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Texas basketball vs. Kansas: Prediction, scouting report as Longhorns look to bounce back

Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman
·3 min read
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer hopes to right the Longhorns after their 61-58 loss to Kansas State over the weekend. UT, which was picked to win the Big 12 during the preseason, is two games off the conference lead.
Texas head coach Vic Schaefer hopes to right the Longhorns after their 61-58 loss to Kansas State over the weekend. UT, which was picked to win the Big 12 during the preseason, is two games off the conference lead.

Three days after a tough loss at Kansas State, No. 11 Texas will return to the basketball court for a home game against Kansas (7 p.m., LHN, 103.1). In its four seasons with Vic Schaefer, UT hasn't lost back-to-back games often. Texas has two three-game losing streaks and one two-game skid since the start of its 2020-21 campaign.

Here's what you need to know about the matchup:

No update for DeYona Gaston ahead of Kansas visit

With Saturday's 61-58 loss to Kansas State, the preseason favorite in the Big 12 fell two games behind the first-place Wildcats and Iowa State in the conference standings. Texas (16-2, 3-2) also slipped one spot in The Associated Press poll Monday.

But after that defeat, the health of senior forward DeYona Gaston was of bigger concern for the Longhorns. Gaston suffered an apparent ankle injury as she attempted to defend an inbounds play in the final second. She had to be helped off the court.

During Monday's press availability, Schaefer declined to give an update on Gaston. An all-conference honoree as a junior, she missed nine games at the start of this season with an ankle injury.

Could Texas move Madison Booker back to the forward position?

Freshman Madison Booker has performed admirably since she took control of the offense after Rori Harmon's season-ending knee injury. Booker, though, is not a natural point guard. She's still listed on the roster as a 6-foot-1 forward.

When asked Monday if he'd like to be able to move Booker back to the wing at times, Schaefer wouldn't rule that out. But that would require Texas to have redshirt freshman Gisella Maul run the offense or move shooting guard Shaylee Gonzales to point guard.

"I'm hopeful of that," Schaefer said. "But we're going to have to continue to work on that. But I am hopeful of that."

This season, Booker is averaging 14.1 points and 4.7 assists. The 20.4 points and 6.2 assists she is averaging in conference play rank second and first among Big 12 players.

New kid leading a veteran Kansas team in scoring

After winning the WNIT title last year, Kansas (9-7, 2-3) struggled to carry that momentum into a new season and split its first 14 games. The Jayhawks, however, are coming off a week in which they blasted then-No. 4 Baylor by 21 points and bested Oklahoma State. The win over Baylor was KU's first against a top-five team since 2009.

Texas fans don't need to be introduced to guard Holly Kersgieter, who is KU's all-time leader in made 3-pointers, or center Taiyanna Jackson, one of the nation's top shot blockers. Fifth-year guard Zakiyah Franklin started for Kansas when the Jayhawks upset Texas in Lawrence in 2020 and again in Austin in 2022.

But KU's leading scorer is freshman guard S'Mya Nichols, who's averaging 14.1 points. Nichols was ranked 34th in ESPN HoopGurlz's recruiting rankings for the class of 2023. Booker was 12th.

Texas vs. Kansas prediction

Texas. Like Kansas, Texas has a lot of veterans and a standout freshman on its roster, and the Longhorns should be able to hold off the Jayhawks at home. If the UT loses, it might be time to panic.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas women look to beat Kansas Jayhawks in home basketball game