3 players that can get Texas basketball from Sweet 16 to Final Four

Sir’Jabari Rice, SG/SF

There are three players on this list that have more than enough experience and two-way skill/production to get this Longhorns team to the top this postseason. Yet, each player in this Longhorns’ senior trio is always going to be on top of his game.

Throughout the last few weeks, the play of senior shooting guard/wing and the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Sir’Jabari Rice was as hot and cold as at any point this season. Rice has essentially alternated in a pattern of two games on and two games off in terms of his efficiency and two-way production since the start of the Big 12 Tournament.

Here’s a look at the game-by-game stats for Rice in four of the last five games (starting with Texas’ first game in the Big 12 Tournament).

• Big 12 Tournament quarters vs. Oklahoma State: 15 PTS/30.8 FG%/20 3P%/8 REB/3 AST/4 TOV
• Big 12 Tournament semis vs. TCU: 5 PTS/16.7 FG%/0 3P%/6 REB/1 AST/3 TOV
• Big 12 Tournament final vs. Kansas: 17 PTS/58.3 FG%/0 3P%/2 REB/3 AST/1 TOV
• Round of 64 vs. Colgate: 23 PTS/57.1 FG%/70 3P%/6 REB/3 AST/2 TOV

Moreover, while Rice was pretty cold once again in terms of his shooting efficiency from the field and from deep in the win over Penn State on March 18, he did still end up scoring in the double figures, with 13. He was still able to provide a decent offensive spark off the bench while Texas’ offense was struggling to get much going, especially in the second half (other than what Disu was doing down low).

Texas does need Rice to be at his best if they want to make it to the Final Four for the first time since 2003. The offensive spark that he provides off the bench and his ability to space the floor from deep, especially when he’s hot, is invaluable for Terry and the Longhorns this postseason.

What I would like to see from Rice moving forward is more confidence to pull the trigger when he’s got open looks from deep, especially when he can pull up above the break. He’s shot the three-ball at a clip of 39.3 percent this season from above the break, compared to just 19.2 percent from the corners. Yet, he still took a few shots from the corners (all of which he missed) in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Rice really cooled off in the second round in terms of his shooting efficiency from deep. If he can find his spot again with a few high-percentage looks from above the break, that should be able to help him get back in rhythm in the Sweet 16.