40 Acres Sports

Texas A&M‘s basketball program has reached unseen heights this season and as a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament is showing up in a lot of expert’s Final Four picks. But right before the tournament games begin former Aggie Antoine Wright reveals some shady academic practices going on at the university.

On a special episode of HBO’s Costas Now last night focusing on college athletes and academics, Wright revealed that athletes at Texas A&M athletes are steered into agricultural majors and states that he got more of an education in high school. In some ag classes there would be a “quarterback, [Wright], a running back and a farmer.” Even more damning, he states that athletes were provided with cheat sheets including copies of old exams.

Video of Wright on Costas Now is below:

When the Big 12 announced their Academic All-Big 12 Men’s Basketball Team a couple of week’s ago two Aggie starters, Dominique Kirk and Acie Law, made the second team. Their major? Ag leadership & development. Big man Antanas Kavaliauskas should be able to go home to Lithuania and raise some awesome goats as an agricultural development major.

The football team is probably worse. Reggie McNeal? Agricultural development major. Red Bryant, Kerry Franks, and Courtney Lewis? Ag leadership & development. Our good friend Kellen Heard? He’s an agricultural and life sciences major.

For the sake of the 98% of these kids who won’t make it to the pros, I sure hope they can raise a mean chicken.

Update: Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne’s response to Wright’s allegations? Don’t worry, we’re adding more easy majors that athletes will be able to choose from.

Texas women’s basketball coach and legend Jody Conradt retired Monday after 31 seasons at Texas. The women’s program has been down a little in recent years and this year the team finished with 18 wins and 14 losses and did not make the NCAA Tournament. Conradt is a Longhorn legend and gave her entire life to the Lady Longhorns and to the University of Texas.

No word of a possible replacement for Conradt but with the history of Texas women’s basketball and a top recruiting class last year, the job will be very attractive to some of the nation’s top coaches.

• AP story on Conradt’s retirement
• Press conference quotes
• Photo gallery

It’s that wonderful time of the year, a time when you can spend most of your work week filling out as many NCAA Tournament brackets as possible.

Want to fill out one more? Then join the Bevo Sports group bracket on Yahoo! Sports Tournament Pick’em. Here is how you sign-up.

1. Go to the Yahoo! Sports Tournament Pick’em homepage.
2. Click on the ‘Join a Group’ button.
3. The group number is 93724.
4. The password is ‘longhorns’.

The Texas Longhorns have a tough road ahead if they plan on making it to the Final Four, possibly having to face #1 North Carolina and #2 Georgetown (who is playing like a #1 seed). Thankfully, though, it looks like they can easily make it to the Sweet 16, as USC is a pretty weak #5 seed.

I was really hoping Texas would somehow end up in the South region and have the opportunity to play in San Antonio, but A&M deservedly got the #3 there.

All-in-all it looks like it will be a great tournament and I felt the overall selection process was pretty fair. We will have more information on the Tourney soon, including our official Bevo Sports brackets.

Adrian Alaniz two-hits Miami of Ohio. Kyle Russell chips in with 9th homer of the season.

Dooley Prince’s little bro Josh had an excellent series against ORU and may have earned starting spot.

Black Sheep, our new favorite movie, will be making it’s US premiere Saturday night at Alamo Drafthouse.

Baylor upsets Missouri and will face off against the Longhorns tonight at 8:20pm.

Matt Hayes sucks. His article on the spread option spreading doesn’t.

More national honors for Durant. CBS Sportsline’s Gary Parrish names him player of the year.