So far through the first nine games of the 2011-2012 basketball season, the Texas Longhorns have looked dominant– apart from close losses to Oregon State and NC State– going 7-2.
The Longhorns are starting to find a team identity as a defense-first, gritty squad that will score plenty of points off of other teams’ mistakes and hit the open three, but also may struggle on the boards against bigger and more physical teams.
Over the course of the next 10 days Texas will have a chance to test their mettle against two traditonal powerhouses as the Temple Owls come to Austin this Saturday, and the Longhorns travel to Chapel Hill to take on the dynamic North Carolina Tar Heels on Tuesday the 21st.
Temple comes to town on Saturday with a 6-2 record through its first eight games, including a 78-67 win over Villanova last Saturday. The Owls are led in scoring so far by senior guard Ramone Moore (18.4 ppg) and junior guard Khalif Wyatt (14.6 ppg).
The Owls will present the first true size issues for the Longhorns so far this season with 6-11 center Michael Eric patrolling the paint. Eric averages 10.5 ppg and a team-high 11.3 rebounds per game.
The young Texas guards will face intense defensive pressure from Moore and Wyatt and must control the ball and limit turnovers for Texas to take home its first signature win over the 2011 season. In the paint, Alexis Wangmene, Clint Chapman and Jaylen Bond must make their presence felt to keep Eric from having a dominating game both on the offensive and defensive boards.
After a few days rest, Texas will travel to Chapel Hill to take on one of the deepest Tar Heel squads coach Roy Williams has built during his tenure at North Carolina.
North Carolina has romped through its first 10 games with an 8-2 record, posting losses only to Kentucky by one point, and a suprise loss to UNLV by 10 in Las Vegas.
The Tar Heels are led in scoring by all-everything sophomore guard and likely 2012 NBA Draft Lottery Pick Harrison Barnes, at 17.5 ppg, followed closely by freakishly long and athletic center John Henson at 15.o ppg and 10.5 rebounds per game.
Carolina has first-tier ability at all positions and could potentially give the Longhorns fits with their overall depth and ability to play with different styles and different times during the game. Against the Tar Heels, the impetus will be on Myck Kabongo, J’Covan Brown and Sterling Gibbs to handle the ball with confidence and initiate an offense that must work hard to get open shots against a speedy and athletic defense.
If Texas can manage two wins in these two games, it will mean great momentum going into the Christmas break– momentum that could easily carry over into a quick Big 12 conference start.
A split would be a strong finish also– especially given how tough it is to win in Chapel Hill– and will give Texas confidence to enter the fray with a young, inexperienced team which has yet to be truly challenged.
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