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Texas is gearing up to begin its NCAA Tournament journey, and the Longhorns will be among the first teams in action.
On Wednesday, Texas will play in the First Four with a matchup against Xavier out of the Big East. Both teams were squarely on the bubble and were fortunate to even land in the final bracket.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will grab the 11-seed in the Midwest Region and move on to face 6-seed Illinois. As for the First Four, the Longhorns are listed as a 2.5-point underdog per BetMGM for the matchup in Dayton, Ohio.
Here are the key things to know as the Longhorns look to punch their first step in March Madness:
Dangerous team from deep
Xavier is not super reliant on the 3-pointer, averaging 8.3 made 3-pointers per game (118th nationally). However, it is a serious weapon with the Musketeers shooting 38.8%, a mark that ranks 7th in the country this season.
Three of Xavier’s starters shoot at least 35% or better from 3-point range, including 2 players shooting 38% or better. The first 2 players off the bench for the Musketeers shoot 40% or better from deep while star guard Ryan Conwell shoots 41.8% from deep and averages 3 made 3-pointers per game.
Xavier is able to keep things balanced out with versatile 6-foot-9 forward Zach Freemantle (who also shoots over 30% from range) and forward Dailyn Swan. But if the Longhorns want the win, they’ll need to work hard on locking down the perimeter.
Unselfish team offensively
Offensively, Xavier is led by Freemantle and Conwell with both players averaging right around 17 points. However, that is not what makes the Musketeers a bit unique.
All 5 starters for Xavier actually average at least 2 assists per game. The 6th man, Dante Maddox Jr., averages 1.5 assists per game, while their team leader is Dayvion McKnight at 4.3 per game.
Even Conwell, who averages over 7 attempted 3-pointers per game, averages 2.5 assists. Freemantle also averages 2.1 assists while leading the team with over 17 points per game.
That kind of unselfishness can put pressure on a defense with every player willing to give up the ball and every player able to find the open man. Overall, it leads to 16.9 assists per game for Xavier, a mark that ranks 15th nationally this season.
Lack of quality wins for Muskeeters
Coming into the NCAA Tournament, a lot of attention was placed on North Carolina’s inclusion in the final field after a 1-12 record in Quad 1 games. However, any such outrage for the Tar Heels must also be directed at the Musketeers.
Xavier finished lower than UNC in the NET Rankings (45th compared to UNC’s 36th), and it was Xavier who played fewer Q1 opportunities and finished with a similarly abysmal 1-9 record in such games. The only saving grace is that the Musketeers went 8-2 in Quad 2 and did not suffer a loss in Q3 or Q4.
Meanwhile, the Longhorns enter the tournament as a battle-tested team, one you would expect coming out of the SEC this year. Texas was 7-10 on the season in Q1 opportunities but also suffered 5 losses in Q2.
At this point in the year, those past performances only help in scouting and measuring up opponents as the “survive and advance” mentality sinks in. But the Longhorns, on the surface, should have a leg-up based on the strength of the schedule and the actual teams Texas has been able to beat throughout the season.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
