It’s been a long, long day at work, so I’m going to cut right to the national TV listings and then get to wrapping up last night’s game against TCU. Fast Break should be back at full force tomorrow morning, along with another Horns in the League update.

5 PM CST – Virginia Tech at Richmond, CSTV
6 PM CST – West Virginia at Notre Dame, ESPN2
7 PM CST – Virginia at Xavier, CSTV
7 PM CST – Ohio State at Illinois, ESPN
8 PM CST – Villanova at DePaul, ESPN2
9:30 PM CST – UCLA at Stanford, FSN

The Longhorns hit the court again this afternoon, hoping a game against TCU can help them bounce back from consecutive losses to tough, physical Big 10 opponents. The big news of the day is the regular-season debut of freshman stud Gary Johnson, who should help the Longhorns with that weak inside game. Johnson’s return also relegates guard Justin Mason to the bench, which will help to ease the burden on the overworked combo of A.J. Abrams and D.J. Augustin.

While the losses to Michigan State and Wisconsin were not blowouts, one can’t help but think back to the Elite Eight season just two years ago. That Texas team started the year with nine straight wins before suffering back-to-back blowouts to Duke and Tennessee. That team finished the year at 30-7 — the best record in school history — and it took overtime to knock them out of the NCAA tournament just shy of the Final Four. One can only hope this season’s story arc will continue with its similar path.

By the numbers

The Horned Frogs are a sight for sore eyes on the Texas schedule at this point. TCU is an average 8-4 so far this year, and has amassed the mark against the 333rd toughest schedule in the country. Or if you prefer to look at it the other way, they did it against the 9th easiest schedule to date.

TCU’s losses have come against some familiar opponents, as they lost three straight after Thanksgiving to the likes of Tech, Oklahoma, and SMU. After beating up on some more patsies from the Southwestern Technical Association of Seminary Colleges, the Horned Frogs blew a big halftime lead on Saturday against the Rice Owls, ultimately losing by five.

Texas Christian is an up-tempo team, with an average of 71 possessions per game. While the Longhorns’ tempo numbers are muddled by slower games against UTSA, UCLA, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, it is undebatable that Texas plays better when pushing the issue and getting out in transition. Unless the Horned Frogs try to adjust their own style to slow down the Longhorns, this one could be ugly.

Offensively, TCU is a slightly above average squad, averaging just over a point per possession. While that’s no match for Texas — who sports the most effective offense in the land — the Horned Frogs’ troubles are further complicated by their struggling defense. Their numbers look good at first blush, but when adjusted to reflect that pitifully easy schedule, their DefEf plummets to 222nd in the country. If the Longhorns don’t score at will against these guys, something is horribly wrong.

Players to watch

Junior guard Henry Salter is the go-to guy for the Horned Frogs, averaging 14.9 points in only 26.1 minutes per game. He takes good care of the ball, and is a deadly shooter from behind the arc. Salter is 30-of-61 from long range so far this season, so if the Horned Frogs are going to have any chance of an upset, they’ll need him to continue the three-point bombing.

Big man Kevin Langford is the brother of former Kansas Jayhawk Keith Langford, but isn’t quite as good. This Langford knows how to get to the line, as he holds one of the highest free-throw rates in the nation. Unfortunately, he’s only 70% from the line once he gets there, although that still makes him one of the best Horned Frogs from the charity stripe. As a team, TCU is only 63% from the line.

Brent Hackett is the other starting guard for Coach Neil Dougherty, and he is not shy about launching the three-ball. While he’s not nearly as accurate as Salter, Hackett has 93 attempts from behind the arc and has connected on 34% of them. Although Mason will be coming off the bench, his lockdown defense will be needed to keep Salter and Hackett under control.

Coming off the bench is guard Jason Ebie. The 6-foot, 1-inch sophomore has quick hands and is adept at forcing steals that jumpstart the TCU transition game. If Ebie is in the game, Horn fans have to hope that Augustin is always at the point. The thought of Abrams or Mason having to run the show against this thief is pretty scary.

What to look for

Crashing the glass – TCU is a horrible rebounding team, and the addition of Gary Johnson to the lineup should only make things worse for the visitors. After struggling on the glass against Michigan State and throughout the second half of the Wisconsin game, this one should offer the Texas bigs a good chance to pad those stats.

The sixth man – How will Justin Mason respond to his new role as the first man off the bench? His offensive game has struggled lately, so one can only hope that this shake-up gives the kid the spark he needs to get back on track.

The Gary Johnson effect – In addition to helping out on the boards and in the paint, the addition of Johnson also should free up other Longhorn players on the court. I’m particularly interested to see how often Gary’s presence inside opens up Connor and Damion for those mid-range jumpers they can easily knock down.

The magic number – Although Texas really shouldn’t have a problem in this one, it is interesting to note that the Horned Frogs have scored at least 75 points in each of their eight wins this year. Unless TCU can shoot it over the Texas defense, they will likely be held below the magic 75 mark.

Michael Flowers came off of a high screen and drilled an NBA-range three, then stole the ensuing inbounds pass and threw it skyward as time expired. By the time the ball came back to the court, there was an eerie feeling in the Erwin Center. Faint cheering could be heard cascading from the large Wisconsin contingent in the rafters, while the Longhorn players trudged off the court, eyes locked to the ground. Wisconsin had stolen a win over a Top 10 team on the road, and they’d done it without their best player.

Without Trevon Hughes on the court for Bo Ryan, the Longhorns (11-2) seemed like the odds on favorite in the game. They dominated the boards in the first half, negating the one huge advantage that the Badgers should have had. Texas even burst out of the gates in the second half, sprinting to an eight-point lead. So what went wrong?

Many will focus on the missed free throw by A.J. Abrams with 11 seconds left. But the Longhorns had already missed five of their ten free throws prior to that, including two front ends on one-and-ones. In a game decided by only one, that’s seven possible points left at the charity stripe. In the grand scheme of things, this one loss isn’t that big, but 50% free throw shooting will kill a season in March.

A lot of focus has also been paid to the controversial charging call on D.J. Augustin, which erased a basket that could’ve put the Horns up by five. While it’s very likely that this one call changed the outcome of the game, it’s a fact of life that referees will sometimes blow calls. Oftentimes they turn out to be inconsequential, but in rare cases such as these, they come at a moment which completely changes the game. All that being said, the simple fact of the matter is that Texas should not have been in a position where that call would have mattered. End of story.

Damion James was the only Longhorn who played a solid game throughout, grabbing 15 rebounds to go with his 21-point performance. Although James had a trio of rim-rocking dunks, he accrued those other 15 points very quietly. James hit a ton of mid-range jumpers and cleaned it up around the paint, methodically racking up the points and keeping the Horns in front.

After a solid first few minutes, Connor Atchley struggled the rest of the way. Although he blocked three shots, he picked up four fouls largely as a result of his sudden penchant for biting on every pump fake the Wisconsin big men threw his way. Atchley finished the night with eight points and seven boards, but his struggles defensively were a huge reason why the Badgers chalked up 36 points in the paint.

The half-court, grind-it-out game that Wisconsin played was a perfect fit for Dexter Pittman, and the big man grabbed a solid thirteen minutes in the contest. It’s a good sign that he’ll be ready for the Aggies and Sooners, but the worrisome part of the equation is that Pittman also bit on a ton of pump fakes, just like Atchley. I have a strong feeling that Todd Wright and Rick Barnes will be working hard with the forwards and centers on their defense this week.

A.J. Abrams contributed in a ton of different ways, hitting a lot of ridiculous runners and fadeaways. I’ve mentioned it earlier this season, but it bears repeating — last year, Abrams could not hit a runner to save his life. The addition of these shots to his repertoire makes him an even more dangerous player, and adds another layer to the Texas offense that other teams must prepare for.

Perhaps the biggest reason why the 67-66 loss didn’t sting too badly was the text message about 30 minutes before tipoff informing me that Gary Johnson was cleared to play in the TCU game. Since then, it has been announced he will be inserted into the starting lineup, and quite frankly that has me completely jazzed about the rest of the season. Switching to a two-guard lineup allows Augustin, Abrams, and Justin Mason to rest, and gives Rick Barnes a slight bit of depth in his backcourt. Johnson’s presence in the frontcourt also fills a huge hole for a Longhorn team that desperately needs more of an inside presence.

That lack of an inside presence was a huge problem as the Badgers clawed back from the eight-point deficit in the second half. The +7 rebounding margin that the Longhorns enjoyed in the first half swung the other way, with Wisconsin outrebounding the Horns by six in the second twenty minutes.

Wisconsin’s big, physical players also wreaked havoc with the refs allowing a lot of banging inside. The Big 12 can get very physical at times, and Texas is going to see a lot of this from the Aggies and Sooners this season. They can’t afford to miss 293 bunnies at point blank range, as it seemed like they did in the first half of this one.

With a conservative look forward at the rest of this season, this loss likely cost Texas a shot at a 1-seed. With Kansas, two games against A&M, tough road tests in Mizzou and Kansas State, plus resurgent Baylor and Oklahoma teams in the South, the Longhorns have a very difficult schedule left. But a 1-seed isn’t a ticket to the Final Four, so the only reason this loss is incredibly frustrating is because it was a game the Longhorns should’ve won.

With two games left before conference play, Texas still has a very solid chance at entering the Missouri game with a 13-2 record. Tomorrow offers a great chance to try new things out with Gary Johnson in the lineup, while the Saturday match-up with St. Mary’s is a potential trap that the Horns must be ready for. Enjoy the New Year’s Bowls in the meantime, and a preview of the Horned Frogs will be headed your way tomorrow morning.

Texas faces its second-straight Big 10 opponent this morning as Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers come to town. The Longhorns are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season, suffered last Saturday at the hands of Michigan State. Wisconsin comes into this one as winners of three straight, having only suffered two losses — both to teams currently ranked in the Top 10.

By the numbers

Bo Ryan’s teams are always known for their defense, and this year’s squad is no different. The Badgers are the best defensive team in the nation according to Ken Pomeroy, but offensively they are not too shabby either. Wisconsin boasts a +30.5 scoring differential per 100 possessions, which is slightly better than Texas’ +26.5 mark.

The Badgers are holding opponents to 36.6% shooting on the season. In the loss to Michigan State, the Horns shot only 39.3% for the game, their first game under the 40% benchmark on the year. Texas will have to really fight for its baskets today, and must grab as many easy looks in transition as they can.

The Badger team

Bo Ryan returns an experienced starting five, with two seniors, two juniors, and a sophomore. Big man Brian Butch is an integral part of the game plan, as he cleans up on the offensive glass and gives the team a shot at a ton of second-chance points. When he went down with an injury in the late-season game against Ohio State last year, the Badgers’ hopes for a Final Four run disintegrated.

Guard Trevon Hughes leads the team in both minutes and points, with 31.2 MPG and 15.1 PPG so far. He’s only six feet tall, so he is not a much of a mismatch for the Texas guards as some players they have faced in the past. If the Horns can actually shut down Butch as they did with Kevin Love against UCLA, the Badgers will have to rely on Hughes to carry the weight.

Michael Flowers has seen his game improve since being promoted to the starting role four games ago. He’s also not a tall guard, checking in at 6-feet, 2-inches, but if he continues his hot shooting it will make the Horns have to pick their poison.

The forwards on this Badger squad are big and effective, and will combine with Butch to create problems for Texas in the paint. Joe Krabbenhoft may have looked ridiculous in the high, striped throwback socks earlier this month, but 7.6/6.3 average is anything but funny. Marcus Landry has similar numbers, with 9.5 points and 5.1 boards per game.

What to look for

This is going to be a physical, slow-down affair, the type of game that causes problems for Texas. With the 11 A.M. start and students still on vacation, the awful atmosphere in the Frank Erwin Center could definitely let the Badgers hang around longer than they should. Texas needs to get out to a quick start and keep the dogs at bay, but also should not panic if they struggle early. Bo Ryan’s team is going to make it incredibly tough to score, so the Horns can’t afford to give in at any point.

Game is on ESPN2 this morning, so if you can’t make it down to the FEC, be sure to tune in.

Sure, there might be bowl games on today, but there’s wall-to-wall hoops action on ESPN2 and some local action on FSN for those in the south. A full listing of games on tap can be found a few paragraphs down, but for now let’s get to scores and news from the college basketball world.

Butler survived a scare at Southern Illinois, beating the Salukis on A.J. Graves’ 28-foot buzzer beater. It was only the fifth loss in the last 87 home games for SIU, who fell to a disappointing 5-6 mark with the defeat. Butler, meanwhile, is only one win away from running the table in their non-conf slate, having only lost to Horizon League foe Wright State.

Ole Miss is still undefeated! The Rebs knocked off Southern Miss, 78-58 in Southaven, moving to 12-0 for the first time in school history. And if that weren’t historic enough for Ole Miss, it is also the school’s first 12-game winning streak since 1926. With Alabama A&M next up on Wednesday, it looks like the streak should continue.

The Weber State Wildcats spoiled Eddie Sutton’s return to coaching, knocking off the San Francisco Dons, 62-54. Bitter Beer Face gets his next shot at 799 against the horrible Utah Valley State Wolverines on Monday night, but the Dons are pretty horrible themselves. Ought to be quite a thrilling match-up.

Chad Ford’s new draft rankings are out, and he’s got D.J. Augustin slotted 10th ($$). Fellow Big 12ers Darrell Arthur and DeAndre Jordan also cracked the Top 10, checking in at 7th and 5th, respectively.

Can anyone run the table this season? Fox Sports’ Dick Weiss won’t call it a lock just yet, but he concludes the Tigers have the best shot at it. While I don’t think they will put together six wins in a row come March, they definitely have a shot at an undefeated regular season. Their second-half defense against Big East power Georgetown was practically a clinic, and that was likely their toughest opponent on the schedule. The C-USA should be a cakewalk, but the Tigers could still potentially stumble against Arizona, Tennessee, or Gonzaga, although those three opponents will be played at home in the FedEx Forum.

Ready for a long day on the couch spent channel flipping between basketball and football? We’ve got you covered. ESPN2 has action all day long, starting with the Wisconsin/Texas game (11 AM CST), followed by San Diego/Kentucky (1 PM), Tennessee at Gonzaga (3 PM), OU against West Virginia (5 PM), Pitt and Dayton (7 PM), and that Arizona/Memphis matchup in the nightcap (9 PM). Local fans can check out Texas A&M hosting Florida A&M on FSN, tipping at 1 PM CST.