Baylor Takes on Texas in Last Game of Regular Season

The Texas Longhorns and Baylor Bears will face off in the last regular season game for both teams. Baylor beat Texas in an overtime thriller back in late January. These teams seem to be heading in different directions as the Longhorns have lost 7 of their last 13 games, while Baylor has come on strong to win 6 of their last 7.

Despite the recent trends, Texas has the upper hand in this match-up due to their depth. They go 7 deep on offense, which gives them the ability to increase leads when the starters are out. Damion James leads the way with a 17.7 point per game average. His 10+ rebounds are also tops on the team. They have a well balanced attack as their guards Avery Bradley and J’Covan Brown contribute 22 points per game, and their center Dexter Pittman pours in 10.5 points and 6 boards per game. Gary Johnson and Varez Ward are more than adequate off of the bench as they combine for almost 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Texas has had troubles in conference due to their lack of defense. They can shut teams down when they want to, but have too many lapses during the course of games to sustain any type of consistency. The Longhorns have allowed over 74 points in 5 of their last 8 conference games, and will be in serious trouble against a very capable Baylor offense if they don’t establish themselves early on the defensive end of the floor.

LaceDarius Dunn leads the Baylor offense with a 18.8 point average. However, Tweety Carter and forward Ekpe Udoh are also considered “go-to” players, and lead the team in assists and rebounds respectively. The Bears main concern is the serious drop off of talent after their starters come out. It is extremely hard for this squad to maintain a lead as their bench has a difficult time staying with their opponent’s starters. As a whole, the offense can score with any team in the Big-12 conference, and excels against opponents with mediocre defenses. If a team allows them to get up and down the floor at will, they will make you pay the price.

Texas will need to slow the pace of play, and force the Bears to play a half-court style of offense. Getting the opposition out of their rhythm and forcing them to play your style of ball is very important when playing at home. This should be a competitive game just like their previous match-up. It will be interesting to see which team will dictate the pace of play. Both of these squads are in desperate need of a strong finish as they try to impress the selection committee a day before the brackets are announced.

Related posts:

1. NCAAB Big-12 Showdown: Kansas St Wildcats vs. Baylor Bears
2. Alabama/ Texas in the 2010 BCS National Championship
3. NIT Quarterfinals: Texas Tech vs. Mississippi
4. Georgetown Takes on W. Virginia is Big East Showdown
5. Virginia Tech Takes on Rhode Island in NIT Quarterfinals

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