1. Whoa.
What a win for the Horns. I’m no expert about the tournament that is not the NIT, but…just kidding. I know everything about that tournament. Keep your enemies closer.
Anyway, it feels like as far as that tournament goes, it’s Gonzaga’s world right now, and behind them it’s Baylor’s world, and then there’s a pretty open field for the next team in line. Villanova has a claim. A few Big Tenners have a claim. Texas has a claim. Can’t ask for a whole lot more than that in a given season.
2. They closed it out.
After the Oklahoma State game, we expressed some concern about Texas not closing games out. Getting a good lead, letting the other guy stay in it, escaping at the end, but not without a little fear.
They did no such thing today. And that’s encouraging, and a good reminder (alongside the Indiana game) that this hasn’t been a universal trend.
3. Jericho Sims had a day.
We’ll get to the guards, and they’re certainly the story, but how great to see Sims play as well as he did, and specifically pull down as many boards as he pulled down. I know little about Jericho Sims, but there seems to be an idea out there that he’s a confidence guy, and that should do a lot for the ol’ confidence machine. Good for him.
4. Hope Royce Hamm’s ok.
Sims playing well was important, with Hamm absent and…
5. I’m going to miss Gerald Liddell.
You have to imagine Shaka Smart’s ok with this (or he would’ve played Liddell more?), and Texas has the depth to withstand this (Will Baker leaving didn’t cause many eyes to bat), but it’s still a bummer in that it runs that front line thinner. Liddell looked great at times. There weren’t enough minutes for him, but he looked great at times.
6. Matt Coleman continues to be the dude.
Credit to Courtney Ramey, credit to Andrew Jones (both had great days), but Coleman has just been so good. All year. He protects the ball. He’s shooting the lights out. He keeps things humming. And he seems to quote-unquote get it, with this gem after the game, per Brian Davis at the American-Statesman:
“We play everybody twice. We will see them again, and they’re going to remember this. So we’re going to have to be at a level and be at our best.”
Love this guy.
