Compared with a year ago, the Texas Longhorns basketball team is significantly improved. At this point last season, Texas was 4-3 after being run off the floor by Northwestern, beaten down by Colorado, and suffering a double-digit home loss to UT-Arlington. This season Texas is 6-2, with its only two losses coming in overtime against ranked opponents — No. 1 Duke and No. 17 Gonzaga.
That the Longhorns are playing differently from a year ago is not surprising given that Shaka Smart's team features a rather different lineup, with four of the top seven players making their first appearances for Texas this season.