Analytical breakdown of Texas's Round of 64 win v. CSU

Head coach Rodney Terry and seven-seed Texas basketball advanced to the Round of 32 for the third year in a row on March 21 with a 56-44 victory over the 10-seed Colorado State Rams. Texas suffocated a good Colorado State offense to the tune of under 30 percent shooting from the field and around 25 percent from beyond the arc to get the 12-point victory.

March Madness has been good to Terry and the Longhorns in the opening rounds of the NCAA TournaTournamentmnet in the last few years.

Per Sports Reference, 44 points is the fewest Colorado State has scored in a single game since the 2020-21 season against Saint Mary's (CA). Texas also held Colorado State to just 11 first-half points, the fewest in an NCAA Tournament game since 2008.

How Texas basketball defeated Colorado State in March Madness by double digits

Here's an analytical breakdown of Texas's convincing 56-44 win over Colorado State in the Round of 64 in the Midwest Region at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC, on March 21.

Four Factors

True shooting percentage

Texas-44.8%

Colorado State-36.3%

Colorado State's offense was very sloppy in this game. The Rams couldn't hit open or contested shots in this game, registering a true shooting percentage under 40 percent for the first time in over two years.

Turnover percentage

Texas-16.1%

Colorado State-23.9%

Turnovers were another major factor in this 12-point victory for the Longhorns in the Round of 64. Colorado State uncharacteristically turned the ball over 19 times, a season-high for the Rams.

Offensive rebounding percentage

Texas-21.6%

Colorado State-31.0%

In a rare occasion for the Longhorns this season, Texas won a game while getting significantly outrebounded on the offensive glass. Texas at least held its own on the defensive glass, finishing with an even margin against the Rams.

FTA Rate

Texas-.301

Colorado State-.103

Texas getting to the free-throw line three times as much as Colorado State helped Terry's squad put this one away down the stretch in the second half.

Style Metrics

Assist percentage: Texas-13.6%, Colorado State-47.1%

Assist/Turnover Ratio: Texas-0.25, Colorado State-0.42

Some Texas fans might be surprised to see that Colorado State registered nearly three times as many assists as the Longhorns. While Colorado State's turnovers were a massive factor in this game, Texas's ball movement was bad too.

3PA Rate

Texas-25.5%

Colorado State-41.4%

Both teams tried, but neither shot the ball well from beyond the arc. Texas was just 1-of-14 from deep on the evening.

Pace

Texas-66 possessions

Colorado State-66 possessions

This was a sloppy, low-scoring affair for both teams. That ultimately played to the Longhorns benefit, though.

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