On Texas Football: A look at Longhorns basketball as they head to the Sweet 16
On the latest video episode of On Texas Football, Inside Texas contributors Bobby Burton and Gerry Hamilton give us some insight on the Longhorns’ run into the Sweet 16, on the emergence of Dylan Disu and the future of Rodney Terry.
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Hamilton said the success of the Longhorns comes from their experience and moxie. That, and smart play, helped Texas beat Penn State 71-66 on Saturday’s NCCA second round.
“That doesn’t mean they always make the most intelligent play on the basketball court,” Hamilton opined. “But where they’re an intelligent basketball team is in their preparation and in the ability to make winning plays in the pressure situations. I mean, they’ve done it so many times now.”
At the waning moments of the game, Texas repelled a late Penn State run and was resilient until the end. It’s the first Sweet 16 appearance for the Longhorns since 2008.
“Guys just made just made winning plays at the end of the day – whether that’s just experience or whether that’s how connected they are as a group,” Hamilton added.
Disu has been at his best at the end of the season and scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win over Penn State. The majority of those points were on mid-range jumpers and moving away from the basket.
“Disu started two for six then he went 12 or 14 after that,” Hamilton said. “So in that 10-14 foot range when he reigns, where he lives, he wasn’t missing shots last night and Texas did a great job going back to it when they needed it.”
Hamilton said if there was an “unsung” hero in the win over Penn State, it was Tyrese Hunter, who had three huge baskets at the rim and seven rebounds.
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“Those were three buckets Texas really had to have in that game especially when the threes weren’t falling and Texas needed to get into the paint,” Hamilton said. “They needed to attack the rim at the guard position. And look, Hunter had a tough matchup and he played pretty well defensively against a really good player.”
Texas will play third-seeded Xavier in the Midwest Regional semifinals in Kansas City. The Musketeers beat 11th-seeded Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Burton asked Hamilton his take on the Texas interim coach Rodney Terry’s chances of keeping the job since he’s led the Longhorns to the Sweet 16.
“I think Rodney is going to be the next head coach at Texas,” Hamilton said. “This season could have gone off the rails, right? Winning the Big 12 tournament, that made the regular season. But you know, look, they’ve responded to adversity time and time again, right? Those guys are playing hard for Rodney at the end of the day. They’re playing for themselves, but they’re playing hard for Rodney and the staff. And I think he’s doing a really good job.
“He understood that Texas needed to play faster at the end of the season. He understands that you have to play a style that’s going to be popular with college prospects, with the top guys, the guys who want to recruit.”
There’s plenty more to see in the video, so go check it out in its entirety.
