By JACOB POLACHECK
No. 11 Texas avoided an upset with a 77-74 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday in a matchup between star freshmen.
Texas forward Greg Brown had a breakout performance, finishing with 24 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in the win.
“Every game, game by game, I just get a little more comfortable,” he said.
“My teammates help me be more patient,” he said. “They say ‘slow down Greg, let the game come to you.’ I took their advice, and we got the dub.”
Brown, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound freshman from Austin, TX, was a consensus Top-10 recruit coming out of high school and is ranked by ESPN as the No. 26 best available prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Oklahoma State freshman Cade Cunningham also had a stellar performance with a game-high 25 points. He also added three rebounds and three assists, but struggled to take care of the ball throughout, finishing with a game-high six turnovers.
“Courtney and Matt did a great job against Cade. Cade is a really talented player,” Brown said. “Overall, I think we did a great job guarding him.”
Cunningham, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound point guard from Arlington, TX, is projected by ESPN as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Texas senior guard Andrew Jones also played a large role in the Longhorns’ victory, adding 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Texas (7-0) will have a nine-day layoff before they face Texas A&M-CC on Dec. 29, while Oklahoma State (6-2) is scheduled to face No. 14 Texas Tech on Jan. 2.
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