Want a clash of styles? You might want to tune in to No. 6 Texas against No. 11 Northern Iowa in the penultimate game of the first round of March Madness 2016.
Northern Iowa vs. Texas 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch March Madness online
Texas would like to run sometimes, and jog often. Northern Iowa would rather stroll.
The Longhorns have had an internal stylistic struggle: They aren’t pressing nearly as much as might have been expected under first-year coach Shaka Smart, who has largely scrapped the “HAVOC” style that brought him success and fame at VCU while working with ill-fitting personnel in Austin. Despite that, though, Texas has had a fine season against a withering schedule that featured North Carolina, Texas A&M, Michigan and Vanderbilt in non-conference play, and two meetings with Kansas and Oklahoma in the rock-ribbed Big 12.
Junior Isaiah Taylor has made strides and become a consistent leader for the 'Horns, and he has a fine backcourt mate in Javan Felix. Add in towering Prince Ibeh as a rim protector, and Texas has the rudiments of a reliable inside-outside game.
Northern Iowa, on the other hand, has Wes Washpun. The jet-quick guard is the Panthers’ heart and soul, a fine distributor of the ball who can also step up to make shots. With guards arrayed around for Washpun when he drives and kicks, Northern Iowa’s offense is fine on first shots -- and last nationally in offensive rebound percentage, emblematic of coach Ben Jacobson’s attempt to slow down games and get back on defense every time.
It’s not quite the day vs. night matchup that could have existed if one of Smart’s VCU teams met the Panthers, but the Longhorns at least want to jog; Northern Iowa would prefer to walk.
The winner of this game moves on to face the winner of No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 14 Green Bay, and, yes, Texas playing Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament would be pretty cool.
Game time: 9:50 p.m. ET
How to watch: TBS
How to livestream: March Madness Live
How to listen: Westwood One Sports
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