Senior Sims steps up for Horns
Big man’s defense, growth have been crucial in close games against other ranked opponents
AUSTIN — Texas coach Shaka Smart typically doesn’t spend time campaigning for awards. But the recent play of senior forward Jericho Sims compelled him to deviate from that silence.
“I’m not usually like this, but he absolutely has to be on the all-defensive team in our league,” Smart said Tuesday night following a 75-72 overtime win over No. 17 Kansas. “He’s been so versatile for us. Not just guarding the team’s bigs, but his pick-and-roll defense, his ability to switch on the smaller guys. And then his rebounding has been huge for us.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of guys like that that can have that type of versatility. So you’re absolutely right, you know he got some foul trouble tonight, but I thought he played with a lot of assertiveness on defense.”
Sims has a few monstrous dunks from years past to fill out his highlight reel. But what the broadshouldered 6-foot-10, 245pound big does on the court usually isn’t steeped in pizzazz.
There’s nothing sexy about wrestling in the post, boxing out or disrupting a pick-and-roll, but No. 14 Texas (14-6, 8-5 Big 12) has needed Sims’ blue-collar style just as much as it needs Andrew Jones’ shotmaking and Matt Coleman’s steady leadership.
As the only “traditional” starting-caliber big on the roster — he’s never attempted a 3-pointer in 112 career games and ventures outside the paint only to set screens — Sims is relied upon to tussle with and counteract the Big 12’s other behemoths. And over the Longhorns’ past three games, Sims has grappled with some of the conference’s best.
TCU junior Kevin Samuel (9.1 points, 8.6 rebounds this season) finished with just three points, three rebounds and three fouls in a 70-55 loss to Texas on Feb. 13. West Virginia junior forward Derek Culver grabbed only five rebounds and had a minus-9 on-court point differential in the Mountaineers’ 84-82 win over Texas on Feb. 20. Coming off a 17-point, eight-rebound performance in a win over No. 15 Texas Tech, Kansas junior David McCormack was limited to 12 points, four rebounds and fouled out against the Longhorns.
“McCormack has been playing really well over the course of the last couple games,” Jones said Tuesday. “And it was a big challenge for Jericho to go out there, hold his own against them and dominate the paint. I feel like he did a good job guarding McCormack, making it very difficult and tough for him at times. I feel like Jericho was a big part of us winning today.”
Sims still has his struggles. He’s foul-prone at times and remains a liability at the free-throw line. But the cerebral, silent Minnesota native has grown in another area that’s impossible to gauge from a box score.
There’s a newly forged resiliency in Sims that hadn’t been apparent over his first three seasons, and even at prior points this year. Frustrating issues like early foul trouble and defensive miscues don’t rattle the big man as much these days.
“He had some foul trouble tonight, but I thought he played with a lot of assertiveness on defense,” Smart said. “He gets really down sometimes when he makes mistakes. You can see it on his face. And I thought he responded well after that.”
When asked Tuesday if this is the best he’s felt in a long time, maybe ever, Sims responded, “definitely.”
“Of course, even though I’m doing a pretty good job on those guys, it’s gonna be hard and it’s gonna be a physical matchup in there,” Sims said. “Despite the foul trouble, I think that I’m just doing a good job of forcing them out (of the post). That’s the biggest thing, just forcing them out there so it makes it harder for them to score.”
In Big 12 play, Sims ranks fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.5) and sixth in total rebounds per game (7.1). He’s pulled down multiple offensive boards in nine of 12 conference games.
And in part thanks to Sims’ defensive and glass-cleaning prowess, this Texas team became the first in program history to complete a regular-season sweep of Kansas. Aside from that bit of trivia, the win also positioned Texas to close the season strong as it looks toward a closing stretch that features four straight road games, starting Saturday at No. 18 Texas Tech (14-8, 6-7)
“It means a lot because we’re gonna remember this, you know, even when we’re all done playing at the end of our career,” Sims said of sweeping the Jayhawks. So, you know, we just have to continue this path that we’re on, get more wins so we can put ourselves in the best position.”