1. Another Win
It’s pretty nice, I’d imagine, to get to a point where some Big 12 wins feel comparably expected to those early-season games against low and mid-majors from around the state.
2. Not Close, Not Far
Texas did that thing again where they didn’t put the game away. As has been the case, it didn’t come back to bite them, and it never got that close, and they’re still riding off that demolition of Kansas so it slides (pretty normal trap game), but it’s a thing they do sometimes. Hopefully they don’t do it at all in March.
3. Jericho Sims is looking good.
It turns out Royce Hamm’s out because of Covid protocols (unclear, to me at least, whether he’s sick or contact traced, but either way, hopefully both he and Kamaka Hepa are ok). In the meantime, it hasn’t mattered. Not only has Kai Jones continued to thrive, but Sims has blossomed a bit these last two games, grabbing four offensive boards in each, yielding just three turnovers between the two, and nearly managing his second straight double-double last night. If he’s a confidence guy (and as has been said, we don’t know if he’s a confidence guy but that seems to be a narrative), this has to be good, especially heading to Morgantown on Saturday, where I’d guess—based on West Virginia’s general ethos—confidence guys have their hands (and heads) full.
4. Jase Febres warmed up.
You like to see it. Febres returning would give UT another option on the perimeter, further spreading the already-healthily-spread weight that’s balanced between Coleman/Ramey/Jones. The ramifications of a Febres return are wide: It gives Texas the option to show more four-guard looks (or even five-guard-ish if you want Greg Brown at the five) and shifts Brock Cunningham from his current status as regular contributor into something more of a wildcard role, which probably suits him more naturally at this stage in his career. When Hamm goes back, Texas still has plenty of options to go big big, in lineups with Brown at the three (it has this option without Hamm, too, but that requires either Sims or Jones to work a double shift during or after the stint). Matchup nightmares for the other guys.
You like to see it. Hook ’em.
