A.J. HOFFMAN
College basketball report: UT gets big win, A&M struggles, UH knocks of BYU
Nov 27, 2018, 7:00 am
Kerwin Roach had a big game against North Carolina. Sam Wasson/Getty Images
TEXAS LONGHORNS (5-1)
Last week (1-1): W- North Carolina 92-89, L- Michigan State 78-68
This week: Friday vs. Radford
Texas started out the Las Vegas Invitational with a bang, dropping the No. 7 ranked North Carolina Tarheels 92-89. It was a great night for Kerwin Roach, who had a career-high 32 points to go with his seven assists and six steals. Roach was incredibly efficient, shooting 12 of 15 from the field. Matt Coleman added 16 points and five assists as well. 3-point shooting was a bright spot for the Horns (for the first time all season, as they hit 46% from distance. Texas moved on to the finals of the tournament, where they took on the 11th ranked Michigan State Spartans. The game started well for Texas, as they led by as many as 19 in the first half. The Spartans bounced back, though, and dropped the Horns by a score of 78-68. The 3-point shot that worked so well against the Heels was absent, with the Longhorns shooting just 27% from behind the arc. Roach again led Texas with 15 points, but shot just 4-14 on the night. The loss was Texas’ first blemish of the season. The Longhorns play Radford at home on Friday.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (2-4)
Last week (1-1): L- Washington 71-67, W- South Alabama 74-62
This week: Monday (Dec. 3) vs. Northwestern State
Texas A&M led Washington by 13 in the 1st half, but defensive lapses in the second half sent the Aggies to another loss, 71-67. Jay Jay Chandler was a bright spot for the Aggies, leading them with 21 points. Fouls plagued the Aggies in this game, as the Huskies got 25 points from the free throw line. Savion Flagg made sure the Aggie’s losing streak didn’t get any longer, as he led the Ads with 25 points in a 74-62 win over South Alabama. The Aggies out rebounded the Jaguars 37-22 on the night, and added 9 blocks in the effort. The win was the 350th of Billy Gillespie’s career. The Aggies don’t play again until December 3rd when they will take on Northwestern State.
HOUSTON COUGARS (4-0)
Last week (1-0): W- BYU 76-62
This week: Wednesday vs. UT-Rio Grande Valley, Saturday vs. Oregon
Houston got a dominant win over solid BYU squad on Saturday, 76-62. The Cougars got 24 points from Corey Davis and 19-6-6 from Cedrick Alley. Senior Breaon Brady added 17 points on 8-12 shooting. Houston shot 50% from the field and out rebounded BYU 36-28. The Coogs have two games this week, against UT-Rio Grande Valley and Saturday against the Oregon Ducks.
RICE OWLS (3-4)
Last week (0-2): L- @ BYU 105-78, L- Wichita State 90-61
This week: Wednesday @ Texas State, Saturday vs. Lamar
The schedule got tough for the Owls last week, and they didn’t hold up well to the change. They dropped a laugher to BYU, 106-78, in a game that was never close. The Owls turned it over 13 times, to the Cougars six. BYU shot 56% from the field, and overwhelmed the Owls offensively. Ako Adams led the Owls with 17 points in the loss. Things didn’t get better for Rice on their road trip to Wichita, where they dropped a 90-61 contest to the Shockers. The Owls shot the ball horribly, going 38% from the field and a pathetic 15% from 3-point distance. Jack Williams and Chris Mullins had 12 points a piece to lead the Owls in defeat. Rice goes to Texas State on Wednesday and back home for Lamar on Saturday.
BAYLOR BEARS (4-2)
Last week (1-1): L- Ole Miss 78-70, W- George Mason 72-61
This week: Wednesday vs. South Dakota, Saturday @ Wichita State
Baylor dropped a back and forth battle against Ole Miss in the opening round of the Emerald Coast Classic by a final score of 78-70. Baylor was unable to overcome a horrible 3-point shooting night, hitting only 2 of their 18 attempts. The Bears also turned the ball over 18 times on the night. Tristan Clark was a bright spot for Baylor. He scored 27 points on an impressive 11-13 shooting. The Bears looked better in the 3rd place game, taking out George Mason 72-61. King McClure scored 27 points, including going 5 3-pointers made and a team high 14 rebounds. The Bears have South Dakota at home on Wednesday and travel to Wichita State this weekend.
TCU HORNED FROGS (4-1)
Last week (1-1): L- Lipscomb 73-64, W- Eastern Michigan 87-69
This week: Friday vs. Central Michigan
TCU became the first team ranked in the Top 25 to lose to Lipscomb in their program’s history, as the Frogs fell 73-64. TCU’s inexperience was evident as they were outworked by the senior-laden Bisons. TCU committed 16 turnovers in the loss. Alex Robinson led the Frogs in defeat, posting a 17-10-6 line in defeat. TCU came back strong against Eastern Michigan on Monday night, getting an 87-69 win. Kouat Noi had 27 points in the win, highlighted by hitting 5 out of 8 3-point attempts. The Frogs shot 61% from the field in the game. TCU gets Central Michigan at home on Friday.
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (6-0)
Last week: W- Nebraska 70-52, W- Northern Colorado 93-62
This week: Saturday vs. Memphis
Texas Tech got their best win of the season, beating Nebraska 70-52 in the title game of the Hall of Fame Classic. Nebraska jumped out to an early double digit lead, but Tech hung around and took a lead into halftime. The second half was all Red Raiders. Jarrett Culver led Tech with 27 points in the win. Texas Tech had a 38-29 advantage on the boards in the win. Things kept rolling for Tech back in Lubbock against Northern Colorado. Culver kept the hot hand going, leading the Red Raiders with 20 points in the 93-62 win. Kyler Edwards added 19. The difference in the teams was at the 3-point line. Tech hit 10/16 and held NCU to 4/24. Texas Tech has a matchup with Memphis on Saturday.
SMU MUSTANGS (3-3)
Last week (1-1): L- Bradley 75-62, W- Wright State 79-76
This week: Tuesday vs. Lamar, Thursday vs. McNeese, Sunday vs. Oral Roberts
SMU was lit up by the Bradley Braves in the opening round of the Cancun Challenge, dropping a 75-62 decision. The Mustangs poor shooting was an obvious culprit, as they shot just 37% from the field. Jahmal McMurray was the offensive bright spot for the Ponies, with 19 points in the loss. Jimmie Whitt had 13 rebounds. Whitt would play a bigger role in the 3rd place game of the tournament, as his 18 points were capped by the game winner with under 5 seconds to go in the 77-76 win over Wright State. McMurray again was the offensive leader, hitting 7 3-pointers as part of his 27 points. The Mustangs have a busy week ahead, with games against Lamar, McNeese and Oral Roberts this week.
LSU TIGERS (5-2)
Last week (1-2): W- Charleston 67-55, L- Florida State 79-76 (OT), L- Oklahoma State 90-77
This week: Saturday vs. Grambling
LSU ran into their first adversity of the season last week. It started out well enough, with a 67-55 win over College of Charleston. Emmitt Williams had 14 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Things went downhill in a hard-fought battle against Florida State that the Tigers ultimately dropped, 79-76. The Seminoles hit the game winning 3 with under a second left in overtime. Skylar Mays led the Tigers with 19 in the loss. The biggest differences in the game for LSU was Florida State’s 43-30 rebounding edge and 18-12 turnover advantage. Mays again scored 20 in the 3rd place game, a 90-77 loss to Oklahoma State. Super-freshmen Nad Reid and Ja’Vonte Smart combined to go 4-22 from the field. Defense was also a struggle for the Tigers, as they allowed the Cowboys to shoot 59% from the field. LSU gets Grambling at home this weekend.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Jets interview Houston Texans coordinator for their head coach vacancy
Jan 17, 2025, 3:11 pm
When DeMeco Ryans became coach of the Houston Texans before last season, the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker brought his swarm defense with him.
It’s an identity the Texans have embraced as they prepare for their second straight trip to the divisional round of the playoffs Saturday where they’ll face the Kansas City Chiefs.
“You really can’t go out there if you’re not about it,” Ryans said.
And while every member of the defense has bought into Ryans’ aggressive style, there is one player who epitomizes it like no one else.
“Will every time,” cornerback Derek Stingley said of defensive end Will Anderson Jr.
Anderson, last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, has taken his game to another level this season and had 1½ sacks last week after piling up 11 in the regular season.
He described what playing swarm defense means to him.
“Do whatever it takes to get the ball, attacking the ball,” Anderson said. “We’ve got this saying in our D-line room; ‘who gonna pop it off?’ Whoever pops it off first, that’s swarming. Like who’s gonna make the big play? And I feel like there’s a lot of guys on defense that pop it off, who swarm.”
The Texans intercepted Justin Herbert a career-high four times, including one which was returned for a score, in last week’s win over the Chargers after he had been picked off just three times all season. Houston’s four takeaways in the first week of the playoffs are tied with Philadelphia for most in the NFL.
That performance came after Houston ranked fifth in the league in the regular season by forcing 29 turnovers.
Stingley, who had two of the interceptions last week a day after earning AP All-Pro honors, shared his mindset on the team’s defensive mentality.
“It really just comes down to if I was to tell you this is the last time you’re gonna do something, how you gonna do it,” Stingley said. “It’s simple as that. Just do that every single play.”
Ryans said there’s really no secret to why his team has such a knack for forcing turnovers. He believes it’s because he has good players, and they emphasize it in practice which translates to games.
“That’s our main thing that we go into every week is talking about attacking the football, taking the football,” Ryans said. “Because we know, when you take the football away, it just raises your percentages of winning the football games… it’s the defense helping the team win the game.”
While all of Houston’s takeaways last week came on interceptions, Stingley was quick to point out that those picks wouldn’t have happened if not for the pressure the defensive line put on Herbert. The Texans sacked him four times and hit him another nine in the 32-12 victory.
“The defense starts with them up front,” Stingley said. “They’re doing their job and it just makes it easier for us on the back end.”
Anderson said with each turnover, the defense got more and more amped up and was pushing each other to see who the next player would be to force one.
“That’s just that swarm mentality and we just feeding off each other,” Anderson said. “This person can’t do it by themselves so who is gonna be next and that just generates that contagious energy.”
The Texans were the fifth team since 1963 to have at least four sacks, four interceptions and an interception return for a touchdown in a playoff game last week. The past three teams to do it all went on to win the Super Bowl, with Tampa Bay doing so in the 2002 season, Baltimore in 2000 and San Francisco in 1989.
This Texans team would love to keep that going. But first they’ll need a win Saturday to put them in the AFC championship game for the first time after losing their previous five divisional matchups.
“That’s what you come here for,” Anderson said. “That’s what they’ve been rebuilding for is moments like this… we’ve got all the right pieces, we’ve just got to go out there and make it happen.”