Through the Phog
Fansided

Kansas basketball: Texas senior Matt Coleman III will be an offensive threat in Jayhawks’ return after holiday break

By Conner Becker

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 07: Matt Coleman III #2 of the Texas Longhorns drives against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at The Frank Erwin Center on March 07, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 07: Matt Coleman III #2 of the Texas Longhorns drives against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at The Frank Erwin Center on March 07, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Kansas basketball will return to the floor tomorrow morning vs the #8 Texas Longhorns and senior leading scorer Matt Coleman III. Keeping their defense sharp will be a must for the Jayhawks.

After a long break, Kansas basketball is back in action tomorrow in their next conference test against the #8 Texas Longhorns. The visitors from Austin have one of the better defenses in Big 12 but the scoring tendencies of Matt Coleman III will likely give Kansas a run for their money.

Coleman averages roughly 14 points per game and has an excellent 88% success rate from the free-throw line. The Jayhawks will need to provide a substantial defense to keep Coleman from finding early action and shut him down from the perimeter.

The senior guard had an impressive showing vs Oklahoma State before the holiday break:

Coleman would post 15 points in Texas’ narrow win over the Cowboys, helping find 6 defensive rebounds which would help extend the Longhorn’s edge in the win. His ability to step up on both ends of the court will be something we will have to watch out for when he comes to Lawrence.

Holding down the Longhorns offense will require our defense to lock in on the outside. Skilled defenders Marcus Garrett and Jalen Wilson will have to increase the pressure. If Kansas can keep Texas from laying on the scoring, we should be able to find an edge offensively.

In the last couple of games, we’ve seen the Jayhawks trailing at the half by a few points and hopefully, this trend can disappear tomorrow. This will require Kansas to stop the early scoring threat and eliminate opportunities for guys like Coleman to pile on the points.

The home test vs #8 Texas will be another opportunity for fans to see what Kansas is made of. So far, I would consider the Jayhawks in a good place and a win tomorrow would help strengthen their presence in the AP poll and across the nation. The Jayhawks and Longhorns will take the floor at Allen Fieldhouse tomorrow at 11 am CT on ESPN2.

Home/Kansas Jayhawks Basketball