Texas Longhorns Make Their Case for the Best Team In America

The number one rule when playing Roy Williams' Tarheels is DO NOT try and run with them.

Don't tell that to Damion James and company.

The Texas Longhorns ran up and down the court all afternoon long, defeating the defending champion Tarheels 103-90 in the first basketball game held at Jerry Jones' new palace in Dallas.

Senior forward Damion James was the do-it-all man for the Longhorns, scoring 25 points, grabbing 15 boards, and racking up four steals.  James had help, however.

Center Dexter Pittman dominated the Heels inside the paint, pounding his way to 23 points and 15 rebounds.

The Texas freshman tandem of Avery Bradley and J'Covan Brown was fantastic, as both youngsters put up 20 points (Brown had 21).

While North Carolina was able to narrow the gap midway through the second half, Texas kept a healthy double-digit lead over the Tarheels for much of the game.

North Carolina, regarded for its formidable front line riddled with NBA size and talent, was no match for the Longhorns speed and depth inside.  Dexter Pittman, Alexis Wangmene, Matt Hill, and Gary Johnson all made their presence felt down low, pounding away on the boards.

Texas held a 56-36 advantage on the glass, including a whopping 26-9 offensive rebound edge.

While they allowed 90 points, the Longhorns were incredibly efficient on the defensive side of the ball, forcing 16 Carolina turnovers. 

This surprisingly dominant performance by the Longhorns came at the perfect time.  Many analysts around the country were beginning to wonder if 9-0 Texas was truly deserving of its number two ranking after rampaging through a non-conference slate that was mediocre at best.

Watching the Longhorns during their first nine games, I saw a team that was incredibly talented on both offense and defense with great balance and depth, but untested none the less.

Texas' victory over a skilled and accomplished North Carolina team has sold me on these Longhorns.

They are, at the current time, the best team in America.

No disrespect to Kansas or Kentucky, both of whom have played very, very well early in the season (Kentucky scored a victory over Carolina, as well), but the Longhorns continued their dominance, even against a highly touted Tarheel defense.

Texas is the deepest team in the country.

With seasoned veterans in Damion James and Dexter Pittman, a great crop of freshman shooters, and a collection of defensive specialists, this Texas team can legitimately go 12 or 13 players deep, as was evident on Saturday.  What's even more impressive is that they can sub in fresh players without disrupting the flow of the offense.

Texas may very well be the best up-temo team in the country.

The Longhorns killed North Carolina in transition, as Damion James, Avery Bradley, and Dogus Balbay attacked the rim relentlessly.  The Heels were forced to foul early and often in an attempt to disrupt Texas' flow.

That formula of fast pace, transition offense will bode well for Texas in games against teams like Michigan State who try to slow the game down and force opposing offenses to work for every shot.  Forcing teams to play up-tempo will benefit the Longhorns as they can run up and down the court tirelessly.

Kansas may hold the number one ranking, and it may very well be deserved, with star players in Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, and Xavier Henry leading the attack, but it is Kansas, not Texas, that I have yet to see beat a truly elite team (their best win came in a 57-55 squeaker over Memphis).

It's far too early to speculate who will be standing when the smoke of this season clears in March, but Texas is among the elite group of teams who have a great shot to win it all.

That Texas-Kansas game is looking better and better...