 "Photo: Paul Chouy; Daily Texan Staff")
It turns out that it was an elbow belonging to Texas’ soft-spoken Turkish point guard that gave Oklahoma star Blake Griffin a concussion in the Longhorns’ Saturday night win, not a big hit from 298-pound center Dexter Pittman as previously thought.
And what did Dogus Balbay have to say about possibly being the most hated man in Oklahoma right now?
“I’m sorry about that. I didn’t even know it happened,” Balbay said. “Really, I’m really sorry about that.”
What he shouldn’t be sorry about was his performance against the Sooners, where he was just an assist and two rebounds away from having the second triple-double in school history. The No. 25 Longhorns (18-8, 7-5 Big 12) hope Balbay will have similar success against Texas Tech tonight at the Erwin Center.
Texas head coach Rick Barnes watched the game tape and said the injury occurred when Griffin collided with Balbay’s elbow as Balbay set a screen. It was accidental, but the effects have been felt throughout the Big 12.Texas got a much-needed win over the second-ranked Sooners and cracked The Associated Press’ Top 25 for the first time since Feb. 9.
On Monday, Kansas downed a Griffin-less Oklahoma in Norman to take sole possession of first place in the conference.
But while Balbay’s elbow may be to blame for shaking up the state of college basketball, it is his play that has excited the Longhorns.
Since being inserted into the starting lineup Feb. 10 against Oklahoma State, Balbay has averaged 7.3 points and seven assists per game and a 4-to-1 assist/turnover ratio.
“Dogus knows what he’s looking for coming down the floor,” Barnes said.
Balbay broke out of his pass-first mentality against Oklahoma, taking more open jump shots and finishing drives to the hoop with layups instead of kick-out passes. While A.J. Abrams stole the show with an offensive explosion in the second half, Balbay led Texas with eight points in the first.
Balbay has shown a tendency to miss a layup here and there, but his teammates are usually there to clean up his messes.
“He makes guys run,” Damion James said. “If you don’t, he’ll run right past you and if he doesn’t make the layup, you’re there to follow up.”
Barnes has a different solution in mind.
“On a couple of those, I’ve been surprised that he hasn’t dunked the ball because he really can jump,” Barnes said.
He has dunked in warm-ups but admitted that he hasn’t felt comfortable enough to do it in a game.
“Sometimes when I go really fast, it’s hard to jump straight up,” Balbay said. “I should dunk. I’m going to do it one day.”
He will have a chance against the Red Raiders (12-15, 2-10). Texas crushed Tech 71-49 in its first meeting Jan. 17 in Lubbock.
Head coach Pat Knight’s absence won’t help the Red Raiders’ cause. Knight was suspended by the Big 12 from tonight’s game after complaining about the officiating in Tech’s 79-73 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. Referees called 56 combined personal fouls in the game — 34 against the Red Raiders.
Four Tech players fouled out while none of the Aggies did. Knight received a technical foul for arguing in the second half.
While possessing a cooler demeanor than Knight, Barnes could relate to his situation.
“I understand where Pat Knight is coming from,” Barnes said. “At some point you feel like you have to stand up for your players and your program. You’re fighting and scratching for everything, and it does get frustrating.”
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