee after his freshman year, are fading. Vol coach Phil Fulmer has refused to give Barnum a release, which would for= ce him to pay his own way for a year if he comes to Texas as things now stand. Since he would be a walkon, it also would require him to meet UT's transfer guidelines for regular students. As a regular student transer applicant with one year of college behind him, he would have to have 24 hours of C grades or above to transfer to UT. Under Fulmer, Tennessee football players have the worst graduation rate of any of the major NCAA Division I powers. Barnum was a good high school student who might have 24 hours of C or above grades at Tennessee. If he does, he would certainly have been one of the to= p student-athletes on the Tennessee team. UT Baseball Players Sign The pros have signed three UT baseball juniors =01) second baseman Tommy Nicholson, relief ace Charlie Thames and shortstop Todd West =01) plus a to= p recruit in catcher Scott Heard of Rancho Bernardo, Cal. Junior pitcher Phil Seibel is still negotiating with the pros, but has not signed so far. Basketball Recruiting Guard Carlos Hurt of Alief Elsik has committed to Louisville. The Longhorns were recruiting him, but their primary target for their only remaining scholarship is 5-11 T. J. Ford, who led Fort Bend Willowridge to the Class 5A state title. Ford, one of the nation's top point guards, is strongly considering the Longhorns. But teams like Kentucky and Duke are also under strong consideration. Maurice Williams, a 6-1 point guard at Murrah High School in Jackson, Miss.= , also is considering Texas. Williams and Ford are both rated among the top four point guards in the country. Texas already has a commitment from 6-10 center Chris Wright of Redwater. With only two seniors on the team, coach Rick Barnes has only one more scholarship to give unless some underclassmen leave the team. Aldrich Makes Olympic Team UT track and volleyball star Erin Aldrich made the U. S. Olympic Team Sunda= y, finishing second in the high jump with a 6-3 leap at the Olympic Trials in California. Aldrich was a senior last season, but she gave the Longhorns some good publicity at the trials, wearing her UT track uniform. How About Those Odds? It's been so long since Texas has been a pre-season favorite in every regular-season game that I frankly can't remember it. It probably was back = in the glory days of Darrell Royal. But there is an early line from the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas that alrea= dy has posted early odds on three of the Longhorns' key games. The Imperial Palace has the Longhorns favored by 7 points against Oklahoma = in Dallas, by 6 points against Colorado in Boulder and by 9.5 points against t= he Aggies in Austin. I thought the Boulder game might be the only one this season where the Horn= s would rate as a pre-season underdog. I also thought the game against the Sooners in Dallas was the second toughest game on the schedule, and the Agg= ie game was in the running for the third toughest test. So, if Texas is a pre-season favorite in those three big games, I think I c= an guarantee you that when the Imperial Palace publishes the odds for the remaining Longhorn games, UT will be favored in each of them. That, of course, doesn't mean Texas will go undefeated, but I always prefer to be favored and that's what the Longhorns will be heading into the season in all 11 of its games. If they stumble early, all that will change, so let's hope they don't stumb= le early =01) or at all. The 90's - A Mixed Bag for Texas and Nebraska The Longhorn football team has had a lot of success historically, but the 1990s weren't all that great. Nebraska fans might disagree, however. The Huskers went 108-16-1 in the 90s= . That was the second highest win total ever recorded in a decade. Florida State went 109-13-1 in the 90s to set the record. But Nebraska went 1-3 against Texas in the 90s. If the Cornhuskers had won any of those three games they lost to the Horns, they would have tied FSU f= or=20 the most wins in a decade. If they had won two of them, they would hold the record. Baseball Recruit Shines Vincent Sinisi, one of the Longhorns' prize baseball signees, led The Woodlands to the Class 5A State Championship last month. He pitched a six-h= it 11-1 victory over powerful Duncanville in the simfinals, then, after a four-day rain delay, hit a two-out double in the sixth inning to score the winning run over Corpus Chrisi Moody in a 3-2 championship game. Speaking of baseball, the Longhorns have signed another lefthanded pitcher. He is Brantley Jordan, 6-0, 190, of Texarkana JC and formerly of Round Rock= . He was 11-0 last season and he has two great pitches =01) a 90 mph fastball= and a hard-breaking curve. He was a freshman at Texarkana, so he has three year= s of eligibility remaining. High School Subs at 154 True Orange is going to 154 schools, thanks to several generous subscribers= . Neil Kidwell of Phoenix, Arizona, renewed Mineral Wells, his home town, plu= s Abilene Cooper, San Antonio Lee, La Porte and Texas City. An anonymous donor renewed 10 subs =01) Beaumont Central and West Brook, Ba= ytown Lee and Sterling, Angleton, Arlington Houston, Andrews, Brownwood, Navasota and Jersey Village. Rick Glasscock of Midland started new subscriptions for Odessa and Big Spri= ng. Dr. Allan Spence of Raymondville started a new subscription for Dallas Highland Park. James W. Brantley of Fort Worth started a new subscription for Fort Worth Eastern Hills. He is a 1961 graduate of that school. Several schools have expired, if any of you are interested. They are Austin Crockett and McCallum, San Marcos, Gainesville, Belton, Copperas Cove, El Paso Austin, and two Oklahoma schools =01) Jenks and Duncan. I offer a school gift subscription for $35 for 24 issues (omitting the June and July issues when schools are closed for the summer). If you want to subscribe for a school, fill out the coupon below and send $= 35 instead of $45 for each school you want to sponsor. If you don't have a school in mind, I'll be happy to pick one for you. Ther= e are several schools in all areas of Texas where the libraries need a Longho= rn newsletter. A Perfect Gift for the Longhorn Fan Who Has Everything Else A subscription to True Orange is the perfect gift for any occasion for a Longhorn who has everything else. It's only $45 ($35 by e-mail) and I'll send an attractive card announcing your thoughtful gift. The only thing better is a gift of True Orange and the True Orange Fax = =01) and you can give both for just $130 a year ($99 if they can take both by e-mail). o I am enclosing $45 for a gift subscription ($35 e-mail) o I am enclosing $130 for a gift subscription to the newsletter and the fa= x ($99 e-mail) Name of Recipient Address (& fax no., if applicable) City, State, Zip Your Name Any Message You Want on Card Next Issue August 7 The next issue will be e-mailed on August 7 and will have a thorough previe= w of pre-season practice, with comments from coach Mack Brown and the pre-season practice schedule. It will also have a report on the pre-season Big 12 football meetings in Kansas City and the Big 12 writers' predictions, and, as always, lots of football recruiting news. Tell Your Friends About True Orange If you like True Orange, be sure and tell your Longhorn friends about it. I can always use more subscribers. The more subscribers I have, the more resources I have to call recruits and coaches and do all the other things that give you an inside view of Longhorn sports. I want to subscribe. I am enclosing $45 for the next year, which will inclu= de 26 issues. A two-year subscription is $85. For a one-year subscription via E-Mail, send $35. Name Street Address or Box Number or E-Mail Address City, State and Zip Code Remit to True Orange, P O Box 26530, Austin, TX 78755 Foreign Rates Available on Request. Phone 512-795-8536 E-Mail Address: truorange@aol.com I want to give a gift subscription to True Orange. I am enclosing $45. Please send an appropriate gift card. For a gift subscription via E-Mail, send $35. Name of Person Receiving Gift Street Address or Box Number or E-Mail Address City, State and Zip Code Your Name
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