Texas fans are heartbroken after a promising season ended without an NCAA Tournament win.
The Longhorns fell into the March Madness chaos on Saturday night.
No. 14 Abilene Christian upset No. 3 Texas in the first round by a score of 53-52. After securing the program’s first Big 12 tournament title in history, Shaka Smart’s squad was surrounded with high hopes heading into the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
The hype was real — many college basketball analysts went as far as predicting the Longhorns to reach the Final Four. The roster was loaded with talent, but Smart couldn’t quite figure out a way to put it all together enough to make a run when it mattered most.
In Smart’s last five appearances in the tournament with VCU and Texas, his teams suffered a first round exit. The Longhorns were the only Big 12 program to not win in their first round matchup this weekend.
Fans, coaches and players from around the country reacted to Abilene Christian’s shocking upset over Texas. While some were ecstatic with the outcome, others couldn’t grasp what they just witnessed.
Take a look at the best reactions on the next page.