Lack of Aggression Plagues No. 14 Texas in Another Road Loss

The inability to match Oklahoma State's tempo doomed Texas in its third loss of the season on Saturday

No. 14 Texas came into Saturday's road game against Oklahoma State with much to prove despite holding an impressive 12-2 record (2-0 in conference). 

Securing 12 wins through 14 games is never an easy task, but the jury has still been out on whether or not this team is for real under head coach Chris Beard. 

Two road losses against No. 4 Gonzaga and No. 24 Seton Hall in non-conference play served as a potential perfect stepping stone, but now the Longhorns are taking a step back after a loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday. 

The numbers (season-high 14 turnovers, only seven free throw attempts) show the lack of necessary aggression by Texas to win a conference road game, but it was the eye test that told most of the story. 

The Longhorns routinely took up much of the shot clock to get off a quality shot against the Cowboys. Of course, this was due to the intensity head coach Mike Boynton's team presented in the backcourt, but the only way to beat intensity is to match it.

Texas failed to do that and appeared tentative as a result. 

It's always easy to blame the officials for a lack of free throw attempts, but  Texas' inability to drive to the basket with intention led to blocked shots, loose balls, and transition points for Oklahoma State the other way. 

This becomes even more confusing when taking into account the Longhorns' conference-leading free throw percentage (77 percent). 

So far this season, the Texas offense has been known as a slow-paced bunch that waits for the best shot possible. This method isn't a bad scheme by any means, but it seemed to be the team's demise on Saturday.

The Cowboys were able to jump back into defensive position with ease to the slow ball movement, leading to a lack of open shots and gaps to drive through. 

The Longhorns will certainly drop in the rankings after their third loss of the season, but a chance at redemption will come quickly on Tuesday night when Texas takes on the Oklahoma Sooners at the Erwin Center.

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