Brendan Maloney – US Presswire
Starting out 0-4 in the Big 12 isn’t how the Texas Longhorns wanted to start out this season in the Big 12. This season hasn’t been very kind to the Longhorns, but after today’s close loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, they have gained their confidence back. We know they are young and inexperienced, but after what they did today, they know they can win. This is exactly the type of game they needed. They took the No. 4 team in the nation to the brink. They took advantage of the Kansas turnovers and started pressuring the ball.
Even if it looks like the Longhorns will miss the NCAA tourney, this young team needed this game to be close and it was until the end. They even had a chance to tie it up in the final seconds, but missed. The immaturity and mental toughness have cost them many games this season. All this game did for them is show that they can play with the big boys and can be confident in that. The Jayhawks did make some silly mistakes and played very lethargic on defense and could have handed the Longhorns their first win in the Big 12.
When asked about the loss today and about the team, coach Rick Barnes had said, “We are who we are.” A young team who needed a moral boost and got it by making the Jayhawks and their fans sweat. Sheldon McClellan and Javan Felix both had a great game and were very consistent on the court.
You can always turn things around positively instead of looking at the lack of effort from the Longhorns. They learned today that even inexperience and immaturity can bring you confidence. Look for this game to be the jump start they needed to start winning games again. Mark it down now, they will get their first win when they go into Norman to face Oklahoma.
