Shooting Would Be Nice: Texas 80, Lipscomb 57

Another middling mid-major, another blowout win. The Texas Longhorns prevailed easily, ending the afternoon with an 80-57 final over the Lipscomb Bisons. Still, the Horns shot a dreadful 3-16 from distance and 19-33 from the line, compounding its 300th or so NCAA ranking in both rate stats. That’s fine when the opponent’s Kenpom rank claims same, but an upcoming first round date with Butler in the PK80 shant be so forgiving.

The Good

Mo Bamba, destroyer of worlds

Hello, Mohamed Bamba’s first collegiate double-double. Bamba needed just 19 minutes to accrue 13 points and 10 rebounds, showcasing a couple improving post moves and a not un-dangerous 3 stroke. His engulfing impact came on the defensive end, as Bamba notched 5 blocks and a steal, along with a few more swats that didn’t make it into the box score. Mo la bamba’ed the paint with the same care and precision as Lou Diamond Phillips tending to his lemon tree yard.

Eli Pepper, destroyer of Mo Bamba

You come at the king, you best not miss. That T was as worth it as a Baker Mayfield crotch grab.

Snoop-a-loop, streaking through the quad and to the gymnasium

Kerwin Roach led the way with 16 points on 7-8 shooting, and he seems to have found newfound life in his role as off-ball slasher. Roach was also aces on the defensive end. It can’t be understated how much Matt Coleman’s stabilizing presence at the 1 boosts Roach’s and Jones’ confidence at the off-ball guard spots to go do excellent, off-ball guardy things while providing secondary ball-handling minutes that do not entirely suck.

That D Though

Lipscomb shot 29.3% from the field + 8.7% from distance and posted an eye-bleaching 3 to 17 AST:TO ratio. Texas deployed a late first half SHART that flummoxed the Bisons (plural?) once or thrice, but otherwise kept it real with on-ball pressure D and a paint patrol that would impress Chase, Rubble, and Skye.

Want to know more about SHART? Well then this might be something you might be interested in.

Walk-On points

Ryan McClurg, second point of the season!

The Bad

Shooting would be nice

Yeah, so about that 3-16 from distance and 19-33 from the line. Not great, Bob.

Making a living in the paint is well and good, but the trebuchet ball through hoop as a secondary restraint would be nice to see by, say, Thursday, when the Horns roll into Portland. I will say I’ve missed witnessing a functional offense with actual ball movement, dribble drive awareness, and post entry. But it will be for naught against better teams if Texas can’t shoot the dang ball.

The Ugly

Will Grier’s finger

Can’t complain terribly much about a 23-point W, so. It’s not basketball related, but my wife watched approximately 36 seconds of the West Virginia game, and it so happened to coincide with, well, I think you know the scene of which I speak. Ouch.

Bring on Butler.

Writing tunes provided by The Federal Empire.