Matt Cotcher
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submitted Today, 04:36 PM in Texas Longhorns Basketball By Matt Cotcher
FINAL SCORE: Butlet 56 – Texas 48
The 11-seeded Longhorns put up a solid fight against the No. 6 Butler Bulldogs, but the effort wasn’t enough to extend the season, losing 56-48. Several problems that plagued Texas throughout the season again reared their head, culminating in another disappointing loss.
The 2014-15 season started with a lofty ranking and even higher expectations from the fan base, but the season will be remembered by fans as a big disappointment. 14 losses from a team that started the year with Final 4 aspirations will be more than enough to fuel critics of Head Coach Rick Barnes.
The game against Butler proved nothing but a frustrating example of the majority of the season. Against Butler, Texas was hampered by ineffective offense for extended periods, and a collection of individual talents that refused to play as a team.
1st Half: Butler 26 – Texas 24
- Texas moved the ball well early, but looked nervous and rushed shots. The looks are there, but the team has to relax and let them happen.
- Isaiah Taylor can dribble penetrate at will, but the referees are watching him closely, as evidenced by an early offensive foul, and a double-dribble call. Those aren’t calls normally made on Taylor.
- In the first ten minutes of the game, 50% of Texas shots are 3-point attempts. That’s an ineffective mix and another sign of nerves.
- Jonathan Holmes didn’t score until there was only 4:52 left in the half. In the first 15 minutes, he only attempted two outside jumpers. That’s the Holmes from February. Starting at the 4:52 mark, his consecutive three pointers was the Holmes from March.
- Butler put together a five minute, 14-2 run starting around 10:00. It is imperative for the Horns to narrow the Bulldogs’ lead before halftime.
- 7 turnovers by Texas in the first fifteen minutes, and the Bulldogs capitalizing with fast break buckets.
- Back-to-back 3-pointers from Holmes ignited the offense at the end of the half. He scored eight points in four minutes and cut Butler’s lead to four points.
- Lammert & Turner are not scoring, but they are rebounding very aggressively – playing their role and finding a way to contribute.
- In the opening minute of the half, Texas took a lead on a 3-pointer by Holmes. But team defense and rebounding deserve the most credit for the 1-point advantage.
- The teams traded misses for several minutes before Roosevelt Jones went to the bench (then locker room) with an injury. Texas retook the lead with two Felix free throws at the 15:00 mark.
- Myles Turner is letting his lack of offense affect the rest of his game.
- With the offense stagnating around the 12:00 mark, Texas started forcing the ball inside and drawing fouls. Those are effective possessions even though they aren’t resulting in points.
- With 10:00 to go, Texas is in the bonus and Butler is in the double bonus. This game is going to have a long finish.
- Taylor had a reverse layup at 9:30 – he’s been surprisingly quiet offensively since those early whistles. Taylor was 1-9 from the floor when he made the layup, but that reverse layup signaled his arrival offensively. As he has throughout March, Taylor carried the team for the next eight minutes.
- Great hustle and team defense by Texas forced Butler to burn three consecutive timeouts.
- Taylor did not convert on consecutive dribble-drives, and Butler built a 7-point lead as a result of the drought. The Horns have too much talent to rely on one player to create offense down the stretch.
- A late three from Felix gave the Horns one last gasp, but Butler free throw shooting and a missed 3-pointer from Holmes effectively ended the game.
For most of the season this team played more like a collection of individuals than a cohesive unit. Whether the blame for that is on player or Rick Barnes is debatable.
The stat story
- The Horns had seven players score in the 1st half and only made 9 field goals. They also had 6 assists on those FG’s.
- Texas shot 25% from the floor in the first fifteen minutes of the 2nd half.
- Free throws: Butler shot 28 – Texas shot 12. That’s not a result of lopsided officiating.
- The Horns finished with a +13 rebound margin and held Butler to 33.3% shooting. Those two marks normally indicate a Texas win.
With the loss, the season is mercifully over. Now Steve Patterson will assess the basketball program, including head coach Rick Barnes, and make decisions about what is best for UT. The next 30 days promise to be interesting.
