Longhorns' Make-Up May Be Their Biggest NCAA Weakness: Big 12 Coach

Anonymous Big 12 coaches spoke to The Athletic about several Big 12 teams and their biggest 'March Madness' weakness

Matthew Postins | Feb 8, 2022

Texas’ biggest weakness going into the NCAA Tournament could be its overall make-up, according to anonymous Big 12 coaches polled by The Athletic’s Seth Davis.

This, naturally, sounds odd in the face of the Longhorns’ huge win over Kansas on Monday. But, in Davis’ piece, the anonymous Big 12 coach he spoke to pointed out that the Longhorns seem to have too many players that do the same things.

“They’re all guys who score 15 feet and in, so there’s no space on the floor for anybody to do what they do well,” the coach told Davis.

One of those guys, Timmy Allen, had a season-high 24 points in the 79-76 victory over Kansas, one that propelled the Longhorns to a No. 4 seed in the most recent ESPN Bracketology 68-team field put together by Joe Lunardi. The Longhorns are also riding a hot streak, having won five of their last six games.

Longhorns coach Chris Beard went so far on Monday evening as to say that he believes “we’re a Final Four contender.”

That same coach said that Allen has “got some dog in him” and praised the team’s commitment to Beard’s defensive system. But the coach also pointed out that Texas doesn’t do a good job of defending the 3-pointer. Opponents are shooting 31.8 percent against Texas from the arc in Big 12 play.

But, what might get the Longhorns in the end, the coach said, is how they’re built.

“They have good pieces, but they don’t necessarily fit together,” the coach said. “Maybe all those transfers think they should have a bigger role. Who’s supposed to make shots for them?

Davis published a piece earlier this week with anonymous quotes from head coach and assistant coaches in three different conferences, including the Big 12. Granted anonymity, the coaches spoke freely about some of the NCAA Tournament contenders in their conference. The idea? Get a sense of what the coaches believe are that team’s strengths and weaknesses.

beard — Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman

ramey carr — Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman

You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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Published Feb 8, 2022

MATTHEW POSTINS

Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist writes for CowboyMaven. He also writes for Inside the Rangers, CowboyMaven,DallasBasketball.com, Longhorn Country, All Aggies, Inside The Texans, Washington Football, covers the Big 12 for HeartlandCollegeSports.com and is the Editor of the College Football America Yearbook.