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.

The Texas Longhorns continue their season-opening four-game homestand tonight against Stephen F. Austin, in the first meeting between the two programs since 2003. The Longhorns have needed comeback efforts against Mercer and South Alabama to log their first two wins, and tonight’s contest against SFA could provide a similar mid-major challenge.

The Lumberjacks have been wildly successful in recent years, holding the best Division I record in the state of Texas over the last six seasons. That success came with recently-departed head coach Danny Kaspar at the helm, but it’s a tradition that newcomer Brad Underwood hopes to continue in his first year on the job. SFA is coming off a season in which it won the Southland Conference before falling to Northwestern State in the conference tournament finals. Then, in the first round of the NIT, the Lumberjacks nearly pulled off a road upset, coming up just short in a 58-57 loss to Stanford.

In addition to Coach Kaspar, the Lumberjacks also lost a trio of senior starters in Taylor Smith, Antonio Bostic, and Hal Bateman. Smith was Player of the Year in the Southland Conference last season and averaged nearly a double-double with 15.7 points and 9.2 boards per game. Bostic also logged a double-digit scoring average, while guard Bateman was on the SLC’s All-Defensive Team.

Now, senior guard Desmond Haymon (No. 25) is being counted on to take the reins after being third on the team in scoring as a junior. In the first two games this year, he’s scored 27 total points on 50% shooting. While he’s only 2-for-8 on threes this season, he did lead the team with 37 makes last year, when he sank more than 37% of his attempts.

Joining Haymon in the backcourt are sophomores Thomas Walkup (No. 0) and Trey Pinkney (No. 10). Walkup is coming off of a solid 14-point, eight-board performance against Texas State, and he has grabbed more than 17% of his offensive rebounding opportunities on the year. Pinkney has a very high free-throw rate of 142.9 in his first two games, but he has yet to capitalize on his trips to the stripe. For the season, Pinkney is just 5-of-10 at the line.

SFA’s biggest problem tonight will be its lack of size, as the team has started 6’5″ Nikola Gajic (No. 4) and 6’6″ Jacob Parker (No. 34) at forward in the first two games. In the team’s only Division I contest, a 64-57 win over Kaspar’s new team, Texas State, the Lumberjacks allowed the Bobcats to reclaim more than 43% of their missed shots. With the Texas frontcourt boasting four guys listed at 6’8″ or taller, that could mean an astronomical number of second chances for the Horns.

The Lumberjacks do have some options on the bench if they decide to try to match Texas’ size. Junior-college transfers Tanner Clayton (No. 30) and Sharife Sergeant (No. 32) both check in at 6’9″, but have both only averaged about seven minutes in the first two games.

For Texas, the size disparity should provide a good opportunity for the bigs to clean up their post game. The Longhorns have made it a point to work the ball down low so far this season, and sophomores Cameron Ridley and Prince Ibeh are both looking more confident and decisive with the ball. However, all four of the Longhorn big men have had problems actually finishing near the rim. While Texas shouldn’t have much trouble reclaiming any point-blank misses tonight, it would be nice to see the Horns start making their first attempts in and around the lane.

The Longhorns have also struggled with ball control early in each of their first two games, which is a reason for concern against SFA. The Lumberjack defense stole the show in the win over Texas State, forcing the Bobcats into turnovers on nearly 27% of their possessions. The young Texas backcourt has to take care of the rock tonight, especially freshman point guard Isaiah Taylor, who had a particularly rough start against South Alabama. Coughing it up early will only serve to give the Lumberjacks early momentum with extra possessions and easy fast-break buckets.

One glaring issue for the Lumberjacks in their first two games has been points left at the free-throw line. In the two wins, SFA has made just 63.3% of their attempts at the line, a number dragged down by the hideous 12-for-25 mark posted against Texas State. Those struggles may not be make a big difference tonight, as the Longhorns have actually not sent opponents to the free-throw line very frequently, even with the new emphasis on defensive contact. Through two contests, the Longhorns have a defensive free-throw rate of 30.3%, currently 57th lowest out of 351 Division I squads.

After a pair of games in which the Longhorns dug huge holes before storming back for wins, tonight could be the first opportunity for Texas to earn a comfortable victory. A year ago, this match-up probably would have resulted in a historic road win for SFA at the Erwin Center, but instead Texas is catching the Lumberjacks in a transition year and at a time where they lack interior size. If the Longhorns can avoid the turnover bug tonight, they should head into the weekend with a 3-0 mark.

A tumultuous offseason came to a close for the Texas basketball team on Friday night, as the Longhorns finally tipped off their 2013-14 campaign with a game against the Mercer Bears. With huge questions surrounding the young, rebooted lineup and fan expectations at their lowest point in more than a decade, the Horns put together an exciting — albeit inconsistent — performance to start the season with a 76-73 win.

The offseason turmoil was well-documented, with five different Longhorns leaving the program after the 2012-13 season ended with a loss to Houston in the CBI. Forward Jaylen Bond actually announced his departure just before that game, and ultimately landed at Temple. Shooters Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis both hit the bricks shortly after, heading to Miami and Fresno State, respectively. Point guard Myck Kabongo decided to test the NBA waters, and was not selected in June’s NBA Draft. Kabongo is currently on the roster of the Austin Toros of the NBA’s D-League.

While only Bond’s decision wasn’t seen coming a mile away, even that one was understandable considering the pecking order in Texas’ frontcourt. But the biggest offseason blow did come as a surprise, as the versatile forward Ioannis Papapetrou decided in August to go pro in his native country of Greece. The Texas roster was decimated, forcing Coach Rick Barnes to hold an open tryout just to pick a few walk-ons and get enough bodies for practice.

The final roadblock in the soap-opera offseason came when sophomore point guard Javan Felix had sports hernia surgery at the start of October. The Texas program gave no recovery timetable, leading to debates amidst the dwindling fanbase over who would run the point for the Horns as the season tipped off.

The roster upheaval was the biggest storyline of the last seven months, but another had emerged during the disastrous 2012-13 season and it carried over into the summer. Long a topic in the echo chamber of internet message boards, the fate of Coach Barnes was being discussed by mainstream media. With the early struggles of the football team and rumors swirling about Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds, many fans and sportswriters were talking about the inevitable waves of change headed for Bellmont.

The first of those changes came with last week’s announcement of Steve Patterson as the next Texas AD, and it set an interesting backdrop for Barnes and the Horns as the season tipped off. The consensus from both the media and fans is that the Longhorns are in for another rough season, and many believe it will be the last for Coach Barnes. Others suggest that with expectations set so low, Barnes should be able to meet or exceed them and buy himself more time.

While the big-picture questions will likely be shadowing the program all season long, the Longhorns were at least able to start to answer some of the questions about the team in Friday night’s win. The Longhorns pushed the tempo and showcased a shooting touch that was sorely lacking last season. It was apparent that although Texas may struggle to log wins this year, the team will at least make it entertaining for its fans.

The recap

The Longhorns came out firing, shooting 50% from the field and knocking down six triples to build a lead as large as 12 points late in the first half. The experienced Mercer squad refused to fold, and its leader Langston Hall quickly responded with seven points in a 30-second stretch. The teams traded buckets as the half wound down, and the Longhorns took just a three-point edge to the locker room.

Mercer turned things around in the second half, finally finding its range from behind the arc. After shooting just 3-for-16 on threes in the first twenty minutes, the Bears drilled six of their next nine attempts and stormed to a nine-point lead with 9:44 to play. Staring a season-opening loss in the face, the Longhorns put a renewed focus on their interior scoring and turned up the defensive pressure. Fueled by Cameron Ridley’s second-half surge, Texas went on an 18-2 run in less than seven minutes.

Mercer continued to claw at the narrow margin in the final minutes, and the Bears found themselves with an opportunity to tie the game with five seconds left. Coach Barnes elected not to foul with his team up three, and the Bears found Jakob Gollon on the left wing for a potential game-tying trey. Connor Lammert stood tall and barely left his feet, blocking the final shot to secure an opening-night victory.

What looked good

The brightest spot for Texas and its fans was the excellent debut from freshman Isaiah Taylor. The youngster ran the point, shifting Felix off the ball to an undersized shooting-guard role. Taylor made quick, aggressive moves with the ball, and was able to shift gears in an instant to keep the defense off-balance. His smooth handles made it easy to weave through traffic, and he took full advantage of the new emphasis on defensive contact to earn fourteen trips to the line. He also showed an ability to pull up and hit the floater in traffic, something the tiny guard may have to rely on against bigger, stronger opponents. Taylor finished with 17 points in 29 minutes of action.

While Taylor didn’t attempt a three-pointer in the game, the rest of the Longhorns found a ton of success from beyond the arc. Texas made six of their eight three-point attempts in the first half and finished the game with a 46.7% success rate. Last season, the Longhorns made just 29.7% of their threes on the year, and cracked the 40% mark in just five of their 34 games.

Three of the long-range makes came from Texas big men, with Jonathan Holmes knocking down a pair and Lammert adding the third. Holmes showed the ability to hit three-pointers last year when he took them in rhythm, and that trend continued in the season opener. His first came as a trailer in transition, while his second was a wide open look late in the game. Lammert added his on a pick-and-pop play. If the Texas forwards can consistently make their long-range looks, it adds an extra dimension to the Longhorn offense that will spread the floor and open up driving lanes.

Freshman Damarcus Croaker also added two threes on back-to-back possessions, with a defender providing token pressure on both. He threw a pass out of bounds moments later and sat on the bench for the rest of the game, but it’s reassuring to know that the new guards will at least add some long-range pop. Although one game is certainly not a sample size worthy of any true conclusions, there’s reason to believe that Texas fans might not have to struggle through the painful scoreless stretches of last season.

The Longhorn offense also came from the entire stat sheet, as all ten players who saw the floor scored at least two points. Big man Prince Ibeh made two out of three free throws to log his points, which is certainly noteworthy after he made just 37.5% of his free throws last year.

The Texas offense also featured good ball movement, especially right out of the gate. The three-guard lineup whipped the ball around the perimeter as they looked for post entry opportunities. Although the Mercer defense is experienced and generally well-disciplined, when the Bears were caught out of position, the Texas guards were quick to put the ball on the floor and attacked the defense off the bounce. While last year’s team often passed the ball around the arc with little direction or sense of purpose, there was a clear game plan for this one and the team stuck to it.

On the defensive end, there was a ton of energy. The Longhorns used a lot of zone looks, including a 1-3-1 and what even looked like a 1-2-2. They threw out some full-court pressure to force a few first-half mistakes and looked really strong in man-to-man as they mounted their comeback late in the game.

What needed work

On the flip side, that defensive energy didn’t always equal results in the first half. The Longhorns seemed overly amped up, repeatedly biting on head fakes. Texas trapped quite a bit out of their zones in the first half, but players who were supposed to be rotating were often late or lost their assignments. On one particularly poor defensive set, Holmes drifted towards a man flaring to the arc as the Longhorns trapped past the opposite elbow, and he let a Mercer player cut right behind him to the rim for an easy hoop.

Ridley also seemed to struggle in the zone, as his size and conditioning made it tough for him to match the energy and effort of his teammates for long stretches. Mercer was very disciplined when it came to making quick, crisp passes, and his lapses allowed for open midrange jumpers and cuts to the paint. However, when the Longhorns switched to a man-to-man at the end of the first half and again in the second, Ridley actually looked phenomenal. He cleaned up shots from the help-side and also stood his ground to block shots from the Mercer bigs near the rim. Ridley finished the night with five blocks and 11 boards in 27 minutes of action.

While Ridley and Lammert provided a spark down the stretch, it took a while for the Texas interior game to get going. The bigs were working hard to establish post position in the first half, but they simply weren’t clicking with the guards. On some possessions, the bigs couldn’t get position for a good entry pass, while on others they would finally get their spot but the guards couldn’t find them. On the few occasions in the first half where the ball made it down low, the Texas bigs were usually out of position or they struggled to make a good move.

Fortunately, things changed down the stretch, as the guards and bigs worked together to get good angles down low and seal off the defenders. Ridley and Lammert logged some easy layups as a result, while the latter also cleaned up the glass with some key tips from the weak side late in the game.

A recurring problem last season was Felix getting himself into tough situations, and unfortunately that was again an issue against Mercer. Javan had three turnovers on the evening, but also repeatedly had shots blocked when he drove against a set interior defense. He left his feet without a plan on a few occasions early in the game, leading to desperation passes into the teeth of the D. Felix did log nine assists on the game, but his 4-of-14 line is worthy of concern. It will take time for the point guard to settle into his new combo-guard role, so hopefully the decision-making and shot selection improve over time.

The turnover bug was not just an issue for Felix, but for the entire Longhorn roster. Although the turnover rate of 17.9% was an improvement on last year’s 21.4% mark, that isn’t saying much. Texas was in the bottom third of Divison I hoops last season, so it would be tough to match that level of carelessness this season.

The Horns had six turnovers in the first 8:16 of the game, but managed to tighten things up the rest of the way. It’s worth noting, however, that many of the miscues were of the self-inflicted variety. With a young team and a lot of new faces, it’s natural that teammates sometimes won’t be on the same page, but for a Texas team that is going to have to battle for every win, the unforced errors will have to be reigned in.

Up next: vs. South Alabama (1-0); Tuesday, 7 P.M. CT

For the first time in fifteen years, the Texas Longhorns will be sitting at home when the NCAA’s Round of 64 tips off tomorrow morning. Although Texas will not be part of the NCAA tournament, the team is still participating in a post-season event, albeit a much-less prestigious one. Tonight, the Longhorns open play in the College Basketball Invitational, traveling to Houston’s Hofeinz Pavilion.

Like Kentucky in the NIT last night, the Longhorns could not host a first round game in the CBI because their home floor is being used to host NCAA tournament games this weekend. The road trip could grow longer, as even if the Longhorns advance to the quarterfinals of the CBI on Monday, a school spokesman told Mark Rosner that the Frank Erwin Center could not be flipped in time for a home game that night. That means that a win in tonight’s game would slate Texas for another road game on Monday, at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Tonight’s match-up revives a long-dormant Southwest Conference rivalry. Houston and Texas have not faced off since the 2000-01 season, when the Longhorns notched a 71-60 win in Houston. It was the second consecutive win for UT over the Cougars, and gave Texas a narrow 32-31 edge in the series. Tonight’s head coaches, Rick Barnes and James Dickey, have previously met six times. Barnes holds a 6-0 record against his counterpart, with all of the match-ups coming during the final three years of Dickey’s tenure at Texas Tech.

By the numbers

The Cougars run an up-tempo attack, logging an average of 70.4 possessions per game, adjusted for the opposition. That quick pace ranks 20th in Division I, according to Ken Pomeroy.

Houston does not force many turnovers, instead opting to get their transition opportunities after reclaiming opponents’ misses. Cougar opponents cough it up on just 17.9% of their possessions, ranking Houston in the bottom fifth of the country when it comes to forcing miscues. The Cougars are near the median in D-I for reclaiming opponents’ misses, grabbing 31.2% of their opportunities. The average for all Division I teams is 31.8%.

That inability to force turnovers and the average performance on the glass are two reasons why Houston has one of the worst defenses in the country. However, it is a problem with turning back dribble penetration — especially in the second half of many games — that has allowed Cougar opponents to score 1.073 adjusted points per possession. Those struggles with keeping the ball in front of the defense allows opponents to get to the rack and find easy looks inside, leading to the sky-high 49.7% field-goal percentage that Houston opponents have logged inside the arc.

On the other end of the floor, Houston has had much less trouble. The Cougars score an adjusted 1.057 points per possession, currently good for 88th out of 347 Division I teams. Houston has a nice blend of quality shooters who can knock it down from outside and talented forwards who can score in the paint and crash the glass. The Cougs’ field goal percentages both inside (50.2%) and outside (36.9%) the arc put them in the top 20% of Division I teams.

In addition to being able to put the ball in the basket, Houston also benefits from making possessions count. The team coughs it up on just 18.5% of its possessions and reclaims 33.3% of its missed shots. With a nice stable of bigs in the frontcourt, Houston also makes its way to the line fairly often, posting a free-throw rate of 40% on the season. In simpler terms, that means that the Cougars earn two free throws for every five field goals they take.

Meet the Cougars

At the point, juco transfer Tione Womack (No. 14) runs the show. He came to Houston from Hagerstown CC in his home state of Maryland, and took over the starting role a month ago. In the last nine games, he has averaged 28 minutes per game as the starter and dished out four assists per game. Although he’s not very strong at 6’1″ and only 170 pounds, Womack sets the table for his teammates, logging assists on 22.5% of the buckets scored when he is on the court.

The man who previously held the starting gig was 6-foot freshman J.J. Thompson (No. 3). He has seen his minutes drastically reduced with Womack now holding the reins, even failing to see the court in three of those nine contests. In the other six, he averaged 8.2 minutes, pulling his season average down to roughly 21 minutes per game. Turnovers were a major issue for the freshman this year, as he posted a 1.37 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season.

The shooting guard for Houston is hometown product Joseph Young (No. 0), a selection to this year’s All-Conference USA Third Team. Young is deadly from long range, having connected on more than 42% of his attempts this season. He also can knock down the pull-up jumper, and will put the ball on the floor to punish teams that play him too tightly on the perimeter. His 17.9 points per game are tops on the team, and his offensive rating of 124.2 is ranked 33rd out of all D-I players.

On the wing, Danuel House (No. 23) is a tough cover. He’s a very strong 6’7″ with great handles and an ability to slip right through the defense. That slashing ability gets House to the line with regularity, where he knocks down 72% of his attempts. His free-throw rate of 58.8% ranks him 100th in the country at getting to the line, something that will be a concern for a Texas team that frequently sends opponents to the stripe.

The Cougars have a very deep frontcourt filled with bigs who are not only strong, but very athletic, as well. Sophomore forward TaShawn Thomas (No. 35) is the most dangerous of these, as his selection to the First Team All-Conference USA squad would indicate. At 6’8″ and 215 pounds, the Killeen product is a handful inside. He is second on the team with 16.8 points and leads the squad with 9.5 rebounds. That number is inflated a bit by the up-tempo approach of Houston, but his offensive and defensive rebounding rates of 10.5% and 21.9% are still both ranked in the Top 250 for D-I players.

Thomas has a nice repertoire of moves, which could cause issues for a Texas frontcourt that was destroyed by the likes of OU’s Romero Osby and Kansas State’s Thomas Gipson. Thomas can bull his way inside for points, but also can go over either shoulder to hit hook shots and can knock down turnaround jumpers from anywhere near the paint. The Texas bigs will have to stay home and avoid biting on fakes if they hope to limit his damage tonight.

Joining Thomas in the frontcourt is Mikhail McLean (No. 1), another 6’8″ forward for Coach Dickey. McLean is averaging just 13.9 minutes per game, but has seen his role increase over the final few weeks of the season as he works his way back from a broken hand. Although he’s not a focal point of the offense, McLane has started nine of the last ten games and has done a great job reclaiming missed shots.

The Cougars see little dropoff when they go to their reserves in the frontcourt, as senior forward Leon Gibson (No. 15) started 12 games this season. A transfer from Navarro JC, Gibson has the prototypical back-to-the-basket game that allows him to score easily when he gets touches on the block. He is also a beast on the glass, but his limited 16 minutes per game prevent him from being ranked nationally in rebounding percentage.

Another solid reserve for Coach Dickey is swingman Jherrod Stiggers (No. 21), who would draw all of the attention as a long-range sharpshooter, if it weren’t for the presence of Young. Stiggers has knocked down 39.8% of his three-point attempts this season. Texas has the sixth-best defense in the country when it comes to defending the arc, so the Horns must continue that level of dominance if they want to neutralize Stiggers tonight.

Fellow guard Brandon Morris (No. 2) will likely see the court for ten to twelve minutes tonight, but is not a huge offensive threat. His 2.9% steal mark would be ranked nationally if he played more minutes, so the Texas guards cannot afford to be loose with the ball in his vicinity.

Forward J.J. Richardson (No. 55) rounds out the rotation, but his minutes have been limited all season long due to a nagging foot injury. In a road game against crosstown rival Rice, Richardson showed just what kind of a post presence he could be at full strength, putting in 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Since then, he has played in just five of the team’s ten games, and he logged only eight total minutes in Houston’s two games at the C-USA tournament.

Keys to the game

1) Stop transition – Although the Longhorns have been wildly inconsistent all season long, the one aspect of their play that has been generally strong is the defensive effort. If Texas can prevent Houston from pushing the pace after missed Longhorn shots, it should be able to force the Cougars to score in the half-court. That will play to Texas’ strengths, while also eliminating easy points for Houston. If the Cougars are not able to pile up fast-break points against the Horns, they will likely find it difficult to advance to the CBI quarterfinals.

2) Attack the paint – Houston has repeatedly struggled to keep the basketball in front of its perimeter defenders, opening up the lane to dribble penetration. If the Longhorns can avoid their bad habit of settling for jump shots, they should be able to frequently slash to the rim and get easy buckets, or at least draw help defense that opens up teammates.

3) Win on the glass – The Cougars are fairly average when it comes to rebounding the basketball, while the Longhorns have had a Jekyll and Hyde history on the two ends of the court. Texas does a great job rebounding its own misses, but lost many close games due to an inability to secure defensive boards in crunch time. If the Longhorns can continue their success on the offensive glass, they will be able to earn extra possessions against a Houston defense that is already very poor.

The real challenge will come on the other end of the floor, where the Cougs have an active frontcourt that can kill Texas with second-chance points. If the Longhorns can mitigate the damage from extra Houston possessions, they might escape Hofheinz to play another day.