Texas Basketball: How long can Longhorns last in 2021 NCAA Tournament?

Reasoning for them getting to Elite Eight

The Longhorns are 4-6 in Quad 1 games, those are the only games they have in the loss column this season. Three of their Quad 1 wins were against a team ahead of them in the NET. Aside from the 83-69 defeat to Baylor, the Longhorns have lost by a combined 15 points. With only Oklahoma State defeating them by more than five points, and that was in double-overtime, with Kia Jones playing just 22 minutes due to foul trouble.

The reason why their free-throw shooting will not be their demise before the Elite Eight and the fact that four of the six losses they forced under ten turnovers will not be the reason they lose, is because the players Coach Smart has at his disposal are so interchangeable. If one player is not playing at a level needed, another one can come in at the position and perform the role needed.

Coach Smart also has the luxury to run-out different line-ups in order to take advantage wherever the mismatches may present themselves, whether it be in the backcourt or the frontcourt. In the last nine games when Texas has been playing `normal`, guard Ramey has averaged nearly 18 points per game to raise his season average while Jones and Matt Coleman have been consistent, despite the team not being.

When it is not the guards, the Longhorns frontcourt creates the problems. Such was the situation versus Kansas when the Jayhawks were forced to play zone, as the Jayhawks’ small line-up was unable to defense Greg Brown, Jericho Sims, and Kai Jones in the paint, yet David McCormack had difficulty defending anyone on the perimeter.