No. 4 Texas vs. UTRGV preview

Head coach Chris Beard and the No. 4 Texas Longhorns are undefeated and off to a hot start this season following last week’s blowout win over the then-No. 3 Gonzaga Bulldogs as they host the UTRGV Vaqueros at Gregory Gym on Saturday as part of the Leon Black Classic.

Texas is coming off a 73-48 win over Northern Arizona, which lost to UTRGV 91-79 on Tuesday. Head coach Matt Figger’s teams is 4-2 on the season with a 22-point loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and a 34-point loss to Kansas State, the team picked to finish last in the Big 12 in the Big 12 preseason poll. The Vaqueros have never beaten the Longhorns in eight attempts and are currently ranked No. 326 in KenPom.com’s adjusted efficiency rankings, but do play fast, slotting No. 25 in adjusted tempo. Southern Miss transfer guard Justin Johnson leads UTRGV in scoring at 19.2 points per game, one of three players who averages in double digits. Overall, the Vaqueros shoot 50.6 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three-point range.

Slotted atop the KenPom.com rankings entering the game, Texas the nation’s No. 2 adjusted defense, which starts with the ball pressure applied by guards Tyrese Hunter and Marcus Carr. Against Hunter, Carr, and their backcourt teammates, Gonzaga struggled to initiate offense. On the season, Carr leads the team with 2.5 steals per game while forward Dylan Disu provides some rim protection ability to bolster a defense that defends the three-point arc well, limiting opponents to 16.9-percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Offensively, the penetration ability of the Horns forced the Bulldogs into difficult choices about whether to limit Texas off the bounce and give up looks from distance or risk straight-line drives to the basket. With the Longhorns only shooting 29 percent from three so far this season, opponents will likely opt to try to stop penetration, particularly because the frontcourt players move well off the ball to create lob opportunities.

How to Watch:

TV: Longhorn Network

Time: 3:00 p.m. Central

Livestream: WatchESPN

Radio: Longhorn IMG Radio Network (affiliates available on Texassports.com)

Odds: The Longhorns are 33.5-point favorites over the Vaqueros, according to DraftKings. Odds/lines are subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.