Texas Basketball: 2 studs, 1 dud from assertive win over No. 15 Colgate

Stud No. 2: Sir’Jabari Rice, SG/SF

I don’t think it would be unfair to give both of the stud spots on this list to senior shooting guard/wing and the national Sixth Man of the Year award recipient Sir’Jabari Rice. The fifth-year senior wing was awesome from beginning to end for the Longhorns in this game.

And most of the noise that Rice made came thanks to a record-breaking performance shooting from beyond the arc. Rice just kept making it rain on the team that came in with the best three-point shooting percentage in the nation in Colgate.

Rice put up seven three-pointers in this game, which ties the most for a reserve player in any NCAA Tournament game going all the way back to 2010. He also set a career-best with seven three-pointers, which he hit on just 10 attempts.

The biggest reason why the Longhorns hit Colgate with a barrage of more than a dozen three-pointers in this game was the seven that Rice posted on the night.

What was even more impressive about this performance for Rice was the fact that he was able to contribute to Texas’ winning efforts in many other ways on both ends of the floor. He registered a half-dozen rebounds (three on the offensive glass), three assists, and two steals.

If Rice is going to be performing at this level throughout the NCAA Tournament run for the Longhorns, it’s hard to imagine anyone beating them. Rice is clearly proving that he is the most productive and valuable bench player not just in the Big 12, but potentially in the entire country this season.