statesman
Texas basketball coach Sean Miller is well aware that the spotlight on the Forty Acres currently shines brightest on the Longhorns football team. He also knows that after a weekend trip to Baton Rouge, La., where Texas faces LSU in a key SEC football matchup on Saturday evening, fans' attention might be a bit hazy on Sunday afternoon.
Nevertheless, Miller's squad will take on Baylor in an intriguing nonconference showdown on Sunday afternoon at the Frost Bank Center, the home arena of the San Antonio Spurs. The Texas coach fully grasps the significance of this game for the No. 7 Longhorns (3-0), irrespective of the date or venue.
"We have to establish who we are, and games like Baylor determine that," Miller said on Monday after his team's 93-62 rout of Grambling State at the Moody Center. "That's the funny thing about college basketball. There's a fixation with March Madness, understandably so, but the games that are played behind the football backdrop in the months of November and early December, a lot of times, pay forward to who you are in March, where you're seeded, are you in or not in the tournament? So, every day and each week of college basketball really matters, and I do think that our team is well aware of the opportunity we have on Sunday to play in our state and in an NBA arena in San Antonio, which I know is a huge fan base for the University of Texas."
Baylor to Challenge Longhorns on Glass and in Backcourt
The game presents a significant test for Texas, which has defeated three overmatched opponents to start the season by an average margin of 45.3 points. Baylor (3-0) has similarly dominated its first three nonconference foes.
As is customary, the Bears rely on rebounding and pressure defense, fundamental principles under longtime coach Scott Drew. The guard duo of sophomore Kayden Mingo and his younger brother Dylan Mingo combines to average 30 points and five steals per game, and they will provide the first true collegiate challenge for Texas's freshman guards Austin Goosby, Joe Sterling, and Bo Ogden.
Forwards Isaac Celiscar and Evan Chatman anchor a Baylor squad that averages 43 rebounds per contest, and they won't be intimidated by the size and athleticism of Texas post Matas Vokietaitis and power forwards Davis Punch and Marcus Spears Jr.
"Taking care of the ball and taking care of business on the glass always prove crucial against Baylor," Miller said. "The rebounding and the turnover battle are really big for us on Sunday. The rebounding battle is key when you play Baylor. Even though the faces and names of the players can change from one season to the next, as long as Scott and his staff coach there, you have to be able to hold serve in that area. They play defense and they pressure the ball. They force turnovers. Both Mingo brothers have a great knack of causing havoc defensively. They get steals. You feel them. They have the ability to change the game on defense. We're going to rely on our guards and our backcourt to really set the tone and be able to play against pressure."
David Punch: Game Chance for Redemption After Scrimmage vs. St. John's
For Punch, the game offers Texas more than just a chance to test itself against a fellow NCAA Tournament contender. It can also erase any lingering doubts after the Longhorns' performance against No. 13 St. John's in a preseason open scrimmage, when the Red Storm outrebounded Texas in an 87-74 victory.
"They (the Bears) are a good team," said Punch, a former TCU player who averaged just 10 points on a combined 5-of-15 shooting in two previous matchups with Baylor in the Big 12. "They play hard. They're a physical team, and that's all credit to them. This is going to be a good test for us to really get back what we lost in that St. John's game and really show everybody we're the best team in the country."
Originally reported by statesman.