AUSTIN, TX – Heading into the season opener, expectations had been sky-high for the Longhorns thanks to a plethora of returning talent. In addition, the team was able to land five-star athlete, Greg Brown, from Vandegrift High School. With this in mind, the Longhorns started off their season on the right foot with a 91-55 win against UT Rio Grande Valley at the Frank Erwin Center.
Texas’s athleticism was on full display early, and will be the team’s calling card this season. Sophomore forward Kai Jones provided the team with energy and above-the-rim action in the first half, having scored seven points in the game’s opening ten minutes. Prior to the season, coach Shaka Smart had stated that Jones “has taken the biggest jump from last year in terms of his confidence”. By the end of the first half, the Longhorns held a 49-25 lead over the Vaqueros.
Furthermore, freshman forward Greg Brown was exuding confidence for the Longhorns but was off to a slow start from the field. Despite this, Brown was able to catch his first collegiate body on a poster dunk in the opening minute of the second half.
Looking at Texas’s backcourt, guards Matt Coleman III and Courtney Ramey provided a dominant one-two punch and combined for 37 points. Furthermore, both guards looked to be in mid-season form from deep, shooting a combined 4-9 from beyond the arc. Also, Coleman and Ramey were facilitating much of Texas’s offense, often finding teammates below the rim for easy buckets.
In addition to the expected contributors, junior forward Gerald Liddell provided a spark off of the bench with ten first half points. Liddell’s perimeter shooting will be something to watch throughout the season, as the Longhorns need floor spacers to free up the paint for their big men.
And One:
Overall, Shaka Smart and the Longhorns looked decent in game number one. This season, the Big 12 Conference is absolutely loaded. As a result, it will be important for Smart to figure out his player rotations before the start of conference play. However, Texas’s win against UT Rio Grande Valley provided the team with some much needed game action, after nearly eight months since their last game.
Key Performers:
G – Courtney Ramey: 20 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block.
G – Matt Coleman III: 17 points, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
F – Kai Jones: 14 points, 8 rebounds and 1 steal.
F – Greg Brown III: 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Notes:
Redshirt junior guard Andrew Jones was withheld from the game as a precaution, as he had a cough.
Next Game:
#19 Texas vs Davidson: 11 A.M. (CT) on Monday, November 30. Asheville, NC (2020 Camping World Maui Invitational). ESPN2.
