After suffering a crushing defeat to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville last Friday, UTSA men’s basketball will look to bounce back against its long-time rival, Texas State University on Wednesday, in San Marcos. The I-35 rivalry has been nothing short of must-see television, as the Roadrunners (1-1, 0-0) have gone 6-4 against the Bobcats (1-2, 0-0) in their last 10 matchups. Though it is early in the year, the game is clearly one of the most important of the season. Head coach Austin Claunch has been adamant about his team’s focus heading into the week and has noted the significance of the matchup.
“All of our focus right now is on Texas State,” Claunch said. “It’s a huge rivalry game, and they’re a really tough and physical team.”
Claunch did not hold back in his praise of Texas State’s program. The second-year coach highlighted the Bobcats’ defense and noted some of his biggest takeaways headed into the matchup.
“They’re going to try and pound you on the glass and outrebound you,” he claimed. “They’re going to really guard you, so we have to do a few more things to get our guys some better looks.”
Getting better looks on the offensive end will be crucial if the Roadrunners are to walk out of San Marcos with a victory. The team will need to play downhill extensively, rather than coasting and dribbling the air out of the basketball. While the ‘Runners have shown flashes of incredible offensive capability, they are often forced into isolation-heavy sets, forcing one player to take the ball and score on his own. Complementary basketball will be key if the Roadrunners are to speed past the Bobcats, a sentiment Claunch has continued to preach to his locker room.
“We’ve got to figure out how to manufacture more north-south in our offensive possessions,” Claunch said. “There’s a pretty clear alignment shift we need to make offensively. We say it all the time, we need to play complementary basketball.”
Despite UTSA’s offensive struggles in its previous game against SIUE, Claunch has remained confident in his players’ ability to produce points efficiently. Rather than calling out his players or staff, Claunch pointed to himself as someone who needs to be better going forward.
“I’ve got to do a better job getting guys in more rhythm as we go,” he said profoundly. “Looking at things to open up the floor and just harping on spacing and cutting. We can definitely help our guys out more.”
If UTSA is to win the battle of I-35, the team will need to be poised on both sides of the ball. Spaced-out offense is crucial, as the ‘Runners cannot survive relying on numerous isolation plays in the half-court. Defensively, UTSA will need to focus all of its attention on Bobcat guards Mark Drone and Franck Emmou. The duo lead the team in scoring averaging 10 points apiece, and rely heavily on getting downhill and scoring in the restricted area. Clogging the paint on defense, spreading the ball offensively, and winning the rebounding battle, the ‘Runners should have no issue walking out of San Marcos as the I-35 rivalry champion.
