3 Reasons That The Texas Longhorns Can Win It All | IXGAMES

The Texas Longhorns are coming off a recent stretch in which they lost three of four games, but a strong start to the season means they have won 13 of 17 games, and a lot of experts love their overall potential this season. Texas is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, and their ability inside is among the biggest reasons to think they can win it all in 2014. 2014 March Madness Odds Notable Reason #1: The Longhorns Are A Top-10 Rebounding Team The tandem of Jonathan Holmes and Cameron Ridley have led the way for Texas on the glass, with both players averaging more than seven rebounds per game. Connor Lammert, Demarcus Holland, and Prince Ibeh have all pitched in as well for a team that has averaged just over 42 boards per game, which is the eighth-best mark in the country. The Longhorns will be able to crash down low with some of the best, and the depth they have compiled will key as the season goes on and postseason play arrives. There is a lot to like about this Texas roster, and the size up front is at the top of the list, particularly with Holmes. Notable Reason #2: The Balanced Scoring Attack Will Be Important Holmes has led the way with 12.5 points per game, but four different Longhorns have averaged more than 10.5 points per game, which illustrates just how well-rounded this group is. Holmes, Ridley, Javan Felix, and Isaiah Taylor are all capable of big performances, and their strengths compliment eachother well from within this offense. The ability to go inside and out will be important in order to keep opposing defenses off balance, and this Texas offense will only continue to get better as it gains more experience together throughout the year. Health will be key, but that is the case for pretty much every team across the nation, and the Longhorns have some quality depth across the board that they will be able to rely on. Notable Reason #3: The Big 12 Will Make Them Battle-Tested One of the biggest problems that teams have when they reach the March Madness tournament is that they have had such an easy road through their respective conferences that they aren’t ready for the adversity they encounter on the national stage. Some lesser known teams end up thriving, but too many big schools struggle because they aren’t accustomed to playing in tight situations. Playing in the Big 12 will give Texas an edge in terms of the fact that they have such a tough schedule, as evident with early losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Longhorns will go through their share of highs and lows this year, but it will have them ready for the big tournament later in the year once March rolls around.