Texas Preps For 'Scouting Report' Between Colorado State vs. Virginia
Texas Longhorns coach Rodney Terry said the men's basketball already celebrated being a part of the Madness of March.
Sights now are set on scouting both potential opponents in the first round of the Midwest Region.
"We've just got to get down to business and lock into the details of what we have to do to continue to get better and put ourselves in the best position to continue on this journey," Terry said Sunday evening after the Longhorns secured the No. 7 seed in the region.
Texas will travel to Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday evening and begin prepping for its Thursday night tip-off by watching film. Call it live film since the Longhorns' opponent remains a mystery heading into the First Four game between No. 10 seeds Colorado State and Virginia. The winner of Tuesday's 8 p.m. tip-off will have a chance to go on the run of a lifetime that starts by facing off against the Horns (20-12, 9-9 Big 12).
Terry isn't treating Tuesday's match like a fun watch party. He plans on breaking down every move like a presentation to avoid an early exit like the one suffered in Kansas City last week against Kansas State.
© Scott Wachter, USA TODAY
Players are calling the early game a scouting report to tell which opponent features the star power, consistency, and more than anything, a weak point in the armor.
“You just watch it not as a fan, but just watching the guy that you'll be guarding,” first-team All-Big 12 forward Dylan Disu said. “You see how you would play certain things and kind of get a feel for how the other team's going to play (them). And then, whoever the winner is, you'll start to feel them out.”
Disu's attention remains on the frontcourt of the two teams. Players like Tyrese Hunter and Max Ambas must have their sights set on the 3-point, especially when the Cavaliers see an opening.
The 'Hoos, who finished third in the ACC, rely heavily on guard play to set the offensive tone and drive toward the basket, but they're more than capable of staying back to take the shot from deep. Freshman guard Leon Bond III has connected on 50 percent of his shots from the 3-point line. Senior Jacob Groves and sophomore Issac McKneely are both shooting over 44.6 percent from downtown.
Reece Beekman might be the name to remember as he's coming off his second ACC Defensive Player of the Year Award. Last season, he averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 assists a game. In the ACC Tournament, the senior picked back-to-back games of 10-plus assists in overtime matchups against Boston College and N.C. State.
As for the Rams, who finished sixth in the Mountain West, they boast an offense that relies more so on burly play from their forwards. Joel Scott and Patrick Cartier headline the frontcourt and average over 10 points per game and 51 percent of their shots.
CSU also isn't afraid to pull up from the 3-point line, either. Senior guard Isaiah Steven leads the team in points (16.5) assists (7.0) and 3-point percentage (44.7) among starters.
Ambas, a transfer from Oral Roberts and the other All-Big 12 player, said the team needs to study the film but will be well-prepared regardless of the winner given the level of competition in the Big 12. It's also not just the type of teams that reside across the conference, but instead the play style.
"We played against high-level offensive teams, and we played against high-level defensive teams, too," said Abrams. "I feel like our résumé throughout the whole season has kind of built us up for this point, whether we play Colorado State or Virginia.”
