Good Saturday evening to ya. Hope all is well.
Big one tonight as No. 18 Tennessee (14-5) is in Austin to take on Texas (15-5) in Rick Barnes' return. Should be a cool scene.
Anyways, here's my notes on a Texas team that I think mirrors Tennessee:
Projected Texas (15-5) starting lineup:
Key Texas bench players:
Texas’ offensive strengths: — 33rd in adjusted offensive efficiency (112.0)
Texas’ offensive weaknesses:
Texas’ defensive strengths: — 13th in defensive efficiency (89.8)
Texas’ defensive weaknesses:
Refs for tonight's game:
TV Crew (ESPN):
Big one tonight as No. 18 Tennessee (14-5) is in Austin to take on Texas (15-5) in Rick Barnes' return. Should be a cool scene.
Anyways, here's my notes on a Texas team that I think mirrors Tennessee:
- Tennessee's all-time series with Texas dates back to 1952 and is tied, 3-3
- The Vols won the lone meeting in Austin back in 2005, upsetting the sixth-ranked Longhorns, 95-78
- Texas won the most recent meeting 97-78, a matchup of top-15 teams in Newark, New Jersey in 2007
- Rick Barnes’ return:
- All-time winningest coach in Texas’ program history — 402-180 (.691) in 17 seasons (1998-2015)
- Led Texas to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances and three Big 12 regular-season titles.
Projected Texas (15-5) starting lineup:
- PG, Marcus Carr, Sr. — veteran PG
- Played at Minnesota and Pittsburgh before transferring to Texas
- leads the team in assists (3.4) and minutes (29.6) — ranks 2nd in scoring (11.0)
- 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio (67-42).
- G, Courtney Ramey, Sr. — 3-point shooter
- ranks 3rd on the team in minutes (27.9) and 4th in scoring (9.4) and assists (32)
- Shooting 36.3% from three this year and 36.9% for his career
- has scored 1,141 points in 114 career games (10.0 ppg)
- ranks 3rd on the team in minutes (27.9) and 4th in scoring (9.4) and assists (32)
- F, Timmy Allen, Sr. — best player
- Played at Utah before transferring to Texas
- leads the team in scoring (11.9 ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg) and steals (26)
- ranks second in assists (45) and minutes (28.4 mpg)
- F, Christian Bishop, Sr. — 6-foot-7
- Spent 4 seasons at Creighton before transferring to Texas
- Has shot 63.6% from the field over his career — has reached double figures in scoring 43 times
- This year, 2nd on the team in rebounding (4.8), 3rd in blocks (10) and 6th in scoring (6.0)
- Shooting 57.9% from the field and 76.9% from the free throw line
- Spent 4 seasons at Creighton before transferring to Texas
- F, Tre Mitchell, Jr. — 6-foot-9
- transferred from UMass to Texas
- 2nd on the team in blocks (13), 4th in rebounding (4.3) and 5th in scoring (9.2) in 19.2 minutes
- Shooting 49.2% from the floor and 77.5% from the free throw line
- 2nd on the team in blocks (13), 4th in rebounding (4.3) and 5th in scoring (9.2) in 19.2 minutes
- transferred from UMass to Texas
Key Texas bench players:
- G, Andrew Jones, R-Sr. — top player off bench
- is in his 6th season at Texas — was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2018
- underwent successful treatment and re-joined the team in 2018-19 season and played in 2 games, as he continued his treatments throughout the year.
- completed his final treatment in September 2019
- was granted a medical redshirt for both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons
- has played in 121 career games (79 starts) — 1,443 points (11.9 ppg)
- reached double figures in scoring 76 times and reached the 20-point mark 12 times
- This year, 2nd on team in steals (25), 3rd in scoring (10.1) and assists (34), 4th in minutes (24.9)
- 1.55 assist-to-turnover ratio (34-22) — shooting 84.6% from the free throw line
- is in his 6th season at Texas — was diagnosed with leukemia in January 2018
- PG, Devis Askew, So. — Kentucky transfer
- consensus No. 1 PG in class of 2021 and reclassified to 2020 — spent 1 year at Kentucky
- This year,3 starts in 20 games: 4th on team in steals (19), 5th in assists (30) in 15.4 minutes
- has a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio (30 assists, 12 turnovers)
- Averaging 2.1 points in 15.4 minutes
- F, Dylan Disu, Jr. — Vanderbilt transfer
- missed final 8 games at Vandy last year & first 8 games this year due to left knee injury (bone fracture
- In 12 games this year, leads the team in blocks (17) and ranks 3rd in rebounding (4.6)
- 5.8 points in 14.1 minutes
- G, Jase Febres, COVID-Sr. — 3-point shooter
- Decided to return for his super senior season — 121 career games (68 starts)
- has reached double figures scoring 32 times in his career, including four 20-point efforts
- 35.9% shooter from three during his career
- has reached double figures scoring 32 times in his career, including four 20-point efforts
- Has played in 17 of 20 games this year (6 starts) — 3.6 points in 13.9 minutes
- Decided to return for his super senior season — 121 career games (68 starts)
- F, Brock Cunningham, R-Jr.
- averaging 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game
- G, Tristen Licon, R-Sr.
- 113 career games (65 starts) over the last 5 seasons at Sul Ross State (D3 school in Alpine, Texas)
- Averaging 1.4 points in 4.3 minutes
- Texas is 12-1 in home games this year. Tennessee is 2-3 on the road.
- Texas is 15th in KenPom entering the game — KenProm projects a 64-61 Texas win
- Gives Tennessee a 39% change of winning
- Texas is 4-point favorites
- 181st in height (76.9”)
- 128th in strength of schedule
- 144th in bench minutes (33.3%)
- 9 players average at least 13.9 minutes
- 267th in minutes continuity (35.3%)
- 16th-oldest team in college basketball (2.64 years)
- 7 Longhorns were at least 22 years old at the start of the season
- 7 different players have led the team in scoring
- 10 players have reached double figures in scoring in a game this season
Texas’ offensive strengths: — 33rd in adjusted offensive efficiency (112.0)
- 24th in free throw% (77.2)
- leads the Big 12 and ranks 19th nationally in FT% (77.2)
- last time Texas shot at least 75% from the line was 1977-78
- 18.5% of points come off free throws (137th)
- leads the Big 12 and ranks 19th nationally in FT% (77.2)
- 37th in offensive rebound% (33.4)
- 56th in A/FGM (56.6)
- 106th in effective FG% (112.0)
- 69th in 2P% (53.0)
- In midst of best shooting season since 2009-10 (45.7%)
- 52.8% of points come on two’s (124th)
- 69th in 2P% (53.0)
- 104th in steal% (8.7)
- 122nd in block% (8.4)
- 135th in turnover% (18.2)
- averaged just 11.6 turnovers per game through first 20 games — ranks 2nd in Big 12 in fewest turnovers per game
Texas’ offensive weaknesses:
- 163rd in FTA/FGA (30.4)
- 190th in non-steal TO% (9.5)
- 199th in 3P% (33.1)
- 28.7% of points come off three’s (246th)
- 212th in 3PA/FGA (36.7)
- 302nd in average possession length (18.5)
- 347th in adjusted tempo (62.0)
Texas’ defensive strengths: — 13th in defensive efficiency (89.8)
- Texas is 15-0 this year when holding its opponent below 60 points
- lead the nation in scoring defense (54.7 ppg allowed)
- held TCU to 50 points on 36% FG shooting, including 2/16 from 3 on Tuesday
- Has allowed just 95 assists while forcing 242 turnovers this year
- 7th in turnover% (25.3)
- Texas leads the Big 12 and ranks 17th nationally in turnover margin (+4.5)
- 10th in steal% (13.6)
- averaging 8.7 steals per game — have reached double digits in steals in 9 of first 20 games
- 24th in non-steal TO% (11.7)
- 27th in effective FG% (45.6)
- 1st in FT% (62.2)
- 16.7% of opponent points come off free throws (220th)
- 33rd in 2P% (45.2)
- 53.9% of opponent points come off 2’s (88th)
- 61st in 3P% (30.7)
- 29.3% of opponent points come off 3’s (250th)
- 1st in FT% (62.2)
- 106th in block% (10.3)
Texas’ defensive weaknesses:
- 167th in offensive rebound% (28.2)
- 169th in FTA/FGA (29.4)
Refs for tonight's game:
- Tony Padilla (7th-best ref per KenPom)
- Gerry Pollard (No. 15)
- Kelly Self (No. 92)
TV Crew (ESPN):
- Jon Sciambi (pxp)
- Fran Fraschilla (analyst)
- Kris Budden (reporter)
