Preview: Texas

Vitals

Tip: 12:45 PM
Location: Austin, TX
TV: Big 12 Network
Online Stream: here
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network
Online radio: here
Announcers: Dave Armstrong, Reid Gettys, and Kaylee Hartung
Line: Cowboys -3.5

Records

Cowboys – 16-5 (6-3)
Longhorns – 10-12 (2-7)

Best win

Cowboys – Kansas (KenPom: #13)
Longhorns – North Carolina (KenPom: #35)

Worst loss

Cowboys – Virginia Tech (KenPom: #153)
Longhorns – Chaminade (KenPom: NR)

KenPom rank

Cowboys – #19
Longhorns – #89

Data nerds

[table id=91 /]

Adj. efficiency – Points per 100 possessions (adjusted for quality of opponent and site of game).
Adj. tempo – Possessions per game (adjusted for schedule and pace of other team).
Effective FG % – Takes into account extra value of 3s.

Three things to watch

1. Texas D – Wait, Texas has the second best EFG% defense in the country? And OSU shoots 35% on the road. Hmmmm…

2. Forte back in Texas – You know what I think the key to OSU’s offense getting going on the road is? Forte knocking down threes. He’s 5-39 (!!!) on the road so far and OSU is 1-4 away from GIA. Stepping outside the Smart/Markel miracle in Lawrence, Forte has been a big reason for the poor play. He needs to get hot early.

3. Experience (?) – Texas is the youngest team in the nation (Travis Ford can’t play the “we’re young” card after the game!!) Like, there are 347 teams in the country and Texas is No. 347 and it’s not even close. Texas averages .42 years of experience per player — OSU isn’t much better at 326th but they average 1.01 years of experience per player, more than DOUBLE Texas. Heck, Texas’ rotation guys are six freshmen and four sophomores. That’s all the guys they use!

These are the kind of guys Marcus Smart and Markel Brown can bury late. Hope Travis Ford remembers that.

Prediction

KyPort: Cowboys 65-60
KenPom: Cowboys 63-58