The Longhorns are back in action. For the first time in almost two weeks, we get to see Shaka Smart’s magnificent head of hair. And we get to see it in an eerily empty Allen Fieldhouse. Wow.
The Game
Texas @ Kansas
The Time
11:00 AM Texas Time
The Television
ESPN2
The Opponent
Kansas. The Jayhawks. Lost in the NIT Championship in 1968, got bounced in the first round the next year, and have never been back since. Nothing compared to Texas when it comes to history.
What Texas Needs to Do
Winning is the goal every time this year (unlike most years, when we would want Texas to make the NIT). Shaka Smart needs that extension. Beat Big 12 big brother in Lawrence and the printers are gonna start churning.
On the Court
Seems like the biggest thing might be winning on the glass. Kansas has been doing a good share of its scoring from beyond the arc, so locking down there’s important (and that’s generally something Texas’s guards do well), but they also have an element of volume scoring where they make up for a lack of inside shooting efficiency by maximizing possessions. It probably won’t come down to this, but if I were writing for a newspaper and looking to put a good sentence in print I’d say, “This might come down to Greg Brown’s athleticism on the defensive boards and how many missed threes Brock Cunningham can track down on the other end.”
Hook ‘em.
