Busting Brackets
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Big 12 Basketball: Kansas State, Texas Tech leads before conference tournament

By Jason Kinander

AMES, IA - MARCH 9: Texas Tech Red Raiders Tariq Owens #11, Davide Moretti #25, Deshawn Corprew #3, Kyler Edwards #0 run off the court after defeating the Iowa State Cyclones 80-73 in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on March 9, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Texas Tech Red Raiders won 80-73 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - MARCH 9: Texas Tech Red Raiders Tariq Owens #11, Davide Moretti #25, Deshawn Corprew #3, Kyler Edwards #0 run off the court after defeating the Iowa State Cyclones 80-73 in the second half of play at Hilton Coliseum on March 9, 2019 in Ames, Iowa. The Texas Tech Red Raiders won 80-73 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images
Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images /

8. Texas Longhorns (16-15, 8-10 Conference Play)

The Good

Texas had a considerable drop off in talent from last season, losing NBA lottery pick Mo Bamba, but the drop off in production as a team was not expected.

Shaka Smart’s group struggled for much of the season. However, they never sunk completely. Even during the roughest stretches of the season, Texas found a way to fight through. The pure talent of this Longhorn team exerted itself for most of the season, and it lead Texas to a likely tournament bid.

While losing Bamba certainly had its effects, the play of the Longhorns’ freshmen certainly made up for what was lost. Jaxson Hayes, a freshman center who was a fringe top-100 recruit, was easily the biggest surprise, averaging ten points and five rebounds per game en route to winning the Big 12 Freshman of the Year award.

The Bad

Texas was easily the most inconsistent team in the Big 12 this season, as the Longhorns won back-to-back games just twice. Additionally, star senior guard Kerwin Roach missed the last few games of the season for disciplinary reasons.

Smart stayed on the hot seat for practically the entire season, due in part to Texas’ bad losses. The Longhorns dropped back-to-back home games against Redford and VCU, was swept by TCU, and lost road games against Oklahoma State and Georgia.

The Bottom Line:

Barring a no-show against Kansas in their Big 12 Tournament matchup, Texas will likely sneak into the NCAA Tournament. Expectations for the Longhorns were pretty scattered heading into the season, but Texas didn’t nearly perform as well as they could have. The postseason will be pivotal for Smart’s future at Texas, as the Longhorns probably need at least one win between the conference tournament and NCAA Tournament in order for Smart to stick around.

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