No time for a full-fledged post-game, as we still have nine hours of interstate ahead of us and want to be somewhere at 5 P.M. where we can catch the Selection Show. The vast wasteland between OKC and Denton really makes that hard to do, so we’ll keep this brief. We’ve known all season that frontcourt depth was going to be an issue, but last night was certainly an extreme example of it. Tristan Thompson played just 21 minutes thanks to foul trouble, while Gary Johnson was going through his fifth-straight rough game on the offensive end. Johnson was just 1-of-9 from the floor, giving him a 5-for-24 line during the Big 12 Tournament that included three missed dunks. In the team’s last five games, Gary is shooting just 26%. Thompson’s foul trouble also underscored his importance to the offense even when he isn’t scoring. The team managed to grab just 25.9% of their offensive rebounding opportunities, well off their 37.9% season average. In the first half, the Longhorns only secured 20% of their offensive boards, limiting them to numerous one-and-done possessions while the Jayhawks were building a massive lead on the strength of a ridiculous 58% shooting mark. Texas was able to grab more offensive rebounds when the Morris twins were in second-half foul trouble, and Texas was able to chip away at the lead as a result. In a tournament where one bad game can end your season, the Longhorns are going to have to hope for a draw with less physical frontcourts than the one the Jayhawks sport. Texas has competed in the past against similar teams, and even beat Kansas in Lawrence. But the chances are good that Thompson could run into the same foul trouble as he did yesterday, and then the Longhorns will likely be sunk. Texas also made the mistake of making far too many light fouls inside. That wasn’t the difference in this game, as there was simply no beating Kansas on Saturday afternoon. But the Longhorns gave up so many and-one opportunities that it’s a troubling trend going forward. The last time Texas and Kansas played, Matt Hill did a great job making his fouls count and ensuring that the Jayhawks would have to earn both points at the line. Last night, the Longhorns not only allowed the buckets, but compounded the issue by piling up fouls and giving Kansas extra points from the charity stripe. All the credit in the world has to go to Tyshawn Taylor. He broke down the defense off the dribble, time after time. When he wasn’t finishing at the rack, he was drawing enough defensive attention to get Thomas Robinson or the Brothers Morrii wide open dunks and layups. Taylor played his best game in ages, scoring 20 points while dishing out five dimes. Kansas executed so well on Saturday afternoon, it’s hard to imagine a team that could have beat them. They broke down the Texas defense, moved the ball extremely well, and shut down the driving lanes on defense. If Penn State does the unthinkable this afternoon and knocks off Ohio State, there’s no question that the Jayhawks are your overall No. 1 seed in the NCAAs. After yesterday’s performance, they still have an argument even if Ohio State does win. We’ll be checking in again via Twitter during the Selection Show. At this point, Texas is practically assured a first-weekend trip to Tulsa. They are likely a 2-seed, but there is still the chance they could slip down to the top of the 3-seed line. That wouldn’t be a result of losing to Kansas, but rather just upward trends from teams currently slotted behind the Longhorns. The big question for LRT is where the Longhorns head for the second weekend. Texas is essentially locked out of San Antonio now that Kansas will likely be there, with Pitt in New Orleans. But with Newark being one of the four regional sites this season, we ask that for our sake, you keep all of your fingers crossed that Texas lands in Anaheim or New Orleans. |