#10 Texas (16-4, 3-2) hosts #25 Baylor (16-3, 4-1) at 12:45 today at the Drum. For Texas to stay on track to get to 12-4 or 11-5 on the season, winning today is imperative.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Defend the three, defend the three, defend the three! The Bears have five players who can stroke it from the outside - Curtis Jerrells (35% from downtown), Aaron Bruce (42%), Henry Dugat (37%), Tweety Carter (40%), and LaceDarius Dunn (43%). If Texas is allowing Baylor open looks from outside, it's going to be a long afternoon.
2. Contain Aaron Bruce. Baylor's point guard is one of my absolute favorite players to watch, as he does a fantastic job of making those around him better. He has a killer first step, uses his body exceptionally well, has terrific vision, and isn't afraid to penetrate with authority. He's improved significantly with his turnovers from a season ago, which was his biggest weakness. With Justin Mason likely to guard Curtis Jarrells, the Bruce assignment likely goes to DJ Augustin. Fingers crossed for no foul trouble.
3. Get Damion James involved early and often. Getting James involved early greases the wheels of the Texas offense; we can't afford for him disappear like he did against Texas A&M. Rick sent him a strong message after his tentative performance, so look for him to be much more assertive this afternoon.
4. Make your frackin' free throws. Baylor has been one of the hackiest teams in the conference this season, a weakness Texas needs to exploit with aggressive play inside. But it also means we'll need to start hitting our free throws. There must be a penalty for sending us to the line.
GAME TIP: 12:45 p.m.
TELEVISION: ESPN PLUS (broadcast regionally; see affiliate list here)
--PB--