Texas Basketball: 3 key players that must improve after loss to Gonzaga

Late in the night of Nov. 13, No. 5 ranked Texas basketball and new head coach Chris Beard fell short at the hands of head coach Mark Few and the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs on the road in Spokane, WA, by a commanding dozen-point margin. Texas looked outmatched for much of this loss to Gonzaga over the weekend.

A good portion of the reason why Beard and the Longhorns were so outmatched in the first half against the Zags was the play of star junior big man Drew Timme. With a game and career-high 37 points in the Zags’ win over the Longhorns on Nov. 13, Timme definitely did enough to lead his team to victory.

Where Texas basketball goes from here after the double-digit loss to Gonzaga?

Yet, all is obviously not lost for the Longhorns. Texas went on the road and faced a really good Gonzaga team that proved why they own the top ranking in the country. Entering this game, the Longhorns were around an eight-point underdog and faced a true uphill battle on the road.

This game proved that this Texas team has potential, but still has a long way to go. Texas once again played a stronger second half than they did in the first, giving an indication that this team is still needing time to gel together.

Texas does need a strong response, though, as they return to more of a normal pace of play throughout the non-conference slate. Next up for the Longhorns following the loss to Gonzaga on Nov. 13 is a Nov. 17 meeting with the Northern Colorado Bears at home at the Erwin Center.

Here’s a look into three Longhorns players who must come up with a strong response following the loss to Gonzaga over the weekend.