By Thayer Evans
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, March 17, 2005; Page D08

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The christening of Daniel Gibson as a rising star came more than four years ago in a scene not soon to be forgotten in Houston basketball lore.

Then a baby-faced freshman at Houston's Jesse H. Jones High School, Gibson found himself pitted against future NBA player T.J. Ford and a Willowridge High School team that also included Daniel Ewing and Kenny Taylor, now seniors at Duke and Texas, respectively. But Gibson had no time for star-gazing.

"My team was like, 'Go at him,' " he said, "so I did."

In that instant, the Houston hoops scene came to a virtual standstill.

Daniel "had T.J. isolated at the top of the key," Taylor recalls. "He crossed him over and scored the ball. T.J. was just kind of smiling."

The slick moves of the youngster instantly drew the approval of the crowd, which saw Gibson score 25 points during his team's losing effort.

"He was the only one who wasn't intimated," Taylor said. "He was poised and such a smooth player. You just kind of knew from that point that he was destined for good things."

This year, Gibson, now a freshman point guard at Texas, has again been a savior, this time for a Longhorns team playing the past two months with just eight scholarship players.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder is averaging team highs of 14.4 points, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Thursday, Gibson and No. 8 seed Texas (20-10) meet ninth-seeded Nevada (24-6) in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Indianapolis, where they hope to take the first step toward advancing to the round of 16 for a fourth straight year.

"There're a few good [freshmen] out there," Missouri Coach Quin Snyder said, "but I haven't seen any better than him."

The Longhorns opened the season 14-3 and were ranked as high as No. 10 in the polls, but starting freshman forward LaMarcus Aldridge suffered a season-ending hip injury Jan. 15 and leading scorer and rebounder P.J. Tucker was declared academically ineligible five days later.

And just like that, 17 games into his collegiate career, Gibson became his team's featured player.

"It's been a real roller-coaster," said Gibson, whose father, Byron, played basketball at the University of Houston from 1976 to '80, "something I don't think anyone expected."

In his amplified role, Gibson has dealt with highs -- making two free throws in the final seconds of a 74-73 upset at Oklahoma State on March 5 -- and lows -- eight turnovers in an 88-79 loss at Colorado early last month.

"With all that happened this season, you've got to be pleased with what Daniel Gibson has done and the way he's handled everything," Texas Coach Rick Barnes said. "He had to be the point man on a team that's changed so much, from start to finish. We went through a period there where [the starting rotation] changed from day to day. He was the guy who had to try to direct the whole thing."

Gibson entered this season expecting to contribute, but not necessarily to lead.

"I didn't expect none of it," he said. "Coach [Barnes] kind of told me at the beginning of the year that he was going to give me the ball and that I had the opportunity to do a lot of big things. It was just going to be what I did and how I took it as to what I achieved. I just went out there and played as hard as I could every game."

Texas A&M Coach Billy Gillispie, however, predicted the collegiate success of Gibson from the moment he saw him play as early as his freshman year in high school. Then an assistant coach at Illinois, Gillispie marveled at the court presence of the youngster.

"I've seen all the Texas players for the last 25 years and I thought he was one of the three or four best guards that I've ever seen in that state," said Gillispie, a Texas native. "I'm talking about guys like Rob Williams and T.J. Ford. I thought he was right there with those kind of guys."

One NBA Eastern Conference scout, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, projects Gibson as a first-round pick, but also believes that Gibson should return for a sophomore season in Austin.

"I like Daniel Gibson, but I want to see some more," the scout said. "He's an NBA player. I just don't know if it's the right time for him to decide and come into the NBA. It's all about timing. . . . But remember, it only takes one team to like you" to go in the lottery.

Gibson, who has said, "I know I'm going to be back" next season, admits the allure of the NBA would be difficult to ignore under that scenario.

"It's something you'd really have to think about," he said. "Basically [for] every kid that plays basketball, that's their dream -- to play in the NBA. When you actually have the opportunity and . . . if you're lottery and that door is open for you, I'm pretty sure you should take it if that was the situation."