Even with the win at Tuscaloosa against No. 13 Alabama, the Longhorns still came in as a clear underdog at home against No. 10 Vanderbilt, an undefeated SEC team playing at an extremely high level.
Despite this, Texas’ offense was able to take advantage of Vanderbilt’s defensive structure, and the Longhorns extended to a mid-double-digit lead late in the fourth quarter. Texas was the better team on the court, and the starters in particular had fantastic showings on both sides. The Longhorns won comfortably, an 80-64 win that asserts them as a tough out in conference play.
Texas moved to 11-6 on the year, 2-2 in SEC play, with two very impressive wins in the front four games. The Longhorns will face rivals Texas A&M at home on Saturday with all the momentum in their favor.
1st Thought: Tramon Mark is playing like a star
Against Alabama last weekend, Tramon Mark took second-fiddle to Jordan Pope as his fellow guard scored 28 in a win.
Tonight, it was all Tramon. He scored 21 points, hitting four of his seven threes and made key baskets for the Horns down the stretch.
It was his seventh straight game above 15 points. The worst he’s shot was 43% in those games. He has been a go-to option for the Longhorns during that stretch, and finds himself making those tough, late shot clock shots that are so tough to find in college basketball. When he plays like this, Texas can be a tough team to beat.
2nd Thought: Texas’ offense was awesome, but their hustle was better.
The story of the game will be Texas’ efficient scoring and strong play from multiple players. I’d be remiss to finish this article without mentioning how well Matas Vokietatis played.
But what stuck out was Texas’ hustle on both sides of the work. The defense fought well past screens against guards and was able to keep Vandy at 37% shooting. Just 14 paint points.
Texas allowed zero fast break points and grabbed 76% of rebounds on their defensive side of the court. Chendall Weaver made multiple great hustle plays, and the team ran the court well.
Despite being -5 in turnovers, the Longhorns felt in control of the pace, and were rewarded mightily for it.
3rd Thought: Sean Miller’s speech worked
Texas was dead in the water just two games ago. They had lost to a weak Mississippi State at home, and were blown out by Tennessee not long after. The team was 0-2 in the SEC, with two really strong teams ahead of them. There weren’t thoughts of March Madness; there were thoughts of dissatisfaction in the organization.
Head coach Sean Miller called out his team after that Tennessee game, and even beforehand after the Bulldogs’ match. He said they weren’t playing the brand of basketball they needed to succeed. He was frustrated with players, even benching key starters. It felt like a team that was crumbling.
And yet, two top-15 teams later, Texas was 2-2 in SEC play.
Miller can say whatever he wants to us in the media, but what actually matters is in the locker room. He did what he needed to there, and this team is re-energized and revitalized two wins later.
Texas may still not be a top-half SEC team. There is still a long uphill battle for them to get to March, but this has been terrific coaching in Miller’s first season in Austin.