I am an NIT blogger. It pains me to write this preview. But Shaka Smart needs to do what Shaka Smart needs to do if he’s going to get a contract extension, I’m going to get a press pass, he and I are going to become buddies when I ask insightful questions at press conferences and appropriately cheeky ones when the situation is apt, and I’m going to ride his coattails to this blog becoming prominent enough to be a fulltime source of income.
Here we go.
The Game
Texas vs. Abilene Christian
The Time
8:50 PM Texas Time
The Television
truTV (you cannot make this stuff up, ugh, the NIT would never)
The Opponent
Abilene Christian. Texas Tech Lite.
What Texas Needs to Do
Win. If Texas loses this game, this whole season’s been for naught. Could’ve been defending the NIT title.
On the Court
The scarier version than calling Abilene Christian Texas Tech Lite is to say that Abilene Christian is Texas Tech but with the ability to shoot threes.
In reality, there’s a lot Abilene Christian does worse than Tech. After all, they aren’t Tech. They don’t protect the ball well. They don’t get to the free throw line. They force more turnovers rate-wise, but that came against the Southland, and they actually foul more often than the Red Raiders, which is saying something.
Texas needs to keep its bigs on the floor. Royce Hamm might have to play some minutes. Brock Cunningham might have to take some shifts defending in the post. And at the other end, Texas needs to keep a calm head, move the ball, and make the free throws Abilene Christian gives them. Go at Kolton Kohl. Get Kolton Kohl to foul you. Kolton Kohl is pretty good at not fouling, but again, he’s been playing the Southland, not Jericho Sims and Kai Jones.
Also, ACU has a guy named Reggie Miller, and yes, he can shoot. Drives more, but can shoot. So be prepared for that psychologically.
