Texas Looks to Maintain Balanced Attack in 2k Sports Classic
Posted by Brian Goodman on November 20th, 2014Over the next week, we’ll be bringing you breakdowns of notable Big 12 teams participating in neutral site holiday events. Today, we look at how Texas shapes up in the 2k Sports Classic in New York, where it will face Iowa tonight and either Syracuse or Cal tomorrow.
Outlook
Texas picked up right where it left off coming out of a successful 2013-14 campaign. It’s only been two games against teams who aren’t going to sniff NCAA Tournament bids this season, but in hanging 85 points on both North Dakota State and Alcorn State in blowout wins, Texas has done nothing to deter the preseason expectation of competing with Kansas for the Big 12 title. The most important development of the short season has been Myles Turner‘s stellar start to his college career. Through two outings, he holds per-36-minute averages of 22.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 7.2 blocks. That will definitely play. Leading returning scorer Jonathan Holmes has also been steady, averaging 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while point guard Isaiah Taylor is in the process of emerging from national obscurity with a terrific all-around skill set.
Get ready to meet Myles Turner in the 2k Sports Classic. (Brendan Maloney/USA Today)
Opening Round Preview
One of the best frontcourts in the nation will find a competitive match-up in the Hawkeyes’ rotation, which consists of four players who are 6’9″ or taller. That core should help Iowa improve on its woeful two-point field goal defense from last season, and although it has done so this year in two games against inferior competition, the Hawkeyes still need to prove that they can do the job against quality opponents. To that point, look for Turner, Cameron Ridley and Holmes to test Aaron White, Adam Woodberry and Gabriel Olaseni early, and possibly stretch them out to the perimeter to free up cutting lanes for Taylor and Javan Felix. Defensively, the Longhorns should have the edge inside, so the big question is whether Texas’ backcourt can neutralize Iowa’s long-range attack. Despite losing Roy Devyn Marble from their rotation, the Hawkeyes can still launch it; Anthony Clemmons, Josh Oglesby and Peter Jok can all connect from deep, as can 6’9″ Jared Uthoff.
Later Round Match-up
The bracketed portion of the 2k Sports Classic is comprised of just four teams, so the only options for Texas in Friday’s round are Cal and Syracuse. While the Orange are considered better than the Bears, both teams have significant depth issues up front that Texas should be able to exploit. For Cal, David Kravish is a center who has developed very nicely over the last few years, but a season-ending injury to seven-footer Kameron Rooks and the rawness of freshman Kingsley Okoroh has really thinned the Bears’ interior ranks. Syracuse is very similar; Rakeem Christmas is defensively solid and looking to command the ball more than he did last season, but the bulk of Ridley and Turner will be tough for him to combat, and the Orange will need two inexperienced players in Chris McCullough and Tyler Roberson to show up if Syracuse wants to contain all that size. Right now, the Orange don’t look like a team that will earn a high NCAA Tournament seed this year, but for Texas, a win in a venue sure to be teeming with Syracuse fans would definitely be a nice statement.
Outlook
The 2k Sports Classic may be taking place 1,750 miles away from Austin, but there’s no reason why the Longhorns can’t win this two-game event. I look for the next two days to be a coming-out party for Myles Turner in a similar fashion to the nation’s introduction to Duke’s Jahlil Okafor and Kentucky’s cyborgs on Tuesday, although Texas’ dynamic backcourt could also shine. Somewhat oddly, Thursday’s semifinal may be the Longhorns’ tougher match-up, as Iowa can match Rick Barnes’ team with inside depth and experience. But win or lose, I would expect Texas to be the clear favorite against either Cal or Syracuse on Friday night, since both lack the experience and proven depth to keep up.
Brian Goodman a Big 12 microsite writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BSGoodman.
