PRIMER.
AUSTIN, TX – Despite a really underwhelming start, and amidst a not-so-great third quarter of the game, Texas managed to flex its muscles in the last 10 minutes, including a 13-0 run with 4:55 left that put the game way out of reach for the DSU Hornets.
They came out flat, which is going to happen in the early season against non-marquee teams. Now of course that doesn't excuse it, but it does make sense as to why these Longhorns aren't dominating first halves every time they play (happened tonight and against St. Edward's in the scrimmage a couple of weeks back).
While you can complain all you want about the first half, the fact is, Texas is blowing out its opponents and doing so with a very balanced scoring attack. Tonight, the Longhorns had four players in double-digits:
• Max Abmas – 19 pts, 5 ast
• IT Horton – 18 pts, 3 ast
• Dillon Mitchell – 14 pts, 11 reb
• Tyrese Hunter – 13 points, 5 ast, 3 reb
The fact that these guys aren't just scoring, but also facilitating and attacking the glass, should be a major point of confidence for both this team and its fans.
FIRST HALF.
The first half of tonight's game was very sloppily played by Texas, who was favored by 19 for the first 20 minutes of the game (30.5 overall spread). They went into half at 39-30, which would be unremarkable, except for the fact that DSU is 8-50 (now, 8-51) in its last 59 games. There was a massive talent gap between the two teams, but Texas' incessant turnovers (12 in the 1H) kept the DSU Hornets alive for the first nearly 30 minutes of the game.
To clarify, when I say "alive," I don't mean, "within striking distance of winning." It took the 'Horns a while to finally put the Hornets away, and though they weren't at risk of losing the game at any point, it was still just clearly shown that they were not playing to their or RT's standard.
A lot of the first half's offensive possessions were perimeter-based actions to combat the 2-3 zone with which Delaware State was defending. There wasn't a lot of overloading the zone or trying to get the ball into the middle. There wasn't even a ton of dribble penetration, either, which is sort of the first way most teams try to crack a zone scheme. It was clear that the adjustments made to the 2-3 zone by the Texas offense were effective, as they continually were able to get open looks from deep, and were able to score relatively easily despite the amount of times they were throwing the ball away.
They went into half with a nine-point lead.
SECOND HALF.
The second half was a lot more fun, unless you were a Texas -30.5 bettor. If you were, sorry. That's on me, but really, it's on you for listening to my betting advice. Yeah, I don't take responsibility for the flaws in my personality, ever.
It was a much different team that came out in half number two, where the Longhorns outscored DSU 47-29. Hitting seven of nine attempts from three helped without a doubt, but overall, the energy level was higher. There were some defensive issues as well throughout the game that weren't addressed through adjustments as quickly as I would have preferred if I were a fan; i.e., Shedrick shouldn't trap defensively as the only 6-11 guy on the team, because some one else tall is gonna be wide open.
But I digress.
You really can't be unhappy with the second-half effort, where Texas came out and just blew out the Hornets. The ball movement was infinitely better than it was in the first half, despite scoring only nine more points in the second than they did in the first. The aforementioned 13-0 run with under five minutes left was a very impressive stretch, where the 'Horns just bullied DSU with their athleticism and firepower on offense.
They won the game, 86-59.
THE THREE-POINT SHOOTING.
Texas tonight shot a blistering 12/22 from deep, good for 55% from beyond the arc. Abmas and Horton combined for 9/14 on threes in this game, which is going to get it done every time.
The way players were setting up other shooters for these threes was impressive, as well. Some good actions on the perimeter involving off-ball screens were effective in freeing up some space for some of the Longhorns' movement shooters. Obviously, looking at the percentages, it paid off.
If Texas can manage to be consistent from deep this year, I really like their odds of having a highly successful season, both in conference and beyond the regular season.
PLAYER OF THE GAME.
Fifth-year senior Max Abmas is your player of the game, putting up 19 points and five assists on the night, including 50% from three-point land, hitting four of eight. He was dealing as a passer as well, and despite a couple of early turnovers, really cleaned everything up after the first few minutes.
Another player that deserves recognition is Dillon Mitchell, who recorded 14 points, 11 boards, and four assists. The numbers, while impressive, are not the most notable of his for the evening: Dillon Mitchell shot 100% from the free-throw line on four attempts. If you'll remember, he shot below 50% for the season last year.
It's so obvious to me how much time and effort Mitchell put into his game over the summer. He averaged four points and four boards per game last year in about 12 minutes per game.
This year?
Albeit an impossibly small sample size, Mitchell at the moment is averaging 11.5 points, 8.5 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. While you'd want to see an increase in scoring when looking at scouting Mitchell for the Association, the all-around game he's displaying is a majorly positive development for his chances to play high-level professional basketball in the NBA.
If he can continue to average a similarly jack-of-all-trades-type of stat line, watch out for Dillon Mitchell come draft time.
AUSTIN, TX – Despite a really underwhelming start, and amidst a not-so-great third quarter of the game, Texas managed to flex its muscles in the last 10 minutes, including a 13-0 run with 4:55 left that put the game way out of reach for the DSU Hornets.
They came out flat, which is going to happen in the early season against non-marquee teams. Now of course that doesn't excuse it, but it does make sense as to why these Longhorns aren't dominating first halves every time they play (happened tonight and against St. Edward's in the scrimmage a couple of weeks back).
While you can complain all you want about the first half, the fact is, Texas is blowing out its opponents and doing so with a very balanced scoring attack. Tonight, the Longhorns had four players in double-digits:
• Max Abmas – 19 pts, 5 ast
• IT Horton – 18 pts, 3 ast
• Dillon Mitchell – 14 pts, 11 reb
• Tyrese Hunter – 13 points, 5 ast, 3 reb
The fact that these guys aren't just scoring, but also facilitating and attacking the glass, should be a major point of confidence for both this team and its fans.
FIRST HALF.
The first half of tonight's game was very sloppily played by Texas, who was favored by 19 for the first 20 minutes of the game (30.5 overall spread). They went into half at 39-30, which would be unremarkable, except for the fact that DSU is 8-50 (now, 8-51) in its last 59 games. There was a massive talent gap between the two teams, but Texas' incessant turnovers (12 in the 1H) kept the DSU Hornets alive for the first nearly 30 minutes of the game.
To clarify, when I say "alive," I don't mean, "within striking distance of winning." It took the 'Horns a while to finally put the Hornets away, and though they weren't at risk of losing the game at any point, it was still just clearly shown that they were not playing to their or RT's standard.
A lot of the first half's offensive possessions were perimeter-based actions to combat the 2-3 zone with which Delaware State was defending. There wasn't a lot of overloading the zone or trying to get the ball into the middle. There wasn't even a ton of dribble penetration, either, which is sort of the first way most teams try to crack a zone scheme. It was clear that the adjustments made to the 2-3 zone by the Texas offense were effective, as they continually were able to get open looks from deep, and were able to score relatively easily despite the amount of times they were throwing the ball away.
They went into half with a nine-point lead.
SECOND HALF.
The second half was a lot more fun, unless you were a Texas -30.5 bettor. If you were, sorry. That's on me, but really, it's on you for listening to my betting advice. Yeah, I don't take responsibility for the flaws in my personality, ever.
It was a much different team that came out in half number two, where the Longhorns outscored DSU 47-29. Hitting seven of nine attempts from three helped without a doubt, but overall, the energy level was higher. There were some defensive issues as well throughout the game that weren't addressed through adjustments as quickly as I would have preferred if I were a fan; i.e., Shedrick shouldn't trap defensively as the only 6-11 guy on the team, because some one else tall is gonna be wide open.
But I digress.
You really can't be unhappy with the second-half effort, where Texas came out and just blew out the Hornets. The ball movement was infinitely better than it was in the first half, despite scoring only nine more points in the second than they did in the first. The aforementioned 13-0 run with under five minutes left was a very impressive stretch, where the 'Horns just bullied DSU with their athleticism and firepower on offense.
They won the game, 86-59.
THE THREE-POINT SHOOTING.
Texas tonight shot a blistering 12/22 from deep, good for 55% from beyond the arc. Abmas and Horton combined for 9/14 on threes in this game, which is going to get it done every time.
The way players were setting up other shooters for these threes was impressive, as well. Some good actions on the perimeter involving off-ball screens were effective in freeing up some space for some of the Longhorns' movement shooters. Obviously, looking at the percentages, it paid off.
If Texas can manage to be consistent from deep this year, I really like their odds of having a highly successful season, both in conference and beyond the regular season.
PLAYER OF THE GAME.
Fifth-year senior Max Abmas is your player of the game, putting up 19 points and five assists on the night, including 50% from three-point land, hitting four of eight. He was dealing as a passer as well, and despite a couple of early turnovers, really cleaned everything up after the first few minutes.
Another player that deserves recognition is Dillon Mitchell, who recorded 14 points, 11 boards, and four assists. The numbers, while impressive, are not the most notable of his for the evening: Dillon Mitchell shot 100% from the free-throw line on four attempts. If you'll remember, he shot below 50% for the season last year.
It's so obvious to me how much time and effort Mitchell put into his game over the summer. He averaged four points and four boards per game last year in about 12 minutes per game.
This year?
Albeit an impossibly small sample size, Mitchell at the moment is averaging 11.5 points, 8.5 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. While you'd want to see an increase in scoring when looking at scouting Mitchell for the Association, the all-around game he's displaying is a majorly positive development for his chances to play high-level professional basketball in the NBA.
If he can continue to average a similarly jack-of-all-trades-type of stat line, watch out for Dillon Mitchell come draft time.
Last edited:
