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Under former head coach Rick Barnes, the Texas Longhorns became a perennial contender in the Big 12 and annual participant in the NCAA Tournament. His failure to get the Longhorns a deep tournament run ultimately cost him his job, however. Texas went after the biggest name available two years ago, hiring Shaka Smart after several successful years at VCU. Smart was supposed to be the guy to lead the program to the Promised Land. Now, he’s just trying to keep Texas out of the basement and a matchup with the Kansas Jayhawks will push them closer.
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Just how good have the Jayhawks been over the past several years? Their win over TCU on Wednesday clinched at least a tie for their 13th straight Big 12 title, a run of success matched only by John Wooden’s UCLA teams in the 1960s and 70s. And what’s even scarier is that Kansas could be playing the best basketball of any team in the country right now. Their win over TCU was the Jayhawks’ fifth straight, and included in that run were victories over two top-10 teams. KU defeated West Virginia in overtime and knocked off Baylor on the road in consecutive games last week.
Year 2 of the Smart era in Austin has turned into a forgettable one. Ranked 21st in the preseason AP poll, the Longhorns started the year with three straight wins. It’s their longest winning streak of the season. The Horns are just 7-18 since then and have equaled the most losses the program has endured since the 1983-84 season. They will enter this contest riding a four-game losing streak and have five losses in their last six games while going 1-4-1 ATS. Texas covered as a 16.5-point dog when the teams met in Lawrence last month.
Last Meeting
The Longhorns held their own when the clubs met last month, falling by a score of 79-67 but covering the 16.5-point spread. And like the Jayhawks have done to a number of teams this season, they won the game with a balanced scoring attack. KU doesn’t have the one superstar that turns in an All-American performance every game. Instead, they have the type of balance that will allow for them to make a nice run in the NCAA Tournament.
Devonte Graham scored 18 points, Frank Mason added 17, Josh Jackson had 15 and Svi Mykhailiuk tossed in 12. It was the type of production that makes Kansas the third-highest scoring team in the Big 12 and owners of the sixth-best offensive efficiency rating. The Jayhawks average 83 points per game and have tallied at least 80 in four of their past six outings.
Player to Watch
There has been a bright spot in a rather dismal season for the Longhorns. Freshman Jarret Allen has at times singlehandedly carried the team and he was at his finest when the squads met in Lawrence last month. Allen, who was recruited by Kansas as well as many other power conference schools, gave the KU faithful a taste of what they missed when he elected to stay home and attend Texas.
Allen scored 22 points and grabbed 19 rebounds against the Jayhawks, and did it in an unfriendly environment. He had another fine all-around game Wednesday in a season that’s been loaded with them. Allen totaled 17 points with six boards, and had what many are saying is the dunk of the year against West Virginia. There’s a good chance Allen is a one-and-done after he climbed into the top-20 of ESPN’s prospect ranking.
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It looks like the Longhorns are playing out the string and a losing record for the first time in four seasons has been locked up. And if their losing streak isn’t bad enough, Texas gets No. 9 Baylor on top of its game with KU to finish out the year. Smart gave us fair warning entering the season that this was a building year. It’s too bad they had to waste it in what will almost certainly be Allen’s only season.
And speaking of Allen, with his draft stock rising will we see him try to put on a show for the scouts? If that’s the case, the result could be much worse than expected. The unselfish play of the Jayhawks will trump anything Allen can do; they already proved that with a big win over the Horns earlier this season.
College Basketball Odds: Kansas 78, Texas 64
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