The Texas Longhorns won their season opener over the North Dakota State Bison 85-50. Let’s take a closer look at the intricacies of the game:
First Half
– Myles Turner did not need an adjustment period to college basketball. His first 3 shots went in and he led the team in points at the half with 11 points.
– Biggest surprise? Javan Felix.Yes, he had a missed 3 point shot but he had no fear shooting the ball and the missed 3 point shot was a good shot.
– Jonathan Holmes went 3-3 with 8 points in only 6 minutes of action. Talk about efficiency.
– Isaiah Taylor did not have a great first half shooting the ball (1-6 from the floor).
Second Half:
– Connor Lammert can still hit that three point shot. Great to have that coming off the bench.
– Texas was able to get North Dakota State in foul trouble by driving to the basket every chance they got. That’s a good thing.
– Myles Turner picked up his 3rd foul with 12:30 to go in the game on an offensive foul. He need to learn when to lay off.
– Isaiah Taylor had a much better 2nd half. 16 points and Taylor handled the ball very well. That’s what you want to see.
– The free throw shooting was so much better than last season.
– Myles Turner went 20 minutes and had 15 points. Very good debut.
– Myles Turner actually sang “The Eyes of Texas” which many other players were not singing.
Overall thoughts
Myles Turner is the big storyline. I did not think that anyone can overshadow Cam Ridley, but Myles Turner did.
Jonathan Holmes and Isaiah Taylor did what was expected from them. Everyone contributed in some form during the game – 5 players had 9 points or more. The Longhorns also shot 32% from 3 point range.
Biggest stat: 85.7%. That was the free throw percentage for the Texas Longhorns tonight. No matter what opponent you play, that’s a statistic you can control.
Biggest Takeaway: Depth. While Myles Turner was the focus on the floor, Texas had Jordan Barnett and Connor Lammert contribute as well. Although they did not score many points, they were not liabilities on the floor. That’s what the Longhorns need if they want to get to the Final 4.
Looking Ahead: Alcorn State is next. I don’t expect the Braves to be much of a challenge. There are ways the Longhorns can improve – turnovers and fouls were a concern from this game. In the first game of the season you’d rather those mistakes be made now instead of against Kentucky. A very good win for the Longhorns.
