On Texas Football: Longhorns’ basketball impresses, football hosting roster of recruits
On the latest video edition of On Texas Football, Bobby Burton of Inside Texas takes a look at the Longhorns’ successful performance in its Sweet 16 win over Xavier in the NCAA Tournament, and offers a quick wrap-up of the sports happenings around the 40 Acres.
[Get Inside Texas Plus until 8/31 for just $29.99!]
Burton explained that the win over Xavier was a real team effort for the Longhorns.
“Texas had to overcome some real obstacles,” Burton said. “Marcus Carr got two quick fouls then Sir’Jabari Rice, two quick fouls, those guys, you know, were limited somewhat in the first half. Then you have Dylan Disu go out just two minutes into the game with a bone bruise in his foot.
“I tell you what, it was tough sledding there – everything that could stack up against the Horns looked like it would last night at certain times. But Texas rode hot shooting all night long, 52% from the fielde, 58% from 3-point range.”
Burton, who is in Kansas City for the Sweet 16, gave his game ball to two players – Tyrese Hunter and Christian Bishop.
“Hunter played 38 of the game’s 40 minutes and he really came on strong,” Burton explained. “He hit three of three from 3-point land and went well to the rim. One thing that will go largely unnoticed by a lot of folks is his ability to guard the ball up the court. I mean, he is a suffocating defender on the ball.
“Bishop had 18 points and nine rebounds in the win in his best game of the year, in my opinion,” Burton continued. “He was averaging 15 to 20 minutes a game but against Xavier he had to go longer. After he got three fouls he did not get another foul and continued to be a presence on the inside. Bishop was absolute money around the rim last night even though he was up against a seven-footer.”
As well as Texas played in the win over Xavier – and has played throughout the runup and to and in the NCAAs – it was interesting, and gratifying, to see how the Longhorns responded when Xavier tried to muscle up late in the second half to attempt to get Texas out of its comfort zone.
“Texas is much more physical than Xavier, got them off their spots, tougher around the rim, just more physical in a significant way,” Burton opined. “And when Texas had to go to its bench, it wasn’t going to an inferior athlete, maybe like Xavier was at times as well.”
Texas also has a football scrimmage this morning and was hosting over two dozen recruits on campus.
The visitors include the nation’s No. 1 one pass rusher, Colin Simmons out of Duncanville, who has taken a shine to the Longhorns over the last couple of weeks, and Christian Clark, a big running back out of Arizona who may be following in the footsteps of fellow Arizonan Bijan Robinson.
There’s plenty more from Burton in the video, so go take a look at it in its entirety.
