Texas Basketball: 3 reasons Longhorns can upset No. 1 Baylor

3. Baylor can struggle against stingy defenses

Oklahoma State was proof that Baylor can struggle against teams that pose tough defensive matchups, even if their offense is subpar. Texas basketball hung with Baylor for most of their contest the first time around this year too.

Texas and Oklahoma State are similar in the facet that both teams are better on defense than they are on offense. But the Longhorns at least hold a better position in the Big 12 standings and a realistic path to a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament field.

The biggest problem for the Longhorns so far this season is trying to keep pace with their opponent in the second half. Smart needs his team to play more complete games. Texas was dominated in the second half in the loss last weekend to Texas Tech by a score of 43-26. That saw the lead slip away that they built in the first half, holding Texas Tech to just 19 points.

The narrative was similar for the Longhorns in the loss to Kansas last week. Texas took a 33-31 lead into the locker room at halftime in a decisive battle at Allen Fieldhouse. But Kansas took control in the second half to eventually nab the 11-point victory.

Texas has to use that suffocating defense to have a full 40-minute effort against Baylor. They still rank among the top 100 Division I programs in defensive rating and points allowed per game. Stick to their guns and Texas could put a real scare into Baylor tonight.