The stats-backed strengths and weak points of powerhouses Texas and Kansas
With a Matchup Quality of 97.7 (5th finest this season), tonight’s clash in between Texas and Kansas (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) is one you won’t wish to miss. 2 of the leading teams in males’s college basketball all season long, the Longhorns and Jayhawks are currently ranked 6th and 13th, respectively, by ESPN Analytics’ BPI. Both have actually carried out well in spite of challenging schedules, making Kansas the No. 3 area and Texas the No. 4 in our strength of record metric.The similarities do not stop there. In the preseason, BPI had Texas as the second-best team in the nation and Kansas at 13th. Both have been extremely effective on offense and defense, and they’re 2 of just 14 teams BPI offers more than a 1% opportunity to win it all on April 3. Neither has actually dropped below 12th in the AP poll at any point this season. Even their rate is within a half possession of each other.BPI Rank Def. BPI Rank Off. BPI Rank SOR Champion opportunities Texas 6
on those turnovers, as highlighted by its 1.16 points per ownership on shift plays, according to Synergy Sports, likewise ranking 35th. When forcing at least 15 turnovers this season, the Longhorns have gone 14-1. When requiring fewer than 15, they’re just 5-3. This is bad news for Kansas, which coughs up a turnover on 17.8%of its belongings (135th in Division I)and is subsequently sluggish to return on defense. Teams typical 1.2 points per turnover against the Jayhawks, 272nd in Division I. The number 15 might be a snapping point: Kansas has actually quit 15 turnovers in only 5 games this season, and is 1-4 in those games and 17-1 otherwise.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated The 2nd secret comes down to play design and helps. As shown by Synergy Sports ‘play type tracking, the Jayhawks can push opponents away from team basketball and into more one-on-one scenarios. They require seclusions at the sixth-highest rate, and pick-and-rolls without a pass more than usual (102nd ), in Division I. Alternatively, they allow assist-friendly spot-up plays(
where the possession ends with either a catch and shoot or catch and drive)less often than 316 other Department I teams.Of particular use against Texas will be forcing pick-and-roll plays to stay with the ball handler, and preventing spot-ups. The Longhorns rank 311th in points per possession when the ball handler keeps it, versus 55th when the ball gets to the roll guy. On spot-up plays, they rank 125th. On offense, Kansas capitalizes on spreading the ball around, ranking 14th in help portion. Taking advantage of this versus Texas will be
important, which ranks simply 106th in help percentage permitted. On the season, the Jayhawks are 18-1 when they have more assists than their opponent, and 0-4 when they do not. For the winner, this will be a statement game in the grapple for a prospective No. 1 seed in the
Big Dance. For the fans, it ought to be a fantastic game including two of the best teams in guys’s college basketball.