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Texas men's hoops top-10 in turnover margin, how they fare in other NCAA stat rankings
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AUSTIN (KXAN) — The No. 6 Texas Longhorns have made a habit out of forcing a lot of turnovers this season, and taking a look at the NCAA Division I men's basketball statistics, they've also done a nice job taking care of the ball.
With a turnover margin of 5.7, the Longhorns are tied for No. 6 in the country with Kent State and TCU. The stat is the difference between turnovers forced and committed per game, and while any positive number is considered good, the higher the number means a team is doing better at limiting its opponents' possessions while maximizing their own. Texas averages 17.4 turnovers forced per game, which is No. 18 in the country, and they commit 11.7 per game.
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels lead the country in turnover margin at 7.6, followed by Missouri and UCLA at 7.1.
Texas is a top-20 team in terms of sharing the ball as well. The Longhorns rank No. 17 in the country with 17.5 assists per game, and bringing the turnover aspect back into the fold, they are No. 18 in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.5. That means the Longhorns, on average, make 1.5 assists for every turnover they commit, which is a sign of how well a team passes and moves the ball without giving it away. Through Jan. 7, Texas has 263 assists and 175 turnovers.
Colorado State leads the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.72.
The Longhorns are tied for 16th in fastbreak points per game with Tennessee-Martin and Tennessee State with 16 and 18th in scoring at 82.3 points per game. They are also No. 23 in field goal percentage, shooting 48.6%.
Senior guard Marcus Carr is one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, ranking No. 22 among qualified players with a 44.6% make rate. He's made 41 3-point shots in 92 attempts. Steven Ashworth of Utah State currently leads the country, shooting 52.7% from long range.
Carr is also No. 33 in the country in individual assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.74. Tennessee-Chattanooga's Dalvin White leads the country in the category at 4.09.
Texas (13-2, 2-1 Big 12 Conference) takes the court again at 8 p.m. Wednesday against TCU at Moody Center. The Longhorns are 9-1 at home this year.