BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — There are a few things that give Vic Schaefer confidence his Texas Longhorns can go all the way in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Their defense. Their guard depth. Their size and post play. That’s what led them to their best season in 20 years and a share of the SEC title.
“It’s not easy to be 33-3 coming out of the Southeastern Conference,” Schaefer said, “to have played, I guess, the second-best schedule in the country behind South Carolina as far as the NET goes. I’m awfully proud of my group.”
What won’t win a national championship for Texas? Three-point shooting.
The Longhorns have mostly avoided the 3-point shot that shapes every level of today’s game. An outlier among most teams in the country, Texas doesn’t rely on shots beyond the arc to win games. In fact, the Longhorns barely even attempt them, instead focusing on defense and getting the ball to their towering forwards in the paint.
Texas has attempted the fourth-fewest 3-pointers in the country this season, averaging just 10.7 per game with a 29.4% rate shooting the long ball. The Longhorns made zero 3-pointers in three games this season, all wins against DePaul and South Carolina during the regular season and versus Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They made three in the first-round.
Schaefer knows that’s a rarity in today’s modern era. He’s hardly worried about it hurting his team’s chances.
“It’s a lot bigger deal to y’all than it is to me,” he said. “We’re a really good basketball team. I take offense to the narrative ... This team is always going to have a chance because they’re going to guard. They’re always going to guard.”
What Texas lacks in 3-point shooting it makes up for in its post play, rebounding and relentless ball pressure.
The frontcourt rotation of 6-foot-4 Taylor Jones and 6-6 Kyla Oldacre has posed challenges all season. Jones scored 19 points and Oldacre had 15 points and 15 rebounds in the Longhorns’ 105-61 first-round victory over William & Mary.
And then there’s Madison Booker, the versatile sophomore and SEC Player of the Year who leads Texas with 16 points per game. Booker shoots 46% from 3-point range, though she seldom looks for shots out there. Her 25 made-3-pointers are less than half the production of other elite scorers in the nation like UConn’s Paige Bueckers (56) and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo (59).
It’s a challenge preparing for a team with such a different style of offense, said Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell, whose Volunteers will face the Longhorns on Saturday in the Sweet 16 in Birmingham.
The Volunteers rely heavily on the 3-point shot, attempting 31.2 per game, which is the third-most in the nation.
“It’s very different for us because we guard each other every day in practice,” Calwell said. “And we obviously shoot a lot of 3’s, so we’re spaced out a little bit more. You come into games like this where you protect the rim more than you protect the 3-point line. It is a little bit of an adjustment for us on the defensive end.
“You’ve got to make sure that you know your personnel and know who you’re closing out to.”
The Longhorns aren’t quite alone in their approach. South Carolina and LSU, both of whom are also competing in the Sweet 16, don’t attempt many 3-pointers, either. The Tigers attempt 14.1 per game. The Gamecocks average 17.4.
“When you make winning the points-in-the-paint battle an emphasis, and you defend, you give yourself an opportunity to really win some tough basketball games and compete for a national championship,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said.
For Schaefer’s Longhorns, competing for a national championship starts Saturday against the physical, heavy-pressing Volunteers, who Texas beat 80-76 in the regular season.
“The last two practices we’ve done a really good job of playing against our guys and learning to play at our pace and not let them speed us up,” Jones said. “I’m confident in our team. And I’m excited about the rematch.”
