When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Who: Texas
Series: UT leads, 20-10
Daunting rematch: The last time Kansas University’s women’s basketball team faced Texas, the Imani Boyette-led Longhorns raced to a 17-0 lead and dominated throughout a 37-point rout. While the Jayhawks are winless in the Big 12 and have lost 10 straight games, No. 6-ranked UT has suffered one setback all season (to No. 4 Baylor).
Go get some points: KU (5-14 overall, 0-8 Big 12) is only averaging 42.9 points in conference games. First-year coach Brandon Schneider doesn’t even have a player averaging double-digit points in conference, as opponents have game-planned to shut down sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge (8.6 points per game in Big 12) and freshman Kylee Kopatich (7.9 points).
As the Jayhawks try to find more ways to compete on offense, don’t be surprised to see freshman forward Tyler Johnson play a larger role in the weeks ahead.
“Right now if I’m trying to get an assist, I’m trying to play inside to Tyler as much as I could,” Schneider said of the 6-foot-2 forward from Leavenworth. “You know, we’ve had some other post players who we have gotten touches around the basket, and we have made plays and just haven’t finished.”
Johnson, on the other hand, leads the team in field-goal percentage this season, at 54.8 percent. In Big 12 games, she’s even better, connecting on 57.1 percent of her shots.
The freshman started the third game of her career Sunday in a home loss to Oklahoma State, and made four of her six shots for a career-high nine points.
Bottom of the Big 12: Through Big 12 games played on Sunday, Kansas ranked last in the conference in points per game (42.9), scoring margin (-24.0 per game), field-goal percentage (.299), rebounds (28.8 per game), rebounds allowed (40.6 a game), rebound margin (-11.9 per game), assists (8.13 a game), turnover margin (-3.63 a game), assist-to-turnover ratio (0.43), offensive rebounds (8.13 a game) and defensive rebounds (20.63 a game).
Probable starters
Kansas
(5-14 overall, 0-8 Big 12)
G — Lauren Aldridge, 5-7, so.
G — Kylee Kopatich, 5-10, fr.
G — Timeka O’Neal, 5-4, jr.
G — Chayla Cheadle, 6-0, so.
F — Tyler Johnson, 6-2, fr.
No. 6 Texas (18-1, 7-1)
G — Empress Davenport, 5-9, sr.
G — Celina Rodrigo, 5-8, sr.
G — Brooke McCarty, 5-4, so.
G — Brianna Taylor, 5-9, jr.
C — Imani Boyette, 6-7, sr.