Texas:  A Basketball State???

Disclaimer: This article is going to warn all Texans of the new trend sweeping the state. This trend will scare most of you conservatives, but here me out and Ye Shalt Be Saved.

Believe it or not people, but college basketball is not just isolated to Durham, North Carolina and New York, New York. There are schools in this very state that have basketball teams. Yeah I know. Crazy. And here is the thing, these schools have good teams. In fact, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas have been good for pretty much the last decade. UT has been good ever since Rick Barnes took over the team in 1998, and A&M has been relevant since they went 0-16 in conference play in the 2003-2004 season, having made the NCAA Tournament every year since then and winning at least one game in the tournament every year they have qualified. Both schools have put players in the NBA also, most notably Kevin Durant, T.J. Ford and DeAndre Jordan. Both schools have also made deep runs in the last decade with UT making the Final Four in 2003 and A&M making the Sweet Sixteen in 2006.

I am willing to bet that almost no people that live in Texas actually knew that us Texans had two viable college basketball teams. And given how awesome the fans are here in Texas, it is a shame that no one notices these teams because if people actually paid attention to these teams, I really think that the fans in Texas could turn these teams into successful basketball programs like Duke, North Carolina and Michigan State, universities that have an extremely devoted national following. Just because Texas is known as being a football state does not mean that it cannot be a basketball state also. I really feel that there is a niche here in Texas for some great basketball teams and rivalries, all we have to do is turn on the TV.

I will put it to you guys like this: I am fairly stupid (which actually makes me question why you people read this but that is an argument for another day), but I am not so stupid to not realize that Texas is now and will always be a football state. But if we do not start following these basketball teams with a passion, these two coaches and by extension, these teams, will not be around long. This is less likely for Rick Barnes at UT, but for Mark Turgeon, head basketball coach at A&M, when some other big basketball school comes calling, he is going to have no choice but to leave if attendance and ratings and money do not increase. And then we will slip back into the mediocre state that Texas college basketball was in before these teams started winning. Call me crazy, but I like having something exciting to watch between the Super Bowl and the start of the baseball season.

Also I know that UT smoked A&M last night 81-60. Both teams are in the top 11 in the country and it looks like they will be there for the rest of the year. UT was probably just upset about the beat down A&M put on the Horns in football last year.....who knows....Haus out.