Texas Longhorns
Big 12 (28-4, 15-3)
Texas busted out of the starting blocks in the 2015-16 season with a 16 game winning streak before falling to Baylor 80-67 on January 17. The Longhorns can beat you at just about any type of tempo. They have beaten teams by scoring in the 50’s and scoring over 80 points on several occasions. Head Coach Karen Aston has steadily built the Texas program back to an elite level in a short period of time with a deep, athletic and talented roster. The time is now for the Longhorns to take the next step and make a run to an Elite Eight or Final Four.
Big Wins: 11/29 at Tennessee (64-53), 12/2 Mississippi State (53-47), 12/13 Stanford (77-69)
Bad Losses: 1/17 Baylor (67-80), 2/14 at Oklahoma (56-74), 3/7 vs Baylor (63-79)
Coach: Karen Aston
Why They Can Surprise:
Texas can get to a Final Four if they stay fully committed and focused at the defensive end of the court. Senior center Imani Boyette has the ability to dominate defensively especially when it comes to rebounding and shot blocking. Boyette collected 17 rebounds in the loss to Baylor and 11 rebounds in the win over Oklahoma on January 23. Offensively, Boyette shoots the ball very well and can cause plenty of havoc for opposing teams. The backcourt is deep and balanced. Sophomore guard Brooke McCarty is a sharp shooter and is tough to slow down from behind the three-point line. Senior guard Celina Rodrigo does an excellent job of distributing the basketball and brings that oh so critical veteran presence to the floor that will help the Longhorns when things get tough. Lashann Higgs and Brianna Taylor cause plenty of problems for opposing teams creating steals that should lead to easy baskets in the NCAA Tournament. Also, the ability to play very well at home could propel Texas to the Sweet 16 as Longhorn fans do a nice job of creating a home court advantage on a nightly basis.
Why They Can Disappoint:
If the Longhorns struggle shooting the basketball, they could be upset by a lower seeded team. Texas shot just 29 percent from the field in a 74-56 loss to the Sooners. Turnovers will be another issue that could create disappointment as both Baylor and Oklahoma did a nice job of taking care of the basketball in their wins over the Longhorns. So it will be important for Texas to value the basketball offensively as they advance further in the NCAA Tournament.
Probable Starters:
Celina Rodrigo, Senior, Guard, 5.2 ppg, 3.7 apg
Empress Davenport, Senior, Guard, 6.8 ppg, 2.1 apg
Brooke McCarty, Sophomore, Guard, 11.8 ppg, 2.5 apg
Ariel Atkins, Sophomore, Guard, 10.0 ppg, 1.3 apg
Imani Boyette, Senior, Center, 11.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.0 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Brianna Taylor, Sophomore, Guard, 6.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Kelsey Lang, Junior, Center, 6.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Lashann Higgs, Freshman, Guard, 6.6 ppg, 1.2 apg
Brady Sanders, Senior, Guard, 2.4 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.3 (57th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 55.3 (27, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.6 (36, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 35.0 (18, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.4 (258, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 28.3 (49, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.1 (185, 4)
Rebound Margin: 10.2 (13, 2)
Assists Per Game: 14.3 (91, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 16.1 (174, 6)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NCAA First Round win over Western Kentucky
2015 NCAA Second Round win over California
2015 NCAA Third Round loss to Connecticut
2014 NCAA First Round win over Penn
2014 NCAA Second Round loss to Maryland
2012 NCAA Round of 64 loss to West Virginia
2011 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Texas
2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to San Diego State
2009 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Mississippi State
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over Minnesota
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Connecticut
2005 NCAA Round of 64 win over Oral Roberts
2005 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Georgia
*all team stats through 3/3
