KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Squeeze them, hug them, do them your way, after 25 years of frustration at the Big 12 Tournament Texas is something close to a lovable underdog.
The Longhorns coach fought the COVID-19 and was on the hot seat in February. His gunner overcame leukemia. A training session was carried out in the middle of the pandemic with only two players. Who cares if Texas had to play just two games to win the Big 12 Tournament for the first time in its quarter-century of existence? A win is a win in a postseason that continues to walk a bit like a tightrope act, playing in a COVID-19 car wash without getting wet.
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Please, no sarcastic comments about the rights of Texas athletes with the best of everything within the richest athletic department in the country. Not this time. They won the 91-86 victory over the state of Oklahoma to grab the automatic offer from the conference and the respect of those accustomed to its failure.
Of course, the Horns have the kind of rest that no one wants. They advanced to the championship game on Saturday, Friday, while sitting at their hotel because of the problems with the Kansas COVID-19. The Horns then unleashed one of their best offensive performances in many years.
Senior Matt Coleman II (30 points) and post Jericho Sims (21 points) each had career records. This is significant in a veteran team that is going to the NCAA Tournament. They played in Texas for eight years combined.
In a sport where little seems to be permanent, these horns are experienced. This meant something to a program that has rarely kept its promise in the recent past.
“I just cried. It was tears of joy,” said Coleman. “I said, ‘Coach, this is what we’ve been saying since day one. It took four years for this to happen, to take a step in the right direction. You did it, you built a culture here. I’m proud to be a part of it. You have built a culture here. ‘
“Feeling his love, man, is deeper than the basketball game.”
On February 6, the Horns lost in Oklahoma State, their fourth loss in five games. Once again, the walls were closing. Smart never fulfilled the promise he brought with him from VCU six years ago, having taken the Rams to the Final Four in 2011. That was also the last time the Horns were in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.
But Smart – and the Horns – achieved something special this week in this silent conference tournament. There was no fan fest that normally closes Grand Boulevard outside the neighboring Power & Light District. The capacity of the generally noisy T-Mobile Center has been limited to 20% for obvious reasons. Even during the championship game, it seemed that the Cowboys had more fans.
Everything came together after that extra day of rest. The six-foot Sims could not be stopped around the basket. The Horns had at least half a dozen dunks, as they matched not only the intensity of the state of Oklahoma, but also its rapid transition. Along with his 21 points, Sims ended up with 14 rebounds, one of them the best of his career.
“This is finally happening,” said Sims, who came from Minneapolis to Texas, a prospect out of the top 50. “Everything is working.”
Coleman was the most outstanding player of the tournament, having already beat Texas Tech in his debut with some free throws 1.8 seconds from the end. He is another veteran who bought Smart four years ago. Coleman was in the top 30, whose previous high was 25 as a freshman.
“At the end of the day he had to decide between us and Duke,” said Smart. “When you are leaving school and a program like this wants you and a coach like that [wants you], it takes a special type of guy to say, ‘No, I want to do something different.’ ”
Loyalty goes both ways.
“People shit on [Shaka]”Said Coleman.” He endures the bad years that Texas has had. I want this for him because he has been through a lot. ”
Andrew Jones’ story is well known. On January 9, the junior red-shirt gave the game a chance to win the game against West Virginia three years before the day Smart told the team that the guard had been diagnosed with leukemia. Jones did not have one of his best games on Saturday (1 to 8, 13 points), but it fits the label applied to these horns.
“Oklahoma State was playing so well that many people said we were the losers,” said Smart.
They went. They had to be. Smart revealed on February 1 that he had “significant” symptoms of COVID-19. The Horns had their own problems with the virus. The day before, he conducted his first training session in 19 days with all 11 stock market players. Just before being diagnosed, Smart conducted a training session with only two players.
“Personally, I’m just trying to focus on the people around me, rather than the circumstances,” said Smart. “I knew that our boys, our team and my family need a certain energy, a certain vibration and spirit on my part.”
Consider that Texas greats like Kevin Durant and TJ Ford never won a conference tournament. Third place Texas (19-7) became the first team in the state of texas to win the Big 12 Tournament. It also became the first team of the old Big Eight not to win.
Oklahoma State (20-8) played for the third consecutive day after playing with six teams in the top 10 in the previous 19 days. three teams being classified in the top 10. After losing 10 in the interval, the Cowboys reduced it to two in 52-50. But in a game that was called extremely fierce, Texas at one point made 15 direct free throws and hit 36 for the game.
“I can’t imagine another team in the country that has gone through a more difficult period than we have in the past three weeks,” said Cowboys coach Mike Boynton. “I’m excited to see what we can do when we get some rest.”
Texas had more than enough rest. Who knows what would have happened if the Horns had to play against the Jayhawks in the semifinals? Taking nothing from the Horns, they took a coup on Friday that the state of Oklahoma failed.
Smart took the opportunity, asking for a practice that resembled a game. The energy was carried over to Saturday.
Now the question is how far the Horns or any team from the Big 12 can proceed with Big Dance. Seven conference teams are likely to arrive in Indy. Regular season champion Baylor suffered his second loss to the Cowboys on Friday, in what is still one of the biggest surprises of the season. Bob Huggins and his Mountaineers will stand out in their business. Oklahoma won several of the top 10 teams. Texas Tech lost the last game of the national championship played in 2019.
But Texas has the greatest momentum and along with the best story of hugs and feelings.
“I don’t know if there are underdogs,” said Texan striker Brock Cunningham. “I just know that we are confident in our ability.”
For those of you who forgot the story of the final loser in 2011, Smart’s VCU finished fourth in the Colonial Athletic Conference, lost in the conference championship game and went through the First Four to get five consecutive wins to reach the Final Four.
Before taking office in Texas four years later, Smart took VCU to five consecutive NCAA tournaments. This season marks his third Big Dance in five seasons. (Texas won the NIT in 2019. The NCAA tournament was canceled in 2020.)
This is, without a doubt, an image of failure in a school with the best of everything. But wading in the Big 12 will test any program. There was a hint that this Texas team was special on January 2, when the Horns won at Allen Fieldhouse 84-59. That was the worst home loss of Bill Self’s career in Kansas and tied the worst loss for the Jayhawks at Allen.
“Someone asked me, ‘What do you say to them [who criticized you]”Smart said.” One of the most impressive men I meant was Augie Garrido. ”
Texas’ legendary baseball coach died in 2018.
“He once said in a similar situation: ‘This is a gift for them,’ said Smart.” This is how I feel. This is a gift for everyone. ”
Now the underHorns, er, the underdog are looking forward to marching until March.