The game was completely dominated by Kansas from start to finish. Â They beat Texas in every aspect of the game. Â Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson scored at will. Â Taylor scored 22 points, while Robinson scored 25 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Â The rest of the Jayhawks did their part as well. Â Kansas shot 49% from the field and 40% from behind the arc. Â Texas on the other hand, struggled shooting the basketball again. Â Had it not been for J’Covan Brown’s 33 points, the Longhorns would have never been in the game. Â The Big 12’s leading scorer took matters into his own hands when Kansas threatened to run the Longhorns out of the gym early in the 2nd half. Â He scored 29 of his 33 points after halftime, reminiscent of the 2nd half performance he had against the Jayhawks his Freshman year in Austin. Â Clint Chapman also had a very good game. Â He scored 10 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and blocked a shot.
The Big 12 schedule ended for the Texas Longhorns with the loss in Lawrence last night. Â The loss brings Texas’ overall record to 19-12 and their Big 12 record to 9-9. Â The Longhorns are squarely on the bubble, and need to beat Iowa State on Thursday to feel good about their chance to get an at large bid on Selection Sunday. Â Before the game, Texas was 1 of ESPN analyst’s Joe Lunardi’s “Last 4 in”, meaning Lunardi believed they were in the field of 68. Â He now has Texas as one of his “First 4 out”, meaning he doesn’t believe Texas will make the tournament if it were to start today. Â One wouldn’t think a loss to the Big 12 Champions and potential #1 seed would hurt Texas that much, but apparently Lunardi thinks so. Â That isn’t good news for Texas and their fans because Lunardi is usually right. Â Good thing for Texas they have a chance to play their way into the field. Â A win over Iowa State would be a good start.
What Lies Ahead For Texas:
The Big 12 tournament is next. Â Iowa State is the Longhorns’ first opponent on Thursday. Â It’s a must win for Texas.
Keys to Success for Texas:
– Guard the 3 point line: Iowa State has shooters. Â Texas learned that the hard way in the first matchup. Â The Longhorns will need to close out strong and force those guys to put the ball on the floor
– Control the glass: Texas needs to win the rebounding matchup to have a chance to win the game. Â Iowa State will shoot a lot of 3s, which will cause a lot of long rebounds. Â That can be great for Texas if Myck Kabongo is running under those to start the break.
– Contain Royce White: Texas did a good job on him in the 2nd matchup. Â They will need to keep him from having a good game if they want to win. Â Limiting White forces Iowa State’s guards to try to create, something they aren’t very good at.
– Make shots: This one is pretty self explanatory. Â Texas is not a very good shooting team, yet they shoot a lot of long jumpshots. Â Either make them, or stop shooting them. Â Sheldon McClellan was 2-10 last night, while Myck Kabongo was 0-7. Â It’s very hard to win when 2/3 of your starting backcourt shoots 2-17.
– Believe: Texas has beaten Iowa State before. Â They need to be confident going into the game and believe that they can do it again.
Game Notes:
– J’Covan Brown scored a game high 33 points and grabbed 5 rebounds
– Clint Chapman had a solid game with 10 points and 7 rebounds
