Texas State men’s basketball (3-1) led by Interim Head Coach Terrence “TJ” Johnson will face Shaka Smart’s No. 13 University of Texas Longhorns (4-1) Dec. 9.
Texas State has an 0-11 record all-time against Texas. The match-up will be the first since Dec. 13, 2014, when the Longhorns won in a 59-27 blowout.
The Bobcats will look to pull off a major upset coming into this game with a 5.7% chance of winning, according to ESPN. Despite being the underdog, Texas State has won three of its first four games to start the season and currently sits atop the West Division in the Sun Belt Conference.
Despite the odds-makers propping this matchup up to be one of David and Goliath proportions, Texas State has fared well in the recent past against ranked opponents. Most recently it faced the then-No. 24 Baylor University in 2019, falling short by only nine points. The Bobcats hope to have a similar performance on Wednesday but instead come out victorious.
The Longhorns are going into the game ready to rebound off a close four-point loss to No. 12 Villanova University.
The Bobcats are coming off a 72-64 victory against the University of the Incarnate Word. In that game, Bobcats’ senior guard Shelby Adams led the team with 15 points and senior forward Isiah Small had a game-high 10 rebounds.
In their four wins, the Bobcats have a scoring margin of 19.7 points. Texas State has consistent contributors all over the floor with four players averaging over nine points a game.
Junior guard Mason Harrell is the leading scorer for the ‘Cats at a career-high 14.5 points per game. Small is averaging a career-high in rebounds (6.8) and blocks (1.2). Senior guard Marlin Davis is leading the Bobcats in assists (3.8) and steals (1.5).
The 2020 season has treated the Longhorns well thus far with a 4-1 record coming into Wednesday’s game. UT won the Maui Invitational after defeating the University of North Carolina Tarheels with a last-second, side-step jumper from senior guard Matt Coleman III with only 0.1 seconds left on the clock.
Coleman III is the backbone for the Longhorns team, as he leads the team in points (16.4), assists (4.6), and steals per game (1.5). Texas has a unique blend of savvy veterans and budding-stars, most notably potential NBA-lottery talent freshman forward Greg Brown, who leads the ‘Horns in rebounds with seven per game.
Brown could be a coveted prospect come the 2021 NBA Draft. As one of the best pure athletes in his class with strong rebounding and dribble penetration skills, Brown has the potential to make an impact in the NBA one day.
The matchup to watch will likely be upperclassmen guards: Texas’ Coleman III and Texas State’s Harrell.
The battle between the starting point guards could decide the outcome of the game. Offensively, Coleman III and Harrell can match up with each other scoring-wise, and defensively the aggressive Coleman III will look to make plays for his team by playing passing lanes.
The Longhorns-Bobcats match-up will take place at 7 p.m on Dec. 9 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. This game will be available on the Longhorn Network.