40 Acres Sports

D.J. Augustin says he’ll be back next year, and says Durant is telling teammates he’ll be back too.

Bill Simmons has a huge man crush on Kevin Durant, but has some pretty harsh words for how [tag]Rick Barnes[/tag] is handling his super-star freshman. In his latest Page 2 article on ESPN.com, Simmons absolutely rips into Rick Barnes, calling for his retirement and labeling his coaching unconscionable. Here is one of the funniest lines from his rant:

Do they have plays in their playbook called “Durant stands frozen 25 feet from the basket while other guys dribble aimlessly” and “half-assed pick-and-roll that leads to nothing” and “Durant posts up while the point guards stare him down, then reverse the ball the other way?”

I have to admit, lately I have been saying something along the same lines. Durant needs to get the ball more. Actually, Durant has to WANT the ball more. But I think this will come in time. Durant is still young and growing into a leader.

I actually think Barnes is doing a good job handling all of the youth he has on the floor. I mean, Texas is 22-8 so far on the season and was 1 game away from winning the tough Big 12. I would say he is doing an alright job. Ease up Bill.

You can read the whole rant after the jump.

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Kevin Durant has been named Big 12 Player and Freshman of the Year. First freshman to win POY in Big 12 history.

March 3rd spring scrimmage notes and photo gallery. Chiles and Harris are splitting the backup QB reps evenly.

The Longhorns couldn’t pull out the victory yesterday and earn a share of the Big 12 regular season title, but if the young Texas team can put together three straight strong games they’ll have a chance to win the Big 12 tournament in Oklahoma City. To do so they’ll likely have to knock off both Texas A&M and Kansas.

The bracket has the Horns matching up on Friday at 8:20 p.m. against the Missouri vs. Baylor winner from Thursday night. A win could set up another match up with the Aggies, but a loss in that first game could seriously hurt the Horns seeding in the NCAA tourney. Favorable scheduling should give Texas fans to catch all their games on TV, hopefully with a completely healthy Kevin Durant.

Useful Links

• Official Big 12 Championship site
• Download bracket (PDF)
• Longhorn sports calendar

Ohio State will wear new Nike jerseys next week with a LeBron James logo. James has no OSU affiliation.

Holy crap.

After one of the most incredible first half performances I’ve ever seen, [tag]Kevin Durant[/tag] stepped on the ankle of a Kansas defender and went down. Looked to have somehow injured both ankles and limped into the locker room with his left ankle not looking so good.

Crap.

Update: Durant came back onto the court after a few minutes in the locker room and was able to reenter the game. Definitely not 100% he was hobbling a little and not able to get up and down the court at full speed. Didn’t look like it was bad enough to effect his shot but it could definitely wear on him during a game if it’s not fully healed by the Big 12 Tournament.

Boise State QB Jared Zabransky will be on the cover of NCAA Football 08. My ERTS stock immediately dropped.

More noise on A&M’s suspicious assist totals this season. They must be confusing basketball with hockey.

[tag]Vince Young[/tag] had an incredible rookie season in the NFL and Titans and Longhorns fans weren’t the only ones to notice. NFL free agents suddenly see Tennessee as an attractive destination again, and VY is a big reason for that:

The Titans see Vince Young as a free agent magnet. As Young mingled with players from around the league at the Pro Bowl, some of them whispered in his ear: “Pssst. Hey rook, tell the Titans to call my agent. I’d love to play with you. I like what you guys have going on there in Tennessee.” Young was flattered, though it’s unclear if he passed the word from some of the unrestricted free agents he wouldn’t name.

No signings the first day for the Titans and the biggest news could be a couple of subtractions. Pacman Jones’ future with the team is definitely in doubt and running back Travis Henry is likely to be released in a cost-cutting move. The team needs to address the defensive end, cornerback and wide receiver positions if possible this offseason.