Men’s basketball seeks 10th non-conference win Sunday against High Point

By Riley Zayas

AUSTIN, Texas — While members of the Texas men’s basketball team may have felt confident about their chances heading into last Saturday’s matchup at Providence, the long road trip and new environment appeared to take a little bit out of them, as they were outplayed in nearly every statistical category and didn’t look like the same team that had mowed through previous opponents. However, the Longhorns get a chance to[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] redeem themselves Monday evening when High Point comes to the Frank Erwin Center. In their last non-conference game, the Longhorns will have the chance to get some important things figured out, and to win their 10^th game before Big 12 games even begin.

High Point’s high goals for the beginning of the season have not yet been accomplished, but under the leadership of head coach Tubby Smith, who won a national championship in 1998 while coaching at Kentucky, this program has shown indications that it is moving in the right direction. Last season, Smith returned to his alma mater with goal of guiding the Panthers back to the top of the Big South Conference. But the Panthers have started the season with a 3-9 record, with two of those wins coming against non-Div. I opponents and all three victories on their home court. With that said, coming all the way to Austin from North Carolina and winning the game will be quite a challenge for this Panthers team.

The Panthers’ scoring leader, especially from long-range, is 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Curtis Holland III, who averages 14.5 points per game and has hit 40 percent of his shots this season from three-point range, and has contributed on the defensive end with 12 steals. In what could be considered this game’s most intriguing matchup, High Point’s 6-8 forward Eric Coleman, Jr., will battle the Longhorns’ 6-9 forward Jericho Sims. Each is a threat in the paint and has been effective on the glass: Coleman has pulled down 49 rebounds and averages 7.0 points per game, while Sims has pulled down 76 rebounds and averages 8.5 points per game. With stats so similar, it can be expected that this will be an even, back-and-forth battle between each teams’ best post player.

A victory in the final game prior to conference play gives any team that positive mindset as it prepares for the most crucial part of their regular season schedule.

The game will be broadcast on TV on the Longhorn Network, and on the radio on 104.9 “The Horn.”
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