Tag: texas basketball

No. 8 Marquette embarrasses No. 12 Texas, 86-65

Texas fell to Shaka Smart’s Marquette in embarrassing fashion on Wednesday.

Shaka Smart got his revenge. The current Marquette head coach beat the Texas Longhorns in dominant fashion.

We noted earlier this week that Smart would badly want a win to save face after an unceremonious exit after six seasons coaching the Longhorns. It’s December and not March, so you figured his team would be playing at its best. They did just that.

Marquette shot the basketball well and Texas shot it poorly. Sometimes in that scenario we remark that it just wasn’t the Longhorns’ night. Perhaps in this instance Texas just isn’t that good of a basketball team right now.

The Longhorns looked lethargic and uncertain on the court for the game. Indecision is natural given how many new faces the team breaks in this season. The players have to learn they fit on the current squad. They just don’t look anywhere near that team presently.

On the positive side, there’s plenty of time. Rodney Terry’s Texas teams, unlike Smart’s, play their best basketball in March. They will look to make a significant transformation as they head toward Big 12 play.

Texas basketball prepares to face former head coach Shaka Smart

Texas is a heavy underdog against Shaka Smart’s Marquette Golden Eagles.

Texas hoops faces its second big test of the season after falling to the Connecticut Huskies earlier this season. Next up for the Longhorns are the heavily-favored No. 8 Marquette Golden Eagles.

Marquette has flashed its ceiling and floor this season. While the Eagles fell to an unranked fellow in-state program in Wisconsin, the team stunned No. 1 Kansas earlier in the year. Immediately after facing Kansas, Marquette lost by just three points to No. 2 Purdue.

The prowess of the Longhorns’ next opponent isn’t the topic most Texas fans are concerned with heading into the game. The midweek battle features a reunion with the program’s former head coach Shaka Smart.

Smart was unceremoniously let go as Texas head coach after six seasons on the Forty Acres. In one postseason, the Longhorns’ current head coach Rodney Terry won three NCAA Tournament games. That total was three more than Smart won in his entire time in Austin.

Undoubtedly, Smart will look to save face against the program that did not renew his contract. The reality is, he simply wasn’t a good fit for Texas. He appears to be a fit for Marquette in the team’s fast start to the 2023-24 basketball season.

Texas and Marquette will play Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT on FS1.

Texas falls to No. 5 UCONN in Empire Classic, 81-71

Texas fought hard against UCONN but it wasn’t enough.

The Texas basketball program endured its first loss of the 2023-24 season. The loss came at the hands of last season’s national champion in the No. 5 UCONN Huskies.

There’s no shame in losing to a program of Connecticut’s pedigree, but it is a missed opportunity. There aren’t many out-of-conference tests on the Longhorns’ schedule, so the game could be viewed as one that got away. Such perspective doesn’t give adequate respect to the challenge Texas faced on Monday.

The Longhorns were undersized on the night, and it didn’t help that they had to face one of the biggest players in college basketball. Connecticut center Donovan Clingan towered over the Texas front line standing at 7-foot-2.

While Clingan’s height presented issues for the Longhorns, it was the Huskies’ well rounded forward Alex Karaban who did the most damage. Karaban shot 8-for-14 from the field with four three-point baskets and 20 points to lead UCONN in scoring.

Texas had a solid enough day offensively shooting 45.2% from the field and 76.9% from the free throw line. It will still need to improve to reach the level that Connecticut is playing at right now.

The Longhorns will next take on the Wyoming Cowboys on Nov. 26.

No. 19 Texas basketball wins thriller over Louisville, 81-80

Texas basketball will next face No. 5 UCONN after defeating Louisville in the Empire Classic.

The Texas Longhorns basketball team won on Sunday afternoon. The nation’s No. 19 team (4-0) defeated the Louisville Cardinals (2-2) to win their first game in the Saatva Empire Classic.

The game will not likely go down as a signature win later this year given Louisville won only four games last season. It’s still a huge early win for a team looking to gel with several new players.

The Longhorns looked good in a handful of areas. Virginia transfer forward Kaden Shedrick is proving better than expected when Texas brought him over through the transfer portal. Shedrick made a couple of highlight plays on his way to a career high 27-point game.

True to form, Texas forward Brock Cunningham made huge plays around the basket. Late in the game, Cunningham blocked a close range attempt to keep the Longhorns within striking distance of a win.

After a missed Shedrick free throw while trailing 77-76 with under two minutes left, the veteran forward grabbed a rebound and drew a foul. Cunningham knocked down the free throws.

On the following possession after a Louisville three by transfer guard Skyy Clark, Texas forward Dillon Mitchell crashed the boards to grab a rebound before being fouled.

Though the team was unable to capitalize on much of its all-out effort, it was hustle plays that got Texas back into the game. Down by one point, a defensive scramble for the ball led to a Louisville shot clock violation with 7.9 seconds. Out of a sideline inbound, Texas guard Max Abmas promptly hit a game-winning fadeaway jumper with 0.4 seconds left.

The team is off to a hot start. It will continue to push for more wins in nonconference play. The Longhorns will next face the defending national champions and No. 5 ranked UCONN Huskies in the Empire Classic.

Five-star shooting guard Tre Johnson commits to Texas

Tre Johnson is considered the best shooting guard in the class of 2024, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 5 in the country.

The Texas Longhorns secured another top recruit in five-star shooting guard Tre Johnson from Dallas on Wednesday. Johnson is considered the best shooting guard in the class of 2024, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 5 in the country.

He committed to the Longhorns during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show and credited former Texas Longhorns star Kevin Durant.

Johnson, standing at 6-foot-6, 190-pounds, is widely considered one of the top scorers in the country due to his elite ability to put the ball in the basket. He shoots 80% from the free throw line, and though he is a scorer, he averages nearly four assists per game.

Rodney Terry has done an exceptional job recruiting since becoming head coach, securing a bright future for the Longhorns.

Early signing period: Tre Johnson, a 5-star guard from Texas, announces his top two schools

Tre Johnson has narrowed his recruitment down to two schools.

Tre Johnson remains one of the top uncommitted high school basketball players in the nation, but it appears that the five-star guard has honed in on a final two.

And while a number of top players have already signed in this class, what with the early signing period having started on Wednesday, Johnson has yet to give a verbal. It makes for an intriguing recruitment, as it appears that two schools in Texas have distanced themselves from the pack in Johnson’s recruitment.

A 6-foot-6 guard from Link Academy (Dallas, Texas), Johnson is one of the top players in the nation and is ranked the fifth-best recruit in the 2024 class by 247Sports.

“I’m down to Baylor and Texas right now,” Johnson said according to Sports Illustrated. “I’m just trying to get a feel of it, trying to see different games, see their style of play and see different guys on their teams that could be me in that position.”

He is the second-highest ranked recruit who is uncommitted. The highest-ranked recruit withot giving a verbal is five-star guard Dylan Harper from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).

According to Adam Zagoria (of Zags Blog and NJ Advanced Media) there is no indication of if the-five star will be signing with a team over the next week.

The early signing period will conclude on Nov. 15.

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LOOK: Photos from Texas’ season-opening win over Incarnate Word

Newcomers made an immediate impact in Texas’ 88-56 win over Incarnate Word on Monday night.

No. 18 Texas got off to a hot start to the 2023-24 men’s basketball season. Continue reading “LOOK: Photos from Texas’ season-opening win over Incarnate Word”

Texas basketball lands commitment from four-star PF Nic Codie

Texas lands a big commitment from four-star Nic Codie.

Texas basketball keeps getting better. Continue reading “Texas basketball lands commitment from four-star PF Nic Codie”

Texas basketball survives upset scare in exhibition with St. Edward’s

Texas worked through trouble to win its exhibition with Division II St. Edward’s.

Texas avoided disappointment on Monday. After trailing Division II squad St. Edward’s at half, the Longhorns turned on the jets to win the exhibition, 84-63.

Texas guard Tyrese Hunter led the offense with 22 points and nine assists. Hunter had an up-and-down season last year but flashed ability on occasion. If his performance is a sign of things to come, the Longhorns offense could be dangerous.

Oral Roberts transfer guard Max Abmas scored 18 points followed by 14 points from second-year forward Dillon Mitchell.

Abmas shared his thoughts on what makes exhibition games like these so important.

“These early games are going to be us continuing to build that chemistry, continuing to figure out what spots each of us likes from the first two games. I think we’re continuing to learn that it’s only going to get better as the year goes on.”

Texas head coach Rodney Terry already faces pressure despite giving the program its best postseason showing since 2009. He modeled the steady confidence the team needs from the head coaching position in the scrimmage.

Terry spoke to what presented the team challenges early.

“We knew they were a really good shooting team. They were going to really challenge us to sit down, stay in stance, and really try to go hard. They got off to a great start shooting the basketball at a good clip and they showed us down in transition.”

You can expect more suspense over the course of the season. We certainly have concerns over whether or not this roster is as good as it was a year ago. Nevertheless, Terry found ways to win big games last year. Perhaps he has what it takes to do it again this season.

Texas forward Dillon Mitchell projects as key to team success

Texas hopes Mitchell flourishes in his second season in Austin.

Texas basketball is around the corner. The team starts its season with Incarnate Word on Nov. 6. One particular player figures to play a key role in the season.

Forward Dillon Mitchell is perhaps the biggest variable for the upcoming season. The sophomore came to Texas as the No. 2 small forward and No. 8 player in the 2022 recruiting class. The class produced several productive players in Alabama’s Brandon Miller, Baylor’s Keyonte George and Duke’s Kyle Filipowski among others.

Mitchell has yet to produce at those players’ level in his time at Texas. The sophomore forward averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds last season. The lower averages might be indicative of less opportunities because of the veteran roster around him. Now, much of that roster has left Austin and it’s Mitchell’s time to perform.

Texas is going to need him. There’s a significant void left by some of last season’s top scorers in Timmy Allen, Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice. With the opportunity ahead, we could see significant breakout from Mitchell. He will look to put it all together as the season starts.