It’s the same-ol’ same-ol’ for Long Beach State basketball, as the 49ers today prepare for yet another ho-hum contest against an opponent ranked in the Top 25 – their third of the young season – this time on the road against the #2 Texas Longhorns in what could be the most challenging task for a Long Beach team that has played #7 West Virginia and #18 Clemson, and still faces road games against #5 Kentucky and #6 Duke.

That’s a mouthful.

But the 49ers can neither afford to look behind or ahead. Tonight, they face an opponent in head coach Rick Barnes’ Longhorns that may be the nation’s stingiest defense and will test not only the skill but also the will of the Long Beach State attack.

Texas’ greatest strength is their suffocating pressure defense, which is predicated not so much on athleticism – as West Virginia’s was in their 85-62 clubbing of the 49ers in November – but is based more on size, strength and clogging the lane. This plan is executed extremely well, as the Longhorns are allowing opponents to score just 52 points per game while shooting 34% from the field.

Normally relying on their athleticism to start the fast break, this Long Beach team will have to excel in the half-court offense with precise execution to create open shots and attack the basket. Texas does not allow many open-court opportunities, but then again, they don’t allow many open shots, either. Needless to say, this game will be a challenge for the 49ers.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t hope.

Long Beach State played extremely well against #18 Clemson – a team similar to Texas in size and style – in the second round of the 76 Classic, cutting the Tiger lead to one point with 9:00 to go before falling by an 87-79 score. Penetration from Casper Ware, dominant inside play from T.J. Robinson and stellar shooting from Stephan Gilling created a balanced offensive attack. The 49ers could produce a good showing in Texas if they take care to limit turnovers and execute when opportunities present themselves. Of course, a Larry Anderson sighting would help immensely, as the 6-foot-6 preseason All Big West selection struggled mightily in the three-game 76 Classic with defenses geared toward stopping him. Anderson can expect more of the same tonight, though Texas may key on Robinson after his recent breakout performances – the possible match-up between Robinson and 6-foot-10 Longhorn behemoth Dexter Pittman will be one to watch.

For their part, the Longhorns have struggled offensively this season, shooting just 41% from the field in a win over USC last week, and 62.2% from the free-throw line this season.

Senior guard Damion Jones, a 6-foot-7 bull of a forward, leads Texas offensively and emotionally. He posts 16.0 points per game but struggled recently against Rice, as did the rest of the Longhorns’ shooting. Texas faithful were encouraged by last week’s convincing home win over USC, however this team struggled with shooting efficiency last season as well and the issue does pop up more often than coach Barnes would prefer.

But the truest strength of Texas, especially in games against opponents such as Long Beach State, is their depth. Ten Longhorns are averaging more than 10.0 minutes per game this season, compared to just six for Long Beach State (now that forward Arturas Lazdauskas is out for the year with a broken hand). In their game against Clemson, the 49ers ran out of gas down the stretch as head coach Dan Monson played his best players heavily – an understandable strategy considering the opportunity, but one that exhibited the 49ers’ lack of depth when playing teams of this caliber.

Truly, this game looks like a no-brainer on paper. However, the Longhorns needed a get-back-on-track game and they got that last week against USC. Next week, they’ll welcome #10 North Carolina and #9 Michigan State to Austin. So it would be easy to see how Texas could lose sight of the threat posed by a mid-major on the rise like Long Beach State – especially considering that their conference colleague UC Irvine was crushed by Texas, 89-42, earlier this season.

If Texas does look ahead to next week’s nationally-prominent games, and Long Beach State shows that they have learned from a barrage of difficult opponents this season, there is opportunity for the 49ers to shine. But this is a game that must be played with precision on their part, because that dense Texas defense will not allow many chances for fast breaks or open jump shots.

Without a doubt, the preseason schedule sets Long Beach State apart from their conference foes this season, and this is certainly one of the marquee games that will be reflected upon when its time for the Big West season to begin. A good showing can only add to the young 49ers’ experience and growth, as Long Beach State uses this season to expand – mightily – on both.