As Texas men’s basketball returns from its victorious Alabama trip, and that enabled them to avoid starting conference play 0-3 for the second straight year, starting conference play 0-3 for the second straight year, the Longhorns must quickly get back on their feet to face the rest of their Southeastern Conference gauntlet.
Here are some of the Longhorns’ key games and the factors that could be the difference between winning and losing:
No. 10 Vanderbilt
Texas will host the undefeated Vanderbilt Commodores on Wednesday and eye another upset to bring its SEC record to 2–2.
Head coach Sean Miller’s drop coverage defensive style aided the Longhorns in forcing the Crimson Tide to make uncomfortable shots — a style of play that could be valuable against the Commodores.
However, Texas will have to be mindful of how Vanderbilt has responded to games this year. The Commodores pulled off their most recent win against LSU despite shooting 23.33% from beyond the arc.
“Our guys just had a response,” Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington said after the LSU game. “We’ve done it in different ways, different kinds of flow in the game. I really hope we keep that the entire year of always having a response for anything that comes our way.”
Texas A&M
After graduate guard Tramon Mark’s game winner at home last year, the Aggies will return to the Moody Center on Saturday with revenge on the mind. Texas A&M is also the other team, aside from Vanderbilt, to be undefeated in conference play.
Through both teams’ opening three SEC games, the Aggies have scored an average of 82.67 points per game, while the Longhorns are scoring an average of 87. Junior forward Dailyn Swain, the team’s leading scorer, senior guard Jordan Pope, who led the Texas offense against Alabama, and Mark could be valuable in outscoring Texas A&M.
“We would not have been in a position to win, and when we were in a position to win, (it was) in large part due to just his outstanding play,” Miller said about Swain after Mississippi State.
No. 21 Georgia
The Longhorns will face the Bulldogs twice this season at home on Jan. 24 and in Athens on Feb. 21. Currently, Georgia has the best offense in the country, averaging 96.4 points per game. However, the Bulldogs are maintaining a high scoring average without a player in the top 50 of points per game.
Georgia has four players averaging double-digit points and nine other players contributing points per game. To win, the Longhorns’ smaller rotation must be able to keep up with the depth that the Bulldogs have on their roster.
No. 17 Arkansas
Texas has another ranked opponent on its schedule in former Southwest Conference rival Arkansas. The Razorbacks are one of the nation’s premier basketball offenses, ranking 15th nationally for points per game.
The key to a Longhorn victory is winning the rebound battle. Arkansas is 142nd in the nation for rebounds with 37.2, while Texas averages 41.4 to rank 23rd overall.
Sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis and graduate center Lassina Traore were key in out-rebounding Alabama and will need to recreate similar performances on March 4.
Texas will also host reigning national champions Florida and play both home and away against Red River rivals Oklahoma. Away trips to Kentucky and Auburn are also scheduled, teams that have received votes to be in the AP Top 25 rankings.
