by Mark Rosner AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF , Austin American-Statesman

The NCAA allows Division I schools to scrimmage with each other instead of playing exhibition games against Division II and III schools.

They are not permitted to open the scrimmages to fans or media. They cannot provide statistics. Many coaches believe they are not permitted to even discuss publicly what happened in the scrimmages.

But Davidson coach Bob McKillop was willing to provide a few general impressions of the Longhorns.

"I was very impressed with the way Damion James played," McKillop said.

McKillop said James and sophomore guard Varez Ward set a tone for the team. Ward played both guard spots - the point and off the ball.

"They both scored in a variety of ways," McKillop said. "They were tough to stop."

Longhorns coach Rick Barnes can go 14 players deep this season, said McKillop, a friend of Barnes since they were assistant coaches at Davidson in 1978-79.

Two Longhorns missed the scrimmage. Center Dexter Pittman had an ankle injury; he's expected back at practice today. Guard Jai Lucas, who transferred from Florida, becomes eligible on Dec. 15.

The team of 12 who played, "Are very good defensively," McKillop said. "They will pressure the ball, hound the ball, harass the ball and close down passing lanes."

McKillop said the Longhorn freshmen - Avery Bradley, J'Covan Brown, Jordan Hamilton and Shawn Williams - displayed talent but have a lot to learn about college basketball .

"They could cut corners in high school," McKillop said. "Rick's not letting them cut corners. You can see that they listen to him. Rick understands they have a lot to learn. He's simplified things."

Alexis Wangmene, the 6-foot-7 sophomore forward-center who missed most of last season with a knee injury, made an impact during the scrimmage.

"He has improved dramatically physically," McKillop said. "He understands his role - defending, rebounding, running the court and setting screens."

One more thing that McKillop noted: Texas, 11th best in the Big 12 in free-throw shooting last season, was accurate during the scrimmage.

The Longhorns have another scrimmage on Saturday with Gonzaga in Denver.

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