Texas Basketball: 3 takeaways from imposing win over Texas State

The first six games of the 2020-21 regular season for Texas basketball will be memorable ones as they are about to start Big 12 play on Dec. 13.

The final game of the regular season slate before the start of Big 12 play for head coach Shaka Smart and the Texas basketball program went pretty well on the night of Dec. 9. Texas bounced back from a tough four-point loss to the previously No. 12 ranked Villanova Wildcats from last weekend at home at the Frank Erwin Center with a dominant win over the Texas State Bobcats just a few days later.

Texas got an early jump on Texas State, gaining a sizable 13 point lead by the end of the first half. And this Smart-coached Longhorns team once again didn’t waiver in the second half against a team that they are better than. Texas got the edge in the second half over the Bobcats by a margin of eight points.

With the win over Texas State, the Longhorns move to a record of 5-1 (0-0 Big 12) on the season so far. The initial run through the non-conference slate was pretty impressive as a whole for Texas. Their only loss was to a Villanova team that is now ranked in the top 10 in the AP Poll. They also notched quality wins over the North Carolina Tar Heels and Indiana Hoosiers to win the Maui Invitational Championship last week.

A close lose to a team as good as Villanova is nothing to scoff at either.

This team under Smart’s direction also does feel a bit different than in years past. On a lot of occasions, the Longhorns would play a team like Texas State way too close in the second half, even if they did come away with the win in the end. And previous Texas teams often lost a close game in a big tourney like they had in the first round win over Davidson in the Maui Invitational.

Nonetheless, here’s a look into three takeaways from the Longhorns solid 21-point win over Texas State at home on Dec. 9.