The Texas Longhorns have made things interesting for their fans so far this season. In New Jersey, the team gave up an eight-point lead before finally losing in overtime to Oregon State. Two nights later, an 18-point second-half lead disappeared in a loss to N.C. State. Less than a week after that, Sam Houston State made things dicey in a tight, low-scoring Texas win at the Erwin Center. If history is any indication, this afternoon should be just as nerve-wracking for Longhorn fans.

Texas and UCLA have a limited history, playing just four times prior to this afternoon’s matchup. The Bruins won the first two, with their most recent victory coming all the way back in 1971. But thanks to a short-lived series of games between the Pac-10 and Big 12, the rivalry was renewed earlier this decade. Texas won both contests against UCLA, but managed to do so by a combined margin of just six points. Number-cruncher Ken Pomeroy thinks that today will be much of the same, as he predicts a narrow, two-point win for Texas.

By the numbers

During UCLA’s three-year streak of Final Four appearances, Coach Ben Howland had an absolutely suffocating defense, finishing in the top three nationally in adjusted efficiency each of those seasons. This year, the team’s performance on D has been decidedly un-Bruinlike.

While UCLA showed some improvements against Pepperdine on Monday night, they have been almost incapable of stopping dribble penetration. The team’s poor rotation and bigs who refused to challenge at the rim made things even worse. On the occasions that the scrambling defense has actually been able to head off the ballhandler, wide open shooters are waiting behind the arc.

All told, these defensive weaknesses add up to the sixth-worst effective field-goal percentage and worst three-point defense in all of D-I hoops. UCLA opponents have knocked down 56.9% of their long-range attempts this year while posting an eFG of 59.4%.

While they’ve always been a team that will lock you down on D and then win the rebounding battle, this year’s questionable defense makes it seem like some extra offense will need to be added to the equation. Unfortunately, the Bruins are struggling in that area, as well. UCLA’s own eFG of 43.8% is in the bottom 60 of Division I, while their offensive rebounding mark of just 30% is incredibly low for a team with such a deep frontcourt.

A big part of the problem has been UCLA’s tendency to settle for three-point shots instead of working the ball inside. Often, this happens when big man Josh Smith is in the game, as he usually camps out on one block and makes little effort to work across the lane. As a result, opposing defenses can pack in to prevent the entry pass, and UCLA’s guards settle for long jumpers and threes. On the year, the Bruins have made just 27.5% of their three-point shots.

The one thing keeping UCLA in a lot of games is their ability to steal the ball and possessions from their opponents. Their steal percentage is sixth in the nation, while their defensive turnover percentage ranks just inside the top seventy. In their most recent game, the Bruins forced 15 Pepperdine turnovers, including six steals by Lazeric Jones.

These below-average numbers have led UCLA to a disappointing 2-4 start this season. After home losses to both Loyola Marymount and Middle Tennessee State, the Bruins have been looking for a shot of confidence before conference play starts. They whiffed on a big opportunity in Maui, losing to both Kansas and Michigan. Outside of a home game against the Richmond Spiders in late December, this afternoon’s contest with Texas provides the only remaining chance for UCLA to get a signature win before tackling the Pac-12 schedule.

Meet the Bruins

Also known as Zeek, Lazeric Jones has been giving opposing guards trouble all season long, leading the Bruins with 16 steals. Unfortunately, the senior point guard is having less success on the other side of the ball. Although his 9.8 scoring average is third on the team, he’s posted nearly as many turnovers (16) as assists (21) so far this season and is struggling with his shot. Jones has made just 28% of his attempts from the field and less than 24% of his three-point tries. Fortunately, Zeek has been able to draw fouls when he puts the ball on the floor, taking a team-high 25 trips to the stripe, where he’s made 88% of them.

Joining Jones in the backcourt is sophomore Tyler Lamb, who is seeing an increased role following Malcolm Lee‘s early entry into the NBA Draft. He’s a crafty guard who can create his own looks with hesitation dribbles and drives to the paint, but defenses can sag off of him thanks to his abysmal mark behind the arc. After shooting just 20.5% from long range as a freshman, Lamb has made just 25% of his attempts so far this season.

Lamb is also having problems on defense. As mentioned previously, the Bruins have given up quite a bit of dribble penetration this season, and quite often it comes from the man Lamb is guarding. He consistently lets the ballhandler get him on their hip, and without the rotation from the rest of his team, that often leaves Lamb out to dry. The Longhorn guard that gets matched up with Lamb in the halfcourt needs to be aware of this and attack the sophomore early and often.

Coach Howland may have a very deep frontcourt, but he has also had some personnel issues early this season. That’s led him to frequently run a three-guard look, giving Jerime Anderson four starts in that third guard role. After serving a two-game suspension for stealing a laptop in the offseason, Anderson has emerged as the team’s go-to scorer. The senior guard leads the team with more than 11 points per game, and has even added six steals and a block on the defensive end. Supremely athletic and quick with the ball, Anderson is a guy the Longhorns must keep in check this afternoon.

In the frontcourt, twin brothers David and Travis Wear give the Bruins a pair of sweet-shooting forwards who can stretch out the defense and still provide quality work on the glass. They both cause matchup issues for opponents, as they have a good face-up game to go with those jump shots, and can easily put the ball on the floor to get near the lane for a short jumper or hook shot.

On a team that has lacked fire and energy this season, the Wear twins have been one of the few bright spots. Against Pepperdine, Travis played with stitches in his foot after suffering a snorkeling accident in Maui. Despite that, he almost logged a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, and even came back into the game after getting his two front teeth knocked out by Pepperdine’s 7-foot center.

In the middle, big man Josh Smith is the team’s mercurial star. When he’s in the game, there is little that defenses can do to keep him off of the blocks or away from the offensive glass. But Smith has a motivation issue, and can often be seen giving partial effort or just walking down the floor when the team is trying to defend a fast break. Although the big man is averaging 5.5 rebounds and more than eight points per game, the UCLA offense has actually looked much more fluid and productive when he hasn’t been on the floor.

The other talented big man who is giving Coach Howland headaches is Reeves Nelson, the heavily-tattooed junior whose early-season issues would make Dennis Rodman raise his eyebrows. After getting into a verbal altercation with the head coach during a film session, Nelson was suspended for the team’s loss to Middle Tennessee State. Then, he missed the team’s flight to Maui and was benched for the first half of their opening game against Chaminade.

Since then, Nelson has made an immediate impact. He drained a trio of three-pointers in the Maui Invitational semifinal against Kansas, nearly matching the four he made all of last season. He crashed the glass against the Jayhawks and the Wolverines, grabbing nine rebounds in his 51 minutes of action. Most importantly, he attacked the rim inside and made excellent passes to open teammates, something the Bruins will need if their inside-out approach is going to work.

The Bruins do have a pair of frontcourt reserves in Brendan Lane and Anthony Stover, but the pair has combined to average less than 11 minutes per game, even with all of the discord during the first few weeks. Stover isn’t much of an offensive threat, but is a skilled shot blocker and tenacious rebounder who provides a spark off the bench. Lane is a versatile guy who can play power forward or center and averaged 15 minutes per game last season, but the arrival of the Wear twins has eaten into his playing time.

Freshman Norman Powell is the only other option off the bench for Coach Howland, and he’s managed to find PT in each of the team’s first six games. Although he isn’t a great shooter, he is still incredibly quick with the ball and can get inside for easier looks. Powell has made just 5-of-18 from long range so far this year, so Texas needs to give him space when he’s in the game and make him beat them from outside.

The Bruins also had a promising start this season from JUCO transfer De’End Parker, but he has not played since November 15th due to an injury to his right knee.

Keys to the game

1) Be competitive on the glass – Although the Bruins are a bigger team with a deep frontcourt, they have not been as dominant in the rebounding department as would be expected. For a Texas team that has struggled on the glass all season long, that is a very welcome development. The Longhorns must grab a fair share of their missed shots, but also must keep UCLA from extending their own possessions. This game is going to be an excellent litmus test for Alexis Wangmene and Clint Chapman before they face the likes of KU’s Thomas Robinson and Baylor’s All-World frontcourt.

2) Force UCLA to win with the jumper – The Bruins have struggled to knock down shots this season, especially from beyond the arc. Texas would be wise to play a packed-in zone against this poor-shooting team, making it more difficult for Smith to get established inside. Even with this approach, the Longhorns will need to keep a close tab on the Wear twins, as that pair can certainly knock down their jumpers.

3) Push the tempo – The Bruins have had a very tough time defending the transition game, often giving up easy fast-break points or scrambling and allowing the secondary break to find success. Texas has looked very good playing up-tempo earlier this year, so it stands to reason that the Longhorns can pile up some easy points against the Bruins by looking for the quick outlet.

4) Take care of the ball – Texas has been very careful with the basketball so far this season, coughing it up on just 17.6% of their possessions. But UCLA has done an excellent job forcing mistakes by their opposition, not just against the mid-majors, but also against the big boys. The Bruins caused 18 Jayhawk turnovers during their matchup in Maui, and could easily disrupt the Texas offense in the same fashion this afternoon.

After blowing two second-half leads in New Jersey and sleepwalking to a win over Sam Houston State, the Longhorns needed a solid, convincing win heading into this weekend’s road trip to UCLA. Texas got exactly that against North Texas last night, cruising to a 16-point win in front of a paltry crowd of just 5,415.

What looked good

It was clear from the start that Myck Kabongo was going to have a solid game. Right out of the gate, he was attacking the paint off the dribble, but more importantly, he was getting to the line. In the first two weeks of the season, Kabongo had oftentimes thrown himself into the midst of the defense and was unable to finish inside. Against North Texas, he found the defender’s body and drew the whistle, resulting in ten tries from the stripe. Only one time did Kabongo fail to go up strong towards the basket, taking an awkward running jumper early in the game as he cut directly across the lane. That would be his only missed field goal all night.

Kabongo also looked more confident shooting the basketball. In these last two games, Sam Houston State and North Texas often gave him space on defense, neutralizing his speed on the drive and forcing him to beat them with a shot. On one occasion in last night’s game, he simply drove to the top of the lane and dropped a jumper as the defense converged. Behind the arc, he drilled both open looks that the defense gave him.

Julien Lewis also had a sound game after struggling against Sam Houston State. Not only did he score 11 points, including two three-pointers, but he had incredibly active hands on defense and made some excellent passes to find open teammates. Lewis was credited with two steals and two assists on the night.

Fellow freshman Jonathan Holmes also turned in a solid effort, leading the team in rebounds on a night where they were very hard to come by. He also continued to shoot the three when it presented itself, something that is going to keep opponents honest and help to spread the floor. He only knocked down one of his three looks from behind the arc, but confidently stepped right into the open jumpers when he received the pass. On one of the three attempts he did hesitate before shooting it, and it messed with his rhythm. As expected, that attempt clanged off of the iron.

As a team, the Longhorns not only spaced out the floor with their big men, but also utilized excellent ball movement. The team ended up with 13 assists on 24 buckets, and sometimes might have even been too unselfish. J’Covan Brown only ended up with six points, and could have had more if not for a few plays where he passed up a short jumper for an interior pass that ended up being tipped by the defense.

All told, being too unselfish is a good problem to have. Coach Barnes took a few players aside when they passed up shots that they shouldn’t have, so there’s little doubt that they will learn throughout the season when to pull the trigger. After seeing a few stretches this year where the guards became ball-dominant and the offense stalled around the perimeter, it’s great to see the team making a clear commitment to spacing and ball movement.

The Longhorns also seem to have made improvements on the defensive end. In New Jersey, the team piled up the fouls, not only sending their opponents to the line, but also causing issues with their limited bench. The team was whistled for just 17 personal fouls against North Texas, leading to just 19 free throw attempts. As a point of comparison, the Horns were whistled 28 times against N.C. State, resulting in 44 free throws.

It’s also worth noting that Sterling Gibbs showed a little bit of scoring punch, adding five points in his 11 minutes on the floor. He drained a three when the defense sagged off of him and scored on another mid-range jumper after an aggressive drive. Unfortunately, he still has major issues when the defense puts pressure on him, and it resulted in two turnovers. As teams get more film on him, it’s almost certain that the book will be to trap him on the wings in the halfcourt and to press when he brings it up the floor.

What needed work

Just as rebounding will likely be one of our “Keys to the Game” in every single preview this year, it will also likely lead our “What needed work” section in every game wrap. Texas was soundly beaten on the boards in this one, as the Mean Green dominated with a 46-30 rebounding edge. The Horns gave up 16 offensive boards in the second half, including eight in the final three minutes. There is no doubt that the game was in hand by that point, but a team that struggles this much on the glass can’t afford to mentally check out when there is still game-speed practice to be had.

In terms of tempo-free numbers, it was the worst defensive rebounding performance yet for Texas. They allowed North Texas to reclaim 49.4% of their offensive rebounding opportunities, the third time this year they’ve allowed a mark of at least 43%. Offensively, it was also the team’s worst performance, as Texas grabbed just 26.8% of its own missed shots. While the Longhorns have had a tough time on the glass, their own offensive rebounding percentage had yet to dip below 30% this season.

The Longhorns also only made 33% of their three-point attempts against North Texas, a performance that comes on the heels of their 23.5% night against Sam Houston State. While the team’s season average is still hovering just above 36%, it is beginning to look like the insane 42.6% start in the first two games was built on outlier performances and that the numbers are regressing to the mean.

Up next: at UCLA (2-4); Saturday, 3:30 P.M. CT

For Texas fans looking for a bounce-back performance after the team’s tough road trip to New Jersey, Saturday night’s ugly win over Sam Houston State provided little reassurance. The Longhorns struggled from the floor all night long, looking as if the tryptophan from their Thanksgiving turkeys still had them in a haze. While Texas earned the all-important W, the unimpressive manner in which they earned it was slightly worrisome.

Fortunately, Texas will get a second chance to log a convincing win tonight, as they host the North Texas Mean Green for the first time since 2007. Coach Johnny Jones is testing his team early, as they are in the midst of a seven-game road trip and have a disappointing 1-3 mark so far. The Mean Green has yet to notch a victory against a D-I opponent, with their only win coming against St. Gregory of the NAIA.

By the numbers

For a Texas team that shot less than 32% from the field against Sam Houston State, the North Texas defense is a welcome sight. The Mean Green has an adjusted defensive efficiency of 1.091 points per possession, the 21st-worst in D-I hoops according to Ken Pomeroy. In a loss to Mississippi State on Sunday, North Texas allowed the Bulldogs to shoot nearly 52% from the field, including a 47.4% mark from three-point range.

The one thing that North Texas does do well on the defensive end is steal the basketball. They force opponents into miscues on 25.6% of their possessions, and have a steal rate that is in the Top 25 nationally. The team is averaging more than 10 steals and 22 points off of turnovers per game.

Offensively, the Mean Green isn’t much more successful. Their adjusted offensive efficiency is a scant 0.965 points per possession, and their effective field goal percentage is among the 20 worst teams in D-I hoops. Against Mississippi State, North Texas made just 32.3% of their shots and struggled to a 25% mark behind the arc.

The most important stats for Texas fans, however, are the rebounding numbers. North Texas has managed to do a fair job on the offensive glass, but is downright abysmal on the defensive end, where the Mean Green has allowed its three D-I opponents to reclaim more than 42% of their missed shots. With the Longhorns having mixed results on the glass so far this season, it’s a refreshing change to expect quite a few second-chance points for the home team tonight.

Meet the Mean Green

While there are a lot of troubling statistics for Coach Jones and his young team, they are actually far more talented than their results have shown so far. The problem could lie in the fact that all of that talent is fairly young and that the team lacks experienced senior leaders. The Mean Green lost four starters from last year, most notably their own Tristan Thompson, who starts his professional career with the D-League’s Austin Toros on Friday night.

Even without Thompson, North Texas has the pieces in place to make some noise in the Sun Belt Conference this year. In December, superstar Tony Mitchell will finally become eligible after a long, difficult journey to college hoops. Ranked as the No. 12 overall recruit in the 2010 class, Mitchell committed to Missouri but failed to qualify academically. The Tigers’ loss was Coach Jones’ gain, as the Dallas native decided to bring his talents to Denton.

Although the Longhorns won’t have to deal with the versatile Mitchell tonight, they will have to handle freshman phenom Chris Jones. The 6’2″ guard from Garland took his high school team to back-to-back 5A state finals, and it’s clear that leadership has carried to the college ranks. In his first road game, Jones scored nearly half of his team’s points, dropping 31 on Texas Tech in a narrow 69-64 loss.

Jones can score in a variety of ways, as his team-leading 16.8-point scoring average attests. He can get to the rack in a hurry, and he’s able to finish inside thanks to excellent body control and an impressive ability to put the right english on his shot. The Longhorns have had issues containing aggressive players so far this season, so Jones could be primed for another big game.

Although Jones has been the alpha so far this season, 6’6″ swingman Jordan Williams was the top recruit of 2011 for North Texas. He was ranked No. 71 nationally by Rivals, making him a huge score for a school that typically never garners interest from such highly-ranked players. Williams is currently second on the team in scoring with 12.3 points per game and has made 35% of his threes so far.

With Jones and Jordan Williams combining for more than 29 points per game, the rest of the offense is truly a team effort. North Texas has a roster full of guys ranging from 6’6″ to 6’9″, and they have ten players averaging at least 15 minutes per game, with eight of them averaging between 2.5 and 6.5 points. That interchangeability is reminiscent of the Missouri Tigers under Mike Anderson, although the Mean Green isn’t quite giving opponents “the fastest 40 minutes in basketball.”

One of those interchangeable parts is 6’7″ senior Kedrick Hogans, who was already the 4th-best shot blocker in school history before the season had even begun. This year, he’s logged five in his four games as he continues his attack on the school record books. While the Longhorns are in the top third of D-I hoops at avoiding blocked shots, they’ll still have to be careful when Hogans is in the area.

The Mean Green also gets some upperclassman leadership from Jacob Holmen, who had started all three games before missing Sunday’s contest against Mississippi State. The 6’8″ junior forward averaged nearly 25 minutes in his three games and scored 17 total points.

In Holmen’s absence, Niko Stojiljkovic joined the starting five and led the team with eight rebounds against the Bulldogs. The 6’9″ junior has a varied background, with international experience for his native country of France and minutes at the college level with both San Francisco and Lon Morris College. He’s averaging five points and four boards at North Texas this season, but will certainly see those numbers increase if Holmen’s injury is a long-term issue.

Sophomore Alzee Williams knows what it’s like to have a long-term injury, as he missed all of last year thanks to knee problems. Known as a defensive specialist, he’s actually surprised folks by leading the team in field-goal percentage this year. Although he hasn’t taken many shots, Alzee’s 56.3% mark has helped him log the team’s third-highest scoring average with 6.5 per game.

North Texas also has a pair of players coming off the bench who have experience against the Longhorns. Junior Roger Franklin played at Oklahoma State his first two seasons, but transferred to UNT to be closer to an ill family member. In two games against the Longhorns last year, Franklin grabbed 10 rebounds and scored two points.

Unlike Franklin, Alonzo Edwards‘ time against Texas is essentially just a historical footnote. The 6’8″ senior spent his first two years at Nebraska, and he logged less than a minute in the Cornhuskers’ upset victory against Texas back in 2009. This year, he’s started three times for North Texas and has done solid work on the glass, but is only averaging about 15 minutes per game.

Another transfer on the North Texas bench is Brandan Walton, a product of Compton, California who made his way to Denton via Casper College in Wyoming. The 6’2″ guard is speedy, but played a little out of control against Texas Tech and seemed to be pressing at times. With another chance to play against Big 12 competition tonight, Walton will have to settle down if he wants to make an impact.

Freshman guard Trey Norris rounds out the ten-man rotation. He is another quick guard for Coach Jones, and like Walton, he needs to settle down. Norris has turned it over 10 times despite playing just 64 minutes this season. With Chris Jones already locking down the starting role, Norris will have to improve his ballhandling if he wants to see many minutes off the bench.

Keys to the game

1) Hang on to the ball – The North Texas defense is porous, but the one way they manage to stop opponents is by forcing turnovers. If the Longhorns can avoid the frustrating mistakes they had early against Sam Houston State, they should find it very easy to score against the Mean Green.

2) Limit second-chance scoring – We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again — rebounding is going to be the constant storyline for this Longhorn team. Fortunately, North Texas struggles on the defensive glass, so it looks like Texas’ main concern will be keeping the Mean Green from getting offensive boards. If the Longhorns can cut down on second-chance points, North Texas should have a hard time keeping up tonight.

3) Get the guards going – It’s been a rough couple of games for Myck Kabongo, and even J’Covan Brown found tough sledding against Sam Houston State on Saturday night. With a tough UCLA squad next on the docket after North Texas, it would be nice to see the Longhorn guards regain some confidence tonight. Texas ball screens and dribble penetration resulted in fewer open looks during the last two games, so we’ll be watching to see what the Longhorn guards can create tonight.

It certainly wasn’t pretty, but the Texas Longhorns put a stop to their losing streak on Saturday night, grinding out a 56-40 win over Sam Houston State at the Erwin Center. Despite taking nearly six minutes to make their first bucket and shooting less than 32% from the field, the Longhorns were able to pull away in the final minutes to push their record back above the .500 mark.

What looked good

There was hardly anything that looked good in this one, but there were some bright spots for Texas. Most importantly, the Longhorns were able to come out on top of the rebounding battle, something they have struggled with all season. It should be noted that Sam Houston State went with a small lineup all night, oftentimes running four guards at a time. But when winning the battle on the glass is as tough as it has been for Texas this season, you have to take the victories when you can get them.

The Longhorns were able to reclaim more than 40% of their missed shots, only the second time they’ve done so this season. They also reached that mark in the loss to Oregon State, with their numbers in the three other games all mired in the mid-30 percent range. Defensively, they held the Bearkats to just a 30.6% offensive rebounding mark, but allowed those second chances to turn into 10 extra points.

Individually, the biggest breakthrough came from Alexis Wangmene, who scored seven of his 13 points in the final 7:28 to help Texas stretch their lead. Alexis was able to capitalize on his good looks inside, something that had proved difficult for the big man in the past, and he held onto rebounds and loose balls instead of fumbling them away. He logged eight boards in his 27 minutes.

The only player to outscore Wangmene was Jonathan Holmes, who also fought hard for his points inside and even tested his three-point range. Although the freshman was just one of three from behind the arc, getting that long-range shot on tape will give opposing defenses one more thing to consider while game-planning for the Horns. Holmes was just one rebound shy of a double-double, and could have had even more points if not for some point-blank misses.

It was also nice to see Wangmene and Clint Chapman getting extended minutes at the same time, and actually being successful while doing so. They certainly got some help from facing a the smaller Bearkat lineup, but when the pair was faced with defensive situations in the post, they performed admirably. On one particular occasion, Wangmene went to the floor trying to draw a charge, leaving his man isolated on a Texas guard. Chapman slid across the lane and blocked the shot, saving an easy bucket.

What needed work

Other than those bright spots, there wasn’t much else to get excited about for Texas. Although J’Covan Brown cracked double-digits in scoring, he did so by shooting just 26% from the field. He also continued to drive baseline against a Bearkat defense that had shown it would double along the boundary and cut off both driving and passing lanes. Julien Lewis also had a tough day at the office, missing all three of his three-point attempts and going just 1-for-7 from the field in his 26 minutes of work.

Texas struggled the most in the early stages of the game, allowing Sam Houston State to build a lead as large as 12 just eight minutes into it. While the Longhorns missed a few good looks early, they clearly started to press on the offensive end, taking quick shots instead of being patient with their possessions. Late in the first half, the team made a brief commitment to scoring in transition and working the ball in low, and that is when they found the most success.

It was also troubling to see the Longhorns struggle at the line late in the game. Texas was 8-for-9 from the stripe in the first half, but made just 8-of-17 in the second. Myck Kabongo missed three of four in the final 15 seconds, while Wangmene missed two opportunities to complete three-point plays down the stretch. When Texas finds itself in close games later this season, a repeat of this charity-stripe performance will surely end in defeat.

Not only did Kabongo struggle at the line in the final minutes, but he once again had a rough day from the floor. McClellan mentioned in the post-game interview that the Longhorns were overthinking on the offensive end, passing up good looks for fear of repeating their poor shot selection from earlier in the game. Kabongo certainly looked like he lacked confidence in this one, and he missed his first five shots before finally draining a last-minute three.

The freshman has had trouble finishing inside this season, so adding in these problems with the jump shot only makes him easier to defend. Without a shot to keep opponents honest, it’s going to be hard for Kabongo to find cracks, create, and dish out the assists.

Up next: vs. North Texas (1-2); Tuesday, 7 P.M. CT

The Texas Longhorns return to action at the Erwin Center tonight after a tough weekend in New Jersey. Despite holding second-half leads of eight and 18 at the IZOD Center, Texas stumbled down the stretch against both Oregon State and N.C. State, leaving East Rutherford with a pair of frustrating losses.

Fortunately, the Longhorns now have a pair of winnable games at the Erwin Center to rebuild their confidence before taking on UCLA next weekend. The team opens its short homestand tonight against Sam Houston State, a school that is winless in its four Division I games this season.

By the numbers

No matter how you slice it, the numbers aren’t pretty this year for Coach Jason Hooten and the Bearkats. According to stats guru Ken Pomeroy, Sam Houston State’s adjusted offensive efficiency is one of the 30 worst in all of Division I hoops.

The reasons behind the team’s struggle to put the ball in the basket are numerous. The Bearkats turn it over on 26.7% of their possessions, and are 32nd-worst in the nation when it comes to getting to the free-throw line. For a Texas team that sent Oregon State and N.C. State to the free throw line repeatedly in New Jersey, this statistic is a welcome one.

Sam Houston State is also struggling from long range, where they have made just 22.9% of their threes, the 14th-worst mark in Divison I. The Longhorns experimented with zone defense when they ran into foul trouble in New Jersey, and there’s no doubt that a team struggling this much from long range provides the perfect opportunity for the Horns to work on their zone at game speeds.

The three-point line has also been unkind to Sam Houston State on the defensive end. The Bearkats have faced four D-I opponents so far, and those teams knocked down more than 41% of their looks from behind the arc. Marksmen J’Covan Brown and Julien Lewis should be licking their chops.

Meet the Bearkats

To say that Sam Houston State is rebuilding this season would probably be a tad bit generous. The Bearkats lost four starters from last year’s team and return just three scholarship players. On a team filled with freshmen and junior college transfers, the returning players have accounted for just 23.3% of the team’s minutes so far this year.

The already-thin lineup took a major hit when Antuan Bootle, the team’s lone returning starter, was sidelined by a broken foot during the first week of the season and will be out of action for at least another four weeks. Last season, he led all Bearkat scorers when they faced Texas, just missing a double-double with his 16-point, nine-rebound line.

Big man Steven Werner will also likely miss tonight’s game after injuring his foot on Monday against Mercer. Werner was the team’s second-leading rebounder, averaging 6.7 boards per game. He was also third on the team in scoring, chalking up an average of 8.7 points.

While injuries have forced the Bearkats to get creative with the lineup, the team has received steady leadership from newcomer Konner Tucker. A transfer who played six games for Wake Forest, Tucker was also a juco stud at Lon Morris in Jacksonville, Texas. Averaging 34 minutes per game so far, Tucker leads the team with just under 11 points per game. Although the junior guard is “sneaky quick” in the words of his head coach, his paltry 22% success rate behind the arc means that opposing defenses can sag off and make it tougher for Tucker to blow by them.

The player most impacted by the injury shuffle is senior Marcus James, who has had to slide from the wing to the post in Werner’s absence. The 6’7″ Connecticut native had his own injury issues in the offseason, breaking a wrist playing pickup games back home. Fully healed, he’s now second on the team in scoring with 10.2 points per game and is averaging more than five rebounds.

At the point, junior Darius Gatson has stepped right into the role of floor leader. A juco transfer from Trinity Valley, the 5’11” guard is the only player on the team with more than 10 assists so far this season. Unfortunately, he has had some growing pains since jumping to D-I basketball, shooting less than 30% from the field while turning it over 13 times.

The Bearkats are also getting some immediate contributions from freshman Michael Holyfield and sophomore transfer Demarcus Gatlin. Out of New Mexico, Holyfield checks in at 6’11” and is unsurprisingly the team’s best rebounder, grabbing more than seven per game. Gatlin, who played his first season at Navarro, has started all five games and is averaging more than 27 minutes. He’s still working to find his footing, though, as he’s shooting just 24% from the field — 11% from behind the arc — and has 17 turnovers.

Off the bench, 6’9″ Aaron Thompson is chipping in valuable frontcourt minutes. One of the three returning scholarship players for Coach Hooten, Thompson is averaging more than 17 minutes per game but has scored only 14 points to date. Against Texas last season, the big man hardly saw the floor, logging just a turnover and rebound in his two minutes of action.

Coach Hooten also has a pair of backcourt reserves in Aaron Harwell and walk-on Marquel McKinney. Both have come off the bench in all five games, combining to average 2.9 points in roughly 25 minutes per game. Harwell arrives in Huntsville from Centenary College in Louisiana, a school that just transitioned from Division I to Division III, allowing the sophomore to be immediately eligible for Sam Houston State.

Keys to the game

Although Texas is going to have its struggles this season, there’s simply no reason why the Horns should lose this game. Instead, tonight’s match-up provides good opportunity to work on the issues that cropped up in New Jersey and get the team ready for big tests in the coming weeks from UCLA, Temple, and North Carolina. With that in mind, here are three things we’ll be watching.

1) How does J’Covan Brown respond? – Brown’s exit from the Legends Classic was an abrupt and unceremonious one, as his personal foul and nearly-immediate technical foul were the catalysts for a Texas meltdown against N.C. State. Before that, he was dominant, scoring 17 points while, in the words of Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried, “slic[ing] us up like a side of fries.”

The words from Coach Barnes in the post-game presser weren’t that kind to Brown. He questioned the junior guard’s maturity and put him on notice in a very public setting. Against an overmatched Sam Houston State squad, Brown will need to pick up where he left off and also show poise when he feels foul calls are unwarranted.

2) Can Myck Kabongo regroup? – With Brown out of the game against the Wolfpack, it looked like Kabongo had suddenly misplaced his superhero cape. While Myck has struggled all season with finishing at the rim, he was suddenly unable to create any offense with the dribble and the Longhorns stalled out. Not only will we be watching to see how Kabongo looks with Brown back on the floor, but we’ll also be keeping an eye on how the offense works when the reigns are solely his to hold.

3) Can the Longhorns play defense without fouling? – As mentioned previously, the Bearkats are a perfect matchup for a Texas team that piled up the fouls in New Jersey. Rick Barnes is always a defense-first coach, and there’s no doubt he’s frustrated with his team’s inability to stop its opponents so far this year. Against a struggling Bearkat team, can Texas get back to the kind of defensive dominance it showed against Boston U in the season opener?