Tag: Hookem

Texas moves up two spots in the latest AP Top 25 Poll

Texas finishes the regular season at No. 7.

Texas moves up two spots to No. 7 in the final AP Top 25 Poll of the regular season. The Longhorns capped off the year with an emphatic victory over No. 3 Kansas.

Rodney Terry’s group has put together a strong NCAA Tournament resume with a 23-8 record and a solo second-place finish in the Big 12 Conference.

The Big 12 tournament in Kansas City is Texas’ last chance to secure a high seeding with the selection committee. The Horns square off with the winner between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Thursday.

Here is a complete look at the latest AP Top 25 Poll, including five members of the Big 12 Conference.

  1. Houston (29-2)
  2. UCLA (27-4)
  3. Kansas (25-6)
  4. Alabama (26-5)
  5. Purdue (26-5)
  6. Marquette (25-6)
  7. Texas (23-8)
  8. Arizona (25-6)
  9. Gonzaga (26-5)
  10. Baylor (22-9)
  11. UConn (24-7)
  12. Kansas State (23-8)
  13. Virginia (23-6)
  14. Miami (FL) (24-6)
  15. Xavier (23-8)
  16. Saint Mary’s (25-6)
  17. Tennessee (22-9)
  18. Texas A&M (23-8)
  19. Indiana (21-10)
  20. San Diego State (24-6)
  21. Duke (23-8)
  22. TCU (20-11)
  23. Kentucky (21-10)
  24. Creighton (20-11)
  25. Missouri (23-8)

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Texas Basketball: Sir’Jabari Rice takes home Big 12 weekly honors

The Big 12 Conference named Rice as its Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season. 

Texas guard Sir’Jabari Rice continues to play at a high level for the Longhorns. The Big 12 Conference named Rice as its Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season.

Rice was instrumental in Texas’ 2-0 week with wins over No. 11 Baylor and No. 7 Kansas State. He led the Longhorns averaging 17.5 points per game in the two victories. Rice earned his first double-double over the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Kansas State.

The New Mexico State transfer is making his case as one of the best bench players in the nation. Rice has carved out a significant role in his first season in Austin and Texas is reaping the benefits.

The Longhorns backcourt of Rice, Marcus Carr and Tyrese Hunter are major reasons for Texas’ success.

Texas moved up to No. 5 in the AP Poll Top 25 rankings following its 2-0 week. A huge Monday night matchup with No. 9 Kansas awaits the Horns next.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

WATCH: Arch Manning and DeAndre Moore putting in offseason work

Arch Manning is starting to build a connection with his wide receivers.

Arch Manning is wasting no time building a connection with his wide receivers upon his arrival to Texas. After enrolling early for the spring semester and having some trouble keeping track of his student ID, Arch is getting in some work on the practice field.

The five-star quarterback is seen here dropping a dime to fellow 2023 recruit DeAndre Moore in offseason training.

Manning and Moore are two vital pieces of Texas’ No. 3 ranked 2023 class.

Manning is arriving to Texas with tons of excitement. He is the second highest-rated prospect to sign with Texas out of high school in the history of recruiting rankings, behind only the legendary Vince Young.

Moore is one of three talented wideouts to sign with Texas this cycle, joining Johntay Cook and Ryan Niblett. The Longhorns flipped the four-star from Louisville late in the process.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

LOOK: Texas staff visits with five-star RB commit Cedric Baxter

Texas’ staff is hitting the recruiting trail.

Steve Sarkisian and his staff are in the state of Florida for an in-home visit with five-star running back Cedric Baxter. Sarkisian was joined by running backs coach Tashard Choice and offensive line coach Kyle Flood on the visit.

Baxter committed to the Longhorns back in August over the likes of Florida, Florida State and Alabama. The elite prospect is one of the top players in Texas’ 2023 class. The coaching staff has done a great job keeping Baxter in the fold despite a strong push from other programs.

247Sports’ composite rankings list Baxter as the No. 4 running back and No. 47 overall player in the country.

The future Longhorn finished his excellent senior season at Edgewater High School rushing for 1375 yards and 15 touchdowns. He is expected to immediately compete for carries once he steps foot on Texas’ campus.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Four position groups Texas should target in the transfer portal

Navigating the transfer portal is becoming an essential job for head coaches.

The transfer portal is off to a hot start this offseason. We have already seen a plethora of talented players announce their search for new homes just a few days after the end of the regular season.

Navigating the transfer portal is becoming an essential job for head coaches. Steve Sarkisian and his staff did a great job last season, adding instant contributors to the rosters. The transfer class is a significant reason Texas showed so much improvement in 2022.

Quarterback Quinn Ewers, defensive back Ryan Watts and linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey made a strong impact for the Longhorns this year.

Texas is in a much better spot from a roster standpoint compared to last season, but the Longhorns can benefit by bringing in a handful of talented transfers. A few key pieces could be the difference maker in pushing Texas over the top next season.

Here are four position groups Texas should target the most in the transfer portal.

Texas checks in at No. 24 in lastest AP Poll Top 25

Texas is back inside the AP Top 25.

Saturday’s blowout victory over Kansas has Texas back inside the AP Top 25 Poll.

The Longhorns destroyed the Jayhawks behind a dynamic rushing attack. Star running back Bijan Robinson led the charge with a 243-yard, four-touchdown performance.

The win improves Texas’ record to 7-4 on the season and pushes the Horns back inside the AP Top 25 Poll.

Texas joins No. 4 TCU and No. 15 Kansas State as Big 12 Conference teams in the rankings.

Here is a complete look at the updated AP Top 25 Poll entering the final week of the regular season.

  1. Georgia (11-0)
  2. Ohio State (11-0)
  3. Michigan (11-0)
  4. TCU (11-0)
  5. USC (10-1)
  6. LSU (9-2)
  7. Clemson (10-1)
  8. Alabama (9-2)
  9. Tennessee (9-2)
  10. Oregon (9-2)
  11. Penn State (9-2)
  12. Washington (9-2)
  13. Notre Dame (8-3)
  14. Utah (8-3)
  15. Kansas State (8-3)
  16. Florida State (8-3)
  17. UCLA (8-3)
  18. North Carolina (9-2)
  19. Tulane (9-2)
  20. Ole Miss (8-3)
  21. Cincinnati (9-2)
  22. Oregon State (8-3)
  23. Coastal Carolina (9-1)
  24. Texas (7-4)
  25. UCF (8-3)

Texas takes on Baylor in the regular season finale on Friday. A win and a Kansas State loss would put Texas into the Big 12 championship game.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Social media reacts as No. 11 Texas topples No. 2 Gonzaga

Texas’ win over Gonzaga sparked tons of excitement.

Texas’ 2022-23 college basketball season is off to a fantastic start with a statement victory over No. 2 Gonzaga. Chris Beard’s squad proved themselves as a legitimate contender on the big stage with the win.

The Moody Center was rocking behind an inspired Longhorns performance.  Every shot Texas made from start to finish was responded to by an erupting crowd reaction. A pair of Dillon Mitchell dunks toward the end of the game had the roof ready to fall off.

It was a dominant showing for Texas at every position group but guards Tyrese Hunter and Marcus Carr led the charge. Hunter finished with a career-high 26 points in this premier matchup. Carr added 16 points of his own as the Texas backcourt looks like a force to be reckoned with.

Texas’ victory over Gonzaga sparked tons of excitement on social media. Here is a look at some of Twitter’s best reactions to the Horns ‘massive win on Wednesday night.

RB Bijan Robinson continues to climb Texas’ all-time rushing leaderboard

Bijan Robinson is making his case as one of the greatest Texas running backs of all time.

Bijan Robinson is making his case as one of the greatest Texas running backs of all time.

The junior running back is steadily making his way up Texas’ all-time rushing leaderboard. Robinson’s 140 rushing yards in Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma State pushed him into the top 10 rushers in school history.

Robinson is enjoying an excellent third season as a Texas Longhorn. He has rushed for 920 yards and 11 touchdowns, along with 280 yards and two more scores as a receiver. Robinson is the current Big 12 Conference leader in yards per game (115), rushing touchdowns, yards per carry (5.7) and missed tackles forced.

NFL scouts see Robinson as a future franchise ball carrier player at the next level.

With at least four more games left in the 2022 season, Robinson looks to keep building on his historic collegiate career. It is clear that the Arizona product is the next great running back from the University of Texas.

Here is a look into the record books at the top 10 rushers in Texas football history.

247Sports projects Texas to play in the Texas Bowl

Steve Sarkisian vs. Lane Kiffin would be an exciting matchup.

Getting back to a bowl game in 2022 is a priority for Steve Sarkisian and Texas this season. Last year’s 5-7 campaign was an unacceptable mark for a program like Texas.

247Sports’ released its updated bowl projections ahead of the new season, Texas is projected to get back to bowl eligibility with a Texas Bowl birth against Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss on Dec. 28. It would be the first matchup between the future SEC foes since the 2013 season.

Ole Miss is coming off a 10-win season with a Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor, but they replacing quarterback Matt Corral and a slew of offensive playmakers.

Texas last played in the Texas Bowl back in 2017 when the Longhorns took down Missouri in Tom Herman’s first year in Austin. Punter Michael Dickson took home MVP in the Horns’ 33-16 victory.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=none image=https://longhornswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Each Big 12 football team’s biggest question mark entering 2022

The Big 12 Conference is full of question marks.

We are officially less than a month away from the start of 2022 college football season. Teams all over the country are preparing for the fall with the ultimate goal of a national championship on the mind.

The Big 12 Conference is wide open after witnessing tons of shake up over the offseason.

Baylor and Oklahoma State are looking to build on double-digit wins seasons despite both losing key talent on the defensive side of the ball. Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma all welcome new head coaches to the helm. Graduation and the transfer portal has created quarterback turnover all over the conference.

Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns are hoping for a bounce back campaign after revamping the roster via transfers and recruiting. Quinn Ewers, Isaiah Neyor headline the group of exciting newcomers for the Horns.

As teams report for fall camp this week, here is each Big 12 school’s biggest question mark entering the new year.