Austin, TX (My Sportsbook) - The seventh-ranked Texas Longhorns and Iowa State Cyclones get their Big 12 season underway today, as they clash at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.
The Longhorns enter the tilt on a down note, as they were upended at Arkansas, 67-61, on Tuesday. The loss snapped a two-game win streak and dropped the team to a still solid 11-3 overall. Texas, however, now returns back home, where it has gone 7-0 this season and has won 12 straight games against Big 12 foes. The Longhorns, who earned a share of the Big 12 regular season title last season, have also posted a perfect 10-0 record in league home openers in the Rick Barnes era.
As for ISU, it comes into the contest with a full head of steam, having won a season-high four straight games. Most recently, the team downed Houston Baptist, 64-56, on Tuesday to improve to 11-4 overall. The Cyclones have been up-and-down in 12 prior Big 12 openers, going a level 6-6 all-time.
ISU and Texas have met 17 times previously on the hardwood, with the Longhorns holding a 9-8 edge courtesy of a three-game winning streak in the series.
The Cyclones have done a good job slowing down opposing teams this season, limiting foes to 60.0 ppg and only 37.5 percent shooting from the field. Offensively, Craig Brackins leads ISU with a solid 18.3 ppg average and he is also pulling down a team-best 8.5 rpg. Diante Garrett chips in with 10.7 ppg and he has been in charge of feeding Brackins the ball, doling out a club- best 5.1 apg. On Tuesday, Brackins recorded a double-double with 22 points and 16 rebounds to lift the Cyclones over Houston Baptist. Garrett added 12 points and four helpers for ISU, which held Houston Baptist to a dismal 32.9 percent shooting from the floor, including a poor 6-of-26 performance from beyond the arc.
The Longhorns have had the same kind of success as the Cyclones at the defense end of the floor, as they are allowing opponents to score only 60.4 ppg and make just 38.6 percent of their total shots. At the other end, A.J. Abrams paces Texas with 18.1 ppg and he has done his damage from long distance, connecting on 42.3 percent of his attempts. Damion James is the team's top rebounder at 8.9 ppg and he also contributes 14.6 ppg, while Gary Johnson adds 10.8 ppg and 6.9 rpg coming off the bench. On Tuesday, Texas shot a lackluster 34.8 percent from the field, including a dismal 1-of-14 showing from three- point range, as it was upset by Arkansas. James guided the team in defeat with 17 points and eight boards, while Johnson notched a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Abrams, though, had an off night, finishing with only seven points on 3-of-16 field goals and just 1-of-7 three-pointers.
