Hoops preview: Texas at Kansas (By: Chris Flanagan)

[HornSports Staff]

submitted Today, 07:19 PM in Texas Longhorns Basketball By Chris Flanagan
 
Texas (17-11, 6-9 Big 12) at #8/9 Kansas (22-6, 11-4 Big 12)

Saturday, February 28, 2015 - 4:00PM (CST)

Allen Fieldhouse - Lawrence, Kansas

The game will be televised nationally by ESPN, and College GameDay will originate with an hour pregame show from Allen Fieldhouse.

PREDICTION
The Texas Longhorns are reeling right now. Not only are they losing every game they play against quality opponents, they are now in danger of being eliminated from the NCAA tournament.

The Longhorns can get themselves off the bubble with a win in Lawrence. However, that's easier said than done. Under Bill Self, Kansas has only lost 9 times in Allen Fieldhouse. What's even more impressive than that stat is that the Jayhawks have not lost back to back games since December 2013 and both those games were on the road.

The Longhorns won't win without a miraculous performance.

Kansas 74 - Texas 58

TEXAS – KANSAS SERIES INFO

• Kansas leads, 24-8.

• Last meeting: Kansas 75-62 (Jan. 24, 2015; Austin).

• Kansas has won seven of the last eight meetings and 10 of the last 12.

TEXAS NOTES

• Texas set a new team single-season mark for most blocked shots (207 through first 28 games) in Tuesday's loss at No. 20/19 West Virginia.

• The Horns rank 1st nationally in blocks per game and 2nd in rebound margin (+9.5).

• Sophomore guard Kendal Yancy is averaging 17.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg in 32.3 mpg over the last three contests.

• In the loss at WVU, Texas dropped its first game of the year when converting at least 50% of its field goals.

KANSAS NOTES

• Kansas, 10-time defending Big 12 regular-season champion, holds a one-game edge over West Virginia (22-6, 10-5), Iowa State (20-7, 10-5) and Oklahoma (19-8, 10-5) in the 2015 Big 12 regular-season race.

• No. 8/9 Kansas (22-6, 11-4) scores 71.8 ppg with a +7.2 scoring margin. The Jayhawks also average 38.0 rpg and have a +4.5 rebound margin.

• KU leads the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 40.2% and averages 14.1 assists, 6.5 steals and 4.8 blocked shots per game.

• Perry Ellis is the only player in the Big 12 to rank sixth or higher in scoring (sixth) and rebounding (fourth).

• Through games of Feb. 25, Kansas is No. 2 nationally in the RPI behind Kentucky and No. 1 nationally in the toughest schedule.

 

[Worster1]

I fear we are doomed... maybe being such a huge underdog in Lawrence will rally the Horns. h34r:

 

[Sirhornsalot]

This should be the fork in us, sadly. So much hope for this season . . . 

 

[streettopeschel]

I'll go out on a limb and say we have a ton of turnovers in the first half, fall behind by double digits early but then have a spirited rally in the 2nd half giving hope for a win. And then we don't.

Like every game.

 

[joeywa]

Simple, we win, we're in the NCAA tournament.

Lose and we're NIT bound, and will go into the NIT as one of the most talented and under-performing teams to go since the NCAA field was expanded to 64. 

 

[streettopeschel]

I don't think it's that cut and dried with a loss.