Advosports

It looks like the Texas basketball program has taken the title of “Next Year’s Champions” away from the Dallas Cowboys. The latest NCAA Tournament loss to Arizona shows what separates Texas from programs like Kansas and Duke.
While UT fans are still talking about the fast count and a blown call on an inbound play, that’s not only the reason why the Texas Longhorns are out of the NCAA Tournament.
A combination of coaching decisions, bad execution and big players not stepping up lost UT the game. The biggest thing that stood out was why is J’Covan Brown the Texas’ leading scorer?
Brown’s a nice player and yes bench production is important come tourney time, but in the Big Dance you’re big players and senior have to step up. While Gary Johnson had a nice game (12 points and 6 rebounds), Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph, the two freshman phenoms, combined to score just nine points.
I understand that the Wildcats had Derrick Williams and you coming into the game that he would give Thompson problems, but there’s no reason Thompson should’ve had more personal fouls than points.
Although the final two minutes of the game are what people are talking about, it was the last five minutes of the first half that cost the Longhorns momentum. UT made just one field goal in the final five minutes and turned the ball over twice.
During that span Arizona extended an eight-point lead into an 11-point lead at the half. Texas held Arizona’s two regular season leading scorers, Williams and Lamont Jones, to just three points in the first half. The Longhorns should have taken control of the game at that point.
Now for the Joseph in bound play. When Thompson blocked Williams’ shot and Jordan Hamilton came down with the loose ball, why was a time out called with 16 seconds left and Texas leading by two points? Hamilton was quick to call a time out 90 feet from the basket when Arizona was sure to foul. Hamilton and Brown should have had the ball in their hands because on a team with free throw shooting issues they both shot over 77 percent this year. And if you are going to call time out, why not wait until you’re beyond half court to set up an easier in-bounds play?
It’s little things like this that make separate UT from the championship caliber programs. This shows why Rick Barnes and the UT hoops team is 7-13 in games decided by three points or fewer in the last three years.

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