Texas Basketball: What now after embarrassing 70-48 loss to Providence

Where does the Texas basketball program go for here after the worst loss of the season so far, to the Providence Friars on Dec. 21?

A number of question marks should be surfacing for the Texas basketball program after their latest loss, at the hands of the Providence Friars on the road at the Dunkin Donuts Center on Dec. 21 by the final score of 70-48. Head Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart kept the narrative alive and well that he loses to far less talented teams than his at weird points during the non-conference schedule.

Both of the losses through the first 11 games of the regular season for the Texas Longhorns basketball program came to teams that are less talented than them. Their two losses came at the hands of the Georgetown Hoyas in the 2K Empire Classic and Providence over the weekend. What’s different about the Longhorns losses this season compared to the last two or three is the margin by which the score finalized.

Texas lost to Georgetown and Providence by a combined margin of 38 points. That’s a new trend that is the least bit encouraging for this Longhorn basketball team.

What looked to be a solid start to the regular season through the non-conference slate nearly went down the drain with this loss to Providence. Texas can still carry a double-digit win mark heading into Big 12 play. But they have a record of 9-2 after this latest loss.

In the midst of a loss to a mediocre Providence team where pretty much no positives emerged, where do the Longhorns go from here?

There’s one more game during the non-conference slate for the Longhorns before Big 12 play tips off. They take on High Point at home before the turn of the calendar year. Big 12 play begins on Jan. 4 against the Baylor Bears.

Wing depth and defense is becoming a big problem for the Longhorns. Any team that has more athletic and lengthy power forwards and wings presents a matchup problem. Texas generally is very stout on defense, but senior 6-foot-7 guard Alpha Diallo had a field day against the Longhorns.

Once junior wing Jase Febres cools off, Texas runs into a problem at the three too. Febres is a notoriously streaker shooter from deep. And his off-ball defense comes and goes. It doesn’t help matters when Texas doesn’t have a reliable two-way presence at the four off the bench. Freshman big man Kai Jones could fill that role, but there’s more strides he needs to make before he can consistently fill a sixth or seventh man role.

The Texas starting backcourt of junior Matt Coleman and sophomore Courtney Ramey won’t stay cool forever on offense. But they’re not the most reliable offensive weapons game in and game out. Smart needs to find another source of scoring if the defense is going to give out like it did against Providence.

If Texas isn’t going to eclipse the 50-point mark against lengthier and tougher defensive teams like Providence, then the emphasis on ball movement and pace will have to improve. Texas had just five assists, compared to 15 for the Friars, in that 22-point drudging. And they got off seven less field goal attempts than Providence.

Texas still has a better resume entering the Big 12 slate this season than they did last. The opportunity for Texas to get into the NCAA Tournament field is right there for the taking this season. This loss to Providence has to serve as a learning point that doesn’t repeat itself again.