2014 NCAA Tournament Profile: Texas Longhorns
Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Texas Longhorns
Record: 23-10 (11-7 Big XII)
RPI: 36
BPI: 45
Conference: Big XII
How They Qualified: At-large
Season Summary
The Texas Longhorns started off the season with a fairly soft schedule. Then in December, the Longhorns played at North Carolina and hosted Michigan State in consecutive games. Texas was able to beat the Tarheels in Chapel Hill but came up short against the Spartans.
Texas got off to a rocky start in conference play. The Longhorns lost to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State before squeaking out a narrow 3-point victory at home against Texas Tech. That was the start of an impressive seven-game winning streak in the tough Big XII conference.
Texas was able to finish the regular season in a tie with Iowa State for third place in the conference. The Longhorns were then blown out by a hot Baylor squad in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
What You Need To Know
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Holmes (13.0 PPG)
Leading Rebounder: Cameron Ridley (8.1 RPG)
Leading Passer: Isaiah Taylor (3.9 APG)
Bad Losses: @ Texas Tech
Good Wins: @ North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Baylor (twice), Kansas, Iowa State
What to Expect
Any team that made it through the gauntlet of the Big XII season with a winning record in conference will be a formidable opponent for anyone in the tournament. The Texas Longhorns are no exception. The Longhorns success was due in large part to their dominant rebounding, and that is a skill that travels well in tournament play.
The Longhorns have some very good wins on their resume, but they do not come into the tournament on a hot streak. The Longhorns were 2-4 in their last six regular season contests. That late-season stretch included thrashings at the hands of Iowa State and Kansas.
That slide certainly caused the Longhorns to drop a few slots in terms of seeding in the big dance. That means that Texas will have its work cut out for them right from their first game of the tournament.