Texas Basketball: 5 thoughts after Las Vegas Invitational

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 22: Luke Maye #32 of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Dylan Osetkowski #21 of the Texas Longhorns battle for rebounding position during the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 22, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Texas defeated North Carolina 92-89. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

3. Rebounding has to improve

The biggest problem area for Texas basketball this season became apparent from the get go. Texas didn’t face too much teams that could rebound with the best of them like UNC and Michigan State before the Las Vegas Invitational. This team doesn’t have a single player even close to averaging rebounding numbers in the double digits.

As a result, the Horns were dominated on the glass in Las Vegas, NV, during Thanksgiving Weekend. Texas was able to overcome the gap in rebounding numbers against UNC in the 92-89 victory. The real gap in rebounding opened up for Texas when it lost to Michigan State in the final round of the invitational by a margin of nearly 20.

Texas isn’t getting many players outside of freshman big man Jaxson Hayes to step up in the paint this season. Outside of Hayes, the Horns don’t have much of anything to boast down low. Sophomore Jericho Sims might be the biggest disappointment so far. Hayes is going to take the place of Sims in the starting lineup permanently very soon.

The way Texas gets dominated on the boards is going to continue to be a problem if no one steps up. That responsibility of stepping up should be left to senior forward Dylan Osetkowski. Leading by example might be the way to spark the younger bigs like Hayes and Sims. Ranking No. 279 in the nation in opposition rebounds isn’t going to cut it for the Horns much longer.

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