By Ricardo Garcia — Reporter
San Jose State men’s basketball (1-2, 0-0 MW) will travel to the Lone Star State to face off against the number eight ranked Texas Longhorns (2-1, 0-0 B-12).
The Spartans are looking to bounce back after a brutal 67-66 loss to Cal Baptist. A pair of missed free throws by the Spartans and a costly penalty with six seconds remaining allowed the Lancers to secure the victory.
Junior center Ibraham Diallo was the key player for SJSU against CBU as he finished with a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Trey Smith contributed with 14 points and three rebounds himself.
The Spartans face a new challenge in this top ten ranked Texas squad that picked up a 62-49 victory against Northern Colorado in its first game of the Abe Lemons Classic.
Offensively the Longhorns have been solid to begin the season with their only loss coming at the hands of the number one ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. They also hold an undefeated record when playing at home so far this season.
One player on the side of SJSU to watch will be freshman guard Alvaro Cardenas. Through three games Cardenas has averaged 7.7 points per game and has shot well from beyond the arc.
Cardenas has already shown glimpses of his potential so expect him to be a factor in getting the offense going for the Spartans.
Senior forward Timmy Allen will be the player to keep an eye on for Texas. In his last two games, Allen has found his stride offensively averaging a team-high 12 points per game and 6.7 rebounds.
Finishing strong will be crucial if SJSU wants to be successful in this matchup. They need to maintain their lead when they have one and be sharp on the defensive side of the basketball to avoid any offensive surges from the Longhorn offense.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. PT on Saturday at The Frank Erwin event center and on the Longhorn Radio Network.
Follow Ricardo on Twitter @SJSURicardoG
