March Madness: Texas vs. Abilene Christian Breakdown
On Saturday night, the Texas Longhorns will face Abilene Christian in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Abilene Christian, which is very undersized, is known for tough defense. The Wildcats allow just 60.1 points per game while being ranked seventh in the nation in scoring defense. They are also ranked third in steals per game and fifth in assists per game.
Texas coach Shaka Smart recalled Abilene Christian’s game against Texas Tech earlier this season, where the Red Raiders ended up beating the Wildcats by just seven points 51-44. ... his recall being a warning to his team.
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READ MORE: NCAA Tournament First Round Preview: Texas vs Abilene Christian
TOP SCORERS: Many of Texas's top scorers are veteran players, including Andrew Jones (14.6 ppg), Matt Coleman (13.3 ppg), and Courtney Ramey (12.6 ppg). Texas will also rely on its big men, Jericho Sims and Kai Jones, to get second-chance points off of rebounds.
For Abilene Christian, it's all about senior center Kolton Kohl. The 7-0 center is an offensive and defensive weapon for the Wildcats. Averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, Kohl will need to have a special game for ACU to stand a chance against Texas.
Some other contributors include Coryon Mason and Reggie Miller, who have scored a combined 35 percent of the team’s points alongside Kohl this season.
PLAYER TO LOOK OUT FOR: Texas center Jericho Sims will look to take advantage of the height difference on the boards. The senior is averaging 9.2 points and 7.1 rebounds and he has improved throughout the season.
HITTING THE ROAD: Texas has won its past five games, all of which were played at neutral sites.
ODDS: Texas -9.0, o/u: 140
RECORDS: Texas Longhorns (19-7) vs. Abilene Christian (23-4)
WHEN: Saturday, March 20, 2021, at 8:50 p.m. CT
LOCATION: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV/RADIO: truTV
CONTINUE READING: Longhorns Final Four Odds? Better Than You Might Think
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