Texas’ Matt Coleman, playing with a spring in his step, is starting to make a difference. COLLEGE BASKETBALL
AUSTIN — Matt Coleman didn’t even think. The Texas point guard was off and flying before anyone could really register that he had swooped into the paint and swiped a rebound.
It seemed Coleman’s subconscious had taken control and compelled him to run as soon the ball landed in his palm. He didn’t fight those internal mechanisms, just exploded like a world class sprinter from the starting block.
Freshman guard Jared Butler was out in front, Baylor’s last hope. Coleman, still at full sprint, swerved around the defender and soared in for a lefty layup.
Coleman didn’t crack a smile as he bounded back on defense. There was, however, a noticeable gusto in the way he moved — a palpable joy that radiated throughout the Longhorns’ 84-72 victory over Baylor on Wednesday night at the Erwin Center.
The sophomore finished with 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting (eight of nine on free throws), six rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes. Coleman also spent a portion of the night stifling Bears guard and leading scorer Makai Mason, who finished with a season-low five points on 1-of-7 shooting.
“With the joy, that was my thing with him even before he came here,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said. “He’s at his best when he’s having fun and playing with joy.”
“But the fine line, the other edge of that sword is the serious approach toward every little thing. That’s why I’m on him about that stuff, and it’s his job as a player that’s maturing to not let that take away from having fun out there and attacking. But he has to own everything for our team.”
Coleman deftly straddled that line against the Bears. For the most part.
“There was a possession where we had been in zone and we went to man-to-man and one of our players was confused about what defense we were in,” Smart said. “That’s Matt’s fault. ‘Matt, you’ve got to own that.’ ”
A few lapses aside, Coleman directed this ungainly ship as well as he had all season against Baylor, winners of six in a row before running into the UT buzzsaw.
He transitioned from first-half aggressor (14 points) to secondhalf setup man (four assists), shifting between the two identities as the game flow dictated. Smart lauded his defense, along with that of fellow guards Kerwin Roach II and Courtney Ramey.
Texas was plus-17 during Coleman’s 38 minutes on the court, and his 155 offensive rating snapped a streak of four consecutive sub-100 games.
“I just had a little bounce in my step,” Coleman said. “Just a seriousness, aggressiveness about me. Just wanting to win. We’ve got eight games left and it’s wide open, there for the taking.”
Texas (13-10, 5-5 Big 12) needs Coleman to pack that joy for its road trip to Morgantown, W.Va., this weekend.
West Virginia (10-13, 2-8) throttled the Longhorns last season at WVU Coliseum. Coleman had a brutal outing, finishing with four points and one assist in an 86-51 loss.
It is a searing memory that has lingered, even after Texas knocked off the Mountaineers earlier this year.
“Last time he went to Morgantown, he got flat-out outclassed,” Smart said. “As did our team.”
Said Coleman: “We lost by 30 last year on national TV. So that’s a little fuel in my fire.”
Smart hopes Coleman’s roaring fire doesn’t turn to embers away from the Erwin Center. He has averaged just eight points on 38.5 percent shooting, 2.3 assists and 3.3 turnovers over his last three road games, all losses.
Texas hasn’t won on the road since Jan. 2 against a depleted Kansas State team.
To snap that streak and string together consecutive wins for the first time in more than a month, Smart needs Coleman to keep the team focused like he did against Baylor.
“Matt deserves a lot of credit,” Smart said. “Tonight, in the huddle, there’s three things that go into winning those close games and he was rattling them off to the guys. ‘This is what we have to do.’
“Awareness is the first step. Then repetition and most importantly going and doing it when it matters most.”
Texas understands the time to start stacking wins is now. It hosts Big 12 leader Kansas State and struggling Oklahoma State at home next week.
This four-game stretch, starting with Wednesday’s victory over Baylor, could shape the rest of the season and determine whether the Longhorns are ready to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s crunch time,” Coleman said. “In the league, right now they’re talking about five teams and we’re not one of them.
“We know how important road wins are, we know how important road wins are. We just want to grab all of those and compete with everybody. We have a chance.”