The regular season's first 20 games wrapped up with a thrilling last-second one-point win for Texas basketball (14-6, 3-4 SEC) over the in-state rival and No. 13 ranked Texas A&M Aggies at the Moody Center on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 25).
Who's stepped up the most and consistently for Texas basketball this season in the first year competing in the SEC conference?
After starting out SEC play with an 0-3 record, head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns have bounced back win three wins in their past four conference games in the last couple of weeks. Texas has also won consecutive ranked games at home at the Moody Center over the No. 22 Mizzou Tigers this past Wednesday and the 70-69 win over Texas A&M yesterday.
In the past month or so, the Longhorns have seen multiple key players step up to help this team start forming an identity on both ends of the floor. Texas has mostly made its living this season on the offensive end of the floor. The Longhorns rank 37th in field goal percentage (48.2) and 41st in three-point field goal percentage (37.4)
Here are three key Longhorns players who have shined after the regular season's first 20 games.
Arthur Kaluma, F
For many stretches of this season, I've considered senior forward Arthur Kaluma to be the team's MVP on both ends of the floor. He's been an incredible two-way player for the Longhorns, leading the team in rebounds per game (8.2) and three-point field goal percentage (45.3).
Doing a little bit of everything well and with high effort has been the story of this season for Kaluma in his first year playing for the Longhorns. He's putting up career-high numbers in rebounds per game, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, field goal percentage, and three-point field goal percentage.
Kaluma not only leads Texas in double-doubles this season with five, he also leads the team with the most games with multiple blocks and/or steals (11). The way that Kaluma has fought for this team and left everything he has out on the floor has helped this team win a lot of games that they wouldn't have had he not been in the starting lineup.
Kaluma missed his first game of the season due to an injury for the Texas A&M matchup on Saturday. It was huge for the Longhorns to overcome Kaluma's absence, rallying back from down 22 points in the second half to beat the Aggies.