Where do the Longhorns go after a two-and-BBQ week in Arlington?
After sweeping West Virginia to earn a share of the Big 12 Championship and the #1 seed in the conference tournament, the Longhorns lost any momentum after getting eliminated following losses to Kansas and Kansas State. Do you take more away from the sweep of WVU? Or the disastrous showing in Arlington?
Daniel Seahorn (@DanielSeahorn) – This has to be the showing in Arlington since that is going to adversely impact their chances of hosting a regional. I give Pierce and his squad a lot of credit for how they rallied against West Virginia, but a lot of shine came off of that after losing two back-to-back in Arlington. They could still put together a rally in regional play, but they will have to put that disappointing performance behind them in a hurry.
Gerald Goodridge (@ghgoodridge) – Honestly, it’s hard for me to know what to expect at this point. Texas baseball clearly doesn’t like to play in Arlington, so as long as UT-Arlington is not hosting a regional they don’t have that to worry about. I think some of the injuries played a part, but we’ve seen this young team inconsistently at spots this season and I wonder if a hangover from a pivotal, emotional series cost them in Arlington.
Cameron Parker (@camerondparker) – The obvious answer is the two-and-BBQ result in Arlington but I’ll say the sweep of West Virginia. In the biggest series of the season, the Longhorns showed up and showed out. And then didn’t make the trip up to Globe Life Field. I’m curious if Texas didn’t have an edge because of Pierce’s comments regarding hosting a regional after the WVU sweep? Regardless, this team is out of wake-up calls.
With Caleb Love back on the transfer market, Rodney Terry and the Longhorns have shown interest. Do you like the former UNC guard’s fit in Austin?
Daniel – With Marcus Carr heading to the NBA, I love the idea of having Love come in and play next to another experienced guard like Tyrese Hunter. Love already possesses a lot of experience in big games and would provide Texas with a nice 1-2 punch at the guard position heading into the 2023 season.
Gerald – He’s definitely a solid guard and could be a piece to the puzzle in Austin and I’m never mad when Texas can add a guard that can score. They seemingly have found what they need in the frontcourt, so adding this piece should be a nice addition. The pieces are starting to come to the table, now it’s on RT and his staff to put it all together.
Cameron – I think it would look a lot similar to what Texas had with Marcus Carr and Tyrese Hunter last year. I’m curious how Terry would make it work with Max Abmas, who had a usage rate of 28% – higher than Love (23%) and Hunter (19%). Abmas would be the better catch-and-shoot option but will that work with his ball out of his hands a lot less? Is Hunter okay being the #2 guy behind Love. Or does Love even want to battle with two other point guards when he can have a bigger role at Gonzaga or Arizona?
While we wait to see if Texas baseball will host a regional, the Texas softball team has been there, done that, and now face No. 4 Tennessee in the Super Regionals. Will Mike White and the Horns return to the WCWS?
Daniel – It is going to be too close to call in my opinion. The Lady Horns are playing some good ball at the right time of year, but Tennessee presents are a tall task if they want to make it to the WCWS once again. I can truly see this matchup going either way.
Gerald – Honestly, it should be a relatively tight matchup. The Longhorns have looked the part of an Oklahoma City team in the first round, with the batting and the pitching both playing their parts appropriately. The Tennessee staff sits No. 4 in the country in team ERA, while the Longhorns are No. 5 in batting average. Again, this series will be about Mike White getting the team to rise to its ceiling and play the quality softball that we saw last weekend.
Cameron – I like the matchup a lot for Texas. I think the committee over-ranked Tennessee as a 4-seed while the RPI has them closer to an 8-seed. Mike White got the Longhorns to pull off a few upsets last season and I think this team loves the underdog role.