Missouri Tigers 81, Texas Longhorns 67: Post-Mortem

by jc25 on Mar 10, 2026 10:41 AM CST in Texas Longhorns and Other Basketball

Missouri is an intelligent, senior-laden, offensively efficient basketball team. The Tigers were all kinds of wrong for Texas, and it showed for the third time this season. The Longhorns actually played pretty well. 5-13 is a solid stat line from distance, 19 big offensive rebounds kept the Horns in the game, and Myck Kabongo continued the nice trend with a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Further, Jonathan Holmes hit double-digit points for the first time in two months, Clint Chapman was a point and two rebounds shy of a double-double, and J'Covan did as J'Covan does as the team's leading scorer with 21 points.

The bottom line is that, this season, a team like Missouri is simply just better than Texas. Luckily, a combination of the Iowa St. win and other bubble teams losing makes it appear that the Longhorns are safely in the NCAA Tournament. It even has Hopkins Horn at Burnt Orange Nation asking the question: is it better to be one of the last four in, or go straight to the field of 64?

At this point, I just want to get in and, fingers crossed, draw a favorable opponent. It has been a while since the Longhorns had to hold their breath on Selection Sunday, not for a high seed, but a seed at all. All right, already: let's get some good news for people who love bad news.

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Read More: Clint Chapman (F - Texas), J`Covan Brown (G - Texas), Jonathan Holmes (F - Texas), Myck Kabongo (G - Texas), Texas Longhorns, Missouri Tigers, Texas Longhorns at Missouri Tigers, Mar 9, 2026 9:20 PM CST

Comments

Missouri is the best offensive team in the country by a rather large margin

Last night, we saw what they do.

I am on Twitter @jeffchaley
Burnt Orange Nation
Hoop-Math

by Reggieball on Mar 10, 2026 11:40 AM CST reply actions

Ken Pom

says it’s Missouri and then Kentucky and Callipari’s crew isn’t that close. Amazing what a load of uncontested layups will do for your offensive efficiency.

by Nickel Rover on Mar 10, 2026 12:37 PM CST up reply actions

More like shooting 40% from three as a team

Paired with a big who is shooting 70% from the field.

by Scipio Tex on Mar 10, 2026 12:44 PM CST up reply actions

do they still

full-court press most of the game? That’s what I was thinking of, but I haven’t watched them much this year.

by Nickel Rover on Mar 10, 2026 2:45 PM CST up reply actions

No. Not really.

by Scipio Tex on Mar 10, 2026 2:46 PM CST up reply actions

No...

They get into the passing lanes in the half court and still steal the ball a lot, but Mike Anderson is now at Arkansas, and the press left with him.

Missouri shoots the three well (38% of their FGAs, with 39% shooting percentage) and attacks the rim (38% of FGAs are at the rim with a 71% shooting percentage). They don’t settle for low value jump shots very often.

I am on Twitter @jeffchaley
Burnt Orange Nation
Hoop-Math

by Reggieball on Mar 10, 2026 3:43 PM CST up reply actions

shows

how out of touch I’ve become with Big 12 basketball.

by Nickel Rover on Mar 10, 2026 5:38 PM CST up reply actions

We noticed on the JCB thread ;)

by Scipio Tex on Mar 10, 2026 7:40 PM CST up reply actions

Missouri is tough.

They can put five guys on the court capable of scoring 20-25 points against a quality opponent. I’m blanking on who else can do that.

by Scipio Tex on Mar 10, 2026 12:35 PM CST reply actions

Well, Kentucky

http://aseaofblue.com | https://www.barkingcarnival.com | @JC_Hoops

by jc25 on Mar 11, 2026 11:04 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions

Joey Brackets

currently has us in a play-in game against Mississippi St. We’re solidly in, however. The landscape around us pretty much bent to our will. A lot of favorable game outcomes for us.

by Scipio Tex on Mar 10, 2026 1:24 PM CST reply actions

we have

a favorable history with them, at least. I don’t know anything about their current team. I guess we want to avoid teams with experienced backcourts or dominant low-post scorers. Basically, the good teams.

by Nickel Rover on Mar 10, 2026 2:44 PM CST up reply actions

They have big talents in the low post

Including world class knucklehead Renardo Sidney, but in about half of their games they decide they don’t feel like trying and shit. I wouldn’t sweat who the match-ups are right now - there are about ten different teams we might play. I’m more worried about facing a polished mid-major full of seniors and good cohesiveness.

by Scipio Tex on Mar 10, 2026 2:50 PM CST up reply actions

They've been playing badly down the stretch

OTOH, yesterday, Jerry Palm matched UT with Wichita State. Like you say, that would be a disaster.

There actually are going to be some pods in which Texas could make it to the next weekend. Not laying any expectations at all, but playing without pressure can make the game seem easier. Penders’s teams did it consistently.

by BobInHouston on Mar 10, 2026 4:52 PM CST reply actions

Ugh

Wichita St would whip us. That’s an Elite 8 type team.

by Scipio Tex on Mar 10, 2026 7:42 PM CST up reply actions

No question Mizzou is better

But consistently watching guys go underneath screens was was tough. Missouri proved they could hit the shot and that they knew how to re-screen. We seemed unable to handle it. I know you’ve got to worry about a guy like Pressey’s driving ability, but they proved they could hit the wide open 3. Just seemed like a lack of attention to detail on the defensive side for the horns. Maybe that’s a product of once again having to play a lot of freshmen. Living on the east coast, I haven’t gotten to watch a lot of UT basketball this season, so I don’t know how that compares to most contests.

That said, I hope UM enjoys their run this year, because they’ve only got 7 scholarship players, and a good chunk are graduating.

Formerly HoyaHorn on the Fantake side of the world.

by tronaldinho on Mar 10, 2026 8:40 PM CST reply actions

Think that was...

Purposely coached. Wanted Mizzou to prove Pressey could hit the long ball instead of letting the bigs get easy layups on the roll. Pressey did, you tip your cap.

http://aseaofblue.com | https://www.barkingcarnival.com | @JC_Hoops

by jc25 on Mar 11, 2026 11:06 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions