Texas basketball will be matching up against Oklahoma State this Saturday. The last time these two teams faced off was Dec. 20, and Texas snuck by with a 77-74 win. Both teams have similar records and this should be an exciting end to the season series. Let’s break down both of these squads.
Texas offense
Greg Brown‘s big game saved the Longhorns in the first game as he ended with a double-double in that game. Despite the loss to Baylor, Texas is a much better team now. The offense is well balanced and the defense improved as well. Courtney Ramey didn’t score at all in the first game. Look for him to have a much different game. I’m pretty sure it has come up already and he’s thinking about it. The Longhorns need to take smarter shots this time around. Texas’ field goal percentage was worse compared to Oklahoma State.
Texas defense
This defense played decently on defense in the last matchup. The Longhorns had a good number of steals and blocked a bunch of shots. In that game, their defense was a big reason they were able to hold on to win, given the struggles they had on offense. However, taking smarter shots will result in Texas being less reliant on its defense. The reason for this strategy is because Oklahoma State didn’t have a lot of players make a major dent in the scoring column.
Oklahoma State offense
This offense shot a pretty good field goal percentage in the first game. A stat that cost this offense, and is a big reason they lost, was how poorly they shot from the three-point line. That was one of their weaknesses last game and the Longhorns need to look at exposing that again. Cade Cunningham went off for 25 in the first matchup. Slowing down him is another key to getting a win. Cunningham is the reason this offense stayed within striking distance the last time. This offense flows through him.
Oklahoma State defense
While Cunningham is responsible for Oklahoma State’s offense. There is plenty to worry about when it comes to the defense, mainly Bryce Williams. He doesn’t average a lot of points, but he is a very good and does a great job poking the ball loose. He averages over one steal a game and in close games like the one they had on Dec. 20. This is something like that can make a huge difference in shifting the momentum and ultimately could be a deciding factor in who wins.
This will be a close game like the last one. I expect to the Longhorns to play a lot better in this one. They’ve played a lot of tough competition as of late. Being exposed to that can give you a perspective of where you’re truly at as a team. I don’t think Texas will lose two games in a row. The Longhorns have always bounced back with a win in the game after. They will win this game with a final score of 82-76.
Photo courtesy of BaylorBears.com
