Sep. 15, 2000 SportsLine.com Reports

Big 12 Conference report | NCAA Tournament Report

A glance at 2001

All-American center Chris Mihm, who led the Longhorns in scoring (17.7) and rebounding (10.5), is leaving the Longhorns high and dry as he heads for the greener pastures of the NBA.

Mihm, who was drafted No. 7 in the June 28 draft by Cleveland and subsequently traded to Chicago, joins LaSalle Thompson (1982) as the only Longhorns to leave college early for the NBA Draft.

The coach

A proven winner at every stop of his career, Rick Barnes took all of one year to turn the University of Texas basketball program from one in disarray to one on the rise in the national picture. When the 45-year-old Barnes was announced as the 23rd men's basketball coach in UT history on April 12, 1998, he inherited a program divided. Things have changed in a hurry.

Despite playing with just seven scholarship players for the majority of the 1998-99 season and struggling out of the gate to a 3-8 mark, Barnes stayed patient and engineered one of the greatest mid-season turnarounds in school history. The Longhorns won 16 of their final 21 games last year to finish the season at 19-13 overall. In the process, Texas posted a 13-3 mark in the Big 12 Conference en route to capturing its first-ever Big 12 crown and first outright league title since 1993-94.

This year, Barnes has again pulled all the right strings, guiding the Longhorns to their first 20-win season since 1995-96. As good as he has been in producing results on the floor, Barnes has been just as impressive on the recruiting trail. In every sense, he has earned the respect and support of UT fans and administrators.

Who'll be back

Back for sure are talented reserves like Chris Owens, William Wyatt, Chris Ogden and Roosevelt Brown. Senior guard Darren Kelly, the only returning starter, will not play in the fall semester because of academic troubles, but he may be back by winter semester.

Who's gone

Besides the gaping hole left by Mihm, the Longhorns will most certainly miss Gabe Muoneke, Ivan Wagner and William Clay -- three starters who have each taken over games during this season. They may also be missing Kelly for the entire year.

Lawrence Williams, who was penciled in at shooting guard for next season, has decided to leave Texas. Williams, a 6-1 shooter, has not decided where he will transfer.

Key newcomers:

Barnes' latest recruiting class promises to provide plenty of impact in the years to come. The class includes four high school stars and one junior college standout.

• F Brian Boddicker (6-9, 225, Fr.): Ranked as the 18th-best prep prospect in the nation, Boddicker averaged 19.9 points and nine rebounds as a junior, leading his team to the class 5A state title.
• PG Freddie Williams (6-1, 185, Jr.): Williams is ranked as one of the top 25 junior college players in the country and will have two years of eligibility remaining at Texas beginning with the 2000-01 season. He averaged 14 points and 5.7 assists as a freshman at Mississippi Delta JC.
• Others: Jason Klotz (6-10, 250), a center from Klein Forest (Texas) High School, is ranked as the 76th-best prep prospect in the nation by one service. Klotz averaged 12 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks as a junior ... Brandon Mouton (6-5, 215), a swingman from St. Thomas (Louisiana) More High School, is ranked as the 32nd-best high school prospect in the nation. Mouton averaged 21.1 points and 9.8 rebounds during his junior year ... James Thomas (6-8, 220) is a fifth-year prep power forward from Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.). He is ranked as one of the top five prep players in the country, averaging 14 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks as a senior at Milford Academy (Milford, Conn.).