Super Scintillating Selections Top 30 Countdown: #10 Texas Longhorns

If you have been reading these blogs you will find two main categories I look for in a team I pick to make a run in the tournament. #1 being good guard play and #2 being experienced/proven coaches leading the team. The Longhorns had both and were looking like the top team in the country headed into the new year. They beat #2 Gonzaga by 19 points, and got the best of #7 Creighton early in the year. Then they lost their head coach, Chris Beard, after he was accused of domestic violence. I'll be honest, I thought this team would plummet after that happened. I knew they were skilled but also knew how good of a coach Chris Beard was for them and didn't know how the team would respond to losing their leader. Also,

how would they react to all the noise and drama coming from the public?

Hand up, I was wrong. Rodney Terry (Gus Fring look alike) has been great for the Longhorns, and has gotten the boys to play some great ball. But will Texas miss Chris Beard’s leadership and experience once the tournament starts?

Texas, although losers of two straight, claims a 22-8 overall record, with an 11-6 record in the Big 12. They look to end the regular season on a high note as they face the #3 Kansas Jayhawks at home on Saturday, a night Longhorn nation will be celebrating the college careers of Timmy Allen, Dylan Disu and Christian Bishop. A HUGE game for the Longhorns not only to get their swagger back, but to improve their seeding in both the Big12 and NCAA tournament.

Will the Longhorns be horns up or horns down at the end of the season? Let's get into it.

Horns Up?

1. No escape. We can start referring to these three guards as Alcatraz because there is no escaping the impact they will have on the game. Marcus Carr, Sir’Jabari Rice, and Tyrese Hunter are absolute ballers and will be very fun to watch play in the tournament. The three of them average 39 PPG, 9 APG, 4 steals per game, and all shoot over 30% from behind the arc. Weapons on both offense and defense. THREE OF THEM. Good luck to any team that has to match up against these guys.

1. Depth. Nine men play over 10 minutes per game on this squad. That is unheard of! Dylan Disu, CHristian Bishop, Brock Cunningham, and Dillion Mitchell all provide a spark off the bench for the Longhorns and that will prove to be an advantage in March. Although, having star players is essential, so is having a couple guys that come off the bench that can impact the game. Texas has both.

Horns Down?

1. Fouls. #265 in the country averaging 18.2 fouls per game. This stat leads to them giving up 14.5 free throws per game, which is #284 in the country. Texas is a tremendous basketball team, top 25 in adjusted offense and defense, but the fouling will hurt this team in the tournament. They give up almost 15 free points just because they foul and are a little undisciplined on the defensive side. No bueno.

1. Gus Fring. We all know what happened to Gus Fring in Breaking Bad. Will his look alike, Rodney Terry, be able to take the heat that comes with March Madness, or will there also be a bad ending for him? Coach Terry has proven to be able to coach and coach well, but his inexperience worries me.

My Prediction: Sweet 16

Next Game: vs. Kansas 3/4