Texas Basketball: 2 studs, 1 dud from narrow OT win over OU

Stud No. 2: Sir’Jabari Rice, SG/SF

Hands down the best player in this game for either team was senior shooting guard/wing Sir’Jabari Rice. The Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year candidate continued his torrid scoring pace off the bench for the Longhorns in this win over the Sooners.

In 34 minutes off the bench, Rice gave the Longhorns a whopping game-high 24 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-13 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line. It really seemed like Rice couldn’t miss down the stretch in this game shooting from the field.

That included a trio of important three-pointers in the second half that even put Texas ahead at one point.

What’s crazy is that Rice was able to give the Longhorns two-dozen points and two assists without turning the ball over a single time. He’s had some turnover issues at times this season, but that is largely due to the high volume of touches he gets when he’s on the floor. Texas counts on him so much to spark this team on the offensive end off the bench.

It’s also important to note that Rice gave the Longhorns two rebounds and one steal as he was able to contribute on both ends of the floor.

Rice continues to make a massive impact on the Longhorns, especially on the offensive end, off the bench. His scoring spark is something that has earned Texas multiple wins in Big 12 play this season.

No one else is really doing what Rice has accomplished for the Longhorns so far this season either. According to Sports Reference, Rice is now the only major conference reserve guard in the country to have four games with at least 21 points while shooting at least 50 percent from the field this season.

At this point of the season, it’s crystal clear to me that Rice is well deserving of not only the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year honors but also an All-Big 12 Team selection too.