In this episode of The Matt Babcock Show, Matt Babcock reflects on his recent trip to Austin, Texas. He shares stories from early in his career and memorable encounters with Rick Barnes, Kevin Durant, and T.J. Ford. He discusses evaluating prospects like Dillon Mitchell during a Texas vs. Gonzaga game and highlights the importance of building relationships and learning from experienced basketball professionals.
Transcript from The Matt Babcock Show: Hook 'em Horns, Dec 14, 2022
Matt Babcock: "As a scout, travel is essential to my job. I'm constantly packing and unpacking my bag, hopping on and off planes, and staying at different hotels and new cities each night. And of course, I watch a lot of basketball.
"There are always two ways of looking at situations. Is the glass half empty or half full? Well, I'm a glass half-full kind of guy, and I embrace my travels and the grind.
"The motivations behind my trips are usually intended to gather new information on players. And at this stage of my life and career, my travels often allow me to reminisce on old memories. Still, they also allow me to experience new things.
"A lot of the time, I'm able to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too. During one of my recent stops, I was able to do all of those things. I'd like to tell you about my recent trip to Austin, Texas.
"I'm Matt Babcock, and this is The Matt Babcock Show.
"So the plane's wheels touched down, and again, I found myself in a familiar place. This time, I was in Austin, Texas, one of my favorite places to visit. Over the years, I've made many friends in Austin and have done lots of business there.
"So naturally, I have a lot of memories. I made my first trip to Austin in 2006, and it was memorable. It was my first year out of college, and I was pursuing entry-level coaching jobs with professional teams.
"I ultimately accepted a job as a developmental coach for the EuroLeague team Virtus Bologna in Bologna, Italy. However, before I got that job, I struggled to find anything. There were times I wanted to pull my hair out, and I did have hair back then, by the way.
"Anyway, to kill time and gain some experience while I was on the job hunt, I tagged along with my dad quite a bit. So, on one occasion, I joined my dad on a scouting trip to Austin to watch the Texas players in some preseason workouts. My dad and Rick Barnes, the head coach for the Longhorns at the time, are friends.
"They had known each other for a while but became closer while my dad scouted and researched former Longhorn, T.J. Ford. And the Milwaukee Bucks, my dad's team drafted T.J. with the eighth pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. And although T.J. was probably not even six feet tall, he was one of the speediest players I've ever seen.
"He was a terrific playmaker and just a great player overall. T.J. led the Longhorns to a Final Four appearance in his sophomore season. And he also earned the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, among other prestigious awards and honors.
"T.J. had a solid NBA career. However, a series of career-threatening neck injuries really messed him up and held him back. Regardless, when I think of Texas basketball, the first person I think of is T.J. Ford.
"He's a legend. So back to my trip to Austin. Before my dad and I got to town, Coach Barnes asked that we come to his office at the Frank Erwin Center to catch up with him and some of his staff before practice.
"So that's what we did. Rick Barnes had one of college basketball's biggest names, and he still does, as he's currently the head coach at Tennessee. Anyway, at that point, I had watched Coach Barnes on TV many times before, but I had never met him.
"So when we got to his office, I thought meeting and being around him was pretty cool. One thing I found interesting about Coach Barnes was that although he's a no-nonsense and intense leader as a coach, he's a total jokester behind closed doors. And I've learned over time that he can quickly flip the switch.
"Once it's practice or game time, it's on, and he's the general. However, away from the court, you always have to be on your toes when you're around Coach Barnes because he's quick to give you a hard time or pull a prank, and he has the best stories. I remember him retelling jokes President George Bush had told him while they were golfing.
"And I can't share the details of the joke because my kids listen to the show, but it was funny. And then I remember him teasing one of his assistant coaches, Chris Ogden, better known as Oggy, who had played for him at Texas before joining his coaching staff. Barnes joked that Oggy was the only player he coached who had ever gotten into trouble.
"While in college, Oggy apparently lost the bet and had to do something silly in public. I forget the exact story. It wasn't anything serious as he was just teasing him, but that should give you an idea of the typical vibe with Coach Barnes.
"As long as you're away from the court or the film room, Coach Barnes is hilarious. He's a great guy and has become one of my dad's closest friends in basketball, which is saying a lot because it feels like my dad is friends with everyone. So between his jokes and stories that day, Coach Barnes told us that we were in for a real treat because he had a freshman who would blow us away with his talent.
"So naturally we became excited to see the workout. We all walked over to the practice facility at the Frank Erwin Center. Coach Barnes set up two chairs at center court for my dad and me.
"Then he pointed across the gym to a player doing shooting drills and said, 'That's him.' So my dad and I began watching and evaluating the player. Shortly after we looked at each other, clearly thinking the same thing.
"'This guy is unbelievable.' It was easy to see why Barnes was so excited about this new freshman. The player was 6'10 or so, had incredibly long arms, and despite being extremely thin, he moved so fluidly, handled the ball well, and could shoot the ball with such ease and range, on the move and off the dribble.
"He was also laser-focused. It was clear that this young player was locked in. That player went on to be pretty good.
"His name is Kevin Durant. After the workout, Coach Barnes took us to dinner with some of his staff. We sat on the patio at a place named Moonshine Grill.
"I'll never forget what I ordered, because I've gotten that same dish nearly every time I've gone to Austin since then. I ordered the blackened catfish, covered in crawfish with grits on the side. My mouth is watering even thinking about it.
"It's one of my favorite dishes anywhere. I honestly can't tell you how many times I've gone to Moonshine to get the catfish since that first trip. And I have many go-to restaurants in Austin now, but Moonshine is my main spot.
"Well, anyway, we had a great dinner on my first night there. After dinner, Oggie asked if I wanted to check out Austin. So we hit the town a little bit.
"As I mentioned before, Oggie played at Texas for Barnes and he was just a little older than me, but we were both still young. So we had a fun night, which is easy to do in Austin. That was my first night out with Oggie and my first time in Austin, but it certainly wasn't my last of doing either.
"I've had a lot of great times in Austin since then. It's always been a fun place to visit. There's great food and it feels like there's live music everywhere and the people are friendly.
"I've always found Austin to be eclectic, unique and charming. After my first trip there, I visited Austin several more times over the next few years. I got to know Barnes and his staff much better.
"They became my friends. So when my dad set up my cousin Chris with Barnes to possibly join his staff as a grad assistant, I offered to fly down with him to introduce him to everyone, show him around town, and help him figure out if it was a good fit. Well, they took me up on my offer.
"Chris and I were both in our early 20s. And although I worked for a sports agency as a junior agent, I wasn't making much money yet. And Chris was just fresh out of college.
"So we asked my dad if he had any Marriott points to spare so we didn't have to pay for a hotel room. Typical, right? So my dad set us up at a modest hotel about 10 to 15 minutes away from the campus.
"Nothing fancy by any means. And we had a great trip. Chris seemed to love everything about Austin and the Texas program.
"And Barnes agreed to have him as a grad assistant, which he did for several years. Subsequently, Chris became a part of the Longhorn family. So before my most recent trip, I looked to book a hotel room.
"I usually stay at the JW Marriott or Courtyard, which are downtown. But for whatever reason, the prices were abnormally high this time around. I mean like astronomically high compared to usual.
"I'm no longer a struggling kid out of college. However, I'm not spending seven or $800 per night on a hotel for a scouting trip. I'm just not doing it.
"That's ridiculous. So I stayed at a different Marriott property that was cheaper. So when I arrived at the airport in Austin, I had a Lyft drop me off at my hotel.
"When we pulled up, it dawned on me that I was staying at the same hotel that Chris and I had stayed at years ago, which was a total coincidence. So I called him immediately and I joked that I wish I could say that I'd come a long way, but here I was back at that crappy hotel after all those years. We shared a good laugh.
"I've been to Austin many times over the years, but it had been a couple of years since the last time I visited and boy, have things changed. I had heard about Austin growing with the tech boom and all that, but wow, it's become huge and the traffic is insane. It has become a big city.
"And although it has changed, I still think the city has a lot of the same appeal that it always did. I still love it. Another significant change in Austin is that the basketball team has a new home.
"I had been to the Frank Erwin Center countless times. So I must admit, walking into the brand new Moody Center felt a little strange. So I picked up my media credential and went to the court to watch the teams warm up.
"As I stepped into the arena, I could already see and feel extreme intensity and excitement. This was a huge game for the Longhorns as they hosted All-American Drew Timme and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The building was rocking.
"As I walked onto the court, the first person I saw was T.J. Ford, who as I mentioned is a Longhorn legend and still attends a lot of their games. Although T.J. and I talk on the phone occasionally, I don't see him in person often, so it was great to see him, especially there in Austin. Then I saw other people I knew.
"I ran into one of my former AAU coaches, Etop Udo-Ema, who runs the Compton Magic, a top AAU program out of L.A. Etop and I go way back. I played for his teams in some tournaments when I was a player.
"Over time, Etop has turned himself and his program into powerhouses. I could list so many great players that have come through his program, but most notably, Evan Mobley and Onyeka Okongwu have been recent lottery picks from the Magic program. Oh, and he's got a young phenom coming up, Koa Peat, who's in the class of 2025.
"I think he's next. Well, Etop was in town to see his former player, Timmy Allen, who's one of the Longhorns' top players this year. Etop and I had talked on the phone beforehand, so he knew I was coming.
"He brought me a Compton Magic shirt. I got to support my boys. Thanks, Etop.
"Then I saw my friend and mentor, Fran Fraschilla, who called the game that night for ESPN. I've known Coach Fraschilla for a long time to say hello, but he and I have become close in the last few years. I love picking his brain.
"He has so much experience as a coach and media member. And of course, he was ESPN's top analyst for the NBA Draft for years. When Coach Fraschilla speaks, I listen.
"So it was great to catch up with him and briefly talk about NBA prospects, as we always do. So while I was saying hello to everyone, I kept an eye on the team's warmups. It's a starting point for evaluating a game after all.
"There were several prospects for me to evaluate that night. But the main prospect I was in town to see was a player I know personally, Texas freshman Dillon Mitchell, who is currently a projected lottery pick. A couple of years ago, I evaluated Dillon at an AAU event in Indianapolis.
"Although he wasn't rated all that high, I was blown away. I saw that for a player that's 6'8, he was incredibly athletic, had a great motor, and showed some versatility. But most impressively, on the defensive end, he locked up Emoni Bates, the number one rated player in the country.
"I was introduced to Dillon's mom, Jen, at that tournament. Since then, Jen introduced me to Dillon, and I've kept in touch with both of them. And I've given them some feedback about Dillon's game, made suggestions about his approach and development, and provided some general advice about recruiting, becoming a pro, and things like that.
"They're good people. And it's been great to see Dillon rise up the ranks and get such widespread attention. All right, back to the game.
"It was finally time to tip off. So I took my seat. The environment was incredible.
"The Texas fan base was absolutely nuts and the game ops were awesome. Actor Matthew McConaughey was all over the big screen during timeouts. Supposedly he was heavily involved with the new arena being built and they did a great job.
"The entire experience was exciting. Gonzaga didn't stand a chance that night with Texas having home court advantage. Longhorn point guard Tyrese Hunter was terrific, leading all scores with 26 points.
"Texas won the game going away with a final score of 93 to 73. From a scouting standpoint, I focused on Dillon pretty closely. As I mentioned, I know Dillon personally and I'm very familiar with his game too.
"When I first started evaluating him while he played for the AAU team, Each 1 Teach 1 out of Florida, I saw all the things people are discussing today regarding Dillon. He's as bouncy as it gets, defends everyone, and has a motor that doesn't stop. And I would agree that these are his most valuable attributes.
"However, I think he has more in his bag than what he has shown recently. I've seen Dillon initiate the break, go coast to coast and do some interesting things off the dribble. Initially, I thought Dillon was more of a versatile wing with great size rather than an undersized four, but his current role doesn't allow him to do much with the ball in his hands.
"It seems that he's been asked to essentially be a roaming positionless player on the offensive end. He often floats around in the dunker spot, waiting for dump-offs, lobs, or offensive rebounds. And he's certainly good at those things.
"I find it interesting to see that he's used almost exactly the same way at Texas this season as at Montverde Prep last season. And I'm not necessarily suggesting he's being misused. The point I'm trying to make is that from a scouting standpoint, I think Dillon's current role might be misleading some scouts.
"I suspect he might possess more offensive upside than one might think. So I know Dillon, I like him and I'm rooting for him. But I'm still juggling all of these variables and trying to figure him out too, just like all the other scouts.
"So we'll see how it goes, but I do think he's on the up and up. Once the buzzer sounded and as the fans celebrated, a song came on. Suddenly, everyone dropped everything, lifting their hands and gesturing by extending the index and pinky fingers while grasping their second and third fingers with their thumbs.
"Of course, anyone that's been to Texas knows that the song was 'The Eyes of Texas' and that they were throwing up their hook 'em horns. It's one of my favorite traditions in college sports. It's pretty dang cool.
"So as I made my way out of the arena, I bumped into a couple of my old clients from when I was a sports agent. First, former Longhorn player, Connor Lammert. It was great to see him.
"And I also met his girlfriend, Kaci. And actually, I just saw on Instagram that they just got engaged. So congrats to you both.
"I also met up with another former client of mine, Alexi Wangmene, another former Longhorn player. Lex has a fascinating story. Originally from Cameroon, Africa, he crossed paths with longtime Spurs front office executive, R.C. Buford at a camp there.
"To make a long story short, R.C. and his wife Beth ultimately adopted Lex. When he finished playing at Texas, I helped him get his professional career started overseas. Lex wound up playing overseas for a handful of years in several countries, including Slovenia, Poland, and Belgium.
"So bumping into those two guys was the perfect way to wrap up my quick stop in Austin. I wasn't even there for 24 hours, but I covered a lot of ground. I saw some old friends, met some new ones, watched some hoops, and did plenty of reminiscing.
"I may have never lived in Austin, gone to school, or worked there. However, as I boarded my flight, I felt like I had just wrapped up a trip back to my old home, a homecoming if you will. So with that said, until next time, hook 'em horns.
"I'm Matt Babcock, and this is The Matt Babcock Show."
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