By Colby Gordon
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas men’s basketball team no-showed in its biggest game of the year Saturday, getting run out of the gym, 81-52, in Ames by an Iowa State team missing its best player.
While the Longhorns (14-11 overall, 4-8 against teams from the Big 12) have been riddled by injuries, most notably to forward Jericho Sims and guard Jase Febres, it was a baffling performance by a team with its back already against the wall in regard to qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
Texas coach Shaka Smart said [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]he was a bit puzzled by it as well, as his team has now dropped four straight.
“You’ll always, as a coach, evaluate what happened,” Smart said. “This game felt different than the previous three. I think our guys got frustrated. There’s a confidence level that you tend to have when you’re at full strength, and when you take a couple guys out of the equation, that may have affected our guys to some extent. The way the game started and the way they went inside, I think some of our guys got demoralized and a little frustrated.”
Barring winning five of six to end the year and making a run in the Big 12 Tournament, it’s almost impossible to see the Longhorns making the NCAA Tournament now — especially with Sims and Febres out. This will lead to questions about Smart’s job status heading into next season after missing the tournament four out of his five years as UT’s head coach, but the Longhorns’ current roster begs the question: what can they be the rest of the season?
“Our job as coaches and players is to immerse ourselves in the present moment and be the best we can be over the course (in preparing for Wednesday’s home game against TCU),” Smart said. “The injuries create a much smaller margin for error. I don’t know that anyone in this league has a large margin for error, but it becomes paper-thin when those guys are out. It means that we have to be all that much better at the things we can control.”
The Longhorns have fallen to 83rd in the KenPom rankings, but the game against the Horned Frogs and Saturday’s game at Kansas State represent opportunities against teams lower than them in the analytical rankings against which to produce wins and prevent the season from becoming an all-out disaster.
“For us, it’s all about playing with maximum effort and staying connected,” Smart said. “We had some things that went against us (at Iowa State) but you still have to be at your best when adversity hits.”
• Matt Coleman III suffered a heel injury during the first half at Iowa State and is day-to-day. Smart said it’s a very deep bruise and he is hopeful Coleman will be able to play Wednesday.
Sims and Febres are out indefinitely.
• Have we seen the last of Sims in a Texas uniform?
A junior who has averaged nearly 10 points and more than eight rebounds per game, Sims potentially could forego his senior year to turn pro to possibly play overseas.
When asked about it Monday, Smart said it was something that has not come up, but nothing is off the table.
“I think Jericho has made amazing growth since he’s got here as a person and this season we’ve seen tremendous growth on the court,” Smart said. “I think everyone would agree there’s tremendous amount of room for getting better. He’s the first that would admit that. Anything is possible, but I don’t think that’s where his mind is at. He’s disappointed he can’t play. He cares about his team and his teammates, loves Texas and I think he’s excited about his future here.”
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