Texas Basketball: 2 studs, 1 dud from clobbering of No. 3 Kansas

Stud No. 2: Sir’Jabari Rice, SF/SG

What a way for Rice to cap his one season playing for the Longhorns at the Moody Center!

It was an absolute joy being able to watch Rice spark this Longhorns offense as one of the best bench players in recent memory in the Big 12.

Rice had another magnificent offensive performance for Texas coming off the bench in this commanding win over the Jayhawks. He posted his fifth 20+ point outing off the bench this season, four of which have come in Big 12 play.

Rice is the only Big 12 reserve player to have four 20+ point outings in conference play this season.

He tied a game-high with 23 points on an efficient 9-of-14 shooting from the field, 2-of-6 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Rice continued to find ways to get his offensive game going, even without the three-ball falling at a high clip. He got a few looks from the charity stripe and really put a lot of pressure on Kansas’ defense with his drives in this game.

Rice also found ways to contribute in other areas. He came up with a team-high seven boards, which was critical to helping Texas win the battle on the glass. Rice also racked up two assists, one block, and just one turnover on the afternoon.

I’ve kept saying throughout Big 12 play that if Rice keeps playing at this level coming off the bench, that is definitely a reason to believe that this team will be making a deep run in the Big Dance. Rice has the valuable experience and it all seems to be clicking in the last few months for him.