A Challenging Start for Texas Basketball

AUSTIN – It would be incorrect to say that the Texas basketball team let this game slip away. Instead, it was Mississippi State who took control and handed the Longhorns a significant loss. The Bulldogs, who were picked to finish 10th in the SEC, delivered a crushing setback to the Longhorns in their conference opener, marking the home team’s second season in the league with troubling trends for Texas.

Where to begin is unclear. Not much was expected from Sean Miller’s first team either. The team fell to 9-5 overall and ranked 56th in the NET rankings before the defeat. Of course, Texas was projected to finish ninth in the conference but may need to improve its defensive capabilities and correct recurring lapses to have any chance of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive year.

The Longhorns struggled in the opening half and lost a seven-point lead down the stretch, eventually forcing the game into overtime. “We’re struggling with fouling and second shots,” Miller said. “I don’t know if we’re mentally broken, but it’s never good to lose a home game. It’s a long season. We have to become a smarter, tougher team. Sometimes you can do that in a couple of months. Sometimes you can’t.”

Areas for Improvement

Texas will find it hard to make instant fixes with this challenged roster. But Miller pointed out several areas that need improvement before his team hits the road for away games at Tennessee and Alabama next week. He highlighted a lack of confidence and fire in the opening half when his defense had only six deflections. He was particularly frustrated by the fact that his players continue to foul jump shooters, including twice by Chendall Weaver and Jordan Pope on 3-point tries.

“We have to coach those guys better in those areas,” Miller said. “Now, if I tell you not to cross the street, and I keep telling you, and I say, ‘I swear, whatever you do, do not cross the street,’ and then a bus hits you, I’m going to take responsibility as your parent. But damn it, how many times do I have to tell you not to cross the street?”

Stopping Mississippi State’s dynamic guard tandem of Josh Hubbard and Jayden Epps was even more difficult. Hubbard, the second-leading scorer in the SEC with an average of 21 points a game, erupted for 38 points, including 12 of 15 at the free-throw line, even though Texas limited him to 3-of-15 shooting in the second half. The Longhorns simply had no answer for the dynamic Bulldogs guards, who combined to score an eye-popping 65 points and sink nine of the visitors’ 10 3-pointers.

Key Performances

MISSISSIPPI STATE 101, TEXAS 98 (OT)

Percentages: FG .447, FT .742.

3-Point Goals: 10-33, .303 (Hubbard 6-17, Epps 3-12, McGhee 1-2, Achor 0-1, Walker 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 6 (Achor 3, Ballard 2, Davis-Fleming).

Turnovers: 10 (Epps 3, McGhee 3, Hubbard 2, Jones, Walker).

Steals: 4 (Jones 3, Epps).

Technical Fouls: Walker, 14:46 second.

TEXAS

Percentages: FG .477, FT .725.

3-Point Goals: 7-25, .280 (Mark 2-6, Swain 2-6, Weaver 1-1, Wilcher 1-3, Pope 1-8, Heide 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 1 (Mark).

Turnovers: 10 (Swain 3, Wilcher 3, Pope 2, Traore, Vokietaitis).

Steals: 6 (Mark 2, Weaver 2, Swain, Wilcher).

Technical Fouls: Vokietaitis, 14:46 second.

Mississippi State: 48-38-15-101

Texas: 43-43-12-98

A_10,823 (15,000).

Dailyn Swain’s Impact

Well, Texas had half an answer in swingman Dailyn Swain. Trouble was Miller only had one Swain while the two-headed MSU guards kept the Longhorns at bay and sealed the deal with 13 of the team’s 15 points in overtime. Texas lost its mojo – and its magician – when Swain fouled out on a questionable call with 1:42 left in regulation and left a huge void at the offensive end of the court.

The 6-foot-8 swingman, who came with Miller from Xavier, set career highs with 34 points and 14 rebounds, and his drives to the basket had allowed Texas to build a seven-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. Without his steady hand and offensive firepower, however, Texas had no punch and struggled to get points.

His teammate Tramon Mark did his best to make up the deficit in overtime with five points on a three-pointer and a steal-and-layup that tied the game at 96-96. But he missed the back half of his free-throw attempts twice in the closing 32 seconds, and Hubbard closed out the game with two free throws with 6.8 seconds left.

“I just got to make ’em,” Mark said. “I missed them when they mattered the most.”

Swain’s Journey

Swain obviously needs some help. He can’t do it alone even though the athletic junior guard/forward now has three double-doubles this season and four 20-point games for the Longhorns. “He had a monster game,” Bulldogs coach Chris Jans said. “We were so respectful of his transition game that we were sending an extra guy back when we shot the ball because he’s so good at pushing the ball.”

Miller loves how far Swain has come. He was a little-recruited, skinny guard out of Columbus, Ohio, that neither Ohio State nor any other Big Ten team offered. He showed up at Xavier as an 18-year-old project who arrived on campus as a 6-7 player who weighed 178 pounds. “Dailyn is a throwback in college basketball,” Miller said. “He’s had some rough moments, but he’s a smart guy, and his body is getting bigger and stronger. By the end of last year, he was virtually an all-conference player. He’s had a really good season so far. You know 34 points and 14 rebounds is a heckuva night, but it’s a shame it didn’t lead to victory.”

Persistent Issues

Of course, his production would have masked some deeper problems, all of which Miller owns. He continues to shake his head over his team’s tendency to foul too much. He worries that his center, Matas Vokietaitis, isn’t nearly physical enough and doesn’t rebound well enough. He lamented that Mississippi State controlled the boards with 19 offensive rebounds, maybe the biggest stat of the night besides Hubbard’s and Epps’ huge performances.

“I don’t think our bigs did as good a job as they usually do,” Miller said. “Those 19 second-chance points really hurt us.”

To find any offensive power, Miller played Swain at the four position a lot out of desperation. Weaver had maybe his best game of the year with nine points, four rebounds and several hustle plays, but Texas is still limited. Neither forward Cam Heide and Lassina Traore scored a single point in their 14 and 18 minutes, respectively, and that’s just unacceptable. Heck, Heide even tried to gather in a rebound on a missed free throw and tipped it into the basket for two MSU points.

“We’re really struggling at the four position,” Miller said. “It is what is is. And it’s just big-time. We’re getting nothing, and we have to get more. We have to make some changes. It’s tough to play four on five. We just got nothing from that position tonight and that hurt as well.”

And nothing is what Texas got overall other than a nice scrapbook memory for Swain. Asked if there was a light at the end of the tunnel, Swain said, “No, we lost the game. Just have to move on to the next game.”