Texas Longhorns basketball: Northern Arizona-Texas preview

The Texas Longhorns are rolling in year two of the Chris Beard era with a 3-0 start, including an ultra impressive 93-74 win over then No. 2 ranked Gonzaga. Tonight, the Longhorns take the court as a top 10 ranked team playing host to Northern Arizona.

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The contest tonight will be played in Edinburg, Texas as part of the Leon Black Classic. The multi-team event will honor the late Texas men’s basketball player and assistant coach, who also served as head coach of the Longhorns for nine seasons from 1967-76. Black passed away at the age of 89 last year. 

The Longhorns will take the court tonight playing a game in the Rio Grande Valley for the first time in the 117-year history of the program.

Texas experience the difference

The Longhorns returned five players that were key in the success of the 2021-22 team. Super seniors Timmy Allen and Marcus Carr started the the first three games along with senior Dylan Disu, while Christian Bishop and and Brock Cunningham play key roles off the bench. 

Beard and staff added transfers Tyrese Hunter and Sir’Jabari Rice to the group of returnees to form a nucleus of seven players with 686 games of college experience, including 482 starts and 19 NCAA Tournament games played.

Texas signed a four-man high school recruiting class in 2022 that ranked among the top seven classes in the country. Three of those have played this season with On3 Consensus 5-star Dillon Mitchell starting, On3 Consensus 5-star Arterio Morris key off the bench and spring signee Alex Anamekwe playing spot minutes.

How to watch the game

Northern Arizona (2-3) and Texas (3-0) tipoff at 7:30 p.m. Central on Longhorn Network with Tyler Denning (play by play) and Lance Blanks (color analyst) on the call.

The game will be played at Bert Ogden Arena (7,700) in Edinburg, Texas as part of the Leon Black Classic.

Northern Arizona is coming off a 64-54 win over UC-Santa Barbara after blasting North Florida 104-63 to open the season. UNA has been competitive in early season losses to Michigan State and Arizona State. The Spartans won 73-55, while the Sun Devils won 84-68.

The Longhorns have beaten UTEP 72-57, Houston Christian 82-31 and Gonzaga 93-74 to begin the season.

This court storm was a MOOD(y) 👀 🔥 @TexasMBB

(via @JeffBarker_) pic.twitter.com/7VJk4zIZaZ

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 17, 2022

The Chris Beard File

Chris Beard enters Wednesday with a career record of 167-72. This is his eighth season at the Division I level. Beard has posted a 75-51 conference record in seven seasons. 

Beard is 5-0 all-time in NCAA Tournament Round of 64 games. He sports an 11-5 career record in five NCAA Tournament appearances. That includes a National Championship game appearance in 2018-19 while at Texas Tech. He led the Red Raiders to the Elite 8 the year before in 2017-18. 

Beard joins the retired Mike Krzyzewski as the only coaches to notch three wins over AP Top 2 ranked teams since the 2017-18 season.

Tonight was Chris Beard's third career coaching win against an AP Top 2 team.

Only one other coach has three wins over Top 2 teams since the start of 2017-18: Mike Krzyzewski. pic.twitter.com/eoXer8SOMI

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 17, 2022

Northern Arizona starters

PG Jalen Cone, 5-11, junior (12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists)

SG Liam Lloyd, 6-5, super senior (11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists)

SG Xavier Fuller, 6-5, super senior (5.8 points, 1.6 rebounds)

PF Nik Mains, 6-8, redshirt senior (7.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists)

PF Carson Towt, 6-7, senior (9.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists)

Key reserves for the Lumberjacks are freshman point guard Oakland Fort (6.6 points, 3.2 assists) and freshman forward Jack Wistrcill (5.0 points, 4.2 rebounds).

Texas starters

PG Tyrese Hunter, 6-1, sophomore (18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists)

CG Marcus Carr, 6-2, super senior (13.0 points, 2.3 assists, 5.0 assists, 2.3 steals)

F Timmy Allen, 6-6, super senior (7.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists)

F Dillon Mitchell, 6-8, freshman (7.3 points, 8.3 rebounds)

PF Dylan Disu, 6-9, senior (10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks)

The reserves 

SG Sir’Jabari Rice, 6-4, super senior (12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists)

PF Christian Bishop, 6-7, super senior (3.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks)

CG Arterio Morris, 6-3, freshman (5.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists)

F Brock Cunningham, 6-6, senior (3.7 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists) 

PF Alex Anamekwe, 6-5.5, freshman (Logged 15 minutes through three games)

SG Gavin Perryman, 6-1, redshirt freshman (Logged 12 minutes through three games)

PG Rowan Brumbaugh, 6-4, freshman – *Planning to redshirt this season