Texas will have Timmy Allen "at full capacity" for the NCAA Tournament
As good as the Texas men’s basketball team played on its way to storming through the Big 12 Tournament and winning their first postseason championship since 2021, the Longhorns could be even better if they can get back to full strength in time for their NCAA Tournament Round of 64 game against Colgate in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday.
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And that’s in the cards, as Texas is expecting forward Timmy Allen to be at full strength for the Midwest Region opener after missing the Big 12 tourney with a lower-leg injury.
“We feel like we’re gonna have Timmy back at full capacity for Thursday,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said Sunday as the NCAA’s brackets were announced. “We will have him full-tilt and ready to go. His was the only significant injury that we had, knock on wood, throughout the course of the season.”
Allen has averaged 10.5 points and a team-leading 5.5 rebounds per game and amassed 109 assists, second on the team, over his 31 games this season. But Allen means more to the team than his statistics, making hustle plays and playing stout defense – attributes that will be needed in the one-loss-and-you’re-done NCAA Tournament.
Texas’ versatility was on display in the Big 12 tournament while Allen was on the shelf. Against TCU on Friday in the tourney semifinals, the Longhorns employed a “big” lineup for most of the second half, with posts Dylan Disu and Christian Bishop on the court together for the first time all season.
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Allen’s healthy status will give Terry even more options.
“This time of year you want everybody so we will be happy to have Timmy back in the fold,” Terry said. “Looking forward to him having a really good tournament for us.”
Texas is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region (Houston is the top seed), while Colgate is seeded 15th in the region. The Raiders have won three straight Patriot League titles.
If the Longhorns beat Colgate, they will play either No. 7 seed Texas A&M or No. 10 Penn State Saturday in the Round of 32.
