GETTING INSIDE
Basketball may be a team sport, but it’s hard not to think of Texas-Arlington as a one-man gang the way senior guard Marquez Haynes has been playing.
That’s exactly what the Mavericks, and senior guard Brandon Long, hope the rest of the Southland Conference thinks.
While Haynes was easily leading the league in scoring and was among the national leaders at 24.5 points per game, Long had found a way to average 16.7 points per game.
It had to be one of the quietest 16.7-point averages in college basketball, and it was the fifth-best average in the league.
The one-two punch of Haynes and Long helped the Mavs average 79.0 points per game, good for second best in the Southland.
What may be the downfall for UT Arlington, however, is the fact that while they may be second in the league in scoring, their defense had been the polar opposite. The team was allowing 77.1 points per game, second worst in the 12-team conference.
NOTES, QUOTES
• UT-Arlington followed a 29-point loss to Baylor with a 101-85 win over Texas Wesleyan on Dec. 22. In the latter game, the Mavericks hit their first 13 shots, had their highest scoring half of the season (67 before halftime), best shooting half (70 percent), best shooting game (59 percent) and highest point total.
• Despite the 31 turnovers from team scoring leader Marquez Haynes, UT Arlington led the Southland Conference in turnover margin at plus-4.44 per game through Christmas. The Mavericks had committed 119 turnovers on the season (second fewest in the league) while forcing 159.
January At A Glance: UT Arlington has a chance to get off to a fast start in the new year. Four of the team’s first five games in January are at home, including two of the first three Southland Conference games. What’s even more promising is the team’s first two league games are against Lamar and Texas State, both sitting well below .500. Those could serve as good warm-ups before a Jan. 16 game against UT San Antonio.
Quote To Note: “It wasn’t just a loss, it was an embarrassment. I was glad to see the guys respond because sometimes you can let losses linger on.”—UT Arlington coach Scott Cross, on how his team rebounded after a 94-63 defeat at Baylor.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
Season Recap: The story has mostly been a question of how much Marquez Haynes can score. When things are going well, the team has gotten plenty of offense, as evidenced by three double-digit wins. When the Mavericks struggle, however, it seems to be because of defense far more than offense. In a Dec. 20 loss at Baylor, the Mavs surrendered 94 points, the fourth time in their first nine games the allowed 84 or more.
Player Rotation: Usual Starters—G Marquez Haynes, G Brandon Long, F Tommy Moffitt, G/F LaMarcus Reed III, C Ishmael Awange. Key Subs—C Jordan Reves, F J.D. Davis, G Cameron Catlett, G Armani Williams.
Game Review:
SIU Edwardsville 71, UT Arlington 67
Baylor 94, UT Arlington 63
UT Arlington 101, Texas Wesleyan 85
Game Preview:
at Michigan State, Wednesday, Dec. 30
vs. Texas-Dallas, Saturday, Jan. 2
vs. Utah Valley, Tuesday, Jan. 5
vs. Texas State, Saturday, Jan. 9
at Lamar, Wednesday, Jan. 13
In Focus: If ever the senior guard tandem of Marquez Haynes and Brandon Long were in for a long night, it could be Dec. 30 against the defensive scheming of Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. Haynes and Long are averaging more than 40 points per game, but Michigan State’s physical style will rival anything UT Arlington will see this season.
Roster Report:
• Sophomore F/G LaMarcus Reed started the team’s first eight games before being asked to come off the bench Dec. 22 against Texas Wesleyan. Reed scored six points in 17 minutes in that game.
• With four 30-point games under his belt, senior G Marquez Haynes, a former Boston College transfer, easily led the Southland Conference in scoring. He was averaging 24.5 points per game.
