A bad week for the Texas basketball program got worse on Saturday afternoon, as the Longhorns were blown out on the road against lowly Iowa State, a team that entered the contest with only 3 wins in Big 12 play. Texas knew they would be without big man Jericho Sims, who will likely miss the rest of the season with a back injury. Without Sims, the Longhorns had no answer inside for the Cyclones. Royce Hamm entered the starting lineup in place of Sims and proceeded to quickly pick up 2 fouls, setting the tone for what would be a long day for Texas. Michael Jacobson and Solomon Young combined for 38 points and 18 rebounds for Iowa State, allowing the Cyclones to cruise to a 81-52 win. What little hopes the Longhorns had at making a run at the NCAA tournament are certainly evaporated, and the questions surrounding Shaka Smart’s future will only intensify in the coming weeks.
It was a dreadful afternoon for the Longhorns on the offensive end of the floor. Texas shot 29.3% from the field and 25% from deep. The lone bright spot was Courtney Ramey, who was the only Texas player to reach double figures with 21 points. Freshman Brock Cunningham and Will Baker both saw extended action with Sims’ absence and Hamm’s early foul trouble. The duo had a tough game, combining to go 1 for 11 from the field.
The first half saw Iowa State jump out to a 37-26 lead that they took into halftime. What little hope Texas had of a comeback was quickly dashed when the Cyclones began the second half with a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 20 points. The Cyclones ended the game shooting an impressive 57.1% from the field and 40% from deep, along with attempting 25 free throws.
The loss drops Texas to 4-8 in conference play and 14-11 overall. The Longhorns will return to action on Wednesday when they host TCU at the Frank Erwin Center.
