Texas Basketball: Predictions for Each of the Horns' Remaining Games

The Big 12 schedule is nearing its halfway point, and no team feels the pressure of time more acutely than the Texas Longhorns. Tuesday night’s win over Iowa State leaves Texas at 13-7 overall (3-4 in conference) and at a crossroads as far as its postseason fate is concerned.

With 11 games yet to be played, there’s ample time for Texas to get hot and play its way into an NCAA tournament berth. However, it won’t take very many losses at this stage of the season to burst that bubble and land the Longhorns in the NIT or worse.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the 11 games remaining on Texas’ schedule and a pick as to how the Horns will fare in each one.

Jan. 28: At Baylor

The Longhorns have been one of the nation’s most schizophrenic teams this season, going 13-1 at home but losing all six of their games outside of Austin.

Obviously, that record is not an encouraging one as they head into Waco to take on the nation’s seventh-ranked team.

Texas will have the talent edge in the backcourt thanks to Myck Kabongo and J’Covan Brown, but forwards Clint Chapman and Alexis Wangmene will be badly overmatched against Perry Jones III and the high-powered Bears frontcourt.

If Brown gets hot from long range, he’ll be able to keep it close, but expect the Bears to make their free throws at home to finish out a win.

Prediction: Loss

Jan. 30: Vs. Missouri

The Tigers controlled the game almost from the opening tip when these two teams met in Columbia on Jan. 14.

Missouri (unlike last year) hasn’t been a dramatically worse team on the road, but playing in Austin will make a huge difference for Texas.

The Tigers’ offense (ranked fourth in the nation) is too deep and too good for Texas to shut down, but J’Covan Brown and the high-scoring Longhorn wings will be able to put up plenty of points of their own.

This game should come down to the wire, but in the end, Missouri just has too many scorers to lose a shootout.

Prediction: Loss

Feb. 4: Vs. Texas Tech

There’s not an easier game on Texas’ conference schedule than a home date with the Red Raiders and their 0-6 Big 12 record.

Like Texas, Texas Tech relies heavily on freshman talent such as Jordan Tolbert, though sophomore SG Javarez Willis is a poor analogue for J’Covan Brown’s leadership.

The Red Raiders haven’t yet put up much of a fight on the road, and it’s hard to see that pattern changing in Austin. Look for the Longhorns to get hot from the outside and take over the game in the early going.

Prediction: Win

Feb. 6: At Texas A&M

The Aggies’ offense has been a disaster this season—the only time they’ve broken 60 points in conference play was an overtime game against Oklahoma.

When these two teams met in Austin, the Longhorns didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard either, but 61 points turned out to be plenty to come away with the victory.

Although the Longhorns haven’t been able to win on the road, their offense hasn’t suffered that badly away from Austin.

With A&M struggling as much as it is, and with no low-post presence to get the Texas frontcourt in foul trouble, this game should go pretty much the same as the first installment did: ugly and low-scoring, but with Texas' superior firepower winning the day.

Prediction: Win

Feb. 11: Vs. Kansas State

The Wildcats won the first meeting between these two teams, but the game was just as close as its 84-80 final score.

Even with J’Covan Brown suffering through one of his worst shooting nights of the year, the Longhorns nearly earned their first road victory in Manhattan.

With K-State coming to Austin for the rematch, Brown will put in a sharper performance even against Rodney McGruder’s tough defense.

Myck Kabongo, who played well until a last-minute turnover the first time around, will lead the Longhorns to a much-needed victory.

Prediction: Win

Feb. 14: At Oklahoma

Oklahoma looks a lot like a more experienced version of Texas this season, with junior Steven Pledger in the J’Covan Brown role and classmate Sam Grooms running the offense instead of freshman Myck Kabongo.

Also like the Longhorns, the Sooners have been far tougher at home than on the road in 2011-12.

The biggest issue for Texas in this matchup will be containing 6’8” forward Romero Osby, a Mississippi State transfer who has been tough to keep off the glass.

The bet here is that Osby will outmuscle Texas’ nondescript front line and power the Sooners to victory.

Prediction: Loss

Feb. 18: At Oklahoma State

Texas dominated with defense in the first meeting, forcing 21 turnovers and blocking five shots while holding the Cowboys to a season-low 49 points.

With leading scorer Keiton Page held to single digits, OSU’s offense had too few weapons to make up the difference.

In Stillwater, though, freshman Le'Bryan Nash (who scored 12 points in 23 foul-plagued minutes) will be a bigger threat. Defense will still be the order of the day, but in a closer contest, home-court advantage will win out for the Cowboys.

Prediction: Loss

Feb. 20: Vs. Baylor

The Bears have looked a lot more vulnerable lately because they’ve dropped two of three, but they’re still 18-2 on the season. Their road resume includes a 28-point win at Northwestern and nailbiters over BYU and Kansas State.

As good as Texas is at home, the Longhorns will need to play a near-perfect game to handle Baylor. Look for Myck Kabongo and J’Covan Brown to put up great numbers, but not in a winning cause.

Prediction: Loss

Feb. 25: At Texas Tech

If Texas is ever going to win a road game, this will be the best chance to do it.

Texas Tech’s awful performance in Big 12 play hasn’t been much better at home, and the Longhorns’ edge in talent should be enough to turn the tide in their favor.

The Red Raider frontcourt, led by Jordan Tolbert and Jaye Crockett, isn’t going to walk all over Texas’ forwards, but J’Covan Brown and Myck Kabongo have a real chance to mop the floor with their opposite numbers.

At the worst, this should be a Longhorn victory—at the best, it could even be a blowout.

Prediction: Win

Feb. 29: Vs. Oklahoma

The common thread in Oklahoma’s losses this season has been that its sometimes-potent offense shorted out at the wrong time. Texas, a tough squad to score on in any circumstance, has put in some especially strong performances at home.

Steven Pledger, the Sooners’ leading scorer, has struggled mightily away from Norman. Look for J’Covan Brown to keep him under wraps and help the Longhorns eke out a low-scoring victory.

Prediction: Win

Mar. 3: At Kansas

The Longhorns put up a terrific fight in the first meeting between these two teams, but that was in Austin. Phog Allen Fieldhouse has been a very tough place for opposing teams—just ask Baylor, who fell by 18 points on that floor.

The Longhorn frontcourt had a hard enough time staying out of foul trouble in the first meeting with the physical Jayhawks, a task that will only be made tougher on the road.

Expect Thomas Robinson (who had 17 points and nine boards the first time around) to put up even bigger numbers as Kansas avenges last year’s home loss.

Prediction: Loss