The No. 7 Texas Longhorns have spent their first two games getting whatever they want around the basket. On Monday, the Grambling State Tigers bring a 7’2 forward who just showed he can make a defense work farther from it.
Isaiah Miranda scored 29 points in the season-opening win over Northern Illinois, including four three-pointers, presenting Texas a different problem than Gardner-Webb last Thursday. Leave Miranda alone outside and the size advantage Texas has enjoyed inside does little to help.
The Longhorns enter Monday’s matchup at the Moody Center at 2-0 after beating Chicago State 109-59 and Gardner-Webb 98-50. Grambling is 1-0 following that narrow 89-87 win over Northern Illinois. Texas should have the size, athleticism, and depth to control this game, but the Tigers have already shown enough offense to punish loose possessions.
Game information
Matchup: Grambling State at Texas
Tipoff: Monday, Nov. 9, 6 p.m. Central
Venue: Moody Center, Austin
TV: SEC Network
Series: First meeting
Make Miranda work at both ends
Miranda made 10-of-12 shots against Northern Illinois, went 4-of-5 from deep and added eight rebounds and three blocks. One game does not establish that he will shoot that well all season, and his track record argues for caution — Miranda came off the bench at LIU last season, averaging 3.7 points in 8.1 minutes and making 2-of-13 three-pointers.
That makes the opener harder to read, not easier to dismiss. Texas still needs to find him outside the lane, it just doesn’t need to sell out to do it because of one performance.
That puts some responsibility on Sean Miller’s guards before the ball ever reaches Miranda. Dwayne Pierce scored 19 points and handed out eight assists in Grambling’s opener. Texas cannot let him comfortably draw a second defender and then choose where the next pass goes.
Grambling shot 64 percent from the field and outscored Northern Illinois 48-28 in the paint. Patrick Crarey’s team did damage both inside and out, so chasing Miranda off the line will not accomplish much if it opens an uncontested drive behind the closeout.
Texas can make that assignment less comfortable by putting Miranda to work on defense. Matas Vokietaitis scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting against Gardner-Webb and collected seven rebounds in 19 minutes. Getting him established early gives Texas a reliable finish inside and forces Grambling to decide how much help to send because Vokietaitis officially outweighs Miranda by 25 pounds and fights hard for position.
David Punch and Marcus Spears Jr. offer more ways to attack the frontcourt — Punch had 10 points and six rebounds Thursday and Spears scored 13 on 5-of-7 shooting. Texas does not need to spend the night trading jumpers with a team that just made nearly two of every three shots it took. Based on the first two performances, that’s not a concern because the Longhorns have shown a relentless desire to attack the paint against overmatched opponents.
Turn pressure into finished possessions
The most encouraging part of Thursday’s win came before Texas had the ball.
The Longhorns forced 23 turnovers, collected 13 steals, and turned those mistakes into 31 points. Austin Goosby had five steals himself. Gardner-Webb went nearly 12 minutes across the two halves without making a field goal.
Over the first two games, the Horns are allowing 54.5 points per game on 36.8-percent shooting, including 25.6-percent from beyond the arc. Moving the ball was difficult for Chicago State and Gardner-Webb — Texas has created 38 turnovers while allowing just 18 assists.
That is useful progress for Sean Miller’s defense heading into a matchup that will ask it to apply that pressure against a team with a productive passer and a big man who just stretched the floor.
Goosby and the other perimeter defenders have to make Pierce work without turning every passing-lane gamble into an advantage for Grambling. Behind them, Texas needs to communicate, close out under control and finish with the rebound. A deflection that creates a scramble only helps if the Longhorns finish the possession.
The improved size and length at the guard and wing positions make that more possible.
“Our personnel has the ability, just quickness and size. Size, as we’ve talked about, everybody thinks of big guys. Guys like Matas‘ size, but size, a lot of times the best teams have it at the guard position or on the wings,” Miller said Thursday.
“And I’ll use Amari Evans and Elyjah Freeman as examples — those guys aren’t small. They can cover ground. They know what to do and how to do it, and yet you look at Eli is 6’8, Amari is a strong 6’5, and so that makes your defense better. It really does, and we’re working hard on it every day.”
The combination of potential and early returns have Miller feeling better about this team’s defense after he called last year’s group the worst defense he’s ever had.
“Just watching our defense progress from early summer till now, we talked about being more aggressive, pressuring the ball more, and embracing that side of the ball,” Miller said. “I like where we’re at. I think we’re off to a good start, and most importantly, I think the path that we’re on defensively is the right path to where we want to be.”
Keep using the whole roster
Seven Longhorns scored in double figures Thursday. Texas shot 60.7 percent while committing only 10 turnovers, matching its total from the opener.
Joe Sterling made three three-pointers. Isaiah Johnson scored 15 points. Freeman added 10 points and four assists. Austin Goosby had five steals that turned into fast breaks. With that many players contributing, Texas can keep moving the ball instead of asking one guard to manufacture the entire possession.
The Tigers allowed 87 points in their opener despite their own excellent shooting. Texas should test that defense in transition and with early post position, cuts, and the extra pass. There is no reason to settle for the first available shot when the next action can produce a better one.
Prediction
Texas 94, Grambling State 65.
Miranda gives Grambling a legitimate matchup concern. Texas has more ways to score and enough bodies to make him defend repeatedly. The Longhorns should finish the homestand 3-0 if they keep their pressure organized and continue getting the ball to the right places.
