Texas Basketball: 3 reasons Longhorns will upset Texas Tech

1. Frontcourt matchup provides an edge

One player that will give the Texas basketball program an edge heading into most games during the Big 12 slate is junior center Jericho Sims. The Longhorns can constantly rely on Sims down low to hit the offensive glass hard and help space out the floor for the guards and wings around him thanks to his vision and back-to-the-basket scoring ability.

Having that true scoring threat down low makes it so that the Longhorns can get their more capable outside shooters in space and let Sims stay mobile within the three-point arc. Sims is averaging just above 10 points per game and around eight rebounds.

If the Longhorns can get a solid showing from freshman big man Kai Jones, then this frontcourt could shine against a smaller Texas Tech lineup.

Sims is the most underrated part of this Texas starting five. His defensive rating is the best on the team among the regular starters (93.0). He’s sitting around three win shares on the season so far and just shy of a 24.0 player efficiency rating. Sims is that next rising star big man that Smart and the Longhorns bring to the table.

The 6-foot-6 former Virginia Tech Hokies small forward Chris Clarke is the leading rebounder for the Red Raiders. And the 6-foot-9 Sims should hold a big edge down low if Clarke is going to be the one that is hitting the glass the hardest for the Red Raiders. Rebounding and blocks tend to be two spots where Texas Tech can struggle. They rank at the bottom of the Big 12 this season in terms of total rebounds in conference play, and outside the top three in total blocks.