Baylor Makes It Rain And Drowns The Longhorns 86-69

[Chris Flanagan]

Remember the game "NBA Jam?" I loved that game as a child. I remember begging my mom for quarters so I could play as the Chicago Bulls or whoever had the best 3 point shooter (I think it was the New York Knicks). Anyways, why I liked the game so much was when I would hit those perimeter shots in succession, the basketball would be on fire. I hated when my little brother would be killing me from the field and the basketball would be on fire.

Metaphorically, that's exactly what happened to the Texas Longhorns inside the Sprint Center on Friday night as Baylor torched the nets en route to an 86-69 victory as the Texas Longhorns for the 17th straight year fail to win the Big 12 tournament.

Turning Point of The Game

This came after the under 7 media timeout. Texas was down 24-18 which isn't insurmountable but the Baylor Bears went on a 18-9 run to end the half including 3 three pointers. That gave the Bears a 15 point lead at halftime and ultimately a 17 point win.

Player of the Game

Cory Jefferson

Isaiah Taylor did have 16 points and was able to get driving lanes to the hoop but Cory Jefferson had such a profound effect on the game that he must get the Player of the game award. He scored the first 9 points for the Baylor Bears and the Longhorns had no answer for him. So when the Longhorns tried to take him away, they just threw it out to Kenny Chery and Brady Heslep who were hot from 3 point range. Isaiah Austin also had a great game. When you get that much contribution, you know you are going to win.

Epilogue

I know you guys will have your torches and pitchforks out at Austin-Bergstrom airport ready to take Rick Barnes to tar and feather him but this wasn't all on him. Baylor is just hot right now. Their only loss in their last 10 games was in Austin and they could have won that game. Texas got into foul trouble early and Jonathan Holmes and Cameron Ridley were never really able to take over the game. If that happens, they lose.

So now we wait under Selection Sunday. I can almost guarantee you that Texas will get a 6 seed and play their first and second round games in San Antonio. It's just makes sense to put them near Austin so maybe Longhorns fans will come out to see them. That means the likely 3 seeds in their pod will be Cincinnati (because it was so much fun in the 2012 tournament to play them) or Creighton. Iowa State is penciled in as a 3 seed but the Selection committee avoids putting conference teams together in the same pod and Syracuse will get the 3 seed pod in Buffalo because Syracuse is only 2 hours away. I don't like either one of those teams but I would rather have Creighton because while Doug McDermott is spectacular, the rest of the team is okay. That would be the best second roudn matchup IF the Longhorns get that far.

 

[doc longhorn]

Unfortunately, the best team won - convincingly.

 

[Juan]

Vegas had Baylor as the favorite.

 

[Pancho Negro]

Epilogue

I know you guys will have your torches and pitchforks out at Austin-Bergstrom airport ready to take Rick Barnes to tar and feather him but this wasn't all on him. Baylor is just hot right now. Their only loss in their last 10 games was in Austin and they could have won that game. Texas got into foul trouble early and Jonathan Holmes and Cameron Ridley were never really able to take over the game. If that happens, they lose.

So now we wait under Selection Sunday. I can almost guarantee you that Texas will get a 6 seed and play their first and second round games in San Antonio. It's just makes sense to put them near Austin so maybe Longhorns fans will come out to see them. That means the likely 3 seeds in their pod will be Cincinnati (because it was so much fun in the 2012 tournament to play them) or Creighton. Iowa State is penciled in as a 3 seed but the Selection committee avoids putting conference teams together in the same pod and Syracuse will get the 3 seed pod in Buffalo because Syracuse is only 2 hours away. I don't like either one of those teams but I would rather have Creighton because while Doug McDermott is spectacular, the rest of the team is okay. That would be the best second roudn matchup IF the Longhorns get that far.

I'm praying all of this is sarcasm and you really aren't serious....

 

[Chris Flanagan]

I'm praying all of this is sarcasm and you really aren't serious....

I don't get this. I mean all of it is sarcastic? Maybe the Cincinnati statement but I do believe that as others pointed out, Baylor was the favorite and they were red hot right now. I said it wasn't ALL on him, not that there weren't a few things that he was responsible for. The early fouls by Ridley and Holmes handcuffed him because if those two are on the bench, the Longhorns don't have any star power on the bench that can play the 4 or 5 spot on the floor. He should of gone to a 3-2 zone but then that would give Isaiah Austin and Cory Jefferson 1 on 1 matchups with either Ibeh or Lammert. Sometimes you just get beat and that's what happened last night.

 

[Pancho Negro]

We might get a 6 seed (most likely a 7) but there's no way we are playing in San Antonio and your logic as to why we would play in SA just isn't there. They aren't sticking a struggling team down the stretch in a "home" location in the 1st round, ESPECIALLY as a 6/7 seed.

Struggling is the key word.

A "red hot" team that moved up to a 6/7 (like Baylor) would be a better example of getting put in SA. Texas lost their shot at San Antonio a while back.

We will either be in Milwaukee, Buffalo, Orlando, or Spokane.

 

[Chris Flanagan]

We might get a 6 seed (most likely a 7) but there's no way we are playing in San Antonio and your logic as to why we would play in SA just isn't there. They aren't sticking a struggling team down the stretch in a "home" location in the 1st round, ESPECIALLY as a 6/7 seed.
Struggling is the key word.

A "red hot" team that moved up to a 6/7 (like Baylor) would be a better example of getting put in SA. Texas lost their shot at San Antonio a while back.

We will either be in Milwaukee, Buffalo, Orlando, or Spokane.

I understand your point but agree to disagree.

 

[Pancho Negro]

Not only that, there's not one bracketology projection that has us in San Antonio. They all have us either in Milwaukee or Buffalo, which sounds about right for a 7 seed.

Had we won the conference tourney and bumped up to a 4/5, that's the only way I saw us getting San Antonio.

 

[Topstarr]

They are going to have to fix the roof so it will not rain but we will have to get the Longhorns a year older and get their mines right.