Texas basketball: 2 studs, 1 dud from huge comeback win over TCU

On Wednesday Night inside the Moody Center, Texas basketball pulled off an improbable 79-75 victory over the TCU Horned Frogs. The Horns trailed the Horned Frogs 40-22 with 2:15 remaining in the first half. The 18-point comeback marks the biggest come-from-behind win for the program since its 92-86 win over Oklahoma in 2013.

The first half was one to forget for the Longhorns. The Horned Frogs were the aggressor, turning Texas over eight times. TCU came up with eight steals and six blocks, leading to easy run-outs. Even when Texas got a good look at the rim, they failed to convert. The Longhorns shot just 38.2 percent from the field in the first half, including a lowly 2-of-14 mark from deep.

That said, credit must be given to Texas and head coach Rodney Terry for coming out with a new game plan and sense of urgency in the second half.

Texas outscored TCU 50-33 in the second half. They shot 59.4 percent from the field, knocked down 10-of-12 free throws, and turned the ball over just three times. A multitude of players led this comeback. Let’s dive into their performances.

Stud No. 1 for Texas basketball: Timmy Allen, F

Timmy Allen led the Longhorns in scoring on Wednesday night with 17 points. He shot 8-of-13 from the field and was able to get to his spots on the floor with ease.

Despite the Horns struggling in the first half, Allen kept them afloat. He scored seven of his 17 points in the first half and was one of the few calming forces within the offense.

Allen played with controlled aggression. He did not disrupt the flow of the offense but instead picked his spots to be effective. His off-ball movement was flawless as he paired that with a solid stroke from the midrange. Allen connected on 4-of-9 midrange shots and found a bucket whenever the Texas offense went dry.

The best version of this Texas basketball team is one where Timmy Allen is a leading contributor on the offensive end. In the win over TCU, he was decisive, deliberate, and ultimately the difference maker in the outcome.

Stud No. 2: Sir’Jabari Rice

Once again, we sit here postgame talking about how New Mexico State transfer Sir’Jabari Rice is the hero in a Texas win.

Rice was nonexistent in the first half. He had zero points, zero assists, and just one rebound. His off-ball defense was below his usual standard, and his typical activity in the passing lanes was not there. That said, the fifth-year senior flipped a switch and played as the best version of himself in the final twenty minutes.

In the second half, Rice scored 15 points and corralled five rebounds. He shot 3-of-4 from the field, 1-of-2 from three, and 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

On the defensive end of the floor, Rice was tasked with stopping the Big 12 preseason player of the year, Mike Miles. In the second half, Rice face-guarded Miles, rarely letting him touch the ball. Miles, who came into the game averaging 19.8 points per game, scored just six in the second half. Rice’s defensive prowess on the Horned Frogs’ best player threw Jamie Dixon’s offense entirely out of sync.

To top off his tremendous second half, Rice secured three crucial rebounds in the final 35 seconds while also nailing the game-sealing free throws. He has earned the right to be on the floor to close every game this season.

 Dud No. 1: Christian Bishop

It was hard to pull out a dud in a game full of thrilling second-half performances. That said, I do not think Christian Bishop had his best performance on Wednesday night.

Part of Bishop’s struggles were matchup based. Bishop stands at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds. TCU big men Eddie Lampkin Jr and Xavier Cork are 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds and 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, respectively. Bishop could not match their physicality and was seemingly getting bullied on both ends of the floor.

We have seen this happen before. Bishop struggled with bigger guys down low, such as David McCormack of Kansas, last season. In the future, I would like to see the coaching staff give Bishop and Dylan Disu help down low when going against bigger forwards.

On the offensive end, Bishop missed a few layups and was not aggressive on the offensive glass. Bishop is not a player Texas runs many offensive sets through. He has to manufacture his looks on the offensive glass and runs to the rim.

The fifth-year senior is averaging just 6.3 PPG and 2.0 RPG in Big 12 play. Let’s hope he breaks out of this slump soon because Texas needs his energy to reach its full potential as a team.