Texas Basketball: 3 players who can push the Horns to win the Big 12

On the night of March 11, No. 13 ranked Texas basketball and head coach Shaka Smart will try their hand at moving forward in the Big 12 Tournament. In their first game in the Big 12 Tournament, played at Kansas City, MO, at the T-Mobile Center this week, Texas is set to take on the stingy and No. 20 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Head coach Chris Beard and the Red Raiders were a major thorn in the side of Smart and the Longhorns during the regular season slate. Texas has yet to beat Texas Tech this season. Among the teams that the Longhorns faced twice during the regular season, Texas Tech was the only one to sweep them.

For the three-seed Longhorns to make headway and finally down the Red Raiders this year in the Big 12 Tournament, they’ll need to keep the momentum rolling after rounding out the regular season on a three-game winning streak. Texas’ last game resulted in a comfortable 12-point win over head coach Jamie Dixon and the TCU Horned Frogs over the weekend.

That helped Texas finish up the regular season with a record of 17-7 (11-6 Big 12). This was the first top three finish in the Big 12 standings for the Longhorns under Smart’s direction for more than five years now.

Although, the season is far from over for the Longhorns. This season is considered a big success so far, but it won’t be if there’s no positive postseason results on the horizon. Smart needs to come through in the clutch and at least get his first NCAA Tournament win during his time as head coach on the Forty Acres.

But first, here’s a look at three Longhorns players in particular that can help them get over the hump and pull off a Big 12 Tournament win.