Texas Basketball vs. OK State: 3 bold predictions for Stillwater clash

The next matchup on deck for acting head coach Rodney Terry and No. 6 Texas basketball is set to come against head coach Mike Boynton and the Oklahoma State Cowboys on the road at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater on Jan. 7. Texas will be looking to right the ship after a bad defensive performance earlier in the week against the Kansas State Wildcats.

The Longhorns wound up giving up a record-breaking 116 points in the 13-point loss to first-year head coach Jerome Tang and Kansas State at home at the Moody Center in Austin on Jan. 3. Not only was that the first loss of Big 12 play for the Longhorns this season, but it was also the first defeat for the men’s hoops team at the Moody Center.

For multiple reasons, Terry and the Longhorns need to show out against a gritty opponent in Oklahoma State.

First and foremost, there aren’t any easy games in the Big 12. This looks like the deepest conference in college hoops. And Texas must fight for every single win this season.

Texas also needs to get things back on track after the defensive performance has really slipped up in the last few games under Terry. This group of Longhorns players must step up, especially on the defensive end of the floor, to get back to a formidable level compared to the rest of the Big 12.

Bold predictions for Marcus Carr and No. 6 Texas basketball against Bryce Thompson and Oklahoma State

With that in mind, here’s a look at three bold predictions as Texas gets set to take on Oklahoma State on the road in Stillwater on Jan. 7, with the tip-off time set for 11 a.m. CT.

Timmy Allen becomes only the second player to rack up eight assists against Oklahoma State this season

Oklahoma State is one of the most disruptive teams in the entire country. There is no doubt about it that Boynton and the Pokes know how to muddy the waters for even some of the best passing teams around the major conferences.

Only one team has registered more than 13 assists in a single game against the Pokes this season. And that was the Kansas Jayhawks, who put up 17 on New Year’s Eve. That came largely thanks to one player.

According to Sports Reference, only one player has registered at least eight assists in a single game against the Pokes this season. Redshirt junior Kansas point guard DaJuan Harris was the only one to do so, as he put up nine assists in their close win over Oklahoma State.

Clearly, it will be a challenge for Texas to find its footing in terms of ball movement and the overall flow of the game against a team that can drag you down into a real fight like Oklahoma State. This is why I think it is bold to say that senior forward Timmy Allen could rack up eight assists in this game.

While Allen is nearly leading the team this season with 4.1 assists per game, he’s going to face a gritty Oklahoma State defense. But his job will be made a little bit easier since Boynton and the Pokes will be forced to go small.

With the defensive standout big man and former Memphis Tiger Moussa Cisse likely sidelined due to a lower-body injury he suffered in Oklahoma State’s Jan. 2 win over West Virginia, the Pokes’ frontcourt will be shorthanded. Allen and the Longhorns should be able to take advantage of this with more facilitation of the offense coming from the inside.

Texas will also have more opportunities to score on offense, which should open up space for Allen’s teammates. And given how well Allen is facilitating the offense from the inside-out in the last month or so, I have a lot of confidence in what he can do as a playmaker against a shorthanded Oklahoma State rotation.

Allen is averaging nearly five assists per game over the last eight outings. And he has a chance to up that number with a big outing possibly looming this weekend against the Pokes.