12/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2004
AUSTIN, Texas - Welcome to the land where the state capitol shines like a beacon in the night, where Americana musicians sprout up like weeds and where the landscape is a sea of burnt orange instead of the ashen brown that takes over the bluebonnet fields this time of year.
While Austin, Texas, is known for its artsy, eclectic crowd, the beatniks apparently do not like the sound of a certain "Drum." It is the Frank J. Erwin Center or affectionately known in some circles as the "Super Drum."
While the athletic administration at UTA scratches its collective head every Monday trying to think of ways to get students and the community to make their way to Texas Hall, you have to wonder what the folks at Texas are feeling as an announced crowd of 6,617 watched Texas hold off a gutsy UTA team, 85-70.
The Longhorns are one of college basketball's best team for the past decade. They have been to the Final Four, won Big 12 Conference championships and still the Longhorns only show up when Kansas or Bobby Knight walk into the Erwin Center. The place was relatively quiet when they raced out to a 23-point first-half lead and almost tomb-like when the Mavs trimmed the lead to 13 midway through the second half.
For the `Lil Mavericks, the Texas game is always a big deal. It is typically a televised game. Since all of our athletes are from Texas, it is big because of Texas' reputation. Even Fox Sports announcer Bill Land tongue-and-cheek went up to coach McCarter and asked him if it felt like Hickory, Indiana, going to the state finals taking a scene from the movie "Hoosiers."
For me, the game is a little different. You visit with the television talent early in the week and make sure they have everything they need. On game day you visit during shoot around and try to plant little seeds of positive knowledge in hopes they will remember when the cameras are on.
Coach McCarter is gracious with his time and visits with every media member as though it is a backyard barbecue. Smiles, stories, he has got plenty of them and does a good job of making the media feel comfortable around him.
We started a new trend last year and it carried over this year - leaving late the night before a game on a bus trip. We departed Arlington at 7 p.m. Tuesday. A three-hour ride and we are in Austin just in time for bed. Wednesday's schedule is as follows: a late wakeup call, breakfast, then to shoot around and back to the hotel. We leave for the gym at 5:30 p.m. The bus is stone silent when coach arrives before two players - Jarrett Howell and Myles Guidry. Coach leaves someone behind for them and we leave for the arena without our starting point guard and a key backup.
Now the fun begins, telling the media our point guard is not starting the game. Fox has to change their graphic to begin the game. Following the game the media asked why he did not start and coach was candid with his answer. He gave a post-game speech that was more like a father trying to impart some wisdom to his teen-aged kid. It wasn't about basketball, it was about being accountable for your actions.
I thought the team showed heart in the second half and hopefully some people out there didn't click off the game at halftime. Three more games until conference and the clock is ticking...
Another installment later this month from Tampa, Fla., we'll see you on the road.
(UTA Assistant A.D. for Marketing/Sports Information, Bill Petitt, continues a periodic series of reports from the road with the UTA men's basketball team.)
