Texas Longhorns
Big 12 (19-14, 8-10)
Texas had a tough non-conference schedule where they picked up wins against Butler and Alabama. Their only losses came against Duke, Gonzaga and Michigan, so Coach Shaka Smart and company did relatively well to beat the teams they should beat. In the Big 12, Texas only went 8-10, but that is not too bad for the tough Big 12.
Big Wins: 1/10 TCU (99-98), 1/17 Texas Tech (67-58), 2/17 at Oklahoma (77-66)
Bad Losses: 1/13 at Oklahoma State (64-65), 2/7 Kansas State (64-67), 2/12 Baylor (73-74)
Coach: Shaka Smart
Why They Can Surprise:
Mohamed Bamba has been a dominating force in the paint. The 6-11 freshman is averaging 12.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. He will make anybody think twice about attacking the basket when Bamba is standing in the paint. Frontcourt mate Dylan Osetkowski is another good interior scorer who will be effective on the glass. Those two are often set up by the playmaking abilities of Matt Coleman and Kerwin Roach. Coleman is having a superb freshman campaign and leads the team with 4.1 assists per game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
While everybody on the team can shoot the long ball, nobody is particularly dangerous from beyond the arc. Roach has emerged as the team’s most dangerous scorer from the perimeter, but he connects on just 34.2 percent of his three-point attempts. Texas will need players like Jase Febres and Eric Davis, Jr., if deemed eligible by the NCAA, to knock down some shots in the postseason or the opposition will have an easy time collapsing in the paint and containing Bamba and Osetkowski inside.
Probable Starters:
Matt Coleman, Freshman, Guard, 9.7 ppg, 4.1 apg
Kerwin Roach, Junior, Guard, 11.9 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.7 rpg
Jase Febres, Freshman, Guard, 3.5 ppg
Dylan Osetkowski, Junior, Forward, 13.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg
Mohamed Bamba, Freshman, Forward, 12.9 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.7 bpg
Key Role Players:
Eric Davis Jr., Junior, Guard, 8.8 ppg
Jacob Young, Sophomore, Guard, 6.2 ppg
Jericho Sims, Freshman, Forward, 5.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.9 (231st in nation, 10th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.2 (71, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.9 (218, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.8 (59, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.1 (236, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.6 (329, 10)
Free-Throw Percentage: 66.6 (314, 10)
Rebound Margin: 0.0 (204, 8)
Assists Per Game: 11.5 (315, 10)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.1 (94, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2016 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Northern Iowa
2015 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Butler
2014 NCAA Round of 64 win over Arizona State
2014 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Michigan
2013 CBI First Round loss to Houston
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Cincinnati
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Oakland
2011 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Arizona
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Wake Forest
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Minnesota
2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Duke
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Austin Peay
2008 NCAA Round of 32 win over Miami
2008 NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Stanford
2008 NCAA Regional Final loss to Memphis
2007 NCAA Round of 64 win over New Mexico
2007 NCAA Round of 32 loss to USC
*all team stats through 3/4
