Febres gives lift to offense while learning on job
AUSTIN — It was one possession among more than 140, but more than any other, it illustrated the conspicuous contrast between Texas and Baylor late in Saturday’s Big 12 battle at the Ferrell Center.
With just over two minutes remaining in a three-point game, Baylor senior forward Terry Maston lofted a pass inside to Jo Lual-Acuil. One problem: Mo Bamba, owner of a 7-9 wingspan that often looks 9-7, was lurking.
Bamba soared and swatted the ball away, into the hands of Jase Febres, Texas’ freshman guard from Westfield. That should have ignited a critical offensive possession for the Longhorns. But Maston, determined to make amends, had another thought.
Instead of retreating to the other end of the court, he scrambled down to Febres, crowded the former Baylor target and ripped the ball away near the hoop. Maston was immediately fouled by Febres on the ensuing shot attempt and knocked down both free throws.
“I was really just trying to get it back,” Maston said following Baylor’s 69-60 win. “I made one mistake, but like coach says, don’t let one mistake lead to two. So, I just wanted to get it back for my team and change the momentum.”
Febres did allow one mistake to lead directly into another. It was the inflection point in a game that was to that point undecided.
“Definitely a learning moment,” Febres said following his first career start. “I know I need to be more aggressive.”
Bamba quickly interceded and attempted to deflect blame to himself. Febres wasn’t having it.
“Regardless, I just have to be more aggressive,” he said. “It’s not just on Mo. The ball ended up in my hands, and next time I know I need to be more aggressive and secure the ball. That was a big play, big momentum swing for them. I need to secure that and not let that happen.”
Hot at the start
Aggression wasn’t an issue for Febres early on. And if not for his nearly perfect first-half masterpiece, Texas loses in even uglier fashion.
Baylor, caught off-guard by coach Shaka Smart’s starting lineup shuffle, just couldn’t keep track of the 6-5 Febres. Their zone defense turned into a shooter’s paradise for the freshman, who drilled four 3-pointers en route to 18 points. He got some work done inside the arc too, curling around a Bamba screen to stroke a jumper on one possession and flying in for an offensive rebound put-back on another.
“He was aggressive, and I think when he’s played well this year, he’s had an aggressive, confident, loose mindset,” Smart said. “And when he’s struggled this year, which is not unlike most freshmen, he’s been a little tentative and unsure. I thought he just played with nothing to lose in the first half. He knew he was going to get open shots. It wasn’t just 3s — he was able to get an offensive rebound and put it back, score around the basket. So, hopefully that’s a confidence booster for him that he knows he can do that.”
Credit Bears coach Scott Drew for making the necessary adjustments at halftime to erase Febres in the second half, but that explosive start showcased how vital his contributions can be for a flagging Texas offense.
In need of help
UT ranks 275th (out of 351 teams) in 3-pointers per game and 340th in 3-point shooting percentage. According to KenPom.com’s ratings, UT’s offense is 145th nationally.
Febres alone can’t cure all those problems. As Baylor demonstrated, he will struggle with a bull’s-eye painted on the back of his No. 13 jersey. But he can open the offense and make opposing coaches reconsider abandoning the arc and packing the paint.
With Andrew Jones (illness) out for the foreseeable future, Febres’ floor-stretching abilities have become even more valuable. He has done enough to deserve more playing time as UT wades deeper into its daunting Big 12 schedule.
Texas just has to hope when the spiritual successor of that Febres-Maston encounter arrives — and it will — the lessons learned against Baylor pay off.