TEAM W L LAST WEEK THIS WEEK Baylor 4 0 W at KSU, 75-73; W vs. OSU, 106-65 Mon at KU; Sat vs. Mizzou Kansas 4 0 W at Tech, 81-46; W vs. ISU, 82-73 Mon vs. BU; Sat at UT Missouri 3 1 W at ISU, 76-69; W vs. UT, 84-73 Mon vs A&M; Sat at BU Iowa State 2 2 L vs. Mizzou, 76-69; L at KU, 82-73 Wed vs. OSU; Sat at Tech Texas 2 2 W vs. A&M, 61-51; L at Mizzou, 84-73 Wed at KSU; Sat vs. KU Oklahoma State 2 2 W vs. OU, 72-65; L at BU, 106-65 Wed at ISU; Sat vs. KSU Oklahoma 1 3 L at OSU, 72-65; W vs. KSU, 82-73 Tue vs. Tech; Sat at A&M Kansas State 1 3 L vs. BU, 75-73; L at OU, 82-73 Wed vs. UT; Sat at OSU Texas A&M 1 3 L at UT, 61-51; W vs. Tech, 67-54 Mon at Mizzou; Sat vs. OU Texas Tech 0 4 L vs. KU, 81-46; L at A&M, 67-54 Tue at OU; Sat vs. ISU

The big picture

The league’s top three teams maintained order this week, as Baylor, Kansas, and Missouri pulled away from the pack and handed Iowa State its first two losses. We’ll likely get a little more clarity on the pecking order amongst the league’s elites, as Baylor tackles a tough week that includes a road trip to Lawrence and a home game against fellow top-ten team Missouri. Iowa State has a fairly easy draw this week, while Texas and Oklahoma State could easily both go 0-2. By this time next week, there could be a significant separation between the league’s top four and the middle of the Big 12 pack.

Mid-week games

Texas A&M at Mizzou; Monday, 4:30 P.M. CT (ESPN)

The Aggies have defeated the Tigers in their last eight meetings, a streak dating back to the 2004 season. Missouri actually chalked up two wins against A&M that year, as it was the famous “0-for-conference” season for Melvin Watkins and the Aggies. If there were ever a time for the Tigers to break the streak, this would seem to be it. Missouri is hitting on all cylinders and is currently ranked 9th in the nation, although on the heels of losses by Michigan State and Indiana, they will likely climb a few spots in today’s new batch of polls. The Aggies, meanwhile, have played their way to an inexplicable 1-3 start, with the lone win coming at home against the cellar-dwellers from Texas Tech. Stranger things have happened, but look for Frank Haith to earn his second-straight win over a school he once worked at.

Baylor at Kansas; Monday, 8:30 P.M. CT (ESPN)
The best game of the young conference season caps an awesome quadrupleheader on the Worldwide Leader tonight, as Baylor looks to continue its improbable undefeated run with a win at Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The Bears are coming off of an absolute thrashing of Oklahoma State on Saturday, where the team cracked the century mark and PJ3 posted a double-double in just 27 minutes with a 19/12 line. While the Bears were cruising, Kansas was tested at home by Iowa State, but extended their home win streak over the ‘Clones to seven games.

One interesting subplot to remember is that the last time these teams met in Lawrence, Scott Drew ticked off Jayhawk Nation by electing to coach his team up in the hallway rather than watch KU’s intro video. Kansas City sports radio was inundated with angry calls in the days following the game, presumably because Jayhawk fans felt that Kansas Basketball History 101 should be a part of the Baylor curriculum. It’s probably a safe bet that the Bears will stay on the sideline this time around, although you shouldn’t expect to see Quincy Acy or Pierre Jackson throwing shredded newspaper in the air when Mario’s Miracle goes down.

Texas Tech at Oklahoma; Tuesday, 7:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Sooners played extremely well in non-conference under new coach Lon Kruger, but stumbled when hit with an opening pair of games against Missouri and Kansas. The Sooners finally notched their first league win in a home upset of K-State on Saturday, led by Andrew Fitzgerald, Romero Osby, and Steven Pledger, who all scored at least 18 points. The Sooners likely won’t need such heroics at home against Texas Tech in this one, but could still post the same kind of impressive numbers. If the Sooners can take care of business, they’ll create a little separation from the bottom of the league, with a chance to add even more space with a win at A&M on Saturday.

Texas at Kansas State; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
A full preview of the Texas/K-State game will be available on Wednesday.

Oklahoma State at Iowa State; Wednesday, 8:00 P.M. CT (ESPNU)
The Cyclones performed admirably in their games against Missouri and Kansas last week, but came up just short in both of them. The losses indicate that Iowa State isn’t quite in that top tier of teams in the Big 12, but they do show that ISU will certainly be competitive. Fortunately, the schedule-makers had a bit of sympathy for the Cyclones, following up that tough pair of games with two very winnable ones against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The Cowboys did knock off the Sooners in a Bedlam match-up last Monday, but completely laid down when they traveled to Waco on Saturday afternoon. There’s no indication that a thin, reeling Oklahoma State is going to suddenly show up, especially on the road, so look for the Cyclones to keep themselves in the upper half of the league standings.

The last time Frank Haith met his mentor Rick Barnes on the hardwood, the Longhorns knocked off the Miami Hurricanes in Little Rock and booked a trip to the Sweet 16. The Hurricanes put up a good fight that afternoon at Alltel Arena, but came up just short in the final minutes.

This time around, the Tigers made absolutely certain that Haith earned the victory against his former boss. Missouri shot 54% from the field, including an incredible 73% mark from behind the arc in the first half, and ultimately defeated the Longhorns by 11 in the final conference meeting at Mizzou Arena between the two schools.

Texas found itself in a deep hole in the first half thanks to Mizzou’s superhuman performance from behind the arc, falling behind by as much as 16 late in the half. The Longhorns clawed back, however, slicing the Tiger lead down to just five with a little over nine minutes left in the game.

Seconds later, J’Covan Brown split his lip while committing a foul and headed to the bench. With the Longhorns missing their leader, Missouri’s Phil Pressey took over, scoring seven points in 50 seconds to end any threat of a comeback by Texas.

What looked good

Despite the final outcome, the performance by J’Covan Brown was one of his best as a Longhorn. At times, he still appeared to be bothered by the ankle injury that has dogged him since the Iowa State game on January 4th. Even with that nuisance, Brown posted 34 points in the loss, drilling 6-of-7 from long range while also knocking down all eight free throws. J’Covan has now made his last 19 free throws, a streak stretching back to the end of the first half against Oklahoma State.

Freshman Myck Kabongo also performed well in the loss, logging the first double-double of his short career. Kabongo finished with 12 points and 10 assists, with a majority of his buckets coming on aggressive drives to the basket. There were still some questionable drives where he put himself in a bad situation, but for the most part he was wise about when to attack. That is something that has been an issue for him all season, so hopefully this is a sign that the light bulb is starting to illuminate for the freshman.

Big man Clint Chapman also continued his recent trend of steady performances, although foul trouble dogged him for much of the game. The senior picked up his second personal less than five minutes into the game, and he was relegated to the bench for the remainder of the half. He certainly had his difficulties in this one, bobbling a pair of passes that cost the team possessions, but he did good work on the glass and knocked down a free-throw line jumper without hesitation. There is no question that the team looked better with Chapman on the floor, so he will have to avoid the whistles if the Longhorns want to win against physical teams in the Big 12.

While Chapman did well on the glass, it was actually Jonathan Holmes who led the team with seven rebounds. Alexis Wangmene also grabbed four offensive boards, as the Horns posted excellent rebounding percentages on both ends of the floor. Texas secured 47.1% of their missed shots, the second-best number put up against the Tigers all season long.

When Missouri actually missed shots, Texas also did a good job limiting their second chances, holding the Tigers to just a 28.6% rebounding percentage. That number might not seem impressive against a team playing a four-guard lineup, but the way that Ricardo Ratliffe and Steve Moore were imposing their will in the paint, it was rather surprising to see.

Although it was overshadowed by how well Missouri played, the Longhorns actually had one of their most efficient outings of the season on offense. That number was buoyed by Brown’s dead-eye marksmanship from behind the arc, but Texas still scored 1.135 points per possession, the best performance by a Missouri opponent this year.

What needed work

That offensive efficiency number could have been even more impressive had the Longhorns avoided frustrating turnovers. Texas coughed it up 14 times on the day, ending nearly 22% of their possessions with turnovers. While many came on errant passes, the most frustrating errors were a shot clock violation and five-count that came on back-to-back possessions as Missouri pulled away late in the first half. Texas is going to face teams that are much more talented than them in the next two-plus weeks, so they simply cannot afford to waste possessions.

While the turnovers were frustrating for Longhorn fans, the defense was downright infuriating. Texas came out in a zone, and the Tigers immediately lit them up behind the arc. Even when the Longhorns switched to a man defense, they still elected to go under screens against Flip Pressey. Coming into the game, the younger Pressey was just a 26% shooter from behind the arc, so that decision is hard to fault. Unfortunately, on Saturday afternoon, Flip was possessed by the spirit of J.J. Redick and he killed Texas with three clutch triples. When the Tigers weren’t drilling threes, constant penetration by the guards drew the defense, leaving Ratliffe alone underneath for countless easy buckets.

On the other end of the floor, Julien Lewis followed up his solid performance against Texas A&M with yet another abysmal day from the floor. Lewis was consistently able to find his way to the paint and had excellent elevation above the defense to pop his jump shot. Of course, space and elevation only go so far when you knock down just 1-of-10 from the floor.

Lewis started hot out of the gate for the Longhorns this season, scoring 18 in his debut against Boston University. He’s shown the ability to score in bunches, but at this point, it’s painfully clear that he is a very streaky player. In games where he has taken at least five shots, Julien has posted a shooting percentage above 35% just five times. Nine times he has been below that mark, including three that were below 15%. If Lewis hits some of his early shots in future games, give him the green light. But when he comes out cold, he has to realize it’s not his night and defer to teammates.

Texas also struggled converting some really easy looks, missing at the rim on multiple occasions in the first half. Sheldon McClellan failed to finish on two different fast-break opportunities, which only fueled the Mizzou Arena crowd and added to the Tiger momentum. Easy points are few and far between in conference play, so the Longhorns have to make those opportunities count.

The big picture

In the grand scheme of things, this loss isn’t a killer. We’ve repeatedly discussed just how brutal this three-week stretch of the schedule will be for Texas. The Longhorns still need to add a few quality wins to the résumé before Selection Sunday, and yesterday’s performance should at least give their fans some hope that perhaps they could spring an upset on the Tigers in the rematch at the Erwin Center on January 30th.

Texas still must beat Iowa State at home on January 24th, and would benefit from stealing another win or two in their upcoming games against K-State, Kansas, Baylor, and Missouri. The sky is not falling yet, but the Longhorns will have to surprise someone in the near future to feel more comfortable about their tournament chances.

Up next: at #18/18 Kansas State (12-4 overall, 1-3 Big 12)

The Longhorns embark on the toughest portion of their schedule this afternoon, taking on a top-ten Mizzou squad that was still undefeated at this time last week. In the ensuing five games, Texas will also face Baylor and Kansas State on the road, while hosting Kansas, Iowa State, and this same Missouri team. Every single game is going to be tough to win, which is terrible news in a season where the Horns need every conference win they can get to simply make the NCAA tournament.

The one positive in all of this is that of the three tough road games, this is the one Texas has the best chance in. Against this murderer’s row, that’s not saying a whole lot, but it should be some comfort to Longhorn fans that amongst the league’s elite teams, these Tigers are the best match-up for Texas. The Horns are weakest in the frontcourt, which just so happens to be where the Tigers are thin, as well.

By the numbers

Although Mizzou’s frontcourt leaves a lot to be desired, they still have the best two-point field-goal percentage in the country, knocking down 57.6% of their shots from inside the arc. That’s a result of constantly attacking the paint, whether on the dribble or with smart, hard cuts that lead to easy layups. All told, Mizzou’s offensive efficiency is second in the nation, with the Tigers putting in 1.211 points per possession.

Behind the arc, Missouri is just as dangerous. The Tigers have made nearly 40% of their long-range attempts, led by seniors Kim English (No. 24) and Marcus Denmon (No. 12), who are shooting 53% and 48.7% behind the arc, respectively. The Tigers are also loaded with quick guards in the backcourt, so opposing teams have to decide whether they’d rather give up the blow-by when they are pressuring the perimeter or give up a wide-open three when sagging to cut off penetration. As the numbers show, there’s simply no good choice.

With former coach Mike Anderson now in Fayetteville, the Tigers no longer employ relentless full-court pressure, but they still play nasty defense. Under former Texas assistant Frank Haith, this year’s Missouri team just waits to turn up the pressure until after opponents have crossed half-court. Their talented crop of guards can all defend well on the perimeter, and they still force turnovers on more than 23% of possessions despite abandoning the “Fastest 40 Minutes of Basketball” approach. The high-octane offense and tenacious D still add up to a quick tempo, however, but the Tigers “only” average 69 possessions per game, currently the 82nd-fastest pace in Division I.

It’s also worth noting that the Tigers play good D without fouling. Their defensive free-throw rate is 15th-best in D-I at the moment, as opponents shoot just a little more than one free throw for every four field goal attempts. That discipline on the defensive end is huge, as Missouri is now down to just a seven-man rotation and cannot afford to have any players in foul trouble.

Meet the Tigers

That seven-man Missouri rotation was supposed to be nine deep, but a devastating injury and ill-timed transfer have dramatically changed the make-up of the Tiger roster. Senior forward Laurence Bowers tore his ACL on October 3rd, just a little more than a month before the Tigers tipped off the season, leaving Mizzou with only three legitimate options in the frontcourt. Then, just before conference play began, Toronto product Kadeem Green announced his intentions to transfer somewhere closer to home.

The Bowers injury and Green transfer left Ricardo Ratliffe (No. 10) as the sole big man in the starting five. At just 6’8″, Ratliffe is severely undersized as the primary post option against most Big 12 teams, but he knows how to establish good post position before the entry pass and makes quick, confident moves once he gets the ball. He’s smooth on his spin move and is solid with the jump hook, so even though Clint Chapman and Alexis Wangmene have a few inches on Ratliffe, they’ll have to push him off the block and deny those deep entry passes.

The Tigers have only one other big man in Steve Moore (No. 32), who comes off the bench to average just under 17 minutes per game. Moore is nowhere near the offensive threat of Ratliffe, but is a stout 6’9″ guy that provides some rebounding help and defensive presence in the paint.

With the lack of frontcourt options, the Tigers have had to rely on their strength in the backcourt. Coach Haith has elected to go with a four-guard look, and so far it has worked to near-perfection. Senior Marcus Denmon (No. 12) is the Big 12’s leading retuning scorer, and he’s near the top of the charts again this season with his 17.9 points per game. He’s incredibly quick with the basketball and can slice right through the defense to get to the rack. As mentioned earlier, he’s also a very dangerous three-point shooter, so it’s difficult to keep Denmon in check for very long.

The man facilitating the offense is sophomore guard Phil (Flip) Pressey (No. 1), who has made an amazing leap from his freshman year. The younger of two Presseys on the team, Phil struggled with turnovers during his first collegiate season, but has turned into a highly efficient point guard this year. He’s currently posting a 2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio, but is averaging 5.5 assists per game over his last ten.

Perhaps the area of greatest improvement for Flip this season is his new-found ability to adjust his speed as he reads the defense. Instead of flying recklessly into a waiting defense, he now hesitates, watches the play develop, and finds the cracks or passing lanes. If a team is slow getting back, he finds another gear and will take it coast to coast. Although this current Missouri roster is loaded with seniors, the future is still bright with Pressey running the point for two more years.

Phil’s older brother, Matt Pressey (No. 3) is possibly the best perimeter defender on the team, which is really saying something with this group of guards. He’s also no slouch on the offensive end, chipping in nearly nine points a game while making a third of his attempts from behind the arc.

Senior Kim English (No. 24) rounds out the starting five, where he’s playing what amounts to the power forward role despite having the body of a small forward. As previously mentioned, he’s been practically unconscious from outside so far this season, drilling 53% of his threes. English is also able to put the ball on the floor and slash from the wings to create looks for himself. His prowess from behind the arc plus his ability to generate good looks have the senior ranked second in the nation with an insane 68.7% effective field goal percentage.

Off the bench, Missouri’s sixth man is junior Michael Dixon (No. 11), who is another excellent perimeter defender for the Tigers. Despite seeing just 26 minutes per game off the bench, he’s still second on the team with 27 steals and he converts those turnovers into fast-break points. Once the starting point guard, Dixon has adjusted well to his new role as sixth man, which is a big reason for Missouri’s success so far. The best teams have guys who understand their roles, and the maturity with which Dixon has handled himself after losing the starting job to Pressey is a boost to the team’s performance and chemistry.

Keys to the game

1) Play sound team defense – The Tigers make great cuts without the basketball and have a roster filled with excellent ballhandlers who can attack the paint off the dribble. Texas will constantly be challenged on the defensive end, and will undoubtedly be plays where someone loses their man or gives up penetration. The key is for the Horns to play well as a defensive unit and be aware enough to provide timely help. Missouri can move the ball very well, but forcing them to work the ball around even more on busted assignments will keep things from getting out of hand.

2) Weather the storm – Missouri can score in bunches, and a full Mizzou Arena is an absolute powderkeg. With the planned “blackout” for today’s game, you can tell that fans are still treating this as a big game despite it being a down year for Texas. When the Tigers get on one of their inevitable runs, the roof is likely to blow right off the building. These young Longhorns have yet to produce a win under hostile conditions — sorry, an 80% empty L.A. Sports Arena doesn’t count — so they must show poise when things get tough this afternoon.

3) Clean the glass – Missouri doesn’t miss often, but the Longhorns can’t afford to give them extra chances when they do. Fortunately, this is one of the rare times this season that Texas has the edge in the frontcourt. The Longhorns must take advantage of this and close out good defensive possessions by securing the boards, something they had difficulty doing against A&M even when the ball was right in their hands. On the other end of the court, if Clint Chapman, Jonathan Holmes, or Jaylen Bond can get some putbacks, it will only make things easier against a tough Tiger D.

4) Avoid foul trouble – Not only is this important because the Longhorn roster lacks depth, but avoiding fouls also keeps the Tigers off the free-throw line, where they are practically automatic. Dixon has made 91% of his attempts, while Denmon is just a shade under 93% from the charity stripe. As a team, the Tigers are one of the 10 best in the country when it comes to converting the freebies, sinking almost 77% at the line.

TEAM W L NEXT THREE Baylor 3 0 Sat vs. OSU, Mon at KU, 1/21 vs. Mizzou Kansas 3 0 Sat vs. ISU, Mon vs. BU, 1/21 at UT Missouri 2 1 Sat vs. UT, Mon vs. A&M, 1/21 at BU Iowa State 2 1 Sat at KU, Wed vs. OSU, 1/21 at Tech Texas 2 1 Sat at Mizzou, Wed at KSU, 1/21 vs. KU Oklahoma State 2 1 Sat at BU, Wed at ISU, 1/21 vs. KSU Kansas State 1 2 Sat at OU, Wed vs. UT, 1/21 at OSU Oklahoma 0 3 Sat vs. KSU, Tue vs. Tech, 1/21 at A&M Texas A&M 0 3 Sat vs. Tech, Mon at Mizzou, 1/21 vs. OU Texas Tech 0 3 Sat at A&M, Tue at OU, 1/21 vs. ISU

Texas at Missouri; Saturday, 12 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
An in-depth look at the Texas/Missouri game will be available in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning.

Kansas State at Oklahoma; 12:30 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
The Wildcats and Sooners were the surprises of the Big 12 in non-conference play, combining to post a 21-3 mark. That momentum was tough to maintain in conference play, as both teams have already have to face Missouri and Kansas, and their records are indicative of that tough opening schedule. For the middle of the pack in the Big 12, winning home games will be key to staying out of the bottom rungs of the standings. Lloyd Noble Center has not been an intimidating road venue for the last few years, but Lon Kruger has reignited the buzz surrounding OU’s program. Can Romero Osby and Andrew Fitzgerald impose their will down low and defend home court?

Texas Tech at Texas A&M; 12:45 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
We eagerly awaited the unveiling of this year’s Big 12 schedule, hoping the dates would line up so we could see Billy Gillispie return to College Station and the fanbase he spurned for the high-profile Kentucky gig in 2007. Unfortunately, this one not only coincides with a road trip, but conflicts so directly that we can’t even watch it live on TV. The recent fade by Texas A&M means that Reed Arena likely won’t be packed to the rafters, but you can be sure that Gillispie will hear it from the Aggie faithful who do show up.

Texas A&M split the top spot in the preseason coaches poll with Kansas, but the Aggies have looked like anything but a title contender so far. Losers of five out of their last six — with the lone win coming against Arkansas Tech — the Aggies absolutely have to win this game. Texas A&M has a road trip to Mizzou to look forward to on Monday, so a failure to knock off the Red Raiders would put the Aggies in danger of a likely 0-5 start to conference play.

Oklahoma State at Baylor; 2:00 P.M. CT (ESPN2)
The big game isn’t until Monday, when Baylor travels to Phog Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas. Both teams will likely be undefeated in league play, with the winner taking over sole possession of first place. But before that happens, both squads must take care of business at home. The Bears play host to an Oklahoma State team dealing with injuries and defections, a sharp contrast to the abundance of talent on Baylor’s bench. As long as the Bears can avoid looking ahead to Monday’s gargantuan match-up, Scott Drew and Co. should cruise to a win in this one.

Iowa State at Kansas; 3:00 P.M. CT (ESPN Full Court/ESPN3.com)
While Baylor must avoid looking ahead, Kansas must do the same against a very tough Iowa State team. The Jayhawks have not lost at home to Iowa State since 2005, but the Cyclones are off to a strong start in league play and put forth a very solid effort in a loss to Mizzou on Wednesday night. If Royce White can avoid foul trouble while competing inside against Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey, Iowa State will likely give the Jayhawks a fight. The Cyclones will also need to stay hot from outside, where they have made 44.8% of their attempts in three conference games.

For two unranked teams with just one combined win in four conference games, there was a lot on the line for Texas and A&M on Wednesday night at the Erwin Center. The Longhorns desperately needed a win before starting a brutal six-game stretch, while the Aggies were reeling and needed a victory to simply stop the bleeding. Add in the approaching end to the 95-year basketball rivalry between the two schools, and you end up with a number of interesting subplots adding a great deal of gravity to the game.

With all that to play for, the game still turned out to be very ugly. The Longhorns made just two field goals in the first ten minutes of the game, yet managed to hold a lead for much of the first half. Although it wasn’t pretty, a true team effort for the young Horns added up to a key victory over A&M on Wednesday night. Not only did it provide Texas with a crucial league win in a season where the team will be sweating the bubble, but it also ensured that the Longhorns would hold on to their nine-game home winning streak over their in-state rivals as the series goes dormant next year.

The first twenty minutes of basketball were downright difficult to watch. The Aggies successfully slowed the pace of the game, which ended with just 61 possessions. With fewer scoring opportunities, the missed shots were even more noticeable. J’Covan Brown was still gimpy as he recovered from an ankle injury suffered a week earlier, while Myck Kabongo spent more than half the game on the bench with foul trouble. His two early fouls were especially infuriating for Longhorn fans, as they both came right after he had turned the ball over. With a thin bench, the freshman will have to learn not to compound his mistakes by committing frustration fouls.

Without the two facilitators kick-starting the offense, Texas really struggled. A&M hedged hard on ball screens, forcing the limping Brown to try to start sets 30 feet from the rim. While the Texas defense kept things close throughout the first half, a true team effort on offense put the Horns in a position to win. Sheldon McClellan would attack the rim or make a big play, then Julien Lewis would step up a few possessions later. Jonathan Holmes even ripped down a few big rebounds despite only seeing the court for 14 minutes.

The Longhorns also got some big minutes in the second half from their pair of much-maligned big men. Both Alexis Wangmene and Clint Chapman logged clutch blocks as the Longhorns went on a second-half run, with each swat coming in help situations on the other forward’s man.

Wangmene only played 19 minutes, but had an old-fashioned three-point play that swung the momentum in the second half. Chapman, meanwhile, finished with 11 points, seven boards, and picked up two charges. He knocked down a midrange jumper and had another one pop out after going halfway down. While these two guys are never going to be on the level of the bigs from Kansas or Baylor, Chapman’s strong recent efforts and Wangmene’s flashes of solid play are something to be optimistic about early in the conference slate.

Despite his injury, J’Covan Brown also had an excellent game. He couldn’t blow past defenders thanks to the sore ankle, but he simply played smart basketball. He had his first three shots blocked, but then adjusted his approach and managed to finish with 16 points. Brown used the hesitation dribble to perfection in the second half, probing the defense, waiting for their reaction, and then reading it before attacking again or finding a teammate. On a night where he shot just 16.7% from the field, J’Covan earned ten trips to the line and made every single free throw.

With Brown unable to create good looks for himself, he put his teammates in a position to score. The junior finished with six assists, but easily could have cracked double digits if it weren’t for bobbled passes and the constant fouls down low when he would find someone open. Two of Brown’s most impressive plays came on passes well away from the basket. On the first, he found McClellan for an alley-oop when he was standing closer to half court than the perimeter. The second came as Texas was putting on a second-half surge, when Brown shot a laser pass from the backcourt to find an open Chapman for a dunk in transition.

The Longhorns also finally had another great game from freshman Julien Lewis, who has had a very streaky season. He led the team with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 mark behind the arc. In his five games prior to the A&M one, Lewis was just 22% from the field and 16.7% from the field. To add insult to injury, he also crunched his hand in a car door in the middle of his slump, forcing him to miss the New Year’s Eve game against Rice. If Lewis can stay hot, the Longhorns might surprise someone and pull off an upset during this tough three-week stretch.

The one consistent storyline this season has been the team’s pursuit of a 14th-consecutive NCAA bid. Rick Barnes and the Longhorns have been a March Madness staple, one of only six teams who have made the field in each of the last 13 seasons, but that streak is in jeopardy this year. Texas failed to build a solid résumé in non-conference play, blowing games against Oregon State and N.C. State in New Jersey. A win over UCLA in Los Angeles has lost its luster thanks to the disappointing season for the Bruins, but Texas’ home win over Temple at least gives them one quality victory.

That weak non-conference profile means that Texas will have to make a case by winning games in a tough Big 12. If you consider 20 wins the magic number for NCAA inclusion — and even that is no guarantee — the Longhorns must win 10 games in a Big 12 where every team is competitive, even a rebuilding Texas Tech program. Wednesday night’s win over A&M isn’t going to steal any headlines or punch a ticket to the Big Dance, but in a season where the Longhorns will be counting every single W, it was one they simply had to have.

Up next: at #9/9 Missouri (15-1 overall, 2-1 Big 12); 12 P.M. CT, Saturday