Xavier Basketball: 3 keys to beating Texas Longhorns in Sweet 16 matchup

Xavier Basketball (27-9, 15-5 Big East) entered the 2023 NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region. Sean Miller’s squad eked out a win over No. 14 Kennesaw State in the Round of 64, 72-67. The Musketeers then had little trouble in the Round of 32 against No. 11 Pitt, moving on to the Sweet 16 with an 84-73 victory.

The Texas Longhorns (28-8, 12-6 Big 12) are the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, getting here via a dominant win over No. 15 Colgate and a close affair versus No. 10 Penn State. They are one of the most popular Final Four picks in the bracket.

Here are three keys for the Musketeers to beat Texas and advance to the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

1. Souley Boum Bounce Back

UTEP transfer Souley Boum has been integral to Xavier’s success this season. It’s not often an up-transfer can step in and be a lead guard for a Power 6 team, much less at the high level Boum has. However, over the Musketeers’ last three games, Souley Boum has really struggled.

He scored just one point on 0-9 from the field in the Big East championship game versus Marquette. In the Round of 64 vs. Kennesaw State, Boum shot 5-13 from the field and 1-5 from three. The following game against No. 11 Pitt, Xavier’s point guard went 3-13 from the field and 1-7 from distance.

Souley Boum has been Xavier’s leader this season, and he paces the Musketeers in scoring. They will need him to break out of his recent slump to have success against Texas.

2. Win the Battle on the Perimeter

To beat a team as talented as Texas, it’s important for the Musketeers to execute on what they have done well all season. As a team, Sean Miller’s group converts 39.5% of their looks from long distance. Souley Boum, Jack Nunge, and Adam Kunkel all shoot over 40% from three. Kunkel’s five threes gave Xavier a big boost in their win over Pitt. However, the Musketeers also surrender a high percentage from beyond the arc, with opponents hitting 35% of their three-point shots.

Texas has been inconsistent from the perimeter in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Against Colgate, the Longhorns hit 56.5% of their three-point attempts, but they shot a measly 7.7% in their ensuing game versus Penn State. Xavier is 16-3 when shooting a higher percentage from three than their opponents, and 11-6 otherwise. If they can control the perimeter, hitting their shots while somewhat limiting Texas from distance, they’ll have a good chance of coming away with the victory.

3. Slow Down Dylan Disu

The Longhorns have a slew of guys they can lean on for production, which makes it difficult for opposing defenses to key in on just one player. Their depth is a big part of what makes them successful, and they lead all Power 6 teams in Bench Points per 100 possessions. However, the hot hand for Texas of late has been Dylan Disu.

Disu has led the Longhorns in scoring three of their previous four games, including a 28-point explosion against Penn State last time out. The senior forward’s offensive output is more of a recent development, as he averages nine points per game and only had one game the entire rest of the season where he was Texas’ leading scorer.

For all of the weapons on the Texas roster, Disu has been the go-to guy these last few games. Xavier will need to limit him behind a solid defensive night from Jack Nunge and Jerome Hunter in the frontcourt. Stifling the Big 12 Tournament MVP is a great step towards victory.