The Texas Longhorns took a major step towards the NCAA tournament with Saturday afternoon’s win over Iowa State. With the victory, the Horns finally have the kind of win on their résumé that will hold cachet with the Selection Committe roughly two months from now. Even with Iowa State now on a three-game losing streak, the Cyclones are still ranked 10th in the all-important RPI. The victory was the first for Texas against the RPI Top 50, a data point that the committee weighs heavily when comparing Team A to Team B in order to dole out bids and nail down the S-curve.

One win, however, does not make a tournament-worthy team. The Longhorns will have to snag some more quality victories to keep themselves in the discussion, but fortunately will have numerous opportunities, as they compete in the nation’s top RPI-rated conference. Texas is in the midst of a four-game stretch against ranked opponents, all of whom are currently slotted 36th or better in the RPI. With the conference so deep this season, those types of schedule stretches are the norm rather than the exception; Kansas and Oklahoma both just completed their own streaks of four games against ranked opponents, as well. While the Longhorns could earn some of those quality wins on the road, the nature of home court in college basketball means that it will be decidedly easier for them to score some scalps at home.

Tonight, Kansas State provides yet another opportunity for Texas to pad its portfolio. The matchup is practically even, with Ken Pomeroy’s computers giving the Horns a 67-64 edge on their home floor. Texas let a golden opportunity slip away when Oklahoma escaped the Frank Erwin Center with a three-point win on the opening night of conference play. If the Horns want to keep their bubble prospects strong, they cannot afford to let another quality win slip away tonight.

The preview

I’ve toyed with the idea of a Twitter preview a few times this season when real-life time crunches pushed back my publication times much later than I preferred. Tonight, I’m going to give it a whirl and see how it goes. I could write a few thousand words on these K-State Wildcats, and I’ll do exactly that when the Longhorns face them on February 8th, instead of posting the usual, abbreviated preview that I typically use for the second half of the Big 12’s double round-robin. For tonight’s game, however, check out the Longhorn Road Trip Twitter timeline during the five o’clock hour for pre-game numbers, keys, and player notes. For posterity’s sake, I’ll embed them here on the website after the fact.

Until then, amigos…

Texas is back in action this afternoon, hosting a Top 10 opponent at the Drum. The Horns are coming off one of their most impressive performances of the season, a convincing road win in which they stifled the West Virginia offense and scored at will on the other end. UT’s defense held the Mountaineers to their lowest offensive efficiency mark of the season, allowing just 0.936 points per possession.

The Texas defense will need another strong performance this afternoon against an Iowa State squad that has the 26th-most efficient offense in the nation. The Cyclones get down the court in a hurry and find open shooters with just one or two passes, often scoring before their opponents even know what’s happened.

This game is an important opportunity for the Longhorns, who will likely be battling on the NCAA bubble all season long. In Joe Lunardi’s Thursday Bracketology update, UT was the last team left out of the field of 68. The bubble is just a bit smaller this season, as the formation of the American Athletic Conference means that there’s one less at-large bid available.

Texas is currently ranked 46th in the RPI, but are lacking any wins against teams ranked in the RPI Top 50. Thanks to North Carolina’s swoon in ACC play, the Tar Heels have slid to 53rd, leaving Texas with an 0-4 mark against the RPI Top 50.

Fortunately, the Big 12 is the top league as ranked by RPI, and the Horns will have an additional 10 chances to knock off a team in that important Top 50 group. Obviously, it’s easier to upset any team at home than on the road, and that’s especially true when talking about teams like Iowa State, Kansas State, and Kansas, who have tremendous home-court advantages. If the Horns want to finish at least .500 in league play and maintain an NCAA-worthy résumé, they will have to earn some wins at home against the Big 12’s top teams.

By the numbers

Iowa State’s aforementioned efficient offense is a quick-strike unit that can easily exploit even the smallest mistakes made by opposing defenses. The Cyclones play at the 16th-fastest tempo in Division I, and they boast the 7th-quickest offensive possessions, averaging just 14.7 seconds on the offensive end. Iowa State not only attacks in transition, but also repeatedly scores on the secondary break by finding open men when the defense does manage to stop the ball. The Cyclones are very disciplined when they run the floor, staying in their lanes and getting to spots where they can wait for open looks, or cutting to the rim on the weak side.

Defensively, Iowa State’s numbers are even better. The Cyclones have the 18th-most efficient defense in the country, allowing just 0.929 adjusted points per possession. They have a lot of length on the perimeter, which allows them to sag off and defend the interior, while still being able to close out on shooters for contested jumpers. As a result, Iowa State has a fantastic two-point defense and hardly ever sends opponents to the line. With the Cyclone D already set inside, driving guards have to pass it off, take a contested shot, or barrel forward and draw offensive fouls.

In Big 12 play, Iowa State’s defense has also started forcing mistakes. The Cyclones hardly ever forced turnovers in the non-conference slate, but are tops in the conference with a 23% defensive turnover percentage in four league games. That increase in turnovers has helped to offset a decrease in defensive rebounding, as the smaller Cyclone roster has given up more second chances now that they are battling the size of Big 12 teams.

Meet the Cyclones

An Iowa State name that most Big 12 fans will already know is that of Georges Niang (No. 31), a matchup nightmare that could best be described as a point forward. Although Niang doesn’t run the point, he has the ballhandling skills to do so, is an excellent passer, and can get to the rack by driving from the perimeter.

Niang doesn’t have the speed to blow by defenders, but he can pull opposing forwards away from the bucket, put the ball on the floor, and use smooth spin moves to beat them to the rim. When faced with smaller defenders, Coach Hoiberg loves to isolate him on the block, where Niang can easily score over both shoulders.

If Niang wasn’t already enough of a matchup problem for opponents, the Cyclones went and added graduate transfer DeAndre Kane (No. 50) to run the point. A 6’4″ guard, Kane has an aggressive streak that gets him to the rim repeatedly and makes him a handful on the glass. Kane always has a head of steam in transition, where his speed and strength make him tough to slow down. Even when he’s stopped on the break or on the drive, he makes excellent passes to set up teammates. And if opponents sag off to take away his driving ability, Kane can knock down the three, as his 35.9% success rate proves.

The former Marshall player has been putting up ridiculous numbers all season, but he has earned a lot of attention with his stats in Big 12 play. Through four games, Kane is averaging 22.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 3.5 steals. While Iowa State’s pace means that he has a few more possessions to earn those stats, the numbers are still staggering.

Freshman Matt Thomas (No. 21) had started every game this season before coming off the bench in Monday’s loss to Kansas. Thomas came to Ames with the reputation of a sharpshooter from his high school days in Wisconsin, but he has not taken too many shots in his first year at ISU. He’s only used 16% of the team’s shots when he’s on the floor, but is reliable enough as a spot-up guy, having knocked down 33% of his threes.

Sophomore Naz Long (No. 15) is the man who took Thomas’ starting spot on Monday night, and he’s the team’s only lights-out option from beyond the arc. Under Hoiberg, Iowa State has historically been a team that can bury you with threes, but this year’s team is only average with a 34.3% mark from long range. Long is the main reason that percentage isn’t worse, as he’s leading the team in both three-point attempts (72) and percentage (44.4%).

On the wing, senior Melvin Ejim (No. 3) is a good shooter and quick slasher who can be tough to stay in front of. His 35% three-point mark keeps defenders honest and helps him use head fakes to get space for drives to the lane or one-dribble pull-up jumpers just inside the arc. Ejim posted some phenomenal rebounding numbers as a junior, stats that were made even more impressive when considering he’s just 6’6″. This year, those numbers have been cut nearly in half, with Melvin’s rebounding percentages not even cracking the Top 500 on either end of the court.

Although Dustin Hogue (No. 22) is also 6’6″, his mindset is more consistent with that of a power forward. Hogue is always scrapping inside for boards, and his 22.6% defensive rebounding rate ranks him in the Top 100 nationally. He is also the team’s best offensive rebounder and boasts a nice shooting percentage because of how many easy looks he earns for himself with hard work on the glass. Even when he’s not getting second-change points, he has the skills to get good opportunities inside, despite being undersized.

The Iowa State bench is very short, with no options to back up Niang, Ejim, or Hogue. Freshman guard Monte Morris (No. 11) is the final player in the core, seven-man rotation, and he averages just over 22 minutes per game. Morris has speed and good handles, but can sometimes look a little too hyped-up and jittery when he’s trying to dribble penetrate. Morris also appears to have a pretty nice three-point stroke, but doesn’t have much of a sample size on which to judge. The freshman has made nearly 39% of his threes, but is averaging less than one make per game.

Keys to the game

1) Dominate the glass – Iowa State’s defense forces opponents into taking contested jumpers, which typically means a lot of missed shots. Texas has done a good job reclaiming their misses this year and turning those into points, while the Cyclones have struggled on the defensive glass in conference play. If the Longhorns aren’t exploiting that advantage and earning second chances against an ISU team that will force a lot of misses, they will have a hard time keeping up on the scoreboard today.

2) Knock down threes – With the Cyclones sagging into the paint and taking away Texas’ interior game, it means that the Longhorns are going to have to knock down their open threes. Oklahoma found a lot of success with the drive-and-kick in their win over Iowa State last Saturday. The Longhorns need to do the same this afternoon, with Damarcus Croaker and Martez Walker playing the role of spot-up shooter. Texas can also probably find some success with Jonathan Holmes and Connor Lammert utilizing their pick-and-pop skills.

3) Don’t over-penetrate – Javan Felix and Isaiah Taylor have both made their share of mistakes this season by driving against set defenses and getting themselves into trouble. While Texas will need both Felix and Taylor to be aggressive this afternoon, they have to be smart about reading what the defense is giving them. If not, it will result in senseless turnovers that will fuel Iowa State’s transition game.

4) Maintain poise – In Iowa State’s 14-0 start, eight of those wins came after the Cyclones dug out of a hole of at least seven points. Thanks to their ability to score in a hurry, it doesn’t take long for the Cyclones to steal momentum and erase deficits. The Longhorns are going to have to weather a few runs from Iowa State today if they want to pull off the upset, so they have to maintain composure when the Cyclones inevitably get on a roll.

The Big 12 was widely thought to be a three-team league before the season tipped off in November. Kansas and Oklahoma State were the clear-cut favorites, and in fact were tied atop the pre-season poll of the conference’s coaches. Baylor was predicted to be just a step behind them, with the rest of the league not expected to make much noise. The Mountaineers and Longhorns, who finished seventh and eighth in last year’s standings, were predicted to hold steady in those slots this year.

As it turns out, the league is much deeper and tougher than even its own coaches could have predicted. The top eight teams in the Big 12 are all ranked in the top 65 of Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, with three in the top twelve. Every road game is going to be tough to win, as Oklahoma State learned in Manhattan and Morgantown on the last two Saturdays.

Unfortunately, for the Longhorns, a road win against a favored team is essentially a must-have at this point. After losing their home conference opener to Oklahoma, Texas now has to steal one back on the road to stay in the hunt for a .500 league record. Tonight’s trip to West Virginia is one of their best opportunities to make up for that loss to the Sooners, but escaping the mountains with a win will still be a tall order.

By the numbers

Like Texas, West Virginia has bounced back well from a dismal campaign in 2012-13. The team’s 10-6 mark can be a bit misleading, as four of the losses came by five points or less, with a fifth coming in a 70-63 neutral-court decision against still-undefeated Wisconsin.

The Mountaineers have the nation’s 32nd best offense in terms of Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency, scoring 1.137 points per possession, up significantly from last year’s 1.026 mark. They shoot the ball fairly well, but it’s their ball control and offensive rebounding numbers that make it so hard for opponents to keep them from scoring. West Virginia boasts the nation’s eighth-best turnover percentage, coughing it up on just 14% of their possessions. They also do a solid job extending possessions by reclaiming 34.9% of their missed shots, a stat that ranks 83rd in Division I.

West Virginia is also extremely dangerous from beyond the arc, knocking down nearly 40% of their threes on the season. They move the basketball very quickly and have a handful of quick, slashing guards who can drive and kick to wide-open teammates on the perimeter. Five different Mountaineers in the core rotation have made at least 37.5% of their long-range looks, with three of them north of the 40% mark.

Defensively, WVU is just a bit ahead of the national average, with most of their tempo-free statistics clustered around the mean. Their weakest defensive number is actually on the glass, where the Mountaineers allow opponents to win back 32.7% of their missed shots. For a Texas team that typically dominates on the offensive glass, that could mean a nice chunk of second-chance points.

Meet the Mountaineers

West Virginia has two of the league’s top five scorers, which is even more impressive when you consider that the team plays at only the fifth-fastest tempo in the ten team league, and they play considerably slower than the likes of OU, Texas, and Iowa State. Sophomore guard Eron Harris (No. 10) is second in the league with 18.1 points per game, and he’s doing it from all over the court.

Harris takes more than 28% of his team’s shots when he’s on the floor, and with an effective field goal percentage above 56%, it’s easy to see why. He can knock down the midrange jumper, has the speed and a quick first step to repeatedly get him to the rim, and he’s drilled nearly 43% of his three-pointers on the year.

Point guard and former Dayton Flyer Juwan Staten (No. 3) is second on the team and fifth in the Big 12 in scoring. Like Harris, he can easily get to the rack, but his jump shot isn’t quite as reliable. Although Staten scores much more than most point guards, he still has excellent court vision and repeatedly sets up his teammates when his slashing ability draws defensive help. His impressive assist rate of 31.3% is currently ranked 65th in the nation.

Even though they often don’t need the help, West Virginia frequently springs its guards with high ball screens, which makes it even harder for opponents to keep up with Staten, Harris, and the like. Even if a team can rotate and provide help to cut off the driving lanes, West Virginia’s stable of great outside shooters is often waiting to drill a trey. One of those marksmen is Terry Henderson (No. 15), a 37.5% three-point shooter who has logged a pair of triples in each of his Big 12 games this year.

Inside, West Virginia is already seeing great production from freshman Devin Harris (No. 5), a begoggled 6’9″ kid out of Cincinnati. Harris is ranked 100th in Division I with a 22.6% defensive rebounding rate, and is ranked 202nd with an 11.4% mark on the offensive glass. He also has a sound midrange jumper and has no problem facing up opposing forwards and taking them off the bounce. Although he’s 6’9″, Harris looks more like a swingman when he has the ball in his hands near the arc, and his diverse skillset makes him a tough matchup that can spread the floor for his slashing teammates.

Rounding out the starting five is junior Kevin Noreen (No. 34), a glue guy whose contributions typically don’t show up on the stat sheet. He sets solid screens to free up the team’s shooters and driving guards, and he passes extremely well, especially out of the high post. His good cuts and quick passes are a big part of West Virginia’s success when they face a zone.

Off the bench, Puerto Rican product Gary Browne (No. 14) is the team’s primary option in the backcourt. He is yet another three-point threat for West Virginia, but is only playing about 20 minutes per game.

Browne isn’t the only international talent on the roster, as French-born Rémi Dibo (No. 0) arrived this season from Casper College in Wyoming. Dibo is another stretch four who has made nearly 42% of his threes. His decision-making could still use some work, as he sometimes tries to do too much with the ball and ends up turning it over.

Rounding out the rotation is freshman forward Nathan Adrian (No. 11). A fan favorite who played his high school ball in Morgantown, Adrian shows a lot of promise as another big who can play both inside and out. The freshman scraps for boards and has a nice jump shot, but with so much talent on the roster, he’s only averaging about 17 minutes per game.

Keys to the game

1) Crash the glass – On the year, West Virginia is 6-1 when outrebounding their opponents, with the lone loss coming on Saturday against Oklahoma State. Although the Mountaineers do a great job getting to the rack and knocking down threes, their ability to reclaim their misses makes them even more dangerous. Texas has done a solid job winning the rebounding battle in most of their games this year, so if they can take away that aspect of West Virginia’s offense and also get their own second chances, the Horns may be able to pull out a tough road win.

2) Attack in transition – West Virginia throws in a lot of different defensive looks, including an odd-front zone that gave the Horns trouble late in last year’s loss at Morgantown. With a young and inexperienced backcourt, that could give Texas some issues, especially considering the team’s tendency to go stagnant on the offensive end for extended stretches.

Fortunately, West Virginia has struggled at stopping the ball in transition and finding off-the-ball players on the break. The Longhorns already prefer to play an up-tempo game, but against the Mountaineers, that kind of approach is a necessity. Of course, with West Virginia taking very good care of the basketball, the Horns will need to constantly look up after defensive boards if they want to initiate the break.

3) Shut down dribble penetration – This is easier said than done, but if the Texas defense can communicate well and provide the help to limit West Virginia’s dribble penetration, the Mountaineers have shown that they will often settle for jumpers. The challenge doesn’t end with simply cutting off driving lanes, as good rotation will be key to prevent kickouts to WVU’s excellent shooters. Help defense and good rotation still won’t be enough on some possessions, thanks to West Virginia’s crisp ball movement, but that will hopefully provide enough stops to give Texas a chance in this one.

During last year’s rough 16-18 campaign, the Texas Longhorns could at least count on one thing — if they needed a win, Texas Tech or TCU was great to see next on the schedule. It’s been that way with the Red Raiders for quite some time, as the Longhorns have swept the season series in each of the last five years, and have never lost at home to Tech in Rick Barnes’ 15 years on the Forty Acres.

It hasn’t taken too long for Tubby Smith to get things turned around in Lubbock, however. Tech has had some good pieces on the roster over the last few years, but has never been able to put it together for more than an upset here or there. This season, Smith’s Red Raiders have held their own against some tough competition and look primed to surprise some unsuspecting foes in Big 12 play.

For a Texas team that is sitting at 0-2 in league play, becoming Tech’s first conference victim would be disastrous. The Longhorns were one of Joe Lunardi’s “Last Four Byes” in the January 2nd version of his bracket, meaning that Texas was just ahead of the group slotted to play in the First Four in Dayton. After a frustrating loss to Oklahoma and a road defeat to Oklahoma State, UT has slid into the “First Four Out” category. To even stay in the conversation, the Horns must take care of business at home against the teams at the bottom of the Big 12 table.

By the numbers

Through 15 games, the Red Raider offense is scoring an adjusted 1.099 points per game, ranking them 65th in the country. That number is a marked improvement over the last two seasons for Tech, as they were ranked 205th last season and 307th two years ago. What’s most impressive about the quick and massive turnaround is that there are five Red Raiders on this year’s squad who were here for both of those awful seasons, and two contributing sophomores who part of last year’s offensively-challenged team.

Granted, the season is only halfway through, but to date, the Red Raiders have increased their adjusted offense efficiency numbers by more than 11%. So how did Tech’s core rotation suddenly learn how to score? First and foremost, the team is making a concerted effort to get the ball into the lane for easier looks. Tech is averaging 38.5 points per game in the paint, which equates to nearly 52% of their scoring.

In addition, they crash the glass with a purpose. This season, the Red Raiders are ranked 25th in the nation when it comes to reclaiming their own misses, snagging 38% of their offensive rebounding opportunities. Part of that success is already baked into those points-in-the-paint numbers, as tip-ins and putbacks obviously count as both an offensive board and points in the paint. However, the commitment to getting the ball inside and attacking the glass has given the Red Raiders an identity as a tougher team and it’s resulted in a much better offense.

Defensively, Tech’s stats are nothing to write home about. Although they’ve improved their adjusted defensive efficiency numbers by 0.4 points per possession over last year, their stats still only hover around the national median. You can hear and see Tech’s improvement on the court, as they now communicate clearly and play better team defense, but they still need more work to achieve consistent results.

Meet the Red Raiders

Tech’s leading scorer is senior Jaye Crockett (No. 30), who is enjoying more freedom as a wing player this year. In the past, he was mostly used as an undersized forward, and that experience makes him even more dangerous in his new role. Crockett is great attacking the basket from the perimeter, has a great midrange game, and can still post up to get his points inside. Although he’s 31% from beyond the arc this season, he’s hit 3-of-6 in his two Big 12 games, which keeps defenses honest when he’s hanging out around the arc.

Crockett’s fellow senior in the starting five is seven-footer Dejan Kravic (No. 11). Although the big man has a nice midrange jumper and a pretty good hook shot, he’s not a huge part of the offensive gameplan. Unsurprisingly, he’s a solid offensive rebounder, having grabbed more than 10% of his offensive rebounding chances so far this year.

Joining Crockett and Kravic in the frontcourt is junior Jordan Tolbert (No. 32), who has posted three double-doubles through 15 games. His offensive and defensive rebounding rates of 11.8% and 20.1% are both tops on the team. Like Crockett, Tolbert does have the ability to drive from the perimeter, but he is not nearly as smooth in that regard and prefers to hang out around the rim. He has a great set of post moves, especially a very quick spin move that leaves defenders flat-footed. In addition, Tolbert is a quality shot blocker and runs the floor well on the rare occasions when Tech gets out in transition.

Shooting guard Toddrick Gotcher (No. 20) has a nice jumper, although he tends to be a very streaky shooter and doesn’t use many possessions. He’s hit nearly 42% of his three-point attempts on the season, but is barely averaging two attempts per game. Instead, like most of the Red Raiders, Gotcher prefers to put the ball on the floor and attack with the bounce. Most importantly, the sophomore is a strong perimeter defender, a skill that is huge on a team which has struggled to slow down opposing guards this year.

Rounding out the starting five is new point guard Robert Turner (No. 14). A juco transfer from New Mexico JC, Turner was the first signee of the Tubby Smith era, and his ability to slash to the rim has opened things up for his teammates. Turner averages more than nine points per game, but his 20.4% assist rate is key to Tech’s success inside. He repeatedly draws defensive attention with his quick drives, and is able to hang in the air long enough to get opponents off the ground before he whips passes around them to his waiting teammates on the blocks. In two Big 12 games, Turner has posted a 5.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Sharpshooter Dusty Hannahs (No. 2) is currently coming off the bench, but his recent play has certainly earned him some extra playing time. Although Hannahs’ 35.7% three-point mark is second-best on the team, he is the only frequent long-range scorer on a Tech team that gets less than 20% of its points from beyond the arc. In Big 12 play, Hannahs has improved his game by showing a scrappiness inside that has led to boards and second-chance points. As a result, he’s averaged 15 points in the team’s two conference games.

Keys to the game

1) Pack in the defense – With Tech struggling to score from long range, there’s no reason why the Longhorns shouldn’t clog the lane against the Red Raiders tonight. Texas Tech’s game plan is always to feed the bigs on the block and generate opportunities with their slashing guards and wings. As long as the Longhorns have someone closely shadowing Hannahs during his time on the court, there’s little danger in sagging off with their other four defenders and turning Tech into a jump-shooting team.

2) Clean up the glass – Of course, if the Horns are forcing the Red Raiders into taking contested jumpers, they will need to actually follow up those defensive stops with timely boards. Tech has been fantastic all season on the offensive glass, but the Longhorns have been equally good on the defensive boards.

Texas found out firsthand how important it is to box out on the defensive boards in last Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma. On that night, the Horns allowed the Sooners to reclaim 46% of their missed shots and score 19 second-chance points. If Texas has a similarly poor performance against a good offensive rebounding Red Raider unit tonight, the Longhorns will be flirting with disaster.

3) Aggressive guard play – One weakness for Tech has been perimeter defense by the guards, as Big 12 opponents have repeatedly attacked the rim with little resistance from the Red Raiders. The Longhorns need to exploit this not only for the easy points, but also to take advantage of Tech’s lack of depth in the backcourt.

Beyond Turner, Hannahs, and Gotcher, Texas Tech’s best option is inexperienced freshman Randy Onwuasor (No. 1), who has a hideous turnover rate of more than 30%. Luke Adams (No. 13) has also been used sparingly at the point when Turner is in foul trouble, but he is averaging just four minutes per game in 10 appearances. If the Texas guards make it a point to slash to the rim tonight, they’ll be rewarded with some easy hoops and trips to the line, and will also force Tubby to get creative with his lineups.

The Longhorns suffered a frustrating loss at the hands of their biggest rivals on Saturday night, dropping their Big 12 opener to Oklahoma. Texas was already going to have a hard time reaching .500 in conference play, and in turn getting to the magical 20-win plateau, especially in such a deep league. Losing a home game against another mid-tier team makes those goals even tougher for Texas to achieve, and it means that an extra win is going to have to be picked off on the road at some point.

Tonight’s road game in Stillwater would not be a prime opportunity to earn that win back. Although Oklahoma State is coming off a loss in its own conference opener, the team is one of the top candidates to win the 2014 league crown. With a loaded, athletic lineup that can score in bunches and play stifling defense, the Cowboys will be tough to beat anywhere, much less at home. Add in the fact that Oklahoma State desperately wants to avoid an 0-2 start in conference, and the Longhorns clearly have their work cut out for them tonight.

Players to watch

Marcus Smart (No. 33) – If you’ve watched any college basketball in the last two seasons, you know who Smart is. A natural leader with a ton of talents, Smart brings some size and strength to the point guard role at 6’4″ and 220 pounds. He can guard multiple positions, has quick hands on defense, and is easily able to get to the rack. Excellent court vision helps him set up his athletic teammates all over the court, and solid body control allows Smart to make some highlight buckets on very difficult looks.

Smart also has range beyond the perimeter, but he needs to demonstrate better shot selection. Far too often, he forces shots with a defender in his face, and not at all in the flow of the offense. For a guy who was a surefire NBA lottery pick last year, you can’t help but feel that he’s trying to prove to scouts that he has a skill which really isn’t in his toolkit. At just a 31.5% success rate from beyond the arc, Smart needs to only shoot the three when he’s open and when it’s in rhythm.

It’s also worth keeping an eye on Smart’s foul situation tonight. The sophomore still has a tendency to pick up silly fouls that limit his playing time, which could be a major concern tonight if Stevie Clark is still unavailable. Clark was suspended for four games in late November and was also arrested last Wednesday for marijuana possession. He was not officially suspended a second time for that arrest, but was held out of the loss to Kansas State on Saturday. The Cowboys have a short bench, so if their backup point guard is still out of action, Smart cannot afford to be whistled for careless fouls.

Markel Brown (No. 22) – Although Smart gets all the press, Brown is one of the nation’s best scorers. He also is a great shot blocker at the guard position, having swatted nearly 100 shots in his career. Brown really elevates for his smooth jumper, and he consistently knocks down 17-footers coming off of curls and pindown screens. Although Oklahoma State often works to get him free without the ball, he can also easily create his own looks with the rock in his hand, making him a very difficult cover. With Clark’s availability in question, Brown can also be relied upon to run the point when Smart is out of the game, but he’s at his best playing off the ball, keeping the defense busy fighting through OSU’s constant screening action.

Le’Bryan Nash (No. 2) – Nash came to Stillwater as a highly-touted prospect on the wing, but really struggled living up to his hype as a freshman. Although he’s an athletic guy with great slashing ability, Nash would hang out near the perimeter far too often, content with putting up long jumpers. Last year, Nash began to evolve as a sophomore, attacking the basket with more regularity. This year, he’s now consistently using his driving ability to get to the rack, not only piling up points, but also racking up fouls against the defenders unlucky enough to get tasked with containing him.

The best defensive gameplan I’ve seen against Nash this year came from Colorado, which used primarily a man-to-man defense. Although they allowed Nash to be matched up one-on-one on the perimeter, help defense immediately doubled him when he put the ball on the floor, exposing his weakness as a passer. Nash’s size is going to be a problem for the Longhorns to contain, as they lack a true wing and will naturally give up a few inches at that position. A similar approach utilizing aggressive doubling could help to negate that advantage for Nash and OSU.

Phil Forte (No. 13) – Friends with Smart since the fourth grade, Forte was recruited to Oklahoma State to fill the role of departing sharpshooter Keiton Page. Forte has played that part beautifully, sinking nearly 49% of his three-point attempts this season. Oklahoma State has so many good scoring options available on the floor at once that opponents often lose track of Forte and give him open looks. With Texas coming off a game in which the Sooners went 13-for-28 from long range, one would think that the Horns will pay close attention to the perimeter. If they don’t, Forte could try to challenge OU’s three-point numbers all by himself.

Keys to the game

1) Attack the basket – With Oklahoma State now down to a rotation of just six players — or seven, if Clark plays — foul trouble could quickly put the Cowboys in a pickle. They have a lot of length on the perimeter and interchangeable players who can switch most screens, so simple dribble penetration could be difficult. The Longhorns can’t be frustrated by a solid Oklahoma State defense early and simply give up on attacking with the bounce.

2) Play inside out – If the Horns have a hard time attacking the gaps in the OSU defense, they hopefully can get things going by exploiting their size inside. Now that big man Michael Cobbins (No. 20) is out for the year, the Cowboys have a very thin frontcourt and are giving up some defensive skill by having to increase the role for Kamari Murphy (No. 21). Against Kansas State, OSU’s solution was a lot of doubling in the post.

Texas bigs have had some problems against double-teams this season, including their last game against Oklahoma. Cameron Ridley, Connor Lammert, and Prince Ibeh need to be confident with the ball and make quick passes when the defense collapses, while the guards need to be filling that vacated space and cutting to the hoop. This also offers a great opportunity for Damarcus Croaker to be a deadly role player if he spots up in the short corner for kickout opportunities.

3) Clean up the glass – That size advantage also offers a great opportunity for Texas to earn second-chance points with a strong showing on the glass. However, the Cowboys do get solid rebounding from their guards and wings, so the Longhorn backcourt has to do its part in finding bodies to box out. Rebounding will also be key on the defensive end for Texas, as Oklahoma State is such a good shooting team that the Horns cannot afford to give them second chances when they do actually miss.