Preview: Texas Basketball versus South Carolina

The Longhorns hit the road this week in what amounts to another must-win game for Rodney Terry and company is they intend to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. They head to South Carolina to face the Gamecocks, the only winless team in Southeastern Conference play. In short, losing this game would be unacceptable and problematic for Texas. South Carolina will beat somebody in the conference this year, and the Longhorns need to make certain it is not them. Like South Carolina, Texas is coming off of a bye as well, having not played since defeating No. 15 Kentucky last weekend in Austin.

Can Tre Johnson Continue His Phenomenal Freshman Season?

Tre Johnson has had the best freshman season in Austin since Kevin Durant’s 2006 campaign. He has been phenomenal on the court this season and is one of the bright spots on the hardwood for Rodney Terry this year. Johnson has consistently shown up in the biggest moments, with the latest example being against Kentucky. The Longhorns were riding a three-game losing streak and facing a must-win game when Johnson delivered 32 points while grabbing nine rebounds. Johnson can only take Texas so far individually, but he will show up when it matters. Will anyone else join him?

Will South Carolina Be Able to Keep Up With Texas

South Carolina is one of the only teams in the SEC consistently not scoring in the seventies and eighties. In conference play, the only time they eclipsed 70 points was in a 76-72 loss to Texas A&M. If the Gamecocks cannot reach the 70-point mark, Texas should have no issue leaving Columbia with a win. The Longhorns have only failed to score more than 68 points three times in conference play and have scored 80 or more points four times in conference games.

Tramon Mark’s Scoring Ability is a Must

Transfer guard Tramon Mark has had a very up-and-down season thus far and the last four games showcase that perfectly. Against LSU, Mark had 18 points only to follow that up with no points against Arkansas and just 6 points against Alabama. Mark had his best game of the year against Kentucky where he scored 26 points. He showed he can be the Robin to Tre Johnson’s Batman, but he must do it consistently. If Texas wants to go anywhere in the postseason, Mark will be the biggest x factor.

Forward Arthur Kaluma has been in and out of the lineup the last few games with a knee injury. Regardless if he’s able to play, he’s clearly not 100%. Kaluma has been the second-best scorer at times but with his questionable availability, someone else needs to help lessen Tre Johnson’s load on offense. If Mark is unable to bring that scoring punch consistently it will be hard for Texas to go far in the postseason.