AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Basketball has lost five of its last six games.
"The last game is always the one that’s the most powerful in your mind," said Texas Head Coach Shaka Smart.
That would be a 10-point loss to Georgia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge; a team that posted 98 points on the Longhorns despite being ranked 11th in the Southeastern Conference in scoring.
But before the momentary break in conference play, Texas had gone 3-4 in Big 12 action.
These indeed are the dog days. So much so, the notion of catching Zs is simply a fantasy for Smart.
“Like the majority of coaches this time of year, (sleep is) not great," he said. "But that’s how it should be this time of year when you’re going through challenges.”
The next challenge is a big fat 'K' followed by 'U.' Kansas rolls to town for a 6 p.m. tilt at the Drum on Tuesday. Texas barely lost to the Jayhawks by two points in Lawrence, in mid-January.
“It’s a chance for our team and our program to demonstrate where we are and how we respond to really a tough week last week,” said Smart. “The key that I will continue to make our guys aware of is it’s still about us grabbing hold of what we need to do.”
That also includes some honest conversation's between the players to hold each other accountable.
“It’s always good as long as guys are looking at what they can do better and having a conversation about that," he said. "Anytime it’s player-driven and player-led, it’s more powerful.”