Longhorns turn focus to efficient scoring machine
AUSTIN — There was little surprise and virtually no outrage in burnt-orange circles Sunday when Texas was left out of the NCAA Tournament.
The Longhorns were 16-16 this season. The selection committee has never given a .500 team an at-large invitation for the field of 68.
No reason to start now, either. So, Texas is hosting South Dakota State at 8 p.m. today on ESPN in the first round of the NIT, a second-tier postseason tournament featuring 32 teams and played largely out of the national spotlight.
The Jackrabbits (24-8) won the Summit League championship this season and rank sixth nationally in points per game (84.9). Dynamic 6-foot-9 senior Mike Daum also ranks sixth among all Division I players from 1985 with 3,042 career points.
If Texas wins, the team would advance to the second round and face either Xavier or Toledo. TCU also landed in the NIT after missing out on the NCAAs. TCU opens against Sam Houston State.
“At points during the season and throughout the season, we expected to be in there,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said. “The way the season finished for us is what hurt us in terms of making the NCAA Tournament.
“What was going through my head is that it’s my job as a leader to set the right example for our guys and talk about turning the page, embracing the right attitude and next challenge,” the coach added. “That has to start with me. That is the biggest directive that I’ve given myself moving forward.”
It’s the second time in Smart’s four seasons the Longhorns did not make the NCAAs. Former coach Rick Barnes, who is now the coach at Tennessee, made the NCAAs 16 times in 17 years. The Vols earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
The Longhorns also will be without freshman forward Jaxson Hayes, who suffered a knee injury against Kansas. Hayes had a MRI but will seek another evaluation. Smart conceded Hayes’ season is likely over, and the Big 12 freshman of the year now must decide if he’ll return to Texas or go pro.
“Our biggest key with him is long term, so there won’t be any type of rushing him,” Smart said Sunday night.
The rest of the Longhorns must prepare for one of the best shooting, most efficient offensive teams in Division I basketball.
And the Summit League champions probably have been sitting at home for a week furious over their loss in the conference tournament. Western Illinois beat South Dakota State 79-76 in the Summit tournament quarterfinals. The Jackrabbits will want to take their frustrations out on the Longhorns.
Daum will be a handful for UT big men Dylan Osetkowski, Jericho Sims and Royce Hamm Jr. He’s one of only three players in the past 20 years to have multiple 30 points and 20 rebounds in the same season. His season high was 42 points against Southern.
The Jackrabbits also have potent scorers in 6-2 David Jenkins and 6-6 Skyler Flatten.
Overall, SDSU is the secondbest shooting team in Division I with a staggering .503 shooting percentage. The Jackrabbits also rank third nationally by shooting 41 percent beyond the arc.
“It just so happens we’re playing one of the best shooting teams in the country and a team that plays four perimeter guys,” Smart said. “Really, five perimeter guys with Daum because he can shoot the ball so well from outside.”
All it takes is three victories to reach the NIT semifinals in New York. This is the first time Texas has played in the NIT since 1986. The Longhorns won it in 1978.
Smart said the most important key is mental preparation. If any UT player is upset about not making the NCAAs, they better get ready for the Jackrabbits.
“It’s interesting,” Smart said, “because the key obviously right now for our game on Tuesday is to turn the page quickly.”