Texas Looks To Keep Winning Streak Alive At No. 9 Kansas

The Longhorns could extend their lead in the Big 12 standings with a win over Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse.

Season sweeps rarely occur in the Big 12 on the court. A pair of sweeps on the road against viable contenders? That's nearly unheard of even from the best programs in the nation. 

That's what's at stake Monday night for No. 5 Texas on the hardwood went it takes on No. 9 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawerence on Monday night. With a 14-point comeback victory over No. 7 Kansas State in Manhattan Saturday night, the Longhorns have already won a game in the Sunflower State. 

Now, Texas (19-4, 8-2 Big 12) will look to start things off on the proper note against the reigning national champions in Round 1 of its two-game set. The Longhorns will have a chance to close the season 3-1 against the state of Kansas in their season-finale showdown in Austin on Mar. 4. 

No one would blame Texas for its struggles on the court due to the problems behind the scenes. Second-year coach Chris Beard was fired in January after being arrested for domestic family violence charges in December. Since then, the program has been led by interim head coach Rodney Terry. 

The Longhorns will be doing their due diligence when it comes to looking for their next head coach, but Terry should be a front-runner for the position after keeping the program afloat. Texas isn't a sob story in 2023. Instead, it's a program that's rallied around a tragedy and turned it into revenge fuel through Big 12 play. 

“In life, you earn respect through your actions,” Terry told reporters Sunday following a 69-66 win against the Wildcats. “No one’s gonna give you anything in life. You have to earn everything you get. And this is a really good player-driven team because of the chemistry we have on this team." 

Texas has been known for its comeback flare since Terry took over for Beard on Dec. 12. The Longhorns rebounded after being down by 18 against then-No. 17 TCU to pull off the 79-75 win. Three days later, they did again against Texas Tech, this time down by nine in the first half. 

Saturday's win over the Wildcats might be Terry's sale pitch regarding the title of full-time head coach post-2023. The Longhorns struggled with offensive consistency at Bramlage Coliseum, going 7-of-21 from the field in the first half. Frustration stewed among players as they entered the locker room down by 11. 

Terry, a longtime assistant, said the team's resilience and internal belief played a factor in the comeback win on the road. Backup forward Christian Bishop became a star in the second half, scoring 14 points and posting six rebounds. Tyrese Hunter tacked on nine points in the final 20 minutes while Sir’Jabari Rice scored nine of his own, including a pair of free throws with nine seconds remaining to extend Texas' lead by three. 

"We've got a lot of guys playing different roles," Hunter said postgame. "Anybody can score. Anybody can play defense on anybody. That’s our mindset every day: We come in and trust each other.”

The Jayhawks (18-5, 6-4 Big 12) remain a heavy favorite in the Big 12 despite losing four of six games. Coaching matters during struggling times, and Kansas might have one of the best on its sidelines with Bill Self still calling the shots. 

And it's not as if Kansas doesn't have the talent to repeat as national champs in Houston at NRG Stadium come April's Final Four. Leading scorer Jalen Wilson is averaging 21.5 points per game. Freshman Gradey Dick is averaging 14.2 points. Point guard Dejuan Harris Jr. leads the team in assists with 6.2. 

Texas, which holds a one-game lead in the Big 12 standings over No. 11 Iowa State (16-6, 7-3 Big 12), knows that Kansas' recent struggles can't define the game plan entering a sold-out crowd Monday night. In their previous 10 matchups, the Longhorns hold a 1-9 record when playing in Lawrence. 

A win on the road would do wonders for the Longhorns down the stretch in conference play. For now, Terry said the team must play to its strength and continue to build off its chemistry in all three phases. 

And this includes everyone on the roster. Even those who might have to play the hero role when coming off the bench. 

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