Résumé’s finishing touches
First-round win over Iowa St. may finalize NCAA berth for UT
AUSTIN — Shaka Smart is nervous. Justifiably so.
His Longhorns (18-13, 8-10 Big 12) have developed a vexing habit of following Icarus’ flight path after toppling a big-time opponent. Texas went 0-4 in games immediately following a win over an Associated Press Top 25 team. It was the one consistent through line in a season rife with inconsistency.
UT’s win over 20th-ranked West Virginia was arguably its biggest of the season, a victory that nudged the Longhorns much closer to an NCAA Tournament bid. But that momentum can vanish in a hurry.
“I’ll be 100 percent honest with you,” Smart said, “I never am fully comfortable with where those guys are after a game that I guess in their mind would be a big win. And that’s not any different today. It’s just a constant fight and battle for humility. I don’t think that’s unique to us; in fact, I know it’s not.”
Winning above all else
Smart hopes to prevent his team from burning up again as it prepares for the Big 12 tournament. UT will face No. 10 seed Iowa State at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the first round, with the winner moving on to face No. 2 seed Texas Tech on Thursday.
Iowa State (13-17, 4-14) is down but still dangerous, a team that “in some ways has nothing to lose,” Smart said. The Cyclones would have to embark on an improbable four-day run in Kansas City’s Sprint Center to secure an automatic bid to the field of 68. They can start that journey by overcoming an undermanned Texas squad.
UT’s leading rebounder and shot blocker, Mo Bamba (sprained toe), is on track to return to the court soon, though that likely won’t come against Iowa State. And junior guard Eric Davis continues to be held out as the school conducts its internal investigation into allegations he received $1,500 from an agent.
“We’re going to need to, as we did on Saturday, put winning the game above any other agenda,” Smart said. “And we’re going to have to have a clear mind to be the best version of ourselves. Where I feel our guys are at, I’m not saying they’re not in a good place, but I think we’re going to need some humility. That blend of confidence and humility is where you want your guys to be.”
A win over Iowa State wouldn’t do much for the Longhorns’ résumé, but a loss, especially an ugly one, could position them in limbo for a few days, rooting against every conceivable conference tournament upset. Getting past Iowa State and playing Tech close would likely be enough to keep UT on a steady path to a play-in game in Dayton for a No. 11 seed.
Texas currently profiles as a Tournament-worthy team as is, if just barely.
It finished the regular-season 5-10 in what the NCAA selection committee refers to as “Quadrant 1” contests, which consist of home games vs. Rating Percentage Index (RPI) top-30 teams, neutral-site games vs. top-50 teams and road games vs. top-75 teams. That’s a better showing than fellow bubble teams like Baylor, Butler, Louisville, Syracuse and Notre Dame.
And of equal importance, UT didn’t amass any committee-defined “bad losses.” It dropped a single game to an opponent outside the RPI top 65, and that came on the road against Oklahoma State, another fringe Tournament team. The rest of the Longhorns’ optics, like their 5-6 record against AP top 25 teams and 17th-ranked strength of schedule, are favorable.
The ‘ultimate team game’
Still, this next game against Iowa State is important because Texas would love to leave at least one more good impression before Selection Sunday. But without Bamba and Davis, it will take another collective effort, like the one put forth against the Mountaineers.
“The reality is, if you want to win, it’s the ultimate team game,” Smart said after UT’s 87-79 overtime win over WVU. “It’s got to be five guys together as one. I told the guys the other day, I said the only chance we have to win today is if wining can be bigger than any of your individual agendas. We have no chance to win if winning is not bigger than that.”