The cliché holds that in a rivalry game, you can throw out the records, the stats, and the trends. And I’m with you — I cringe every time I hear an announcer trot this out. But the reason we hear the damned saying so much is because it’s actually pretty accurate. So forget that Texas A&M has lost three of four, and that the Longhorns haven’t won in their last three trips to Reed Arena. To steal another oft-used phrase, once the ball is tipped, this is going to be an old-fashioned grudge match.

By the numbers

So it’s pretty ridiculous of me to tell you to throw out the numbers and then proceed to give you those numbers. But that’s the format of these game previews, so we’re going to stick with “tradition.” I hear that’s pretty important in College Station.

As mentioned, A&M has lost three of four games coming into this one. They overcame a late deficit in Stillwater on Saturday to avoid a devastating fourth-straight loss, holding the Pokes without a field goal in the final eight minutes. While the Aggies have struggled on the road, they’ve dominated against their creampuff schedule at home the last few seasons. This year, they are sporting a 13-1 mark in Reed Arena.

Mark Turgeon’s team is ranked in the top 30 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to Ken Pomeroy’s metrics. While last year’s Aggie squad was ranked in the top ten of both categories when they hosted the Horns, this year’s team will still be a tough out.

The Aggies have a huge roster and ran about twelve deep through most of the non-conference slate. Since entering Big 12 play, Turgeon has trimmed the fat and now gives significant minutes to seven or eight of his players.

The starters

For a Texas team that struggles with guarding the perimeter, Josh Carter is a huge concern. Although he’s been in a slump so far in conference play, Carter led the NCAA in three-point percentage last season and is second all-time in the Big 12 for the same stat. In his last four games, Josh is 6-of-25 from behind the arc, but tends to heat up when facing the Longhorns. It will be key to maintain pressure on this difference-maker.

Bryan Davis has replaced DeAndre Jordan as a starter in the last few games, and he’s responding with quality numbers. He’s the second-leading scorer on the team in Big 12 play and is eating up a ton of minutes down low for Coach Turg. Davis isn’t going to blow by anybody or pull out stunning post moves, but he’s a smart player who earns his points and keeps his team in it.

Along with Davis, the Aggies rely on Joseph Jones down low in their inside-out attack. A&M is a really scary team when their post players are scoring, because defenses who try to sell out to stop Jones, Davis, and Jordan are often burned by wide-open three-point shooters. We all know that Jones is prone to picking up a ton of fouls, but he’s also the team’s leading rebounder in conference play.

Donald Sloan is likely the fastest guy on the floor for A&M, but lately he’s had problems hanging on to the basketball. Over the last four games, he’s turned over the ball a nauseating 17 times. As long as the Longhorns can stay in front of Sloan and keep him from flying by them on the drive, they should be able to minimize his impact on the game. And if they can force his hand, it could result in a few fast-break buckets for the visitors.

This year, Dominique Kirk is running the point for the Ags. It’s certainly not a natural position for him, and the Aggies are definitely seeing a drop-off from last year’s stud point Acie Law. But Kirk is generally doing a good job holding down the fort and has only turned it over four times in conference play. He’s also a threat from long range, hitting 47.8% of his threes on the season. As with Carter, the Horns will have to keep an eye on Kirk to make sure he doesn’t key a huge run for the Aggies.

The bench

Freshman sensation DeAndre Jordan has cooled off considerably once the rigors of Big 12 play began, and he’s even starting games on the bench. Jordan is a huge kid who gets his share of putbacks and dunks, and his presence in the lane helps the Aggie defense tremendously. He’s also a great passer who can zing it over defenders from his high vantage point, and that is a boon to the transition game and the A&M inside-out attack. But lately he’s having a few more of those “freshman mistakes,” picking up fouls quickly, traveling, and making dumb turnovers. The Longhorns will certainly have their hands full with DeAndre, but if he makes his share of typical miscues, it could negate the advantages he provides.

Derrick Roland is a guard with quick hands that can really force the issue when he gets in the face of the Longhorn guards. Nicknamed D-Roll, he’s only seeing about ten minutes per game in conference play, but can provide a great spark of the bench.

Big man Chinemelu “Junior” Elonu is another guy who can provide energy for Coach Turgeon off the bench, but his minutes have been significantly limited in the last few games. He won’t score much, but he gets after it on the boards and is one of those players with the intangibles that makes you think he’s going to be a solid contributer before his four years are up.

What to look for

In their three losses, the one constant according to Ken Pomeroy was an inordinately high free throw rate for their opponents. Texas Tech exploited this by attacking the A&M big men, and Texas would be wise to do the same. The Longhorns seemed to be practicing this against the Red Raiders, making a conscious effort to feed the post. Hopefully the Texas bigs will be able to perform at the same level tonight against a very talented Aggie front line.

On the other side of the charity stripe, the Aggies have also struggled tremendously from the line. As a team, they are hitting only 61% of their free throws, with big man Jordan shooting a pitiful 38% from the line on the year. I would love to see Clint Chapman, Alexis Wangmene, and Dexter Pittman playing very physical defense inside tonight. Damion James and Connor Atchley can’t afford to get in foul trouble, as their agility will cause problems for A&M’s big men. But if the bench warmers can force the Aggies to earn their points from the line, the Longhorns will benefit tremendously.

The other big weakness for the Aggies is ball control, as they have turned it over 15 times a game since entering conference play. Texas Tech forced a ton of turnovers in their win, and the up-tempo Longhorn attack would love to start a bunch of breaks off of Aggie miscues. While A&M is less likely to get rattled and make a ton of mistakes in front of their home crowd, Texas should definitely pressure Davis and Sloan, who both are famous for losing the handle.

The Aggies are favored by three points heading into this one — not that we’d ever condone gambling — and that sounds about right. This game should be a really good one, and you’ve got to give A&M the edge in front of their devoted fans. Be sure to tune in to the action on ESPN2, and check back tomorrow morning for the post-game.

Tonight the Longhorns return home after a long break, hoping to continue the momentum they’ve created with back-to-back conference wins against Colorado and Oklahoma State. The opponent this time is Texas Tech, a team that has been up-and-down all season but notched an impressive home win over Texas A&M when they were ranked 9th in the country.

Since Rick Barnes joined the staff at Texas, the Longhorns have absolutely dominated the Red Raiders. Texas is 18-2 against Tech in the Barnes era, including wins in all nine home games. In this one, the Horns are favored by 11.5 points, and honestly there doesn’t seem to be much hope for the Techsters to snap the streak. Of course, the Aggie fans probably didn’t expect to stumble up in Lubbock, either…

By the numbers

Tech wins its games by playing solid defense, but unfortunately they often don’t score enough points to end up on top. Their defensive efficiency is ranked 30th in the country, and they are allowing 68 points per game to conference opponents, including the up-tempo Missouri Tigers.

The problem for Texas Tech is that they likely won’t be able to outscore the Horns, even if they execute on defense. Tech’s offense is centered around constant motion and screening, with most of their shots coming within 10-12 feet. Most of the teams who will beat Texas are ones who can take advantage of their poor three-point defense, but Knight’s system is not one that is built to do this.

One advantage of Knight’s motion offense is that it draws a ton of fouls, which could cause problems for a thin Texas bench. The Longhorns don’t have much depth, so if any of the core players get into foul trouble, significant minutes will have to come from the likes of Alexis Wangmene, Clint Chapman, and J.D. Lewis.

The Tech starters

There is a lack of a true leader on this team, but if you’re pressed to pick a go-to guy for Tech, it’s got to be Martin Zeno. The senior loves to attack off the dribble and has improved his scoring as the Red Raiders entered conference play. His mid-range game is solid, so the Horns will have more success if they can keep him to the perimeter.

Freshman John Roberson is making an early impact coming out of Plano. He’s an incredibly quick guard, so he fits well in Knight’s system. If Justin Mason is tasked with trying to shut down Zeno, the guard who is stuck with Roberson is going to have a tough assignment.

Damir Suljagic is the main man down low for Tech this season, but that’s not saying much. He can play good defense in the post, but shouldn’t draw too much attention with the ball. On a small team that struggles with rebounding, his height makes him one of their key players by default.

Against Mizzou, Alan Voskuil earned the starting nod despite having slow first halves in almost all of his games. Coach Knight has attributed this to a lack of effort on Voskuil’s part, but his talent is undeniable. He’s the leading three-point shooter in the Big 12, hitting over 50% of his attempts. He almost single-handedly defeated UTEP from behind the arc, and if Texas leaves him open from long range, he could be the difference tonight, too.

Charlie Burgess is having a bit of an off year for the Red Raiders, but is still a threat to score when he attacks the paint off the dribble. He’s the third attacking guard in Knight’s system, but at only 6’1″, he’s not a bad match-up for the Longhorn backcourt.

Off the bench

Sophomore Trevor Cook has earned some starts down low for Tech, but against an undersized Texas team, I don’t forsee Knight going with a big lineup. Forward Mike Singletary is only 6’5″, but can still post up and is developing nicely for Coach Knight. Esmir Rizvic missed most of last year’s conference season after OU’s Longar Longar went Bobby Brown on his eye socket and hasn’t seen a ton of minutes this season. He’s not a phenomenal rebounder, but if Tech is getting killed on the boards, he might be given some more playing time.

The big finish

Tonight’s contest is already a sellout, but the scalpers are lined up on Red River working their game. If you’re outside of Austin, check the affiliate list linked at the top of the page to see if it’s on in your area. Folks with ESPN Full Court can also pick up the game, while the Longhorn Radio Network will be broadcasting Craig Way’s play-by-play throughout the state.

Texas needed a second-half comeback to secure its first conference win on Saturday night, and now just two days later they are looking for their first road win in the Big 12. The Longhorns travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma tonight to take on the Cowboys of Oklahoma State in a game televised as a part of ESPN’s Big Monday.

Gallagher-Iba Arena is a tough place for any team to play, and it has been hard for the Horns to find a win there in recent history. Texas has lost on four out of its last five trips to the deafening arena, including losses by the Final Four and Elite Eight squads. Personally, I’ve been to Stillwater three times and have yet to see a win. For purely selfish reasons, a win tonight would be huge.

The Cowboys provide a difficult match-up for the Longhorns, however. Texas has struggled with perimeter defense all season, and the Pokes are addicted to the longball. They are currently on pace to set a school record for three-pointers attempted, as nearly 40% of the shots they take come from behind the arc. If the Longhorns don’t lock down the perimeter, this game could get very ugly in a hurry.

By the numbers

Oklahoma State has had an up-and-down year, coming into this one on a two-game slide. The Pokes play a fairly quick style of basketball with over 70 possessions per game, which is definitely the kind of game that Texas likes. As long as Texas executes and doesn’t give up a ton of open looks, this plays into the favor of the visiting Longhorns.

The Cowboys have been very good defensively, but it is hard to tell if that’s a result of beating up on teams like Rogers State and East Tennessee State, or if they are a genuinely strong team. Again, the bi-polar nature of the club makes it hard to get a definitive read on the Pokes, but they are definitely a speedy team and they love the pressure defense. The only downside to this for Sean Sutton is that sometimes his young, quick players will over-pursue and find themselves out of position on defense.

Offensively, Oklahoma State is a slightly above average team. The thing holding them back is an inability to control the basketball, as they are averaging 17 turnovers a game. Ken Pomeroy’s stats show that the Pokes have turned the ball over on more than 20% of their possessions in all but five of their games this season.

The starters

This team doesn’t look quite like Sean Sutton had expected, as JamesOn Curry left early for the NBA and Jai Lucas decided to go to Florida after initially committing to play in Stillwater. Despite that, this fairly young team still has an exciting bunch of playmakers that should be earning more wins than they are.

Freshman James Anderson is leading all scorers, although he struggled against Iowa State on Saturday. Anderson sprained his ankle late in the loss to Baylor, so one has to wonder if his poor play this weekend was a result of the lingering effects of that injury. He has incredible range and can absolutely fill it up from behind the arc. Even if he’s beyond NBA range, he can knock it down without blinking. At 6’6″, he could have a really good night against the short Texas guards, but even if he’s matched up with a taller Longhorn, he still has a quick enough release to pop one in somebody’s eye.

Terrel Harris is taking a bigger role in the offense this year, and he’s responding quite well. The junior guard can also sink the three and he’s averaging 1.27 points per shot. He’s quick with the ball and is going to require a solid defender to try to neutralize him. Once again, his height creates a problem, though. At 6’5″, he’s pretty tall for Justin Mason to defend, and the Longhorn big men won’t be able to keep up with him. One thing that could level the playing field are his poor handles, as he’s turning the ball over nearly four times a game.

Inside, the big man for the Cowboys is Marcus Dove. Yes, you read that correctly. Marcus Dove is now being relied upon as the inside scorer. But unlike the last three seasons, he’s not a complete stiff with the ball this year. Dove has added some post moves — he loves to try to spin off the dribble — and is averaging nearly eleven points per game. His shot still needs some work though, so he’s taking a lot of shots each game to get his points. Oh, and he’s still a kickass defender. Damion James will have a long night if Sutton matches these two up.

Little fat boy Byron Eaton still runs the point for Oklahoma State, and he’s still doing a serviceable job. Eaton is averaging just shy of ten points per game and gets the transition game going for the Pokes with his quick hands. The guard leads the team in steals, so D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams need to take care of the ball up top.

Ibrahima Thomas is a lanky forward for the Pokes and although he’s still a bit raw, he’s an exciting guy to watch. He’s a 6’11” beanpole from Senegal that plays with a ton of energy, but it often gets him into trouble. He’s picking up fouls at a pace of about one every five minutes, and oftentimes he misses easy shots that he shouldn’t because he’s rushing things. If he adds some weight and keeps working at it, I think Thomas is going to be a pretty solid forward by the time his four years are through.

The bench

Much like Colorado, Oklahoma State sticks with a core group of seven or eight players and their bench doesn’t provide much help beyond Obi Muonelo. The lanky guard can score from just about anywhere on the floor, but he prefers the mid- and long-range jumpers. Like the other Oklahoma State guards, Muonelo’s height is going to cause match-up problems for Texas.

Further down the bench, freshman Martavius Adams gives some minutes down low, but he really struggles to post up and hardly ever scores. Guard Nick Sidorakis can run the point when Eaton needs a breather, but he lacks the scoring threat that Little Fat Boy provides. Tyler Hatch is still on the team for some reason, still sucks, and still looks like Mr. Peepers.

What to look for

Obviously the number one concern for Texas in this one is to lock down the perimeter. Although the 10-7 record can be misleading, the Pokes have a ton of talent and can light it up from long range. The Horns also need to force turnovers and get transition buckets. Nothing will take the rowdy Gallagher-Iba crowd out of it faster than Damion James throwing down a monster dunk on the break.

This is definitely a game that Texas can lose, but hopefully the Horns can build some momentum in conference play by grabbing a win on the road. And for my own peace of mind, I hope they finally get over the hump in this nightmare of a gym.

Last Saturday, Texas walked into Mizzou Arena riding high after a convincing win over a ranked St. Mary’s team. But by the time the afternoon was over, the Longhorns had been thoroughly whipped by the homestanding Tigers and were rewarded with a week in the cellar of the Big 12.

After six days long days, Texas looks to bounce back in a home game against the Colorado Buffaloes, a team picked dead last in the conference by practically every major publication. The Buffs have turned something of a corner, though, and are buying into the defense-first program that Jeff Bzdelik is bringing to Boulder. Although CU fell behind early to A&M last week, they fought the rest of the way and kept the deficit pretty much the same the rest of the way. And just two days later, the Buffs pulled off an ugly upset of Nebraska at home on Tuesday night.

Texas should not have any problems with Colorado tonight, but the Buffaloes are not quite the lame-duck that most had anticipated at the start of the season. They are going to eke out a few more wins in conference play than they should, and it’s the work of their new coach that is making the difference.

By the numbers

The Buffs are ranked 145th in the nation in Ken Pomeroy’s RPI approximations, with one of their nine wins coming against D-II Colorado Christian. Their efficiency numbers are roughly middle-of-the-pack, with an OfEff of 103.4 and a 99.3 DefEff. Texas should not have trouble scoring against the Buffs, but the porous Longhorn defense could make Colorado deceptively good.

As mentioned earlier, Bzdelik wants the Buffs to think defense first, and his 2-3 and match-up zones are surprisingly good for a bottom-feeding team in a power conference. The zone allows CU to slow down the game to a pace that will allow them to steal games they should not win by taking possessions away from the more talented teams.

Colorado is not only a patient defensive team, but also very deliberate on the offensive side of things as well. They often take 25 to 30 seconds per possession, working it around in a spread offense built on cuts and screens. This slow-down approach is underscored by their tempo stats, which have Colorado slotted as 293rd-fastest in the country with only 64 possessions per game.

The starters

Coach Bzdelik runs a guard-heavy lineup, as the offense is concentrated around the perimeter and keys on a big man setting screens in the high post. That big man is Marcus King-Stockton, who has started the last two games for Colorado after beginning the year on the bench. Stockton has a serviceable jump hook, but will be used mostly to free up the guards with his picks and also to pull a big defender out of the lane.

Guard Richard Roby is still the star for Colorado, and is leading the team in scoring for the fourth time in the four years he’s spent in Boulder. He’s second on the team in minutes, but is tops in scoring with 16.2 per game. Despite playing mostly on the perimeter, the 6-foot, 6-inch Roby is the team’s leading rebounder, although that isn’t saying much for a Colorado team that is absolutely abysmal on the glass.

He’s a dual threat, as he can hit the three-ball but can also easily beat guards off the dribble if they play him too closely. Roby’s accuracy behind the arc has improved dramatically after a junior year in which he struggled, and he now sits at 37.3% BTA on the season.

Marcus Hall runs the point for Coach Bzdelik and leads the squad in minutes played. He’s got quick hands on defense and can also hit from three-point range with regularity, shooting at a 34.7% clip so far.

Austin native Xavier Silas will make his first appearance back in Austin as a member of the Buffs, and the sophomore comes into this one playing some good ball. The Stephen F. Austin grad is the third-leading scorer on the team with 10.7 per game and is playing over 31 minutes per contest. As with the other guards, Silas is a threat from long range, and at 6’5″, he will get some open looks over the short Texas backcourt.

Freshman Cory Higgins rounds out the starting lineup for Colorado. He’s a promising young player with NBA pedigree, as he is the son of former big leaguer Rod Higgins, who is now the GM for the Charlotte Bobcats. Higgins is another quick guard, but struggles from the line. With many of the Colorado buckets coming off of backdoor cuts and moves into the paint, denying Higgins an easy look by fouling could often be the right approach.

The bench

Colorado has four walk-ons listed on the roster, and truly only run seven or eight deep. Jermyl Jackson-Wilson plays the same role on the team as Stockton, and was actually the starter prior to his demotion two games ago. Guard Levi Knutson is the three-point specialist, hitting 48.6% of his shots from behind the arc. Knutson is 6-foot, 4-inches, so he also will have the height advantage over the Texas guards to get off clean looks if he wants them.

What to look for

Colorado is an absolutely horrendous team on the glass, and Texas needs to take advantage of that in this one. With possessions at a premium in this contest, the Horns will need any second and third chances they can earn through rebounding, and limiting the Buffs to one-and-dones will definitely slash the slim chances of an upset tonight. Texas A&M held Colorado to only 16 rebounds in the entire game last Saturday, and although Texas is not as dominant as the Aggies inside, I forsee them winning the battle on the glass easily.

One thing that was noticeably lacking in the Colorado defense was a quick reaction to ball movement when a quality big man is in the paint. Texas doesn’t have an intimidating post presence, but if Dexter Pittman is in the game for extended periods of time, it could work in their favor. The Buffs often doubled down on Aleks Maric and DeAndre Jordan when in their match-up zone, leaving players wide open on the wing for three. If Colorado happens to use this approach against Pittman, post feeds followed by quick kicks out to the perimeter should result in a ton of open looks.

The big albatrosses in the past few games have been free throw woes, poor defense, and the disappearance of Connor Atchley and Justin Mason. With this game seemingly a lock, it will be important for the Horns to use this as a full-speed practice and address those issues. A win is certainly a win, but if those problems are still apparent in this game, it is very bad news for the tough dates coming up later on the schedule.

This one is televised in a lot of markets across Texas — and randomly in Columbia, Missouri — so be sure to check out the affiliate list from TexasSports.com for listings in your area.

After a long week off following a convincing victory over a strong St. Mary’s team, Rick Barnes and the Horns finally kick off conference play with a road game in Columbia, Missouri. There are eight of us driving up there in just a few hours and the game has an awkward tip time of 12:45 tomorrow, so as a result you get the bonus of an early game preview.

The Longhorns have never lost a Big 12 opener in the nine years that Coach Barnes has led the team and Texas has a nine-game winning streak over the Tigers, but this one isn’t going to be easy. Mike Anderson has an experienced team now in their second year under his high-pressure system, and they can rattle teams into costly mistakes.

By the numbers

If you had one word to describe Mizzou, it would be pressure. But if you broke the rules and used a second word, it would be inconsistent. They’ve yet to put together 40 minutes of solid basketball yet, and as a result have fallen short in games against big competitors. The Tigers fell short against Michigan State in a virtual home game in Kansas City, and lost to Arkansas and California on the road. Their signature win on the year came against a Purdue team that is nothing better than a mid-pack Big 10 squad.

The high-pressure style that Mizzou plays has them pushing the tempo up to 75 possessions per game, the 12th-fastest rate in the country. But even at such a breakneck speed, the Tigers are still incredibly effective, with a +23.9 margin in Ken Pomeroy’s numbers.

They have the best three-point defense in the nation, but the ugly underbelly to that statistic is just how poor the Tigers are at defending the interior. When teams get past the perimeter pressure, they often find themselves with easy layups and bunnies.

The defense

It all starts with the defense for Mizzou. They love to put on full-court pressure following made baskets and free throws, so limiting their scoring serves another purpose beyond the obvious. Teams who attack the middle of the court with quick guards can often break the pressure and find themselves in a good transition situation with numbers. Texas has shown itself capable against pressing teams this season, but none have been as good at it as Missouri, save for perhaps Tennessee.

When the Longhorns manage to get it into the half-court set, more trouble awaits. Mike Anderson loves an extended 2-3 zone that is a really fun thing to watch. The pressure comes out nearly to midcourt, while players try to jump passing routes and unnerve shooters on the wings. Teams with quick ball movement can do really well against this look because of how far out the Tigers play, and Texas did a good job with that against the Mizzou zone last season.

When Mizzou shows a man look, their players oftentimes over-pursue in an effort to make the steal or anticipate a pass. This can lead to a lot of easy drives to the bucket or open jumpers, and you can be sure that Texas will take advantage of this if Mike Anderson tries it.

It’s also important for the younger guys to avoid the sidelines and corners, as the Tigers are great at immediately reacting and throwing a trap at an unlucky player who finds himself next to the out-of-bounds lines. I have complete faith in D.J. Augustin against this pressure, but if he happens to find himself in foul trouble, things could get dicey for A.J. Abrams or Justin Mason.

The players

Because of the frenetic pace at which they play, the Tigers can go nine deep without any problems.

Big man DeMarre Carroll was named Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after transferring from Vanderbilt, and he’s making an immediate impact for the tigers. Carroll leads the team with 14.8 points per game and 6.7 rebounds and is the key to getting the Missouri offense going in half-court sets. When the Tigers attack the paint with Carroll, they have tremendous success not only inside, but also with their freed-up guards on the perimeter. When they get frustrated against defenses who deny the entry pass or dribble penetration, they tend to settle for forced threes and waste a ton of possessions.

While Carroll gets most of the pub down low, Leo Lyons is the big who impresses me most on this team. He’s in the mold of a Damion James in that he can hit the mid-range jumper, he can rebound, and he can usually score inside. Those points in the paint are sometimes hard to come by for Lyons, which just so happens to sound a lot like James at times, too. The great thing about Leo’s nice J is that it allows him to blow by people from the triple threat position, resulting in a lot of easy buckets at the rack.

Stefhon Hannah is still around and even better than before. He’s the team’s second-leading scorer with 13.9 points, but is also doing a great job at distributing the ball from both the point and off-guard positions. He’s an incredibly quick guard who loves to attack defenses off the dribble and then react quickly to find the open men when they collapse. And did I mention he can hit the three? Hannah is the team’s leading man with 41% success from behind the arc.

After a really great start shooting the three last year, guard Matt Lawrence came down to Earth a bit in the second half of the year. This season, he’s still a solid threat behind the arc, but is hitting at a much more mortal rate of 37%. Lawrence is probably the worst on-the-ball defender that Mike Anderson plays, so whoever he is matched up with should get by him with ease.

Not at all blood related, but also a guard is Keon Lawrence who can also occasionally hit the three, but is a fairly streaky shooter from behind the arc. Like Hannah, this Lawrence is a really quick guard who is constantly in the face of his man and loves to penetrate off the dribble and react to what the defense gives him.

Although he doesn’t even start, Austin native Marshall Brown is still the captain and a strong voice in the huddle and locker room. He was the starting power forward last year for Mike Anderson, but now is doing well in his role as an energy guy off the bench. When the going gets tough, he likely won’t be the one taking the big shot, but he’s still the one the team looks to for leadership.

What to look for

Besides the obvious key of controlling the ball in this one, it is also going to be interesting to see how fatigue plays into things with Missouri able to dip much further into their bench for significant minutes. Dexter Pittman will be nearly useless in this high-tempo affair, but look for some more minutes from Alexis Wangmene, who Coach Barnes said has been showing some solid progress in practices the last week.

As always, it’s important to not fall behind early on the road and allow the crowd to fuel the home team. But for a Texas team that loves to sprint out of the gates in roadies and then wither in the second half, it’s going to be important to keep up that intensity for all forty minutes. The Tigers look to exhaust teams both physically and mentally, so it will take a lot of composure from what is still a pretty young Texas team. Luckily for Longhorn fans, these guys stared down much worse in Pauley Pavilion and came out on top.

This one is available to anybody who has the ESPN Full Court package, and it will air on KNVA for those folks in Austin. There are tons of affiliates carrying the game across the country, though, so be sure to check out the local affiliate list from TexasSports.com to find where it’s on in your area.

For now, we bid you adieu and hit the road for Columbia, Missouri. There may or may not be time (or internet access) to do a TV listing tomorrow morning, but we’ll try to at least get in a few short updates from the road on the iPhone.