The Shaka Smart era has been a roller coaster in Austin, but Texas has seen its most success in several years and will look to continue that on Wednesday against intrastate foe Texas Tech.
Texas Tech is coming off arguably its best showing of the season, a 91-64 thrashing of Iowa State in Ames. The Red Raiders are causing a turnover on 26.1 percent of their defensive possessions, which ranks fifth among Division I schools.
Texas is riding high with road wins over Kansas and West Virginia the past two weeks and has gotten off to an 8-1 start thanks in large part to rating 15th in the nation in 3-point shooting percent defense. The Longhorns have balance at the top with four different players averaging at least 12 points per game.
Second chances should be prevalent as both teams are rebounding between 32 and 33 percent of their missed shots, but both are outside the nation’s top 100 in rebound percentage on defense.
For all Texas has done well, it has an issue with fouls, ranking 321st in fouls committed per possession. Texas Tech ranks fifth in the nation in free throws attempted per possession, and has each of its top four scorers shooting at least 80 percent from the free throw line, including Georgetown transfer Mac McClung at 80.6. The Red Raiders should making things tense for the Burnt Orange on Wednesday.
The play: Texas Tech, +3.
