Texas Basketball: 3 hot scorers that must continue to shine

Sir’Jabari Rice, SG/SF

The most pleasant surprise for the Longhorns this season is definitely the emergence of senior shooting guard/small forward Sir’Jabari Rice. The two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week recipient is on a tear of late for the Longhorns.

Rice is currently riding a four-game streak of scoring in the double figures. In the last four outings, he’s averaged 17 points and 5.3 rebounds. He’s producing at a level in the last few games that most starters in the Big 12 aren’t.

Given his insane production of late, it’s not hard to see how Rice has picked up two Big 12 Newcomer of the Week awards in the last four weeks.

But his importance to this team stems far beyond the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors. Rice is one of the most adept and clutch scorers that Texas has on this team. When Texas needs someone to step up to the forefront and take control of the offense, Rice has often been that guy.

He ranks among the top three players in the Big 12 both in clutch time points per game and iso points per possession. That iso-scoring ability that Rice brings to the table is something that can help plug the gaps for Texas when the rest of the offense dries up. Having a player like Rice in the mix that can put a bandage on the types of offensive dry spells that Texas had at times last season is invaluable to this team.

Texas didn’t have the type of player that could come off the bench and instantly spark the offense the way Rice has this season. He will prove to be a major difference-maker down the stretch this season.

Furthermore, Rice is the most productive part of the most offensively-proficient bench in the Big 12. Texas leads the Big 12 in bench points per game, which is largely thanks to Rice averaging nearly 13 points per game off the bench in conference play this season.

If Rice continues to perform at the level he has in the last few weeks for the remainder of the season, Texas is clearly going to be a really dangerous team in the postseason. Rice is the type of valued reserve player that can make the difference between a team making a push to the Elite Eight or Final Four and a team that gets eliminated in the first weekend when he’s on.