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Longhorns

Texas Longhorns

NCAAB – BIG 12

Arena: Erwin Events Center
Coach: Chris Beard

Texas Longhorns

Team Leaders

Texas Longhorns Team Summary

One of the winningest programs in men’s basketball history, the Longhorns have made 32 NCAA Tournament appearances but have yet to win a tournament championship. Still, they have made seven Elite Eights and three Final Fours.

Entering the 2021-22 season, the Longhorns had the 17th most wins and carried a 1,828-1,105 (62.3%). They’ve had two National Player of the Year award winners, five consensus first-team All-Americans and many NBA players.

Much like their football team, the Longhorns are waiting for their breakthrough on the court after a season with high anticipation. Under first-year coach Chris Beard, who was lured away from Texas Tech, with key transfers Marcus Carr, Christian Bishop and Timmy Allen, the Longhorns are 13-5 and have yet to have a breakthrough win. There are plenty of upcoming opportunities, with a non-conference game against Tennessee and two against Baylor and Kansas each. Higher expectations in this year March Madness.

Texas Longhorns Standings

Texas Longhorns Betting Trends

Texas Longhorns Team History

Texas was declared national champs in 1933 by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll rankings. A perennial NCAA Tournament team, the Longhorns have yet to win a tournament championship. They had a key dry spell that spanned across three decades with minimal appearances but have been a mainstay since 1989.

There are 38 Longhorns who have made it to the NBA, including 26 since the turn of the century. Stars include Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge; starters are Jarrett Allen, Myles Turner, Jaxson Hayes; and key role players include Avery Bradley, P.J Tucker and Cory Joseph, to name a few.

The Longhorns have been strong in preseason multi-team events, winning the 2020 Maui Invitational, 2014 2K Sports Classic, and the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in both 2005 and 2009. They also won the 2021 Big 12 Tournament title, which was the first conference tournament win since joining the league. Their last regular-season title was in 2008.

Key Stats

Texas hasn’t had the marquee win to push them toward the NCAA Tournament yet. Frankly, they’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to, though a road loss to Seton Hall as underdogs could have helped. But they have opportunities ahead of them with a tough Big 12 slate as every team has double-digit wins at the midway point of the season.

Texas has taken care of business at home, going 11-1 but are 1-4 on the road this season. The offense has been poor, ranking 22nd in the country at 70.1 points per game. That is what is holding them back from the next level with a strong defense, as one would expect under Beard. The Longhorns rank first in opponents’ scoring at 55.2 points allowed per game.

Marcus Carr was a key transfer from Minnesota, where he was an all-Big Ten selection. He’s the second-leading scorer at 10.8 points per game behind Utah transfer Timmy Allen (11.7 points per game). With an influx of transfers, Texas is building continuity as the season goes on.

The Longhorns are 8-10 against the spread, which suggests they’re not yet meeting expectations. They are also 7-11 in over/unders.

Championships Won by the Team

While Texas has never won a NCAA Tournament, they do have some hardware to show off. The Longhorns have two National Invitation Tournament championships. They won as recently as 2019 as well as 1978.

A pair of seniors led the 2018-19 team with freshman Jaxson Hayes being the third double-figure scorer. Underclassmen filled in around the trio, including freshman Courtney Ramey scoring 8.5 points per game and Jericho Sims, who would eventually reach the NBA.

There were four double-figure scorers on the 1977-78 team, including Jim Krivacs at a team-best 22.0 points per game. NBA guard Johnny Moore was a key piece and Ron Baxter scored 19.0 more points per game.

Texas has won 22 conference championships but only three since joining the Big 12. Those came in 1999, 2006 and 2008. The other 19 conference titles were in the Southwestern Conference, with the first in 1917 and the last in 1995.

Important Team Events

There was a period from 1951-76 where Texas struggled. The Longhorns had 11 losing seasons in that stretch. Comparatively, from 1912-50 there was one losing season. Thurman Hull, Marshall Hughes and Leon Black struggled to find any consistency or sustained success. Marshall Hughes had seven winning seasons during that stretch.

Things took a turn for the program with the hiring of Abe Lemmons in 1976. His first team went 13-13 and with a program in the pits, tempered expectations were then met with a surprising 26-5 season and NIT championship. It was the most wins since the Final Four team in 1947. What followed was an NCAA Tournament appearance and an Associated Press ranking as high as sixth during the season.

But it wasn’t until Tommy Penders’ hiring ahead of the 1988-89 season that Texas became a perennial NCAA Tournament team. Since his hiring, Texas has played in 27 of the last 32 tournaments. It was a run which continued under Rick Barnes and Shaka Smart.

Top Players

A program with great longevity features one Hall of Fame player: Slater Martin. He played from 1943-44 and 1946-49. His No. 15 is one of three retired. T.J. Ford’s No. 11 is retired, which he wore from 2001-03 before enjoying a nine-year NBA career. Kevin Durant’s No. 35 is also retired following his lone season (2006-07).

Durant was named National Player of the Year in 2007 after averaging 25.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.9 blocks per game for the Longhorns. He was a consensus first-team All-American, one of six in program history.

Ford is the other National Player of the Year, winning in 2003 after averaging 15.0 points, 7.7 assist, 3.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He was also a consensus first-team All-American.

Others include: Abb Curtis, Jack Gray, Chris Mihm and D.J. augustin. Augustin is a veteran NBA point guard with a 13-year pro career.

LaMarcus Aldridge has the most years in the NBA along with LaSalle Thompson. Aldridge is averaging 19.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game during his career. His Brooklyn Nets teammate, Durant, is at 14 NBA seasons and is likely to continue for several more years. The perennial All-Star has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Top Coaches

For a program with just one losing season from 1912-50 and then reaching NCAA Tournaments in 27 of the last 32 events, there have been a lot of great coaches. Early on, L. Theo Bellmont’s teams went 58-9 (.866) in four seasons for the best win percentage. Of late, though, Rick Barnes is the most successful coach with longevity. He’s the winningest coach with a 402-180 (.691) record. He built off a foundation laid by Tom Penders, whose teams went 208-110 (.654) in 10 seasons. From 1989-2012 their teams reached 22 of 24 NCAA Tournaments.

Ed Olle coached for three seasons but brought the program’s lone national championship in 1933. Roy Henderson’s teams were 43-8 (.843) in three seasons prior to 1920.His teams and Bellmont’s were part of a 44-game winning streak.