Texas is learning life goes on without star point guard Rori Harmon, especially on defense
As he discussed this weekend's women's basketball matchup at West Virginia on Friday, Texas coach Vic Schaefer noted that "they've got great guards."
"(Junior JJ) Quinerly has been there now for a while, and she is ultratalented; we're going to have to do a great job with her. They've got a veteran (fifth-year senior Lauren Fields) on the other wing that's been to three different schools and has been a really good player her whole collegiate career. And then (WVU coach Mark Kellogg) brought his point guard (Jordan Harrison) with him from Stephen F. (Austin), and she is a Power Five player. She's just a great floor leader, floor general and does a great job."
So No. 10 Texas clearly has a scouting report for No. 24 West Virginia. But when the two teams meet in Morgantown on Saturday, how will the Longhorns defend those guards?
Until recently, the answer to that question was simple. Texas would have tried to disrupt the WVU offense by sticking Rori Harmon on either Quinerly, who's scoring18.4 points per game, or Harrison, the point guard who was the Western Athletic Conference's freshman of the year at Stephen F. Austin last season.
Harmon is the Big 12's reigning defensive player of the year and one of the best defenders Texas has seen in years. In December, UConn coach Geno Auriemma praised her for keeping All-American guard Paige Bueckers "from getting in any kind of rhythm."
Harmon, though, suffered a knee injury Dec. 27. Her season is over.
"You're not going to replace Rori in anything," Schaefer said. "There's nobody on our team that's going to replace anything that Rori did."
Its top defender is out, but Texas wants to remain a top defense
Defense has always been a calling card for Schaefer. Over the past two years, the Longhorns ranked 36th and 30th nationally in points allowed per game out of more than 340 Division I teams. Texas ranked 13th and 20th in forced turnovers.
There are still ways for Texas to defend the perimeter. Forward Amina Muhammad is now UT's best on-ball defender, and Schaefer believes she can defend any position on the floor. Shay Holle and Shaylee Gonzales are veteran guards. Madison Booker, a freshman, is also coming along.
Making a shift in philosophy without Rori Harmon
But without Harmon, Schaefer conceded that his defensive priorities might shift. Instead of focusing on turnovers, Schaefer said Texas might now try to force its opponents into tough shots and a low shooting percentage. Since it has depth and talent in the paint, limiting offensive rebounds can also be seen as a defensive strategy.
"I just think you have to understand that there's just a different way to do it now," Schaefer said. "I told the kids this today: They're better today than they were four days ago defensively. They've really started to become a little bit more committed on trying to guard and stop somebody."
Texas is 2-1 since Harmon's injury. The Longhorns rolled past Jackson State but have seen mixed results in Big 12 play.
In last Saturday's 85-79 loss to Baylor, Texas forced 22 turnovers but still allowed a season-high point total. Baylor hit 56.7% of its shots and had four guards score 12 to 19 points.
But four days after it suffered its first loss, Texas looked better defensively in a 74-47 win at Texas Tech. The Lady Raiders shot just 33.3% from the field and committed 25 turnovers. Tech guards Bailey Maupin and Jasmine Shavers entered that game as the team's leading scorers but combined for 25 points on 7-of-22 shooting and 10 turnovers.
Gonzales and Holle "did a great job defensively on those two really good guards that they have," Schaefer said.
Gonzales and Holle each scored six points in that game, but Texas was able to exploit Texas Tech with its size in the paint, so Schaefer happily took that trade-off.
This weekend, Texas (14-1) will attempt to slow down a West Virginia team that's averaging 81.8 points. That's 20th-best nationally. West Virginia (13-0) has played only three opponents that currently have a top-100 RPI, but it did score 83 points in December against Penn State, The Associated Press' No. 25 team at the time.
Quinerly is the fifth-leading scorer in the Big 12. Harrison is averaging 14.2 points and 5.8 assists, and Fields is chipping in 10.5 points per game. Five Mountaineers have made at least 10 3-pointers.
Saturday's game
No. 10 Texas (14-1, 1-1) at No. 24 West Virginia (13-0, 2-0), 1 p.m., ESPN+
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas adjusts defensive philosophy before West Virginia basketball game
