Texas Makes Its Case For Best Defensive Team in the Country
Posted by Justin Kundrat on November 22nd, 2014Fresh off an underdog Sweet Sixteen run at Tennessee, California head coach Cuonzo Martin got a different taste of the national spotlight with his new program by beating Syracuse in its home away from home, Madison Square Garden. The Golden Bears, led by a trio of guards who accounted for 48 of the team’s 73 points, relentlessly attacked and picked apart the Syracuse 2-3 zone defense with quick passing and sharp shooting. While many spent the next 24 hours attributing the win to Syracuse’s disappointing performance rather than Cal’s own doing, there was no denying the host of talented players Martin had in his hands. The plan was to take this newfound momentum and showcase the shooting prowess of Tyrone Wallace, Jordan Mathews and Jabari Bird.
Texas Looked Very Impressive in NYC This Week (USA Today)
Texas was having none of it. And neither was senior forward Jonathan Holmes. Head coach Rick Barnes made his game plan clear from the start: Attack the middle and force Cal’s guards off the perimeter. This meant more interior passes to the Bears’ less talented forwards, and unlike Syracuse, whose big men were mostly inexperienced or physically soft, Texas has a wealth of size and talent in the frontcourt. As a team, Texas recorded 16 blocks in the two preceding games, and for a California team with just two players over 6’6″ receiving meaningful minutes, that meant trouble.
Despite the loss of sophomore point guard Isaiah Taylor to a wrist injury and the uninspiring play of highly touted freshman Myles Turner, Holmes was mostly unphased. The 6’8″ senior leader was his usual self, playing the role of Rick Barnes’ security blanket. After posting a 19-point, five-rebound effort against Iowa, Holmes took charge again, this time scoring 21 points and adding 13 rebounds and two blocks. He played a variety of roles on offense, using his strength to post up smaller defenders, crashing the offensive boards, and moving to the perimeter or the high post against the zone, where he either pulled up or passed it down low. But his unselfishness is what makes Holmes a unique player, and one who has flown under the radar throughout his career. On Holmes’ leadership, Barnes said after the game, “He’s a senior, that’s what you’d expect of him. I don’t know if there’s a harder worker in the country… he literally lives in our practice facility.” Cal’s head coach Cuonzo Martin added: “For us, we don’t have bodies like them… that’s where the advantage is. The advantage for them is Holmes, a 6’8″, 230-pound guy that can go both inside and outside.”
But it would be unfair to give Holmes all the credit for the Longhorns’ victory; with Cameron Ridley in foul trouble, Turner pulled in seven rebounds and Connor Lammert added nine of his own, leaving Texas with a +10 rebounding margin for the game. Moreover, the three-point shooting that California previously displayed was virtually nonexistent thanks to Demarcus Holland, whose defensive intensity nullified any open looks from deep. The team defense was stellar yet again, holding the suddenly red-hot Cal squad to just 31.3 percent shooting (3-of-12 from three) after they shot 46.4 percent the night before. Having five players at 6’8″ or above provided them with sufficient depth to both attack and defend Cal’s players without having to worry about foul trouble. Barnes acknowledged the defense, and in particular the efforts of Holland, to whom Holmes handed his MVP trophy after the game: “We got so much better defensively the last two games. We knew we could block shots, but our perimeter defense and our help defense on ball screens really picked up here.” Texas has yet to allow more than 57 points in a game this season, all the while forcing opponents to a mere 33 percent accuracy from the floor, which ranks seventh nationally. Amidst a sweep of the 2k Sports Classic, it should go without saying that at this point, a strong case can be made for Texas being the best defensive team in the country.
Perhaps most importantly, Texas proved itself as a top 10 team in its first set of tough match-ups. It was a statement game of sorts; a demonstration of the Longhorns’ adversity amidst injuries and poor outside shooting. There are few teams in the country that have looked better than the Longhorns this season, and few players that have made as much of an impact as Holmes. He has undeservedly flown under the radar this season, and that will certainly change soon.
Villanova grad, patiently waiting another 10 years for season tickets. Follow Justin on twitter @JustinKundrat or email him at justin.kundrat@gmail.com
