The Texas Longhorns face their first road test of the season this afternoon, as they travel to Philadelphia to take on Temple in an off-campus game at Wells Fargo Arena. I’m currently in Puerto Rico to compete in participate in Great Urban Race Nationals, which means that not only will this be the first road game I’ve missed since March of 2006, but also that you’re getting an incredibly abbreviated look at the Owls.

After losing five players from last year’s squad that lost in the NCAA tournament’s round of 32, Temple is now led by Anthony Lee (No. 3), a 6’9″ forward who is a handful in the post. Although he prefers to go over his right shoulder and score with a little left-handed hook, Lee has strong post moves in both directions and is an outstanding rebounder, especially on the defensive glass.

Point guard Will Cummings (No. 2) is a quick guard who loves to attack the rim and can easily slither through traffic to get there. With Temple’s constant motion and multiple screens off the ball, he’s also a great asset thanks to his timely passes that hit those cutters in the perfect position to score.

Sophomore guard Quenton DeCosey (No. 25) is a smooth ballhandler who can get to the rack in a hurry with his long strides. He has made only 33% of his triples and his mid-range game is wildly inconsistent, so Texas would be best served by giving him some space near the arc. DeCosey also has a tendency to dribble the air out of the ball and force passes, so he can be just as frustrating at times for Temple fans as he is exhilirating at others.

The X-factor in today’s game could be Dalton Pepper (No. 32), a 6’5″ guard who can light it up in a hurry. He needs very little space to get his shot off and is very accurate on the quick catch-and-shoot coming off of the numerous aforementioned screens. He’s been a streaky scorer, but still averages 16 points per game.

Keys to the game

1) Take advantage of second chances – Temple has had issues locking down the defensive glass this season, which is great news for a Texas team that is among the best nationally when it comes to grabbing offensive boards. Although the Owls will have the size advantage in the backcourt and on the wings, the Texas frontcourt should still get its share of short-range opportunities and tip-ins after their own missed shots. If the Longhorns can convert these extra chances into points, they should have a shot at the road win today.

2) Push the tempo after defensive boards – The Texas offense has gone through some dry spells in the half-court set this season. Fortunately, Temple prefers to play a man defense, and the Longhorns have had their greatest issues against the zone. Still, looking up after defensive boards for the quick strike downcourt will keep the Texas offense humming. Since the Owls hardly ever turn the ball over, pushing after defensive boards will be Texas’ only good chance at getting transition points.

3) Make free throws – This might seem like a stupid thing to include in the Keys to the Game, but after an awful outing in which Texas made just 15 of 29 against Vanderbilt, it deserves a mention. Compounding the problem is the fact that the Owls send opponents to the line fairly frequently, with a free-throw rate that is just outside of the nation’s bottom 20%. If Texas leaves a bunch of points at the line again this afternoon, it will be very tough to escape Philly with a road win.

Despite preseason expectations of doom and gloom on the Forty Acres, Rick Barnes and the Texas Longhorns have quietly taken care of business in the first month of the season. Although it took a fair number of second-half comebacks, the young Longhorns are off to the program’s best start since 2011.

While the Longhorns have beaten some solid mid-major opponents and took a very good BYU team to the wire, they have yet to take care of good competition. The next three weeks will provide Texas a chance to do just that, with road games against Temple and North Carolina to go along with a home tilt against top-ranked Michigan State. Tonight serves as a good warm-up for that tough slate, as the Horns host a Vanderbilt team expected to finish in the middle of the SEC pack.

Vandy sits at 4-2 coming into the game, with both losses reminding Commodore fans of the many frustrating ways their team lost last season. At Butler, Vanderbilt had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but gave it away on a travel and then wilted in overtime. Facing Providence in the Paradise Jam just three days later, the Commodores blew a 16-point lead with 10 minutes left. Vandy scored just one basket down the stretch, allowing the Friars to go on a 27-4 closing run to win the game.

By the Numbers

Vanderbilt has upped the tempo considerably this season, although that’s not saying much. Last year’s squad was one of the 20 slowest in the country, so this Commodore team is really just closer to the national average. Vandy is very patient with the basketball in the half-court, but they are always looking for opportunities to push the tempo after defensive rebounds. For a Texas team that has taken some poor shots and fueled opponents’ transition games, that could be a problem.

The Commodores love to spread the floor out and attack with the bounce, especially off of ball screens by the forwards and centers. While last year’s team also frequently fired it up from the perimeter, the summer departure of Kevin Bright has cut into Vandy’s long-range attack. The ‘Dores still have a good bunch of long-range shooters, but they have gone from taking almost 44% of their attempts from beyond the arc last season to shooting threes just 29% of the time this year.

One statistical category which could swing tonight’s result is the turnover department. Vanderbilt has frequently struggled at controlling the basketball, with errant passes often costing them possessions. Those problems played a key role in the meltdown against Providence, and it has led the team to waste 19.5% of their possessions on the year. Against a Texas team that thrives on the fast break, Vanderbilt has to avoid those same mistakes, especially those of the live-ball variety.

On the other end, the Commodores also don’t force their opponents into miscues, as Vandy’s defense causes turnovers just 14% of the time. Texas has done a pretty good job hanging on to the ball, especially with such a young lineup. If Vandy is wasting their own possessions and unable to get them back from Texas, it could be difficult for the ‘Dores to pull off the road win.

Finally, we’d like to provide a PSA for viewers of tonight’s game. While it has been extremely difficult to watch the Longhorns stumble through their attempts at the free throw line, this one is going to be painful to watch at both charity stripes. Vandy has actually posted an even worse free-throw mark than Texas, hitting just 60% of their attempts on the year. With Texas making only 61.4% of their own free throws, it is going to be an adventure every time these teams head to the line.

Meet the Commodores

Vanderbilt is led by a sophomore transfer who is going to have quite a few fans in the house tonight. Eric McClellan (No. 1) is a product of Austin High, and he arrived in Nashville by way of Tulsa. McClellan is a quick, aggressive guard who consistently gets to the rim. He cradles the ball well when he goes up in traffic, not only avoiding blocked shots and drawing contact, but also making sure he gets the shot off.

The Commodores repeatedly set screens for their point guard on the wings, and he needs very little time or space to get around the corner. However, he’s just 3-for-18 from behind the arc, so Texas should be content to simply go under those picks tonight. Butler also found some success by blitzing those screens with their bigs and forcing McClellan away from the hoop. If the Longhorns can rotate well and help guard the Vandy big men as they roll to the basket, that is also a good option.

Senior guard Kyle Fuller (No. 11) earned the start in the team’s most recent game against Loyola-Marymount, but that marked just his second starting nod in six contests. He typically comes in as the backup point guard, but Coach Stallings has experimented with having his two best ball handlers out there at the same time. Like McClellan, Fuller is also aggressive with the bounce and gets defenders on their heels. He consistently gets to the line and knows how to set up his teammates in a position to score.

In the four games where Fuller came off the bench, Dai-Jon Parker (No. 24) started at the two. Parker is a great long-range shooter who has hit seven of his 14 attempts on the year. That number isn’t skewed too much by the small sample size, as Parker drilled nearly 40% of his threes last season.

Another huge outside threat for Vandy is 6’9″ forward Rod Odom (No. 0). The big man is a very tough matchup, as he spreads the floor with his long-range accuracy, and can also face up opposing bigs and beat them with the bounce. Odom is a perpetual threat to beat teams on the pick-and-pop, and Vandy also likes to free him up with dual downscreens from their other bigs to isolate him at the top of the key.

Texas has one of the worst three-point defenses in the country, and Odom is going to be a particularly tough matchup. The Longhorns don’t have a true three in their lineup who could possibly serve as an undersized defender against Odom, and Jonathan Holmes will likely have issues defending him away from the paint. If the Longhorns once again get torched from the outside tonight, it will likely be Odom holding the flamethrower.

Junior James Siakam is a 6’7″ forward from Cameroon who really plays more of a power forward role with Odom stretching the floor. Siakam is very strong and has no problems posting up, despite his size. He is incredibly active on the glass and has a nice face-up game, but sometimes gets a little too excited when he’s ready to make a move. Siakam has been tagged with a few travels this season when trying to pump fake his defender before a drive.

In the middle, junior Josh Henderson (No. 40) has steadily improved his game. He really came on late last year, and appears to have put in even more hard work during the offseason. Henderson can knock down midrange jumpers, and while he sometimes struggles with making the easiest, short-range stuff, he does have a solid toolbox of post moves. The 6’11” big man is always setting screens on the perimeter, and he makes good cuts to the hoop for the pick-and-roll option.

Freshman Damian Jones (No. 30) has recently supplanted Henderson in the starting lineup, and it’s easy to see why Coach Stallings is excited about this kid. Jones chose Vandy over the likes of Florida, Duke, and Oklahoma State, and the 6’10”, 235-pound Louisiana native has a ton of potential.

Jones is already showing off good moves in the post, but he still has to work on his defense. He has been caught biting hard on pump fakes multiple times and his defensive miscues have led him to average more than seven fouls per 40 minutes. When he can improve his defense and keep himself on the court for more minutes, Jones is going to be a difference-maker in the SEC.

Vandy also has another pair of options in the middle, but neither are getting a ton of minutes this season. Luke Kornet (No. 3) is a 7-foot freshman who is still adjusting to the fact that he’s grown nine inches since starting his senior year of high school. Since he was just 6’3″ less than two years ago, Kornet has a great outside shot and can really stretch the defense. As he adds some muscle and gets used to his body, the freshman will easily command more playing time.

Shelby Moats (No. 34) is the other reserve forward for Vandy, but his effectiveness is limited. He is having trouble adjusting to the new rules emphasis on screens, and has picked up a few offensive fouls as a result. He lacks confidence with the ball and doesn’t keep it high enough in the paint, making it difficult for him to score inside. Moats is averaging less than a point in 8.7 minutes per game, and it’s unlikely he’ll have much of a role this season with Henderson, Jones, and Kornet all looking significantly better.

Keys to the Game

1) Limit dribble penetration – Texas is going to face hundreds of screens tonight as the Commodores work to get their guards free for drives to the rim. The Longhorns must prevent McClellan and Fuller from getting easy penetration against the defense, as so much of the Vanderbilt offense stems from their playmaking. Texas should absolutely not go over screens for McClellan, and the interior defense must react quickly and offer timely help on the situations where McClellan and Fuller do spring free.

2) Deny Odom and Parker on the perimeter – Texas has one of the nation’s worst three-point defenses, and Odom and Parker are two players who can easily exploit that. Although Odom provides a very difficult matchup for the Horns, they cannot afford to give him open looks from outside. Parker is not the same matchup problem that Odom is, so the Texas guards need to stick close to him as he roams around the arc.

3) Get the easy points in transition – Vanderbilt has frequently turned it over, which gives Texas a great opportunity to avoid facing a tough Commodore defense in half-court sets. Looking up after defensive rebounds can also give the Horns that same opportunity. If Texas can turn those Vanderbilt miscues into easy points and push the tempo after Commodore misses, they can make it very difficult for Vandy to escape Austin with a road win.

The Longhorns are back home tonight, fresh off a promising performance at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City. On Monday night, Texas played down to the wire in a track meet with BYU, before ultimately losing by four. They bounced back quickly from that disappointment with a convincing 18-point win over DePaul the following night. Sophomore Cameron Ridley was tabbed for the all-tournament team after posting 31 points, 19 boards, and seven blocks in the two games.

Tonight’s opponents are the UT-Arlington Mavericks, a team that has typically found success under eighth-year head coach Scott Cross. This year, however, the Mavs are off to a disappointing 2-5 start, the program’s worst start in over a decade. They are currently mired in a four-game losing streak, with the last three losses coming on the road.

The UTA bench is full of new faces this season, as three of the team’s top players are transfers. Top scorer Reger Dowell (No. 1) comes from Oklahoma State and brings a deadly outside shot and incredible speed to get to the rack. He has poured in at least 20 points in each game, including a 6-for-12 outing at Kentucky last Tuesday.

JUCO transfer Lonnie McClanahan (No. 22) is another quick guard who has started all seven games and is averaging 10 points. When driving, he tends to use his outside arm to try to hook shots over taller defenders, and that led to a few blocked shots early against Kentucky’s help D. The Longhorns are ranked fifth in the nation in block percentage, so McClanahan will likely have to adjust his approach tonight.

Forward Vincent Dillard (No. 13) is also a JUCO transfer, coming to Arlington by way of Colby CC in Kansas. Despite being a 6’5″ swingman, he has no problem bringing the ball up the floor, and his quick catch-and-release is deadly coming off of screens.

The one returning player making a huge impact for UTA is 6’6″ senior forward Brandon Edwards (No. 35), who has posted double-doubles in the team’s last four games. He’s averaging just over 19 points and 11 rebounds per game, and his offensive rebounding percentage of 14.9% actually ranks him among the top 100 players nationally.

The fifth starting spot is a rotating cast of characters for UTA, with three different guys getting the nod so far this year. Stuart Lagerson (No. 5) is a 7-footer who has started four times, while 6’8″ Jorge Bilbao (No. 45) started against Kentucky and Robert Morris last week. Anthony Walker (No. 44) was the latest to get a chance in the starting five, playing 17 minutes against Eastern Michigan on Saturday.

Texas fans will also recognize Shaquille White-Miller (No. 12), a 5’9″ senior that has played against the Horns in each of the last two seasons. In those two appearances, White-Miller played a combined 36 minutes and scored six total points.

The Maverick defense is still working things out this season, as they are allowing 1.093 adjusted points per possession, a number that puts them in the bottom 20% of Division I hoops. UTA tried a 3-2 zone against Kentucky, but they understandably still had issues against the incredibly talented Wildcat roster. UK scored 1.4 points per possession in that one, running away with it in the second half.

For the Longhorns, simply controlling the glass and controlling the ball should be enough to win this evening. They have been stifling opponents in the rebounding department all season long, which is unfortunate news for a UTA offense that has generally done well at reclaiming its misses. The Mavs are just an average-shooting bunch, so without second or third chances, their porous defense will make it very difficult to keep up with the Horns tonight.

If Rick Barnes and Oliver Purnell need anything to talk about in their pre-game chat, the topic of transfers might give them some common ground. Texas fans are well-aware of the mass exodus that occurred at Cooley Pavilion this offseason, but Purnell and the DePaul Blue Demons had it even worse. Five different DePaul players hit the bricks after a disappointing 2-16 Big East campaign, leading to an infusion of new blood this season in the form of six new faces.

Both teams are still answering questions about their new players and the new rotations, with the midpoint of the non-conference season just around the corner. While the coaches now have an idea of what their teams are made of, the games in Kansas City are crystallizing those early-season conclusions. Texas looked very impressive in a narrow loss to BYU last night, while DePaul was overwhelmed by Wichita State in the nightcap. Both teams are in need of a bounce-back win tonight.

By the numbers

The Blue Demons were absolutely abysmal on the defensive end last season, posting one of the 100 worst defensive efficiency marks out of 347 Division I teams. In addition to just playing matador defense, DePaul also allowed opponents far too many second chances. Opponents grabbed 35.7% of their offensive rebounding chances when facing the Blue Demons, a mark that slotted Purnell’s bunch in the bottom 50 of D-I.

The newcomers have added a lot of length to the DePaul front line, and it’s paid off in good rebounding numbers so far this season, as opponents have only reclaimed 27.6% of their misses to date. However, that number is built on the strength of some dominating performances against Grambling State, Wright State, and UW-Milwaukee. Against a strong-but-undersized Southern Miss team, the Blue Demons allowed an offensive rebounding mark of nearly 38%, while the Shockers reclaimed almost 36% of their misses last night.

All of that means that Purnell isn’t quite sure what he’ll get on the boards tonight. Texas has been dominant on the glass on both ends of the court, even against a big BYU team that refused to get physical. The Longhorns will be giving up size at the three and in the backcourt, but have not been limited by that deficiency so far this year. Tonight’s outcome will likely hinge on which team can impose its will on the glass.

The other numbers that are most notable for DePaul are in the turnover column, on both sides of the ledger. The Blue Demons are forcing mistakes on more than 20% of their opponents possessions, but their own sloppy play is giving it away on 19.6% of their possessions. There have been multiple exchanges already this season where DePaul forces a turnover and can’t even complete the break before giving it right back. Against a Texas team that loves to get out in transition, that carelessness could lead to a lot of Longhorn points.

Meet the Blue Demons

Senior forward Cleveland Melvin (No. 12) is leading the team in scoring this season, and he’s doing it in a new role. With the size added to the DePaul frontcourt, Melvin has slid from the four to the three. As a result, he spent time working on his outside shot during the offseason, and the work has paid off. Melvin has drilled 13 of his 21 long-range attempts, and that extra threat from outside is spreading the court and drawing out the D.

One of the biggest benefactors of that spread floor is point guard Brandon Young (No. 20). He has a quick first step to get to the bucket and can hit the midrange J when defenses sag against his driving threat. Young’s driving ability is a great asset in setting up teammates, but he often unnecessarily tries to complicate plays by making a flashy pass. The point guard’s disdain for the simple play surely makes Coach Purnell’s turtleneck feel a little tighter a few times every night.

Charles McKinney (No. 32) joins Young in the backcourt, and he is best known for his pressure defense on the perimeter. He is not much of a scoring threat, but will drive to the hoop for an occasional bucket, and drilled a pretty nasty stepback J against Wichita State last night. Like Melvin, McKinney’s role has shifted this season, as he is now locked into the two role after previously living on the wing.

Senior forward Sandi Marcius (No. 55) has played limited minutes this year after joining the team as a graduate transfer from Purdue. Although he has started every game, the 6’10” Croatian-born forward is only averaging 15 minutes. Last night, he logged just five and then jumped rope in front of the baseline media tables for the other 35.

In the middle, freshman Tommy Hamilton IV (No. 2) is already making a huge impact. The son of a two-year NBA player, Hamilton has silky smooth moves for a big man and seems to find every rebound in his vicinity. He has also knocked down 5-of-11 from long range, giving DePaul yet another big that can stretch the floor. He uses his strength and good footwork to consistently draw fouls and get to the line, where he has made almost 70% of his attempts.

Although Hamilton has been the freshman star so far, Billy Garrett, Jr. (No. 5) is a highly-touted newcomer that has looked good coming off the bench. The backup point guard has a sharp crossover and good burst, but his struggles shooting the ball have limited his damage in the first five games. If Garrett can’t start hitting the jumpers, teams will be able to give some space and neutralize his driving threat.

Jamee Crockett (No. 21) is the other backcourt reserve for DePaul, and he provides instant offense from the perimeter when he’s in the game. The cornrowed junior has battled injuries throughout his collegiate career, but is finally finding a rhythm from outside. Although Crockett has made only one of 12 attempts inside the arc, he’s hit more than 41% of his threes this year after a brutal 26.6% three-point mark last season.

This year, the Blue Demons finally have some depth in the frontcourt, although they haven’t needed a ton of minutes from those reserves so far this year. Greg Sequele (No. 42) is a 6’9″ JUCO transfer with ridiculous length and great athleticism. Peter Ryckbosch (No. 30) is a sophomore walk-on who seems to always be around the ball, and he can actually score in the post despite lacking the bulk of typical forwards. Redshirt freshman DeJuan Marrero (No. 1) is coming back from a knee injury that cost him all of last season, but he hasn’t tested that knee with extended minutes yet this year.

Keys to the game

1) Win the rebounding battle – Texas has crashed the glass hard in its first five games, and second-chance points have been a big part of the offense. Meanwhile, DePaul has posted solid rebounding numbers so far this year, but they struggled against the tougher frontcourts of Southern Miss and Wichita State. If the Longhorns can win the rebounding battle on both ends of the court, it could be the difference in the game.

2) Take advantage of mistakes – DePaul will have its share of turnovers in tonight’s game, and Texas needs to get out in the open court and turn them into points. The Longhorns have sometimes stalled out in halfcourt sets, especially against the zone, so the fast break also offers an opportunity to limit the number of times they have to score against a set defense.

3) Keep pressure on the perimeter – Texas was once again lit up from long range by BYU last night, raising their opponents’ season three-point mark to 45.4%. DePaul has a bunch of guys that can knock down the triple, including their big men. The Longhorns cannot afford to once again let an opponent pile up the points from outside if they hope to earn a split in Kansas City.

For the first time since 2010, the Texas Longhorns have started the season with a 4-0 mark. With the exception of last Monday’s win over Houston Baptist, the victories have come against solid mid-major foes, but they have all required second-half comebacks. Tonight, the young Horns will take a big step up in competition when they face BYU at the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.

The Cougars are coming off of a narrow, two-point loss in an exciting home game against Iowa State on Wednesday. Although that was a missed opportunity for an excellent résumé-building win, the Cougars did secure a road victory over Stanford in a 112-103 track meet that was part of ESPN’s 24-hour hoops marathon.

BYU missed the NCAA tournament last year after making the dance in six straight seasons, and this year’s tough non-con slate is a clear indication that they intend to return. In addition to the road trip to Stanford, the Cougars face Texas, travel to Oregon and to Springfield, MA for a “neutral” game against UMass, plus will take on either DePaul or Wichita State tomorrow night.

The Longhorns looked much better than expected in their first four games, but tonight will provide an opportunity to see just how they match up against solid competition. Although BYU plays in the West Coast Conference that drops off significantly after Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s, they were a mainstay at the top of a tough Mountain West Conference up until their departure in the summer of 2011. A win over this team would quickly raise expectations for this Texas team, but a lot could still be learned in a loss. If Texas goes down tonight, the way that they lose would still speak volumes about the young team’s future.

By the numbers

Texas has been pushing the tempo so far this season, but the Horns have nothing on BYU. The Cougars are currently the quickest team in the nation in terms of adjusted tempo, averaging more than 80.4 possessions per game. With both teams loving to run, fans should be treated to an exciting, up-tempo affair.

If you take a quick glance at the numbers, that high-tempo approach might come as a surprise when you look at BYU’s defensive turnover numbers. The Cougars only force miscues on 14.8% of their opponents’ possessions, a rate that is actually one of the 50 lowest in D-I hoops. While many up-tempo teams rely on turnovers and fast breaks to rack up the possessions and the points, BYU breaks the mold.

However, the Cougars fuel their up-tempo approach with a suffocating presence on the defensive glass. When you watch BYU close out a defensive possession, it looks like a wave of white jerseys crash into the lane as soon as the shot gets in the air. As a result, the Cougars are limiting opponents to just 25.6% of their offensive rebounding opportunities, and they immediately look up the court once they’ve snagged those defensive boards.

On the other side of the ball, BYU has done a phenomenal job limiting their own mistakes. Last year, the team only coughed it up on 17% of their possessions, a mark that ranked them in the top 25 nationally. This season, they’ve reduced that number even more, ending possessions with a turnover only 11.5% of the time. That’s good enough for third in the country, and when combined with their excellent shooters, it leads to a scorching adjusted offensive efficiency of 1.135 points per possession according to Ken Pomeroy.

Meet the Cougars

Even with the team posting such great turnover numbers, it was sometimes maddening to watch point guard Matt Carlino (No. 2) last season. He often erased a great hustle play with a frustrating mistake, typically a result of forcing things instead of slowing down and setting up the offense. On the season, Carlino’s turnover rate was 22%, but he has already slashed that to just 14.3% this year.

The Cougars don’t take a ton of three pointers, with less than 18% of their attempts coming from beyond the arc. The team is generally very accurate when they try a triple, though, hitting more than 41% of their attempts. Carlino is bucking that trend in both of those areas this year, taking closer to 30% of his shots from long range and hitting only 20% of them so far. However, Texas can’t simply sag off to take away his driving ability, as Carlino proved last season to be a streaky long-range shooter who can get hot in a hurry.

Joining Carlino in the backcourt is Kyle Collinsworth (No. 5), a sophomore guard who has returned to the team after his two-year mission trip to Russia. Collinsworth is going to be a tough matchup for a Texas team that typically plays three guards under 6’2″. He’s a strong 6’6″ guard who is crafty with the ball and is skilled at shifting speeds to get to the rim. He can muscle through contact to get his shot up and earn trips to the line, and that added length is also a big reason for the team’s success on the glass.

Like Collinsworth, Tyler Haws (No. 3) is a big guard who will create matchup issues for Texas. He’s a player who can score in a variety of ways, and his midrange game is pristine. Haws has a quick release and loves to hit jumpers around the elbow when he catches passes coming off of curls. Haws has missed two games due to injury this year, but has poured it on when he’s seen the court, averaging more than 26 points per game.

Haws can use his strength to get to the rim and his speed often gets defenders on his hip. As a result, he’s constantly earning free throws, and this year he has reaped the benefits of the new emphasis on whistling defensive contact. Last season, he already drew an impressive 5.4 fouls per 40 minutes, which ranked him 155th nationally. This year, he has ascended to the 29th slot, drawing 8.7 whistles per 40 minutes.

The biggest loss for BYU this offseason was that of big man Brandon Davies. Coach Dave Rose is confident that freshman Eric Mika (No. 00) will serve as an excellent replacement, and so far he has been proven correct. Like Davies, Mika is a fantastic passer, and he often pulls opposing bigs up the paint to open up cutting lanes for Haws. While Mika has a long way to go in order to match Davies’ 17.5% assist ratio from last year, he has certainly shown the ability to make crisp passes from the high post.

The other forward for the Cougars is Nate Austin (No. 33), who has had a quiet statistical start to the season. Although he’s averaging just a little more than five points per game, the 6’11” junior has a nice midrange jumper and has shown range out to the arc. He has been highly efficient with his shots so far this season, knocking down 12 of 16, with two of those misses from three-point land.

One man who is expected to light it up from that long range is JUCO transfer Skyler Halford (No. 23). He was a deadeye shooter for Salt Lake CC, but he has struggled so far at the D-I level. Halford is just 2-for-9 on threes so far this season, but is still a very dangerous shooter that Texas must blanket.

Junior Anson Winder (No. 20) has earned the most minutes of the reserves so far, mostly as a result of sliding into the starting five during Haws’ absence. He’s battled injuries of his own throughout his BYU career, but will provide some key depth for a team that plays at breakneck speed.

Freshman Frank Bartley IV (No. 24) is another guard off the bench for Coach Rose, and he’s shown some promise through his first five games. Like all of the BYU guards, he has good driving ability along with strength and body control. He’s shooting over 63% from the floor thanks to his ability to beat the defense on the bounce, and should be a big part of BYU’s plans in the future.

The final player who has seen action in every game is freshman Luke Worthington (No. 41), who is another option down low for BYU. A Wisconsin native, Worthington was recruited by his home-state Badgers to play football, and he brings that physical nature to the floor for his limited minutes. He’s still raw and lacks some touch near the rim, but he’s a serviceable reserve option for the Cougars when Mika and Austin need a breather.

Keys to the game

1) Slow down the transition game – Texas will have its hands full trying to slow down the Cougars tonight, but that will be vital if the Horns want to pull off an upset. Although the Cougars don’t force many turnovers, the Longhorns have had their share of unforced errors this season. They must avoid live-ball turnovers that fuel the BYU break, and they will likely need to have a guard or two drop back once shots go up to avoid giving up transition points after their own misses.

2) Attack with the dribble – The Cougars prefer to play man-to-man defense, and the Longhorns struggle against zones. It’s a match made in heaven as far as Texas fans are concerned, as long as the Texas guards play aggressively and attack off the bounce. Coach Rose is not completely allergic to the zone and has used it in the past, but he probably will ride with the man until Texas forces him to change. When teams don’t attack the BYU man, they typically have to settle for jumpers, and the Cougars make sure that they don’t allow many second chances. If Texas wants to hang with BYU tonight, the Horns have to avoid falling into that trap.

3) Stay glued to Haws – It’s going to be hard to keep Haws off of the scoresheet, but the Longhorns have to limit his damage. His driving ability means that help defense will be a must, and the team must also keep an eye on him whe he’s off the ball. Haws moves very well without the basketball and doesn’t need much space to get off a shot. The Longhorns have had issues giving up wide-open looks so far this season when they rotate a little too late or close out too slowly. Doing that against Haws — and really any of BYU’s excellent shooters — would be a recipe for disaster tonight.