Texas basketball is 4-0 after it beat North Carolina to win the Maui Invitational. Now the Longhorns have another tough opponent with Villanova. Here is a breakdown of the teams in what should be a high scoring game.
Texas offense
This offense has been doing good so far for the Longhorns, especially guards Matt Coleman III and Courtney Ramey, which both scored in double figures for each game of the tournament. The Longhorns will definitely need both of them if they are going to have any chance at beating Villanova. Forward Greg Brown has been a nice surprise for this Longhorns offense. During the Maui Invitational, Jericho Sims had a tough time by getting into foul trouble. Texas is fortunate Brown stepped up. He scored a few points and got some boards during the games in the Maui Invitational.
Texas defense
This defense played well in the Maui Invitational. One thing that it struggled with was fouling. Too many Longhorns got into foul trouble during these stretch of games. The Longhorns need to cut down on those because it can mess up your rotation. It would also force your starters to play extra minutes when they need a break. Texas improved on its ability to steal the ball and had 10 against North Carolina. The Longhorns need to work on blocking shots now and making sure they protect the rim. It took a game-winning shot from Coleman to beat North Carolina, so this defense needs to step up against Villanova.
Villanova offense
This team came in ranked No. 3 to start the season, but just after its second game, it got upset by Virginia Tech. That gives something for the Longhorns to go off of in terms of preparation. Texas is a better team than Virginia Tech and can definitely beat Nova. Texas needs to play in a man to man defense because Villanova has four players on offense averaging double figures so far this season. The two main ones Texas must focus on are forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Collin Gillespie. They both average over 15 points this season and are the leaders in all important statistical categories for the team. They are the key to Villanova’s success, and the Longhorns must find a way to slow these two down.
Villanova defense
This defense does a below average job in getting steals and blocks. The Longhorns can use that to there advantage in this game. With Villanova not averaging many blocks, the Longhorns should be able to attack the paint more in this game. This can lead to more foul shots and get Nova into early foul trouble. Villanova’s defense is the weakness to the team, which has been proven by the amount of points its allowed so far this season. All the Longhorns need to do is take advantage of it.
Texas basketball is going to win this game, mainly in part because Villanova is not what it used to be. However, this is still a very dangerous team and the Longhorns need to be prepared to go back and forth all game. The Longhorns will win this game 78-72.
Photo courtesy of IUHoosiers.com
