Texas Basketball: Longhorns energy leads to upset over Kansas

A top-25 matchup between the No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks and No. 20 Texas Basketball shaped into an exhilarating matchup as Texas upset Kansas 79-76 in Austin.

A nearly sold-out Frank Erwin Center was rocking throughout the whole game bringing energy to a Texas Basketball squad looking to continue their top-25 win hot streak as of late. It didn’t matter what type of play was going on. Offensive dominance, quick hands-on defense, ability to get stops or free throws attempted couldn’t stop Longhorns faithful from getting loud.

Fan involvement is always key to success. Their energy led to the players’ performance on the court and their ability to come up clutch to seal the deal. Here are the takeaways from last nights’ upset over the Jayhawks.

1. When some of the starters struggled to get rolling, Tre Mitchell picked up the slack

It doesn’t matter if the game is a men’s or women’s matchup. The bench plays a vital part in bringing momentum and energy when the starts are down. Last night, the main hero goes by the name of Tre Mitchell.

Normally, Mitchell appears in the starting lineup. The 6’9 forward has started 17 on the Longhorns 23 games so far this season. Instead, Coach Beard decided to go with 6’6 forward Brock Cunningham for his second start of the season. Although that move could be deemed questionable, it makes sense in the long run.

Having a bench player start in favor of a starter enables the ability to take advantage of the last-minute change in the opponents’ game plan. A team like Kansas is known for their ability to adjust their defense on the fly but it wasn’t enough to stop Mitchell. He finished with 17 points in 22 minutes.

2. Who needs three-point shooting anyways?

I’ve always been a fan of the midrange shot and do not like when people say the midrange is “dead”. Maybe it is in the NBA but in college basketball, it is alive and well. A crucial reason why Texas succeeded in scoring was their ability to convert down low and in midrange jumpers. The team as a whole shot 3-20 or 15% from beyond the arc. On the contrary, their 41.8% shooting from the field consisted of mid-range and second-chance efforts.

When playing a team like Kansas whose roster consists of some of the best in the nation, it’s crucial to mix up the shooting. When the three is defended well and not going down, the midrange comes in and saves the day.

3. Timmy Allen

Allen deserves a whole takeaway to himself. Of course, the win was a team effort. But Allen was so crucial to the upset. Without his scoring prowess and clutch shots, the odds of beating Kansas would be slim to none.

Allen was quite literally everywhere on the court. He came up with a block and an assist but nothing beats his points and dominance on the boards. I’m not sure how many second-chance shots he converted but it was a lot. He was the spark in the starting lineup the Longhorns desperately needed.

He finished with a season-high 24 points and nearly secured a double-double with nine rebounds. He hit the extremely clutch free-throw line jumper to give Texas the 77-76 lead. Two clutch free throws by Marcus Carr secured the win. Erwin Center was rocking after his shot and continued after the final buzzer.