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Texas Basketball: 3 keys for a Longhorn victory at Marquette Golden Eagles

By Cole Amundson

Nov 19, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Max Abmas (3) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Max Abmas (3) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dillon Mitchell (#23) of the Texas Longhorns. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Dillon Mitchell (#23) of the Texas Longhorns. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

2. Win the rebound battle

One of the major knocks with Marquette this year is rebounding. In their loss against Wisconsin, the Golden Eagles were out-rebounded 33 to 18 while giving up 12 offensive rebounds in their losing effort.

According to BartTorvik, Marquette ranks 295th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage, posting a 33.3 rating. Offensive rebounding is not that much better, where Shaka’s club only posts a 26.1 offensive rebounding percentage, marking them as the 263rd-best offensive rebounding team in the county.

If Texas wants to ensure a victory on Wednesday night, they must win the rebound battle. Because Texas has a bit more height in their frontcourt compared to Marquette, limiting the impact of Oso Ighodaro (who leads the team in rebounds at 6.4 RPG) down low will be key to not only limiting second-chance points, but for setting the tone early and exceeding Marquette’s physicality.

Leading the Longhorns in rebounding is sophomore Dillon Mitchell, who is averaging 8.9 RPG on the young season. Kadin Shedrick and the ultimate glue guy Brock Cunningham follow suit, averaging a bit over 5 RPG, respectively. Texas will need all three to have a strong night on the boards to give the Longhorns a clear-cut advantage to work with all night if they hope to come out victorious.

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