Big 12 Tournament First Round
#10 Texas Christian Horned Frogs vs #7 Texas Longhorns
Wednesday, March 13, 2013, 9:30 pm Eastern, TV: YES, MASN, Altitude
Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
Opening Line: Texas -11
Current Line: Texas -11
Opening Total: 114 1/2
Current Total: 115
Opening Money Line: Texas -700 / TCU +500
Current Money Line: Texas -700 / TCU +500
The 15-16 Texas Longhorns have struggled in a rebuilding year for the program. It didn’t help that star guard Myck Kabongo was suspended for the first 23 games of the season. Texas has played better since he came back for the final 8 games of the season. The Longhorns finished 7th in the Big 12 with a 7-11 conference record. Texas will take on the 11-20 Texas Christian Horned Frogs. TCU finished last in the Big 12 in their first year in the conference with a 2-16 record. The winner of Texas and TCU will face #2 seed Kansas State in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Texas leads the series against TCU 101-62. The Longhorns have 6 straight wins over TCU and have also won 10 of the last 11. Texas won both match-ups this year, 60-43 in Austin February 2, and 68-59 in Fort Worth February 19. Texas is 5-1 all-time against TCU in neutral site games. These two schools became conference rivals again this season for the first time since the Southwest Conference dissolved in the mid-90’s.
TCU is coached by Trent Johnson. The Horned Frogs have losses at home to SMU, Houston, a loss to Northwestern in a tournament in South Padre Island, Texas, and at Tulsa. In conference, TCU was swept by every team but Oklahoma and Knasas, with whom they split the season series. The Horned Frogs have key wins over UAB at South Padre, Navy, Rice, Kansas and Oklahoma Saturday 70-67. The win snapped an 8 game losing streak for the Frogs. TCU is 8-18 ATS and the total is 10-9-1 this season.
TCU is being outscored 62-55 this season. The Horned Frogs are #343 in scoring out of 347 teams. TCU is shooting 40.4% from the field and 31.3% from 3 point range. TCU is #287 or worse in both categories. The Horned Frogs are #342 in free throw shooting making just 59.4% from the line. TCU averages 32 rebounds and allows 29.6 per game. Frog opponents are shooting 44.2% from the field and 33.4% from 3 point range. The Horned Frogs average 10 assists, 5 steals, 3 blocks, and 14 turnovers per game.
Guard Kyan Anderson averages 12.1 points, 3.5 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. Guard Garlon Green averages 9.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1 assist per game. Amric Fields is out for the season with a knee injury. He averaged 7.3 points and 2.7 rebounds a game, but only played in 3 games. Forward Adrick McKinney averages 7.5 points, and 6.4 rebounds per game. Forward Devonta Abron averages 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. Guard Jarvis Ray is out indefinitely with a foot injury. He averaged 6.2 points. Connell Crossland averages 6.1 points, and 5.5 rebounds per game. Nate Butler Lind, Charles Hill, Jr., and Clyde Smith III make up the rest of the rotation. Center Aaron Durley is out for the season with a knee injury but hasn’t played a game this season. TCU is very small with no player over 6′-8″ on the roster.
Texas is coached by Rick Barnes. Texas has losses to Chamindade and USC in the Maui Invitational, to Georgetown in New York City, to UCLA in Houston, at Michigan St, Baylor, Iowa St, Oklahoma, Kansas St twice, Kansas twice, West Virginia twice, and at Oklahoma St twice. Three of their losses were in overtime. The Longhorns have key wins over Fresno St, Mississippi St in Maui, North Carolina Rice, Texas Tech twice, TCU twice, Iowa St,Oklahoma, and Baylor. The Longhorns won at Texas Tech Saturday 71-69 in overtime to close out the regular season. Texas is 15-12-1 ATS and the total is 14-11 this season.
Texas is scoring 65.7 points per game and also giving up 65.7 per game. The Longhorns are shooting 41.4% from the field and 29.6% from 3 point range. Texas makes 64.8% of their free throws. The Longhorns are 267th or worse in all three shooting categories out of 347 teams. The Longhorns average 37.4 rebounds per game, and they give up 33 per game. Texas opponents are shooting 38.4% from the field and 28.8% from 3 point range. The Longhorns are in the top 13 nationally in both categories. Texas averages 11 assists, 7 steals, 5 blocks and 15 turnovers.
Texas is 5-3 since Kabongo returned to the line-up. Kabongo averages 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game. Guard Sheldon McClellan averages 14.1 points, and 4.1 rebounds. Guard Julien Lewis averages 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Forward Ioannis Papapetrou averages 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Forward Jonathan Holmes averages 6.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He missed several games during the season with a broken hand. Center Cameron Ridley averages 4.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Connor Lammert, DeMarcus Holland, and Prince Ibah will also get some time in the rotation. Little used center Andrew Dick is out for the season with a knee injury.
TCU is 2-5 ATS after a cover, 9-24 in Big 12 games, 3-12 overall, 0-9 after a straight up win, and against teams with losing records.
Texas is 5-0 ATS after failing to cover, 7-15 against teams with losing records, 3-9 in neutral site games, and 0-3-1 after a straight up win.
Texas is a much better team with Kabongo and likely would have made the NCAA tournament if he played the whole season. The Longhorns need two wins in the Big 12 tournamnet to become eligible for post-season play. They should get the first rather easily against a terrible TCU team. However, it will get a lot harder when the Longhorns take on Kansas St in the next round.
