ESPN

WACO, Texas -- We're introducing a new feature on the Big 12 blog today: A brand-new kind of live blog. I'm live and on-site at Baylor today, and I'll be providing video and photos from practice, along with some personal short notes and observations from what I see from the Bears. At 2:35 p.m. ET, Bears safety Ahmad Dixon will stop by to take some of your questions, and I'll stick around from 3-3:30 to field some more.

The Bears opened practice on March 1, and this is the final week of spring practice, so I'm sure you'll be able to sense some urgency in advance of this weekend's spring game. Keep checking back on the blog to find out more. I'll see you right here all afternoon.

The talk about playing two ways has happened a few times between SMU coach June Jones and cornerback Kenneth Acker, but something always seemed to get in the way of it ever happening.

But now that Acker is going into his senior season, the Mustangs are going to try to get one of their best players on the field as much as possible. Acker is lining up at receiver this spring in the hopes of being able to continue as a starting cornerback while moonlighting as a pass catcher once the season begins.

Acker was dynamic with the ball in his hands at high school, racking up nearly 3,000 all-purpose yards his senior year, playing at the same high school Jones played at in Portland, Ore. But when he arrived in Dallas, coaches wanted him to focus on the defensive side of the ball and play cornerback, a position he was not as skilled at.

He has worked hard to become one of the top players at his position, earning second-team All-Conference USA honors this past season. Jones wants to look at some of the younger cornerbacks on his team this spring, and he has some holes to fill at receiver so he figured he would give Acker a shot on offense.

In describing how the conversation went down, Jones said with a laugh, "I told him, and I didn’t care if he was happy."

Acker is happy.

"A lot of schools out of high school were talking to me about playing both ways, but as my college career went on, it went out of my head," Acker said in a recent phone interview. "Coach Jones had already brought it up last spring that he was going to have me do some stuff and then we had a couple guys go down so then he backed off that.

A couple months ago he brought me into his office, I went in there checking up with him and he just told me he was going to have me go out for receiver in spring. I was thankful for the opportunity."

Acker worked with the receivers before spring practice started, and focused mainly on how they ran routes. Specifically -- where they lined up to start their routes.

"If you’re not lined up in the right spot the whole play is messed up," Acker said. "I was relying on the little stuff so when I got on the field with the coaches I would look like I was in the right spot, so the beginning part that some people would have to learn, I could just go past that so I could go right into learning the scheme instead of having to learn little stuff and falling behind. I tried to get myself ahead and not come in here as a rookie or a new guy."

His first goal was not to drop a pass on Day 1. Mission accomplished.

"I’m trying to build on that," Acker said. "If I don’t drop any balls, that’s a good day in my eyes."

The next question, of course, is whether Acker could start both ways.

"I’m anxious to see if he can," Jones said. "I think he has the talent to start for us. He helps us the most at corner, and if he played 10-15 plays on offense, then that makes us better, too."

HOUSTON -- Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys" at Texas A&M who went on to become an All-Pro linebacker and an NFL coach, has died, University of Houston spokesman David Bassity said.

Pardee was 76.

Bassity said Monday that Pardee's son Ted confirmed the death to him.

Pardee's family announced in November that he had gall bladder cancer that had spread to other organs and that he had six to nine months to live.

Pardee was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

He survived a bout with melanoma when he was 28 and in the middle of his 15-year NFL playing career.

He played six-man football at Christoval High School in west-central Texas, near San Angelo, before moving on to Texas A&M. Bryant became the Aggies' coach in 1954 and moved their preseason camp to desolate Junction, about 100 miles northwest of San Antonio.

To read the full story, click here.

Texas had a small senior class in 2012, and thus, was forced to take a small recruiting class in 2013. That was only part of the problem, but Texas suffered more decommitments on the recruiting trail than it had in a long time, losing recruits to Texas A&M, Notre Dame and Alabama.

Once all the ink on the letters of intent was dry, Texas had only the nation's No. 16 class, far below the Longhorns' lofty expectations.

Colleague Jeremy Crabtree, our recruiting guru, made 10 bold predictions for the class of 2014, and he says Texas will be back in the top 5 next season. Last season was a fluke, writes Crabtree, and has some interesting revelations on why he sees good things in the future for the Longhorns on the recruiting trail.

Hiring Patrick Suddes from Alabama to be the director of player personnel was a solid move, and Crabtree says it's one of strategy to help slow Texas A&M's growth in the state.

Texas' bigger senior class will be starting their final season this fall and Texas will be able to sign a full class instead of just 15 players like it did last year. That'll help their ranking, but Crabtree also says the Longhorns' focused efforts in Louisiana will give them a boost, too.

Check out the rest of his predictions for the recruiting trail.

We're continuing our march across Big 12 country with your dream trek for 2013. Want to see the best of the best in the Big 12 this season? Come along with us.

We don't make the final decisions about where we spend our fall Saturdays, but I'm walking week by week through the 2013 season and forecasting where I'd like to be each week of the season. Circumstances change as games happen, of course, but here's how I'd project the season. Road nonconference games count. Let's move on with the next week.

More 2013 Ultimate Big 12 Road Trip.

Here's the Week 4 schedule in the Big 12:

• Texas Tech vs. Texas State
• Kansas vs. Louisiana Tech
• West Virginia vs. Maryland in Baltimore, Md.
• Kansas State at Texas
• Baylor vs. Louisiana-Monroe

My pick: Kansas State at Texas

No question about this one. First off, it's the lone Big 12 game of the week, but it'll also be my first look at the Longhorns, who have a lot to prove in a season that feels a whole lot like "Big 12 title or bust" for the less patient among the burnt orange supporters.

Last year's game was entertaining, but the Wildcats stretched their record against Texas to 7-2 all time in Big 12 play, a streak that even included the Ron Prince Era, so don't solely blame Bill Snyder's wizardry. After three games it should win handily, the trip to Austin to face the Longhorns will be the first real test for the reigning Big 12 champs, the first time it'll take the field not as a heavy favorite.

As for Texas, it needs quality wins to win the league and needs to prove it truly has a team that can contend for a championship, and winning this game would be a solid step in doing so. The Longhorns will be much more tested than K-State at this point in the season after a trip to BYU and hosting an upstart Ole Miss team. Those are two very losable games, but they're also wins that would give Texas one of the best nonconference résumés in the Big 12 and in the nation this early in the season.

A win over Kansas State would validate that résumé and give Texas a really good win heading into the thick of Big 12 play.

Texas Tech returns a moderate amount of talent from an eight-win team a year ago, but not since 2008's 10-0 start and No. 2 BCS ranking has Texas Tech been anything close to a Big 12 contender.

I see the Red Raiders being a good team next year with some upside in new coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Michael Brewer, but I don't know if I buy them as a real contender for the Big 12 title.

Apparently, 41 percent of you disagree. I was curious what the masses thought of the Red Raiders' title shot in 2013, and just 59 percent of you say Texas Tech is a Big 12 pretender.

I'm a little surprised that many people are on board with the Red Raiders, but it's definitely not a stretch to see Texas Tech making some serious noise in a wide-open Big 12 devoid of a true juggernaut or even a team with a talent level significantly above the rest in the Big 12.

Tech brings back 13 starters from last year's team, including eight on a defense that looked vastly improved from the unit that struggled so much in Tommy Tuberville's first two seasons. They'll be running a multiple scheme with a lot of 4-3 and 3-4 looks that play to Tech's strengths on defense, whatever those are in a defense that Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt are still getting to know. We know pass-rushers Kerry Hyder and Dartwan Bush can play, but can the secondary look better than it did when Tech's defense struggled down the stretch?

Offensively, we know what Eric Ward and Jace Amaro are capable of, as well as running backs Kenny Williams and SaDale Foster, but Tech's entire offense boils down to whether Brewer is what the Red Raiders' staff and fans hope he is. If not, you can bet there won't be any talk of contending for a title in Lubbock this year.

If he is? Don't you dare rule it out.

So, how's your 2015 recruiting class looking? You know, the one with all the players who will sign their letters of intent about 22 months from now, a full two high school football seasons from now?

If you're a fan of a Big 12 team other than Texas, you probably don't have an answer. In the final week of March, Texas logged three commitments, with a pair coming over the weekend while Texas hosted recruits.

The Longhorns begin April with a major head start on the recruiting cycle in 2015 while most of the Big 12 is merely getting the wheels turning on the 2014 class. Here's our last update on that class.

No other Big 12 team has a commitment for 2015, but the Longhorns' three prompts an interesting look at a somewhat controversial practice of securing early commitments from players who still have a whole lot of high school ball to play.

Offensive guard Aaron Garza became the Longhorns' first commitment on March 23rd, telling the Dallas Morning News that he wanted to "be a part of their next national championship team."

"I was just surprised and overwhelmed when Coach [Mack] Brown offered me,” Garza told the paper. “I was really happy and knew that I wanted to commit. Everything from the academics to the stadium was awesome. I think it’s a great place for me.”

Defensive tackle Bryce English followed suit on Friday. The DeSoto, Texas, native already checks in at 5-foot-11 and 305 pounds. It'll be interesting to see how he looks when he finally makes it to campus.

Saturday, cornerback Jalen Campbell became No. 3. HornsNation reported that it was the Corpus Christi, Texas, native's first offer, and he used it to commit.

Texas is stuck in an odd position with these kinds of situations. It's got to balance a deluge of young players who love Texas and want to be Longhorns, and get ahead of the competition in developing relationships ahead of competition from programs like Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

In the same breath, though, it can't get ahead of some of these players' careers and has to assume that two years from now, they'll be just as good and just as dominant. If that's not the case, pulling a scholarship is a great way to burn a bridge from a fruitful high school to Texas' campus in Austin. The Longhorns have to also make sure players who commit that early are determined to work just as hard and prove themselves with the same ferocity as before Texas made a scholarship offer official.

That's not easy.

What do you make of the Longhorns' early recruiting practices?

Looking for a preview of Texas' new, faster offense?

Look no further than the successful second half of the Longhorns' win over Oregon State. Colleague Mark Schlabach wrote today about the changes coming to Austin that already surfaced in the bowl win.

From Schlabach's column:

Brown believes the change is Texas' best chance at surviving a 12-round fight in the Big 12.

"We think we're at the perfect spot now because we think we're tougher," Brown said. "It's helped our defense toughen up, we know we can run the ball again and we're ready to break out the passing game."

Brown said Texas isn't going to a no-huddle offense simply to score more points. He also believes the change will help UT's defense prepare to face the offensive juggernauts of the Big 12. If the Longhorns face a fast-paced offense in practice every day, Brown is confident they'll be more conditioned -- mentally and physically -- to play teams like the Mountaineers and Sooners on a weekly basis.

"What we found last year was it was such a disadvantage to our defense," Brown said. "This league is really good at tempo offense and there are really fast players. Nobody is huddling and nobody is substituting, so your defense gets stuck out there and they're snapping the ball every 15 seconds. Your defensive coordinator can't call defenses because there's not enough time for your players to look over at him. Your big guys get tired because they can't get off the field."

I'd be a little concerned that Texas decided to switch to a more deliberate, power running offense after the 2009 season, but after three seasons without any real success doing it, the Longhorns have gotten back to a speedy offense. They'll want to keep those power aspects of the old offense, but can that show up on the field?

We'll see.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- On some days last season, Gary Patterson had to look down at his depth chart and cue up his own version of the Talking Heads classic, "Once in a Lifetime."

You may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?" ...

And you may tell yourself, "This is not my talented stable of running backs"
And you may tell yourself, "This is not my accurate, experienced QB"

It was a rough season for the Frogs in purple, especially for a coach like Patterson who had won fewer than seven games in a season just once since 2002, his second season as the full-time head man in Fort Worth. TCU struggled through more injuries than any team in the Big 12 last season, and lost six games, capped by a heartbreaker in a bowl game it dominated for more than three quarters.

It won just seven games, but a funny thing happened the end of a season that felt exhausting from a weekly grind in a new Big 12 the Frogs had longed for since being left outside of major conference football following the breakup of the Southwest Conference in the mid-90s.

"I think we gained a lot more respect fan-wise from being 7-5 than a being 11-2 beating Boise State at Boise State, which to me is an unbelievable win," Patterson told ESPN.com in a recent interview. "To me, that speaks volumes to where we’re at and I think our kids should to understand that, what we’re doing."

How'd that happen? People took notice of the Frogs' struggles off the field and saw they were still competitive on the field.

"Everybody was wondering how we could handle things on a week to week basis, and I thought we, except for one half of football against Oklahoma State, we felt like we were in every ball game that you had," Patterson said.

Four players were kicked off the team following a campus drug sting in January, including star linebacker Tanner Brock and a pair of other likely starters.

The Frogs left 2011 planning on having three backs in 2012 who ran for at least 700 yards, but Ed Wesley left the team after spring practice and Waymon James missed the final 11 games after injuring his knee in the Frogs' Big 12 opener against Kansas in Week 2.

Quarterback Casey Pachall, then the nation's leader in passer rating, left the team less than three weeks later to seek inpatient treatment for drug and alcohol addiction in the wake of a DUI arrest.

Defensive end Ross Forrest, who had six tackles for loss, suffered a shoulder injury in fall camp and fellow end Stansly Maponga battled an ankle and foot injury for much of the season, missing two games.

Matthew Tucker, the lone running back left with major experience, played through an ankle injury of his own, missing just one game.

Still, the Frogs battled on, losing a three-overtime heartbreaker to Texas Tech and losing to Big 12 co-champion Oklahoma after a possible game-winning touchdown pass was batted down as time expired to help the Sooners clinch their eighth title since 2000.

"I’ve been through 7-5 seasons before, and a couple plays here or there and, now you could have just as easily been 5-7, but you could have won 9 or 10, too, so how do you make up the little things?"

That's the challenge ahead for the Frogs, who look fit to contend for a Big 12 title in 2013 behind a defense that finished No. 1 in the league in total defense despite injuries and being forced to rely on more freshmen than ever before under Patterson. Pachall's back, too, battling to regain his job from Trevone Boykin.

Being competitive isn't good enough anymore. TCU's not out for respect anymore. It's time to start hunting trophies, preferably of the crystal bowl variety with the Big 12 logo etched on it.

"We’re not into moral victories. We’ve played well against those teams in the past, the key is to be able to recruit depth," Patterson said. "We’ve got to keep getting better at every position."

Year 1 was certainly one of the most difficult for Patterson, who took over the TCU job back in 2000. It won't get much easier in a deep Big 12 in 2013, but this time around, the Frogs would love it if the offseason isn't littered with personnel losses.

"You’ve got to come with it every week in our league," Patterson said. "As far as I’m concerned, you wouldn’t want any different."

Our friends at HornsNation were on the scene at Texas' spring game this weekend, so you can see more about what happened right here.

We'll break that down further for games we don't have people attending, but here's a few things I learned from Texas' spring game:

• Introducing Tyrone Swoopes into this offense really is fascinating. I do think it's time to pump the brakes a little bit on Swoopes "stealing the show." But he has impressive wheels, and if he can do what he did Saturday with consistency in fall camp, he'll at least force coach Mack Brown and offensive coordinator Major Applewhite to make a decision. Whether he's the full-time backup ahead of Case McCoy (and I still need more convincing that it will be the case in 2013), is it worth burning his redshirt to work him in with a package? Sounds like Brown doesn't need much convincing. "I think you could see tonight what he can do. He can run, he is big, he is strong … 6-foot 5-inches and 250 pounds … and he throws the ball well. He just needs to keep getting more reps," Brown told reporters. "We are trying to get the best quarterbacks. Obviously Case will be gone in a year, so somebody needs to be ready to go." It speaks volumes that Swoopes is already ahead of Jalen Overstreet and Connor Brewer on the depth chart, but I'm fascinated to see how (the full offense or a limited package) and how much Texas uses Swoopes while McCoy is still on campus. If nothing else, he will make for an intriguing summer on the 40 Acres, as well as fall camp.
• Great to see Jordan Hicks on the field and making stops. He's a great, instinctive player who we didn't get to play much of last season because of a hip injury. He picked off David Ash and made six tackles, including two tackles for loss.
• Back on the quarterbacks. McCoy all too often does little to help himself or give much confidence that he'll be a solid backup for Ash. He's certainly got far more experience than just about every backup in the Big 12, but tossing up easy interceptions into double coverage, like the one Sheroid Evans swiped off, has to have coaches shaking their heads a little bit. That's not a play a senior should be making, especially against a defense he's seen all spring. "It’s really hard to sit a guy who has that much experience," Applewhite said. "But my goal is that Tyrone, Connor and Jalen are strong enough to be able to go take a swing at [the No. 3 spot]."
• Maybe the best news for Texas this spring is that their banged-up running backs finally getting a string of good luck. It seems like every time Joe Bergeron, Johnathan Gray and Malcolm Brown got healthy, one of them would go down with a nagging injury. "All three of the running backs stayed healthy through the spring and are running really well. We developed more depth in the offensive line than we have had around here in a number of years," Brown said. Ash might have to hear that quote 1,000 times before it stops making him smile. That could make his life a whole lot easier. "We haven’t had a problem with how to play them. We’ve had a problem keeping them healthy. I’d love to have to figure out how to rotate them. I hope we can do that," Brown said.

Louisville pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history Sunday night, bouncing Brittney Griner and the defending champion and No. 1 seed Baylor Bears, 82-81.

The fifth-seeded Cardinals (27-8) nearly blew a 17-point lead, but Monique Reid made two foul shots with 2.6 left to stun Baylor (34-2), which had won 32 straight games.

Brittney Griner finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds in Baylor's shocking loss in the Sweet 16. Head coach Kim Mulkey had a strong opinion about the officials. Watch here.

Maria Taylor catches up with Griner after Baylor's loss, and Rebecca Lobo and Pam Ward break down the Sweet 16 games in the Oklahoma City region. Watch here.

Pam Ward and Rebecca Lobo take a look at the collegiate career of Brittney Griner. Watch here.

Mechelle Voepel looks at just how big of an upset this was and how Louisville was able to pull it off. Read here.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Before hyperbole and highlights steal away the sanity of everyone with burnt orange hearts, let's get this straight: David Ash is the starting quarterback for Texas. No question.

Backup? Ah, now that is where the riddles begin.

Freshman Tyrone Swoopes stole the show and the imagination of those watching the Texas spring game Saturday. Sure, it was only one series. But it was the first series in which the first-team defense was not only scored on but made to look confused by a freshman and a patchwork line. OK, given where this defense has been -- the worst in school history just a scant five months ago -- maybe the 10-play, 31-yard drive Swoopes engineered for a field goal was not such a huge accomplishment. Then again, given where this offense has been in terms of quarterbacks since Colt McCoy, having a starter and a potentially electrifying option just steps away on the sideline ... consider it a cattle prod in the side of Bevo.

Swoopes provided that shock to the system by first scampering 21 yards around and through the first-team defense. He followed that by slipping underneath the tackles of Adrian Phillips and Jordan Hicks and going for seven more yards. And while it wasn't anywhere near the stuff legends are made of, it was enough to plant Swoopes at the forefront of the endlessly spinning next-big-thing wheel.

Oh, and by the way, he is also now in front of Connor Brewer and Jalen Overstreet as the third-string quarterback despite being on campus for just three months. Case McCoy, the on-paper No. 2 QB, remains the next hurdle for Swoopes to clear before he plays. Building Swoopes up with a redshirt year so he can learn and grow is no foregone conclusion, Texas coach Mack Brown said.

"We are trying to get the best quarterback that we need," Brown said. "And obviously Case will be gone in a year so someone needs to be ready to go."

Read the rest of the story at HornsNation.

There are several reasons to believe Oklahoma won't win the Big 12 title in 2013. It lost a four-year starter at quarterback (albeit a heavily criticized quarterback) in Landry Jones. It loses seven starters from a defense that struggled late in 2012 after a strong start, playing just well enough to earn a share of the Big 12 title.

Two of its best players, receiver Kenny Stills and safety Tony Jefferson, left school early for the NFL, leaving big holes on both sides of the ball.

Despite all that, our poll on the Sooners still shows that having "Oklahoma" across its chest means the Sooners are to be taken seriously in the Big 12 in any given year.

The losses didn't have a big impact on our voting, where 58 percent of you tagged last season's co-Big 12 champion as a Big 12 "contender" in 2013, compared to just 42 percent of you who say the Sooners are just pretending when they talk about winning a league title in 2013.

It's too early to really know, and Oklahoma has a lot to prove, but for me, it boils down to the quarterback spot. I don't have high expectations for Oklahoma's defense, so it needs the offense to put up a lot of points to win enough games for a Big 12 title.

That's up to the quarterback spot, whether it's Blake Bell or Trevor Knight or Kendal Thompson.

The Sooners received a lot of these votes based on reputation, which is part of the luxury of winning eight Big 12 titles since 2000. Based on that, they deserve the votes. But Oklahoma is more of an unknown than than any team we've looked at, and it's going to take a few games before we have any idea if it is a Big 12 contender.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Leading scorer Sherwood Brown was a walk-on. Guard Bernard Thompson’s awkward shot scared most schools away. Dunking phenom Eddie Murray scored 11 points in an entire season two years ago.

PODCAST
Florida Gulf Coast athletic director Ken Kavanagh joins Fitzsimmons & Durrett to discuss his school's Cinderella story and playing in the Sweet 16 at Cowboys Stadium. Listen

Point guard Brett Comer led the Atlantic Sun Conference in assists this season. Not bad for a guy who had no idea how to play the position when he arrived in college.

These are the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 -- and the team you’ll be rooting for Friday evening.

Unless you’re a Florida fan, of course.

The third-seeded Gators (28-7) will try to avoid becoming FGCU’s latest upset victim when the teams square off in the South Regional semifinals at Cowboys Stadium. Andy Enfield’s squad opened NCAA tournament play by defeating 2-seed Georgetown and 7-seed San Diego State.

“We know the nation is behind us,” Murray said. “Everybody loves a Cinderella.”

Especially this Cinderella, with its motley crew of a roster filled with basketball vagabonds and unlikely success stories. The Eagles’ personalities make them easy to root for -- and their loose, high-flying, slam-dunking style of play has made them the must-watch team of the tournament.

“Our main goal is to have fun,” Comer said. “You’ll see Sherwood Brown with some kiss-blowing, some flexing. You’ll see Christophe Varidel do a heel click after a 3. It’s just the way we are.”

And that’s fine with Enfield.

“It’s the personality of our players and our team and our culture,” he said. “What you’re seeing is genuine. They enjoy being here. They enjoy playing the game of basketball.”

The Eagles (26-10) have certainly earned the respect of their opponent.

“It’s tremendous what they’ve done,” Florida coach Billy Donovan said. “It’s been a great ride for them. NCAA tournament-history-wise, this has never happened. It’s a state-of-the-art, new thing.”

And the Florida Gulf Coast campus is relishing it.

When forward Chase Fieler walked into the bookstore on the school's Fort Myers campus this week, he said the place was so packed he could hardly move.

“You can’t really describe the atmosphere on campus,” he said. “It’s just been a busy week, with the attention and the media being around. It’s exciting.

“At the first news conferences [last week], people weren’t really sure what questions to ask us. They looked at us with blank stares. Now they’re asking us how we’re preparing for a No. 3 team, or they have questions for us personally. No matter what happens from here on out, this is something we’ll never forget.”

WHOM TO WATCH

Florida’s Erik Murphy, Patric Young, Kenny Boynton and Mike Rosario each average between 10.3 and 12.8 points per game. Guard Scottie Wilbekin is the Gators’ defensive specialist. Florida Gulf Coast’s Eddie Murray and Chase Fieler have produced some of the NCAA tournament’s best dunks thus far.

WHAT TO WATCH

Florida Gulf Coast is the first 15-seed to advance to the Sweet 16, so it’d obviously be a huge feat if the Eagles ended up in the Elite Eight. Florida has lost in the Elite Eight each of the past two seasons.

STAT TO WATCH

Billy Donovan’s Gators have been brutal in close contests this season. Florida is 0-6 in games decided by single digits.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Seven-foot Kansas center Jeff Withey couldn’t help but do a double-take when he spotted Michigan’s Mitch McGary in the bowels of Cowboys Stadium Friday.

“He’s not as tall as I thought,” Withey said of the 6-foot-10 McGary. “But he definitely looks strong.”

Indeed, McGary -- who had started just two games all season before last week -- has been one of the top performers in the NCAA tournament thus far. He averaged 17 points and 11.5 rebounds in victories over South Dakota State and VCU to help Michigan advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 19 years.

His matchup against Withey in Friday’s Sweet 16 showdown could be one of the more entertaining battles of the evening.

“[McGary] brings intensity to the game,” Wolverines point guard Trey Burke said. “He’s kind of like our X factor. He’s the guy that gives us the spark and makes our engine run in the frontcourt.”

McGary’s biggest test to date will come against Withey, the second-leading shot-blocker in NCAA tournament history. Withey may have a few inches on McGary, but there aren’t many players in all of college basketball as thick and strong and agile as the UM freshman, who weighs 250 pounds.

“I guess I kind of have a football mentality,” McGary said. “I played it growing up, but that’s my mentality. I’m just a hard-nosed, blue-collar guy who likes to do the nitty-gritty stuff.”

The attitude is fitting for where McGary plays, as Michigan natives have always adored physical bruisers such as Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman and Rick Mahorn.

McGary certainly commanded Withey’s attention during film sessions last week.

“Just how physical he is and how hard he plays,” said Withey when asked what impressed him the most about McGary. “He loves to dive after loose balls and he loves to screen people. He likes to hit [people].

“I’m used to getting hit and whatnot. I’m not worried about that.”

Michigan coach John Beilein is counting on McGary to do everything he can to neutralize -- or at least limit -- Withey on both ends of the floor. ESPN.com’s Big 12 Player of the year, Withey averages 13.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocks. He had 16 points, 16 rebounds and five swats in Sunday’s victory over North Carolina.

“You run a beautiful play,” Beilein said, “it couldn’t be run better, and he somehow blocks a shot and they’re going the other way. It can be very deflating to a team.”

WHO TO WATCH

Burke, Michigan's point guard, averages 18.8 points and 6.7 assists per game and leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. “He’s the national player of the year,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “He deserves it. He’ll get it. I think he’s terrific.” KU's Ben McLemore is a projected top-five pick in this summer’s NBA draft, but he’s averaging just seven points in his last four games.

WHAT TO WATCH

Michigan, which is making its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1994, was ranked No. 1 in early February but hasn’t played as well down the stretch. The Wolverines lost five of their final 10 regular-season games and ended up with the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament. Kansas, which has a huge alumni base in Dallas-Fort Worth, will have the homecourt advantage.

STAT TO WATCH

Kansas ranks first in the nation in field goal percentage defense (35.7 percent) ... Jayhawks coach Bill Self has won 300 games and counting during his 10 seasons in Lawrence for an average of 30 wins per year ... All of Michigan’s key players are non-seniors.