Texas Basketball: 5 arguments for Longhorns to make NCAA Tournament

4. Trending up at the right time

A big setback hit the Texas basketball program this year when they got the news that standout junior center Jericho Sims would be out indefinitely with a back injury. About the most efficient player on both ends of the floor for the Longhorns up until his season-ending injury this season was Sims.

However, the Longhorns are getting the right players to step up at the right time down the stretch this season in the midst of the Sims injury. Former five-star Austin, TX, native recruit and freshman center Will Baker is rising to prominence at the right time. He had his best game in the Texas win over TCU last week. He has roughly three-quarters of his total points on the season, and more than half his rebounds on the season in the last four games combined.

The play of late of big men Royce Hamm Jr. and Brock Cunningham is much better than anticipated. They don’t really replace what Sims brought to the table, but they can help to rise to the occasion when need be. That’s all you can ask.

But the most important players for Texas in the final two games of the regular season could both be true freshmen big men. Baker and Kai Jones fit that mould.

Improved depth in the frontcourt rotation helped the Longhorns build this three-game winning streak that gave them what they needed to build the resume for the NCAA Tournament.