Texas Basketball: 5 Things to Know Before Big 12 Play

Dillon Mitchell, Texas basketball
Dillon Mitchell, Texas basketball / Mitchell Layton/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
Dillon Mitchell, Texas basketball
Dillon Mitchell, Texas basketball / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

3. Can the opposition score in the paint?

With Dylan Disu and Virginia transfer Kadin Shedrick both in the fold, the Longhorns have one of the more menacing frontlines in the country. Pair Disu and Shedrick with Dillon Mitchell and Ze’Rik Onyema and Coach Terry has four players at 6’8” or taller who average more than 13 minutes a game.

More often than not, at least two of those four guys are on the court at the same time. This creates a tough miss-match down low for Texas’ opposition.

Finishing at the rim has been no easy task for Texas opponents this year. The Longhorns are holding opponents to 42.3 percent shooting on two-point shots this year, good for 13th nationally. The Horns also rank 13th nationally in block percentage at 14.8 percent. Disu, Mitchell, Onyema, and Shedrick all average at least one block per game.

Some of these stats may be a bit inflated given the quality (and size) of opponent Texas played in the non-con, but you can expect the Horns to have the advantage down low on most nights in the Big 12.

Keeping opponents out of the paint should continue to be a strength for this team.