The Longhorns are playing on the road this week, with trips to Oxford, Mississippi, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana in what amounts to a pair of critical SEC games. Texas started the first leg in Oxford, where things began well for Rodney Terry and his team. The ‘Horns jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first half, but that lead dwindled to just four at halftime. Texas was a six-and-a-half-point underdog entering the contest, so any lead at the half was a positive for the Longhorns.
Unfortunately, Texas came close but could not muster enough in the second half to win their third straight-ranked game. This game was there for the taking, as the Longhorns were within one point of Ole Miss with under a minute remaining. Should Texas miss the NCAA Tournament this year, this will be a loss that many will go back to. There are positives to take away from the loss and things to build on for Rodney Terry’s bunch.
Devon Pryor Needs More Minutes
The 6’7 sophomore forward has started to see his first meaningful action at Texas in the last couple of games. Pryor graduated high school a year early, and the light is coming on in year two. Most of Pryor’s 16 minutes came in the first half, but he was impactful in his limited minutes. He finished with six points and five rebounds, along with one block. The length Pryor provides helps on both ends and offensively, the ball seemed to move better with him on the floor. Ball movement is key in terms of getting everyone cleaner looks on offense.
Too Many Sloppy Turnovers
While the assist-to-turnover ratio has improved dramatically in the last few games, turnovers are still an issue for the Longhorns. In a three-point loss to the Rebels, Texas had 11 turnovers, which led to 13 Ole Miss points. With fewer turnovers, Texas easily wins this basketball game. Going with a 4-guard lineup along with Arthur Kaluma, instead of Kadin Shedrick alongside Kaluma, may help. Someone else who can handle the ball may help reduce the turnover issues.
A Second Scorer Must Emerge
Freshman sensation Tre Johnson continued his strong season against Ole Miss with 22 points including 8-8 from the free throw line. Johnson has been the offensive hub of the Texas offense all season. The Longhorns desperately need a second scorer to emerge consistently. Many thought Jordan Pope could be that player after he averaged over 17 points a game at Oregon State last year. He just hasn’t been there consistently for Texas and last night he shot 3-14 from the field which, will not get it done. Arthur Kaluma is starting to become a scoring presence, having scored double-digits in his last three games. Kaluma missed the Texas A&M game with a knee injury and still appears to be battling it despite playing against Ole Miss. If Kaluma cannot be out there consistently, Pope needs to find a way to be more efficient from the floor.
Texas Rebounding Finally Showed Up
After being outrebounded by 16 against Texas A&M, Texas outrebounded Ole Miss by 9. If the Longhorns can find a way to stay close to neutral on the glass, it will help them tremendously. Too frequently this year the Longhorns have lost second-chance points to opponents by a significant margin. With Kaluma out against Texas A&M, the rebounding differential was skewed in a negative way for Texas. Keeping Kaluma healthy is a must for the Longhorns as he is a big contributor on offense and their leading rebounder.
