Hoops Preview: UT Arlington
[caption id="attachment_24163" align="alignleft" width="233"]
Myles Turner. (Will Gallagher/IT)[/caption]
Hoops Preview: UT-Arlington
Date: Tuesday, December 2
Time: 7:00 Central
Television: LHN
Location: UT
Opponent Strengths:
After two of the most successful seasons in program history under head coach Scott Cross during the 11-12 and 12-13 years, UTA (3-3) took a step back during the 2013-14 season, going 15-17 overall and 9-9 in the Sun Belt. Making matters worse, the Mavericks lost their top two scorers in Reger Dowell and Brandon Edwards. This shouldn’t be a particularly close game.
UTA looks to be led by 6’1” senior guard Lonnie McClanahan (12 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal). An athletic combo guard, McClanahan has been able to share more of the facilitating role this year after Dowell left. McClanahan will have to play this game carefully against the Longhorns as his strength is getting into the lane in the hopes to finish in traffic or draw fouls against late help. That’s not exactly Texas’ weakness.
Depth. The Longhorns will go from playing against a UConn team with seven rotational players available, to playing the Mavericks who have 11 guys that average double digit minutes per game. UTA will play ball pressure and passing angles to deny, so Texas’ ball handlers will need to be ready to initiate offensive action immediately once the set gets put in. UTA will come at the Longhorns in waves and hope to stay in the game by forcing turnovers and creating open three point shots after breakdowns.
Perimeter shooting. Which leads to their biggest strength on the offensive end, three point field goal percentage. The Mavericks aren’t a super high volume team from three (roughly 35% of their field goals are from beyond the arc), but they make a high percentage of them (38% as a team) and they have five players who shoot 37% or above from deep. When lesser teams stay in games against top level teams, it’s often about three point shooting and UTA can do that.
Opponent Weakness:
Star power. McClanahan is a fine player. So is Tech transfer Jamel Outler. But there are no stars on this squad. Now, as Barnes can tell you from last season, having a team with no stars can have its advantages. However, against this Texas team and the defense they can throw at an opponent, teams must have some high level shot makers who are able to hit contested shots in late clock situations. And UTA doesn’t have that guy.
Team defense. The Mavericks play a fun style of basketball (Cross wants to put pressure on opposing ball handlers and create fast paced opportunities), but they don’t have the individual or help defenders to clean up the mess when that aggressiveness leads to open driving lanes or post entries. Opponents are averaging almost 80 points against the UT-Arlington, and they’re doing it shooting 43% from the floor, 38% from three and going to the foul line a whopping average of 27 times per contest. Even for a team with the Longhorns’ offensive woes without their playmaker, it will be difficult for the Mavericks to keep the Horns from having big offensive production.
Texas Keys: Offense
Player movement. UT’s point guards’ inability to turn the corner against UConn’s ball defenders was not an aberration; it’s the reality of who they are without Taylor. Hoping for that to be different, even against a team like UTA, is probably a foolhardy endeavor. So, Texas has to get, better, more purposeful and consistent player movement away from the ball to make the Mavericks pay for overplaying the point of contact for Texas’ facilitators. The ability of Holmes, Lammert and Turner to flash the high post and find cutters will go a long ways towards them winning all of their games before Isaiah returns, not just this one.
Keep the big guys happy. Ridley and Ibeh are suffering as much as anyone on the team with the absence of Taylor. They are no longer the beneficiaries of Isaiah’s dribble penetration or even his missed floaters in the lane which effectively drew help defenders and opened up offensive rebounding space. Against the UConns and Kentuckys of the world, Cam and Prince are going to struggle because those teams have the guards to capably defend Felix, Holland and Yancy while also possessing bigs who can front in the post and not simply be a body waiting to get posterized. In games like this one, Texas needs to do whatever they can to keep their big guys engaged and get them touches that allow them to create scoring chances because they are still a big piece of what the Longhorns are going to do this season.
Texas Keys: Defense
Find shooters. Whether in transition or off of dribble penetration/skips, the Horns’ defenders must be solid in their ability to track down UTA shooters because the Mavericks are going to want to attack the Horns early in shot clocks and will need to take open shots when they are there if they hope to have a chance to keep the game competitive. If Texas gets lazy in tracking down open shooters, the game could be closer than it should be. If they play with awareness and discipline, this game will be over by halftime or earlier.
Croaker and Barnett. You could really put this on either the offensive or defensive keys, but this is yet another game which poses an opportunity for Damarcus and Jordan to prove to Coach Barnes they deserve run during meaningful games. Much of that, as it often does with Rick, starts with these two playing fundamentally sound defense. Fighting through screens. Showing well in help. Keeping their base under control on the ball. Playing big with their arms. These two aren’t necessarily running out of time (there are still seven nonconference games remaining), but poor games would make getting out of the doghouse that much more difficult in the future.
The Endgame
If UTA was decent this would be a potentially dangerous letdown game. Coming off an emotional win in a hostile road environment where they didn’t play all that well in the first place…
Except that UTA isn’t all that good.
Still, it’s a legit D1 program so the Horns will need to keep their focus and be ready to play because the Mavericks can shoot the ball and pressure Texas’ ball handlers.
Luckily, I would imagine that the Horns’ poor performance in Storrs kept UT’s coaches from letting anything get to their players’ heads.
Prediction: Texas 77 - UT-Arlington 48
Projected Starting Lineup
Felix
Holland
Holmes
Lammert
Ridley
[caption id="attachment_22007" align="alignleft" width="206"]
Javan Felix. (Will Gallagher/IT)[/caption]
GAME NOTES
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network. Paul Sunderland (pxp), Lance Blanks (analyst) and Jane Slater (reporter) will call the action.
• RADIO: The Longhorn Sports Network and KVET (FM 98.1/1300AM Sportsradio the Zone) broadcast every UT game on the statewide network. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check www.TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
• SERIES: Texas leads, 9-0. Last meeting: Texas 72-69 (Nov. 29, 2013; Austin).
• DEFENSE WINS: Texas has held its first six opponents to an average of 52.5 ppg on a combined 29.9% FG shooting (107-of-358), including a 26.1% mark (29-of-111) from three-point range. UT has held each of its first six opponents to below 60 points AND 32% FG shooting.
• HOLMES' GAME-WINNER: Senior forward Jonathan Holmes hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in Sunday's win at No. 24/22 Connecticut. It marked Holmes' second career game-winner, as he also hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat No. 22 Kansas State 67-64 in Austin.
UT-ARLINGTON SERIES INFO
• Tuesday's contest marks the 10th meeting between Texas and UT Arlington (all 10 games held in Austin).
• Texas holds a 9-0 lead in the all-time series that dates back to a 116-66 UT win on Nov. 28, 1989 in Austin.
• Last year (Nov. 29, 2013), the Longhorns posted a 72-69 victory in Austin.
LONE STAR STATE SUCCESS
• Since Rick Barnes arrived in Austin prior to the 1998-99 season, the Longhorns have emerged as the dominant college basketball program in the state of Texas.
• The Horns have posted a 140-21 (.870) record against in-state foes during the Barnes era entering Tuesday's game, including marks of 29-8 against Baylor, 30-4 against Texas Tech, 23-7 against Texas A&M and 6-0 against TCU.
HORNS AT HOME
• UT is currently in its 38th season of play at the Frank Erwin Center.
• Texas has won 11 consecutive home games dating back to last season entering Tuesday's contest.
• The Longhorns have registered an all-time record of 453-104 (.813) in the building.
• Since Rick Barnes arrived in Austin, UT has recorded a 228-32 (.877) mark at the Erwin Center, including a 107-24 (.817) record in Big 12 Conference home games.
• Texas is 181-21 (.896) at the Erwin Center in the last 13 seasons (dating to the start of the 2002-03 season).
Myles Turner. (Will Gallagher/IT)[/caption]
Hoops Preview: UT-Arlington
Date: Tuesday, December 2
Time: 7:00 Central
Television: LHN
Location: UT
Opponent Strengths:
After two of the most successful seasons in program history under head coach Scott Cross during the 11-12 and 12-13 years, UTA (3-3) took a step back during the 2013-14 season, going 15-17 overall and 9-9 in the Sun Belt. Making matters worse, the Mavericks lost their top two scorers in Reger Dowell and Brandon Edwards. This shouldn’t be a particularly close game.
UTA looks to be led by 6’1” senior guard Lonnie McClanahan (12 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal). An athletic combo guard, McClanahan has been able to share more of the facilitating role this year after Dowell left. McClanahan will have to play this game carefully against the Longhorns as his strength is getting into the lane in the hopes to finish in traffic or draw fouls against late help. That’s not exactly Texas’ weakness.
Depth. The Longhorns will go from playing against a UConn team with seven rotational players available, to playing the Mavericks who have 11 guys that average double digit minutes per game. UTA will play ball pressure and passing angles to deny, so Texas’ ball handlers will need to be ready to initiate offensive action immediately once the set gets put in. UTA will come at the Longhorns in waves and hope to stay in the game by forcing turnovers and creating open three point shots after breakdowns.
Perimeter shooting. Which leads to their biggest strength on the offensive end, three point field goal percentage. The Mavericks aren’t a super high volume team from three (roughly 35% of their field goals are from beyond the arc), but they make a high percentage of them (38% as a team) and they have five players who shoot 37% or above from deep. When lesser teams stay in games against top level teams, it’s often about three point shooting and UTA can do that.
Opponent Weakness:
Star power. McClanahan is a fine player. So is Tech transfer Jamel Outler. But there are no stars on this squad. Now, as Barnes can tell you from last season, having a team with no stars can have its advantages. However, against this Texas team and the defense they can throw at an opponent, teams must have some high level shot makers who are able to hit contested shots in late clock situations. And UTA doesn’t have that guy.
Team defense. The Mavericks play a fun style of basketball (Cross wants to put pressure on opposing ball handlers and create fast paced opportunities), but they don’t have the individual or help defenders to clean up the mess when that aggressiveness leads to open driving lanes or post entries. Opponents are averaging almost 80 points against the UT-Arlington, and they’re doing it shooting 43% from the floor, 38% from three and going to the foul line a whopping average of 27 times per contest. Even for a team with the Longhorns’ offensive woes without their playmaker, it will be difficult for the Mavericks to keep the Horns from having big offensive production.
Texas Keys: Offense
Player movement. UT’s point guards’ inability to turn the corner against UConn’s ball defenders was not an aberration; it’s the reality of who they are without Taylor. Hoping for that to be different, even against a team like UTA, is probably a foolhardy endeavor. So, Texas has to get, better, more purposeful and consistent player movement away from the ball to make the Mavericks pay for overplaying the point of contact for Texas’ facilitators. The ability of Holmes, Lammert and Turner to flash the high post and find cutters will go a long ways towards them winning all of their games before Isaiah returns, not just this one.
Keep the big guys happy. Ridley and Ibeh are suffering as much as anyone on the team with the absence of Taylor. They are no longer the beneficiaries of Isaiah’s dribble penetration or even his missed floaters in the lane which effectively drew help defenders and opened up offensive rebounding space. Against the UConns and Kentuckys of the world, Cam and Prince are going to struggle because those teams have the guards to capably defend Felix, Holland and Yancy while also possessing bigs who can front in the post and not simply be a body waiting to get posterized. In games like this one, Texas needs to do whatever they can to keep their big guys engaged and get them touches that allow them to create scoring chances because they are still a big piece of what the Longhorns are going to do this season.
Texas Keys: Defense
Find shooters. Whether in transition or off of dribble penetration/skips, the Horns’ defenders must be solid in their ability to track down UTA shooters because the Mavericks are going to want to attack the Horns early in shot clocks and will need to take open shots when they are there if they hope to have a chance to keep the game competitive. If Texas gets lazy in tracking down open shooters, the game could be closer than it should be. If they play with awareness and discipline, this game will be over by halftime or earlier.
Croaker and Barnett. You could really put this on either the offensive or defensive keys, but this is yet another game which poses an opportunity for Damarcus and Jordan to prove to Coach Barnes they deserve run during meaningful games. Much of that, as it often does with Rick, starts with these two playing fundamentally sound defense. Fighting through screens. Showing well in help. Keeping their base under control on the ball. Playing big with their arms. These two aren’t necessarily running out of time (there are still seven nonconference games remaining), but poor games would make getting out of the doghouse that much more difficult in the future.
The Endgame
If UTA was decent this would be a potentially dangerous letdown game. Coming off an emotional win in a hostile road environment where they didn’t play all that well in the first place…
Except that UTA isn’t all that good.
Still, it’s a legit D1 program so the Horns will need to keep their focus and be ready to play because the Mavericks can shoot the ball and pressure Texas’ ball handlers.
Luckily, I would imagine that the Horns’ poor performance in Storrs kept UT’s coaches from letting anything get to their players’ heads.
Prediction: Texas 77 - UT-Arlington 48
Projected Starting Lineup
Felix
Holland
Holmes
Lammert
Ridley
[caption id="attachment_22007" align="alignleft" width="206"]
Javan Felix. (Will Gallagher/IT)[/caption]
GAME NOTES
TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by Longhorn Network. Paul Sunderland (pxp), Lance Blanks (analyst) and Jane Slater (reporter) will call the action.
• RADIO: The Longhorn Sports Network and KVET (FM 98.1/1300AM Sportsradio the Zone) broadcast every UT game on the statewide network. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check www.TexasSports.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
• SERIES: Texas leads, 9-0. Last meeting: Texas 72-69 (Nov. 29, 2013; Austin).
• DEFENSE WINS: Texas has held its first six opponents to an average of 52.5 ppg on a combined 29.9% FG shooting (107-of-358), including a 26.1% mark (29-of-111) from three-point range. UT has held each of its first six opponents to below 60 points AND 32% FG shooting.
• HOLMES' GAME-WINNER: Senior forward Jonathan Holmes hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in Sunday's win at No. 24/22 Connecticut. It marked Holmes' second career game-winner, as he also hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat No. 22 Kansas State 67-64 in Austin.
UT-ARLINGTON SERIES INFO
• Tuesday's contest marks the 10th meeting between Texas and UT Arlington (all 10 games held in Austin).
• Texas holds a 9-0 lead in the all-time series that dates back to a 116-66 UT win on Nov. 28, 1989 in Austin.
• Last year (Nov. 29, 2013), the Longhorns posted a 72-69 victory in Austin.
LONE STAR STATE SUCCESS
• Since Rick Barnes arrived in Austin prior to the 1998-99 season, the Longhorns have emerged as the dominant college basketball program in the state of Texas.
• The Horns have posted a 140-21 (.870) record against in-state foes during the Barnes era entering Tuesday's game, including marks of 29-8 against Baylor, 30-4 against Texas Tech, 23-7 against Texas A&M and 6-0 against TCU.
HORNS AT HOME
• UT is currently in its 38th season of play at the Frank Erwin Center.
• Texas has won 11 consecutive home games dating back to last season entering Tuesday's contest.
• The Longhorns have registered an all-time record of 453-104 (.813) in the building.
• Since Rick Barnes arrived in Austin, UT has recorded a 228-32 (.877) mark at the Erwin Center, including a 107-24 (.817) record in Big 12 Conference home games.
• Texas is 181-21 (.896) at the Erwin Center in the last 13 seasons (dating to the start of the 2002-03 season).
