High Point @ Texas preview

Done in by another team from the Big East, Texas will try to get things headed back in the right direction Monday when it hosts High Point. Never a great team on the offensive end, the Longhorns fell to new depths in losing to Providence last week, but the Panthers should afford them the opportunity to get right on all fronts.

Shaka Smart's team, whose two losses this season have come against Providence and Georgetown, posted a litany of season lows against the Friars on Dec. 21, including points, field goals, 3-pointers made, assists and steals. "We played too much 1-on-1. You've got to move the basketball more," Smart, whose team is less than a week away from its Big 12 opener Saturday at No. 6 Baylor, told the media. "(Courtney) Ramey and (Matt) Coleman got some baskets, but they're guys who also create for their teammates." The duo of Ramey and Coleman, who normally account for eight assists per game, had two against Providence as the Longhorns finished with five helpers - nearly nine off their season average. The Panthers of the Big South, who have beaten only team from Division I, are led by sophomore guard Curtis Holland III, who is averaging 16.9 points in the last eight games.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT HIGH POINT (3-9): John-Michael Wright has been the top freshman in the Big South Conference this season, taking home three Freshman of the Week honors for the Panthers of North Carolina. The 6-1 guard enjoyed a solid November, averaging 12.4 points in seven games, but he has taken it to a higher level in December. The Fayetteville, N.C., native has produced a pair of 20-point games and his first career double-double while putting up 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for second-year coach Tubby Smith, who is 2-6 in his career against Texas.

ABOUT TEXAS (9-2): Andrew Jones is probably the most experienced redshirt sophomore in the nation as the guard is in his fourth season with the Longhorns. The native of Irving, Texas, received medical redshirts for the last two seasons as he battled leukemia, but is back healthy and is the second-leading scorer at 11.4 points per game. Jones and junior Jase Febres are among the leaders in the Big 12 in 3-point shooting for the Longhorns, who are averaging 8.5 treys per game, behind last season's record-setting rate of 8.8 per contest.

TIP-INS

1. Coleman is fifth in Texas history in assist-turnover ratio (1.94), behind Dogus Balbay (2.31), T.J. Ford (2.21), D.J. Augustin (2.05) and Isaiah Taylor (2.00).

2. The Longhorns are limiting opponents to 61.1 points per game, good for 28th nationally.

3. Led by Holland and Wright, the Panthers rank second in the Big South in free throw shooting (72.6 percent).

PREDICTION: Texas 79, High Point 60