Texas Longhorns Vault to No.11 in The AP Poll Ahead of Gonzaga Tilt
Texas Longhorns basketball was announced as the No. 11 team in the country in the latest AP Poll. The Longhorns move one spot up from No. 12 after their two wins to start the season.
Texas kicked off its season with a quality hard-fought win over UTEP 72-57. Texas followed that game with a defensive clinic routing Houston Christian 82-31.
Starting on Wednesday is when the Longhorns face their first true test against powerhouse Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are also undefeated after surviving against Michigan State 64-63 last Friday.
So far through the first two games, the defense has been the calling card of the Longhorns. They have held their opponents to just 44 points per game and will need that intensity against Gonzaga if they want to pull the upset.
The Longhorns will also need their offensive weapons to shine Wednesday. Through the first two contests, three players have averaged over double digits. Guards Marcus Carr 11.5 points, Tyrese Hunter 14 points, and Sir' Jabari Rice 12.5 points per game, have all been the offensive catalysts in the early going.
For Texas and head coach Chris Beard, this Gonzaga tilt will be a great litmus test for where the Longhorns stand nationally. This matchup will be the second top-11 game of the year, with the other taking place Tuesday night between Kansas and Duke in Indianapolis.
The highly anticipated matchup could give the Longhorns a major boost in next week's AP Poll. With a victory over the current No. 2 team, the Longhorns could find themselves in the top five by next Monday.
For now Texas moves up to No. 11 in this week's new AP Poll.
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