Game Preview: Texas looks to win the Legends Classic versus St. Joseph's
It took surviving a second-half scare, but the Texas Longhorns advanced to the championship game of the Legends Classic with a 70-66 win over the Syracuse Orange on Thursday night.
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Arthur Kaluma and Tre Johnson led all scorers with 16 points apiece. Kaluma pulled down 10 rebounds and dished four assists while utilizing all five fouls in one of the best performances by a Longhorn not named Johnson of the young season. Johnson wasn’t his dynamic self but he still made his way to the line and reached double figures. Chendall Weaver added 10 points and nine rebounds, also notching two steals and one block as he made critical play after critical play down the stretch.
Texas could have matched up with Texas Tech in the final of the early-season multi-team event. However, the Red Raiders could not hold up their end of the bargain and the Longhorns will instead face St. Joseph’s from the Atlantic 10.
The one-day turnaround gives Rodney Terry and company a taste of what conference tournament life will be like come March, and provides another quality opponent for a Longhorns resume that lacks many major tests ahead of SEC play.
Friday’s matchup between the Longhorns and the Hawks is the fifth meeting all time between the two teams. Texas leads the series 4-0. The two teams last met on November 24, 2008 in the Maui Invitational when Texas on 68-50.
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Against Texas Tech, the Hawks were buoyed by 26 points from Erik Reynolds II, a fourth-year player in the St. Joe’s program. The Hawks also had 20 points and six assists added by Xzayvier Brown, a second year player. The Hawks see regular contributions from third-year big Rasheer Fleming and Rutgers transfer Derek Simpson.
Texas currently is No. 17 according to Bart Torvik’s T-Rank and No. 27 in KenPom. Syracuse is No. 97 in Torvik and No. 101 in KenPom following their loss to the Longhorns.
St. Joseph’s is currently No. 83 in Torvik and No. 90 in KenPom.
The game is scheduled to tip at 8:30 p.m. Central following the consolation game between Syracuse and Texas Tech. ESPNU will air the contest.
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2024-25 Texas Longhorns
Tre Johnson, 6-foot-6, 190 lbs, Fr., Link Academy (Mo.), 22.0 pts, 2.6 reb, 2.2 ast
Arthur Kaluma, 6-foot-7, 225 lbs, Sr., Kansas State, 14.8 pts, 8.0 reb, 2.6 ast
Kadin Shedrick, 6-foot-11, 231 lbs, Gr.: 10.4 pts, 4.6 reb, 0.2 ast
Chendall Weaver, 6-foot-3, 180 lbs, Jr.: 8.0 pts, 7.2 reb, 2.0 ast
Julian Larry, 6-foot-3, 185 lbs, Gr., Indiana State: 7.4 pts, 2.0 reb, 3.6 ast
Jordan Pope, 6-foot-2, 175 lbs, Jr., Oregon State: 8.2 pts, 2.2 reb, 2.8 ast
Jayson Kent, 6-foot-8, 215 lbs, Gr., Indiana State: 6.5 pts, 2.8 reb, 1.0 ast
Ze’Rik Onyema, 6-foot-9, 235 lbs, Sr.: 4.4 pts, 2.2 reb, 0.2 ast
Tramon Mark, 6-foot-5, 200 lbs, Gr., Arkansas: 6.0 pts, 2.0 reb, 0.0 ast
Jamie Vinson, 6-foot-11, 225 lbs, Fr., Oak Hill Academy (Va.): 3.0 pts, 1.8 rebs, 0.3 ast
Devon Pryor, 6-foot-7, 185 lbs, So.: 2.5 pts, 2.0 reb, 0.5 ast
Cole Bott, 6-foot-6, 195 lbs, Gr. (walk-on): 0.0 pts, 0.3 rebs, 0.7 ast
Preston Clark, 6-foot-6, 220 lbs, R-So. (walk-on): 0.3 pts, 1.0 rebs, 0.3 ast
Nic Codie, 6-foot-8, 200 lbs, Fr., Dallas (Texas) Newman Smith: 0.0 pts, 0.0 reb, 0.0 ast
Malik Presley, 6-foot-6, 200 lbs, So., Vanderbilt
Anthon McDermott, 6-foot-5, 185 lbs, Fr., Hallsville (Texas) (walk-on)
Previous game’s starters for St. Joseph’s
G Erik Reynolds II: 16.8 pts, 3.4 rebs, 3.0 ast
G Xzayvier Brown: 17.4 pts, 5.2 rebs, 6.2 ast
F Rasheer Fleming: 13.8 pts, 7.6 rebs, 0.4 ast
F Justice Ajogbor: 4.2 pts, 2.6 rebs, 0.6 ast
G Derek Simpson: 9.4 pts, 3.4 rebs, 3.2 ast
