Texas, Rodney Terry take down Kansas to win Big 12 Tournament

For the second consecutive Saturday, Texas has taken care of Kansas. This one most likely meant more, winning the Big 12 Tournament in impressive fashion. Interim head coach Rodney Terry has done a masterful job in Kansas City and was able to take down the Jayhawks 76-56.

A couple of key faces were missing from both sides, with Timmy Allen not playing on the Texas side. He has been an important, veteran presence for the Longhorns since Terry took over. Without him on the court, other role players stepped up in a big way.

Freshman Arterio Morris was the most notable, getting things done on both ends of the court. Offensively, he was able to get into double figures for the second time in the past three games. An efficient three of four from the floor was crucial for Texas coming off the bench.

The usual stars showed out as well for Texas. Dylan Disu was the leading scorer, finishing with 18 points and was closely followed by Marcus Carr. Sir Jabari Rice was as impressive as his shot fake as well, adding another 17 points — all without hitting a three-pointer.

When Kansas has struggled this season, Jalen Wilson has been the only one able to score effectively. He had an impressive 24 points but everyone else struggled from the field. Freshman phenom Gradey Dick only saw three shots fall, finishing with six points.

Terry is the second Texas coach to grab a conference tournament title in the past three years. Shaka Smart was able to win in what ended up being his final season in Austin. The NCAA Tournament performance after a good week was disappointing, causing for Texas to make the move.

Expectations will once again be high heading into next week. Texas has not made the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2014. Winning this conference tournament against quality opponents — an impressive week overall.