Horns chase one more big victory
Beating Jayhawks again could sway NCAA committee
AUSTIN — Bill Self isn’t on the NCAA tournament selection committee. But as far as the Kansas coach is concerned, the Longhorns are already dancing.
“Texas is an NCAA tournament team that has shown it can play at a very high level as evidenced by some of their quality wins,” Self said Monday on the Big 12 coaches teleconference. “We know that they’ll be playing desperate, even though I think that they’re in the tournament.
“I’m sure they’re thinking, we’ve got to solidify this and knocking off Kansas in the first round would positively do that.”
That’s what Texas (16-15, 8-10 Big 12) is thinking.
The Big 12 tournament began Wednesday with No. 6 seed Texas right on the cusp of sneaking into or falling out of the field of 68 out. Thursday night’s quarterfinals game against No. 3 seed Kansas (23-8, 12-6) at Kansas City’s Sprint Center looms as a
must-win — the committee has never awarded an at-large bid to a team with a .500 record.
“That’s a heck of an opportunity for us,” Smart said on the teleconference. “Obviously they’re one of the best teams in the country. If we can win the game, would be another huge resume win for us.”
This Kansas group isn’t as daunting as those that lorded over the Big 12 for 14 consecutive years. Regular-season co-champions Texas Tech and Kansas State are now the class of the conference, the Jayhawks a tier below.
Still, Self has won eight of these single-elimination Big 12 events, including last year’s.
Even without senior guard Lagerald Vick (leave of absence) and junior 7-footer Udoka Azubike (wrist), the Jayhawks are dangerous.
Big 12 newcomer of the year Dedric Lawson leads the Big 12 in scoring (19.1), rebounding (10.6) and double-doubles (20). He averaged 15 points and 7.5 rebounds in two outings against Texas this season.
Freshman guard and All-Big 12 third team selection Devon Dotson played beyond his years in early wins over 10th-ranked Michigan State and fifth-ranked Tennessee, averaging 16.5 points on 58 percent shooting. He’s not one to crack under pressure.
But facing the Jayhawks in what is for them a de facto home game doesn’t carry with it the doom and gloom of the past. Texas played them tight in Lawrence and won by 10 in Austin.
With senior guard and leading scorer Kerwin Roach II back following a five-game suspension, Texas is capable of scoring another upset over Self and Co.
It just has to play with the same fire. More even, given the stakes.
“In some ways you approach it similarly to any other game in terms of the Xs and Os and the scouting,” Smart said. “But then in other ways, you really, really get the guys to understand when you’re in a conference tournament format, it’s win or go home.
“Clearly, with the importance of this game, just putting that front and center in these guys’ minds that everything that goes into winning — whether it’s something basketball-wise, something individual, something as a team — our guys have to understand the urgency and importance of those things.”
After 31 regular-season games, the Longhorns remain as enigmatic as any bubble dweller in the nation.
Beat seventh-ranked North Carolina in Las Vegas, lose to Radford at the Erwin Center.
Topple Big 10 co-champion Purdue, then fall flat at home against Providence.
Surrender 98 points to Georgia, take down Kansas three days later.
Last Saturday’s letdown against TCU might have been the most spirit-sapping gut punch of them all.
The Horned Frogs, another fringe tournament team, routed Texas on its home court. A win for the Longhorns likely would have clinched a spot in the NCAA tournament.
That performance felt like a look into the Longhorns’ soul — and it wasn’t pretty. But belief remains.
“I don’t think it’s revealed too much,” senior forward Dylan Osetkowski said of the loss to TCU.
“I think it shows that any team can win any team can lose. Doesn’t matter if we were ahead in conference, above TCU. Same thing with every game moving forward.
“We just have to make a decision that we want to be the team and going to be the team that wins.”
If Texas can do that Thursday night against Kansas, it’ll make the committee’s decision on Selection Sunday a whole lot easier.