Suffering a possible NCAA Tournament hopes ending loss on Saturday, Texas has a quick turnaround for a Big Monday showdown against Baylor. Currently ranked the No. 1 team in the country, the Bears have not lost in conference play so far this season and their only loss of the season came against Washington in November.
Already playing once this season in Waco, the Bears stomped the Longhorns 59-44. Now, Baylor comes to Austin, a place they have won three out of their last four. In their last two games against Kansas State and Oklahoma State, the Bears have only won by single digits, seeming to be more and more vulnerable. Texas must take advantage of that, trying to squeeze their way back into the Big 12.
Here are three ways Texas can pull off an upset against No. 1 Baylor:
Andrew Jones plays like he did in the first half against Texas Tech
The Longhorns played really well in the first half against the Red Raiders and that was partially thanks to Andrew Jones and his scoring. Jones had 16 points on 5/8 shooting in the first 20 minutes, being the main reason Texas went into halftime with a 12 point lead. After the break, he struggled, only scoring two points and finishing the afternoon 6/14 from the field. If Jones can replicate his first half against Texas Tech and do it over both halves against Baylor, the Longhorns could have a chance to split the season series with the Bears.
Get to the free-throw line
Out of 353 eligible Division 1 NCAA teams, no team has attempted fewer free throws than Texas. Only getting to the line an average of 11 times per game, the Longhorns are not drawing enough fouls. Once they finally do get to the line, the ball is not exactly going through the hoop. Shooting 66.5% from the free-throw line is going to kill you, no matter how many or few shots are attempted. In the Big 12 opener against Baylor back in January, Texas got to the charity strike 15 times, more than their current season average. That was ruined though because the Longhorns only made five of them, shooting 33%. Getting to the line has been a struggle all season for Texas and they must turn it around to beat Baylor.
Knockdown three-pointers
Texas is the ultimate example of the phrase ‘live and die by the three-ball’. In their last three wins against Oklahoma State, TCU, and Iowa State, the Longhorns have shot 47.8% from behind the arc, going 33/69. In the last two losses against Kansas and Texas Tech, they shot 10/47, making 21.2% of their attempts. It will be a difficult task against Baylor, as opponents in the Big 12 are only hitting 30% of their three-pointers against them. Matt Coleman, Andrew Jones, and Jase Febres are the main shooters from deep for Texas and they must knock down their shots.
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