Texas Basketball: 5 nailbiting Kansas defeat takeaways

(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 23: Courtney Ramey #3 of the Texas Longhorns dribbles against Kenny Goins #25 of the Michigan State Spartans during the championship game of the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 23: Courtney Ramey #3 of the Texas Longhorns dribbles against Kenny Goins #25 of the Michigan State Spartans during the championship game of the 2018 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 23, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)

3. Courtney Ramey is starting to breakthrough

The freshman class for the Texas basketball program was very deep and talented coming onto the Forty Acres for the 2018-19 regular season. Few of them were ready to be regular starters, but it was figured that Smart would be able to go nine or 10 players deep in the rotation thanks to the presence of the incoming freshmen.

However, there was some inconsistent play from some of the most prominent freshmen for the Horns so far this season. The only one that showed consistent promise and sparks this season was Hayes, and he isn’t out on the floor enough to make a huge difference.

That leaves a few remaining freshmen like power forward Kamaka Hepa and point guard Courtney Ramey that need to step up from here on out. But, Ramey finally showed some flashes of the top rated signee for the 2018 Texas basketball recruiting class in the loss to Kansas. He scored in double figures and nearly helped the Horns win the game in the dying seconds.

Ramey hit a three-pointer that wound up as the final basket for the Horns in this game. It was a clutch shot that Ramey hasn’t consistently hit on this season, especially in clutch time. Hitting that three-pointer on the stage that is Allen Fieldhouse, in front of a national audience, is something that is great to see from Ramey. Altogether, he posted 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists in just 24 minutes on the floor.