Texas Longhorns Basketball

The No. 6 seed Texas Longhorns defeated the No. 11 Virginia Tech Hokies 81-73 in the first round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on Friday at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum.

All five Longhorns starters scored at least 10 points, with Andrew Jones pacing the team with 21. He made 5-of-7 three-pointers.

That performance from beyond the arc symbolized the biggest key of this game. Texas made 10-of-19 three-pointers, while Virginia Tech hit just 4-of-12 threes.

Texas led just 34-32 at halftime, but the Longhorns went on an 18-5 run to take a 64-47 advantage.

Virginia Tech chipped away at the lead and cut the Texas advantage to 76-69 after a Justyn Mutts steal and a Hunter Cattoor three-pointer, but that's as close as the Hokies got Friday.

Sean Padulla led the Hokies with 19 points off the bench. He hit three of Virginia's Tech's three-pointers and knocked down all 10 of his free throws.

Texas won its first NCAA tournament game since 2014, when it beat Arizona State in the round of 64. The Longhorns, who had lost each of their last five March Madness contests, improved to 22-11 this year. 

Virginia Tech has made the NCAA tournament five of the past six years, but four of those trips have ended in first-round defeats. The lone exception was 2019, when the Hokies fell to Zion Williamson and the Duke Blue Devils in the Sweet Sixteen. They end this year with a 23-13 mark.

---

Notable Performances

Texas G Andrew Jones: 21 points, 5 rebounds

Texas G Marcus Carr: 15 points, 9 assists, 2 steals

Texas F Timmy Allen: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals

Virginia Tech G Sean Pedulla: 19 points

Virginia Tech F Keve Aluma: 15 points, 6 rebounds

Virginia Tech F Justyn Mutts: 9 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds

---

Hot Shooting, Strong Second Half Sends Texas to 2nd Round

It was the Andrew Jones show for much of this game as the senior guard lit up the Hokies from downtown. His efforts helped dig Texas out of an early deficit.

🔥🔥🔥#HookEm | @Drewdotcash1 pic.twitter.com/HUWCkzUOgE

— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 18, 2022

The two teams went back and forth, with neither team leading by more than four points for most of the first half.

Virginia Tech looked like it would take a one-point lead into halftime, but Marcus Carr pulled up from beyond the March Madness logo and drilled a shot from 60-plus feet.

MARCUS CARR IS DIFFERENT 🤘 pic.twitter.com/hIZLvXp3lC

— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 18, 2022

Practice made perfect for Carr, per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman:

Texas G Marcus Carr: "You know, most days I don’t leave the gym until I had a half-court shot. Sometimes it takes me one rep, sometimes it takes me 11."

— Brian Davis (@byBDavis) March 18, 2022

In the second half, Virginia Tech cut a Texas lead to four points after a Darius Maddox jumper with 15:06 remaining, but Texas then engineered an 17-5 run that all but put the game away.

Carr scored five points during this run, including a three-pointer that gave Texas a 12-point edge.

MARCUS CARR CAN'T MISS!!! 🤯

Texas is up 12 heading down the stretch!#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/MS9nTYicq7

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2022

Ultimately, Texas was too tough on both ends. The starting lineup got hot, and the Virginia Tech offense couldn't match the production. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg gave his take:

This one's just about over. Just a dominant second half from #Texas, which shot the ball well all afternoon and clamped down defensively against #Hokies, who didn't get much production outside of Keve Aluma and Sean Pedulla. Virginia Tech never made a significant run.

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) March 18, 2022

Now Texas is moving onto the second round with hopes of making the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2008.

    

Virginia Tech Starts Hot, Ends Hot, Doesn't Do Enough in Middle

Virginia Tech more or less drew even with Texas for the better part of the game. The problem was the Longhorns ran away from the Hokies in the second half, and Virginia Tech couldn't make up the difference.

For the first 13 minutes of the first half, any Longhorn not named Andrew Jones scored just nine points. The problem was Jones got hot from three.

On the flip side, Virginia Tech got going early, with Keve Aluma scoring the team's first six points.

The vision ➡️ the slam

The Hokies are LOCKED IN at the start 🔒 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/aUfCTI8PUz

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2022

Unfortunately, the Hokies went cold at an inopportune time. A three by Courtney Ramey with a little over two minutes remaining felt like it zapped any remaining hope for Virginia Tech. Texas led by 16, and its lead was never truly in danger from that point on. 

           

What's Next?

Texas will play No. 3 seed Purdue, which beat No. 14 seed Yale 78-56 earlier Friday.

Texas and Purdue are scheduled to face off Sunday in Milwaukee at a to-be-determined time. The winner will advance to the East Regional finals in Philadelphia.

Texas guard Andrew Jones is using his name, image and likeness money for a good cause. 

In a statement released on Friday (via ESPN's Myron Medcalf), Jones announced he is partnering with the V Foundation to donate 10 percent of his NIL earnings for cancer research:

"The money donated to the V Foundation played a major part not only in my ability to receive proper treatment but maintain confidence in both my recovery and eventual return to basketball. To be able to share my story on how this foundation has impacted my life while paying that forward to future families impacted by cancer is an honor."

A sixth-year senior, Jones missed most of the 2018-19 season when he was diagnosed with leukemia.  

Jones showed tremendous promise during his freshman season with the Longhorns in 2016-17. He averaged 11.4 points and 3.5 assists per game in 33 appearances. 

Per ESPN's Jeff Goodman, Jones declared for the 2017 NBA draft but didn't hire an agent. He wound up returning to school for his sophomore season. 

A wrist injury early in the 2017-18 season knocked Jones out of the lineup for three weeks. He appeared in two games after the injury healed, but was diagnosed with leukemia after experiencing fatigue on the court and during practice. 

Jones finished his chemotherapy treatment in August 2018. 

The last 8 months have been crazy and stressful for me and my family but with the grace of god we can see a better day. I’ll like to say th thanks to all the fans and supports #hookem #aj1Boom 🤞🏾 pic.twitter.com/r6gsu9uy3k

— Andrew Jones (@Drewdotcash1) August 24, 2018

After being granted medical redshirts for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, Jones returned to the court on Nov. 5, 2019 against Northern Colorado. He scored a team-high 20 points in a 69-45 win. 

Per Asher Price of Axios.com, Jones created his own branded merchandise that is described as "a motivational clothing line." 

Jones is averaging 10.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game in 19 appearances this season.    

Drew Timme posted a career-high 37 points on 15-of-19 shooting to lead the No. 1 Gonzaga men's basketball team to a 86-74 win over the No. 5 Texas Longhorns on Saturday from McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington.

Drew putting everyone on notice 🥵

37 pts
15-19 FG
7 rebs
3 ast @drewtimme2 pic.twitter.com/Ao4WgrZ3Md

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) November 14, 2021

Timme started the game with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the first 4:15 of game action. He finished with 22 points by halftime as the Bulldogs led the Longhorns 47-27 at halftime.

He added 15 more points in the second half as the Bulldogs led the final 20 minutes by double digits the entire way.

Timme began the year as the Associated Press' lone unanimous selection for its All-American team as well as The Athletic's choice for the men's preseason player of the year.

Those picks are looking good through two games as Gonzaga looks for its first-ever national title.

It was an off-night for Gonzaga even-footer Chet Holmgren, who is a candidate to be called first on the next NBA draft night.

He finished with just two points on 1-of-3 shooting alongside five rebounds, two blocks and four fouls.

However, Holmgren started his collegiate career with a 14-point, 13-rebound, seven-block, six-assist night as the Bulldogs beat Dixie State 97-63. Evenings like Saturday should be few and far between as the talented big man traverses through this season.

For Texas, Timmy Allen led the way with 18 points.

Gonzaga will now host Alcorn State on Monday at 9 p.m. ET.

Dillon Mitchell pledged his future to Texas basketball on Monday, giving the Longhorns one of the best wings in the 2022 class.

New Texas hoops commit Dillion Mitchell, who committed on IG to ⁦@PaulBiancardi, picked UT over Florida State and Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/bDFXjWfN75

— Brian Davis (@byBDavis) October 25, 2021

Texas head coach Chris Beard appeared to react to the news:

Today is a Good Day. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/jCzAtnFm7C

— Chris Beard (@CoachBeard) October 25, 2021

On3's Joe Tipton passed along comments from Mitchell about his decision:

When I went on that visit man, just the relationship with the coaches and their development is what stood out. I think my biggest thing right now is developing. I know where I'm trying to get and I need a lot more development so when I went to (Texas') practice I saw how hard they work, how much the coaches push the players...they're in the gym working all the time. That's just what I need and it felt like the perfect fit. I knew right after I left in my heart I knew I wanted to be there.

Mitchell is the 28th overall player and No. 8 small forward in 247Sports' composite rankings.

As a junior, the 6'7" forward helped Bishop McLaughlin Catholic reach the Class 3A state championship game, where it fell short against Calvary Christian Academy. Rather than sticking around and trying to improve upon that result, he opted to enroll at Montverde Academy for his senior year.

Montverde has been a great incubator for promising prep stars in recent years, with Scottie Barnes, Cade Cunningham, D'Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons among the notable recent alumni.

In the 2022 class alone, the Eagles have six players earning a 5-star designation in 247Sports' composite rankings: Mitchell, Dariq Whitehead, Vince Iwuchukwu, Skyy Clark, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau.

Mitchell's stock has soared over the past year. When 247Sports updated its rankings in June, he climbed from No. 144 all the way up to No. 38.

Travis Branham explained why the Floridian had impressed so much:

Mitchell's blend of versatility, size, length and athleticism have made a big impression throughout this spring. He's got good ball skills for a wing and is terrific in the open floor but he is also effective as a slasher and cutter in the half court. His defense is arguably his biggest strength especially when his motor is fully on. He can defend all three positions on the perimeter given his physical tools, athleticism and IQ and can be a lockdown defender on some of the top scorers in the country.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony also had high praise for Mitchell in April after watching him defend 2021 standout and Memphis signee Emoni Bates. Givony called him "one of the premier defenders in the 2022 class."

In an April interview with Branham, Mitchell acknowledged his jumper still required some work and was an area of focus in terms of improving his game. That will be the key to determining whether he can become a true star at the next level.

Mitchell can already hold his own on defense and will be tough to stop in transition given his speed and athleticism.

#EYBL Dunk of the Session 🔨

Choice 4: Dillon Mitchell

Pro tip: want to add a massive amount of disrespect to your future posters? @realE1T1 4-star @Dillonmit_23 says season it with a skip 🕺🏾

Scroll to vote! #2021EYBL 📽️ @Ballislife pic.twitter.com/HZcfMrwy0u

— The Circuit (@TheCircuit) July 20, 2021

Those skills will make him a valuable member of the Longhorns rotation. Should he develop a somewhat consistent jumper, the sky is the limit, and he might be looking at a first-round grade in the NBA draft.

As rumors about the SEC moving closer to adding Texas and Oklahoma persist, the Big 12 is reportedly making an effort to keep its two signature programs from jumping ship. 

Per Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Big 12 officials are discussing a new financial structure that would increase revenue for Texas and Oklahoma. 

According to Dodd, the structure "would grant the Longhorns and Sooners an additional half-share annually (1.5 shares each), bumping their payouts to approximately $56 million per year."

In order to make the revenue balance out, the other schools in the conference would decrease their annual payouts. 

Dodd did note the topic came up during a conference call with conference officials and Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby on Thursday. 

The revenue increase plan was described to Dodd as being preliminary and "from the 50,000-foot level."

The Big 12 currently has a 13-year, $2.6 billion television contract with ESPN and Fox that pays each school around $20 million per year. That total doesn't include revenue earned from bowl games and the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments. 

Speculation about the Longhorns and Sooners switching conferences began on Wednesday. Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle reported both programs reached out to the SEC and an official announcement could happen “within a couple of weeks.”

Per ESPN's David M. Hale, both schools would likely have to pay the Big 12 "upward of $76 million apiece to buy out the remainder of their grant of media rights agreement, which runs until 2025."

Texas and Oklahoma are two charter members of the Big 12 when the conference began play in 1996. The two programs have combined to win 43 national championships in all sports over the past 25 years. 

Chris Beard's first season as men's basketball coach at the University of Texas is shaping up to be a good one based on the amount of talent he has added since taking over. 

Former Minnesota guard Marcus Carr announced Saturday he is transferring to Texas. 

"Hook ‘Em," Carr wrote on Instagram with a picture of himself in a Longhorns jersey. 

Carr originally declared for the 2021 NBA draft in March, but signing with an NCAA-certified agent allowed him to maintain his college eligibility. He also entered into the transfer portal shortly before putting his name into the draft pool. 

ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported on June 30 that Carr was withdrawing from the draft but could still consider transferring from Minnesota. 

Carr was ranked as the No. 1 transfer for the 2021-22 season by CBS Sports' David Cobb. 

"The second-team All-Big Ten pick was capable of taking over a game as a scorer or a passer, and he might be at his best when he’s reining in the shot selection a bit and making his teammates better," Kevin Flaherty wrote for 247Sports.

Beard and his staff have done tremendous work recruiting transfers this offseason. Carr joins a group that includes Timmy Allen, Dylan Disu and Tre Mitchell. Each of those four players averaged at 15 points per game last season. 

Carr's shooting numbers took a dip in 2020-21 compared to his sophomore campaign. He went from making 36.1 percent of his three-point attempts to 31.7 percent last season, although the 22-year-old did average a career-high 19.4 points per game in 29 starts. 

The Longhorns haven't won an NCAA tournament game since 2014. Beard was hired by Texas after he spent the previous five seasons at Texas Tech. His teams won at least one tournament game in three of the past four years, including an appearance in the championship game in 2019.    

Texas forward Greg Brown announced his intention to enter the 2021 NBA draft Thursday.

Brown posted a statement on Instagram that he has signed with BDA Sports.

"First off, I would like to thank the University of Texas for the historical year and all the great memories," Brown wrote. "I will cherish them forever. I have decided to chase my dreams and enter the 2021 NBA Draft and sign with BDA Sports."

The 19-year-old averaged 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds during his freshman season with the Longhorns, who were eliminated in round one of the NCAA tournament. 

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman has Brown ranked as the No. 40 prospect in this year's class. 

Brown, who is listed at 6'9" and 205 pounds, is one of the most athletic players in the nation. His earth-shattering dunk against Baylor may have been the best of the 2020-21 college season, and he's consistently able to use his leaping ability and lateral quickness to help out in former coach Shaka Smart's pressure defensive system.

While he's not an elite scorer, the Texas native flashed an improving jumper and hit 33.0 percent of his three-point shots as a freshman. His passing and playmaking IQ need a ton of work, but he projects as a potential 3-and-D player at the 3 and could rocket up boards if he keeps working on his shooting mechanics.

The measurables in terms of athleticism will be undeniable, and Brown could lap the field in workouts if the NBA has an in-person scouting combine this year.

As it stands, he has tremendous upside because of his size and athleticism. He could move up in the rankings throughout the pre-draft process due to his skill set. 

The University of Texas has reportedly hired Chris Beard to be its next men's basketball coach.

Jeff Goodman of Stadium relayed the news Thursday.  

Beard, 48, has coached Texas Tech for the past five years. He led the Red Raiders to the 2019 national final, where they fell to Virginia in overtime. Texas Tech also went 27-10 the year before en route to an Elite Eight appearance.

This year's Texas Tech team went 18-11 and reached the Round of 32.

Before his Texas Tech stint, Beard coached at McMurry, Angelo State and Little Rock. He parlayed his single season at Little Rock, when the Trojans won 30 games and reached the Round of 32, into the UNLV gig. However, Beard left UNLV for Texas Tech a few weeks later when a vacancy opened following Tubby Smith's exit to Memphis.

Beard takes over a Texas program that went 19-8 and won the Big 12 championship but fell 53-52 to No. 14 seed Abilene Christian in the first round of the NCAA tournament. After the season, head coach Shaka Smart left Texas to take Marquette's head coaching job.

Beard has work to do, as he's losing the team's point guard (and second-leading scorer) in Matt Coleman III as well as the team's top rebounder in Jericho Sims. The two are seniors this year.

Still, Beard has found success in every one of his head coaching stops and could do the same in Austin.

It's tough to do much better than an endorsement from Kevin Durant when it comes to Texas Longhorns basketball, and that is exactly what Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Royal Ivey had on his way to a reported interview.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Nets assistant interviewed for the Texas men's basketball head coaching job Sunday after Shaka Smart departed to lead the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Shelburne pointed out "there is strong support for him amongst Texas alumni," including Durant.

On Friday, Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported Durant endorsed Ivey as a head coaching candidate in part because he "wants to see it kept in the Texas family."

Ivey played for the Longhorns from 2000-01 through 2003-04 and averaged 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game throughout his career.

Texas went to three straight Sweet 16s during his tenure with the team and advanced to the 2003 Final Four. It was the last time the Big 12 program advanced to the Final Four in the men's NCAA tournament.

The guard also enjoyed a lengthy NBA career after the Atlanta Hawks selected him with a second-round pick in the 2004 NBA draft.

He played 10 seasons for the Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder as a role player who could handle the ball and shoot from the outside. He was teammates with Durant on the Thunder for three seasons.

Since he retired, Ivey has been an assistant coach for the Thunder, New York Knicks and, now, the Nets.

It was somewhat surprising to see Smart leave the Longhorns after leading them to a Big 12 tournament title and appearance in the Big Dance this season, although the campaign lost some of its luster when they were shocked in the first round by 14th-seeded Abilene Christian.

Ivey may have Durant's endorsement, but he might have to beat out Texas Tech's Chris Beard.

Beard attended Texas and was a student assistant there earlier in his career. Chip Brown of 247Sports reported he is the "leading candidate" for the vacant head coach position.

Texas Tech coach Chris Beard has reportedly emerged as the front-runner to replace Shaka Smart as the men's basketball coach at Texas.

Chip Brown of 247Sports reported Saturday that Beard is the favorite to move between Big 12 programs. The potential hire is unlikely to come before Thursday, when Beard's buyout to leave for another team within the conference drops to $4 million, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

Smart left Texas earlier this week to take the job at Marquette in what was viewed as a soft landing since he was on the hot seat after the Longhorns were upset in the 2021 NCAA tournament. It's unclear if Smart would have returned in 2021-22 had he not left on his own accord.

Beard is 112-55 in five seasons at Texas Tech, his second head coaching job at the Division I level. He previously spent one season at Arkansas-Little Rock.

The Red Raiders peaked in 2018-19, going 31-7 and reaching the NCAA championship game before losing to Virginia. Beard has been successful at Texas Tech by targeting transfers, either from JUCOs or other programs.

Texas would be a different job entirely, coming with expectations to land 5-star recruits and make deep runs in the tournament. The Longhorns consistently failed in March under Smart, losing in the first round in each of their three tournament appearances during his tenure. Texas has not made the second weekend since 2008, and the program has been increasingly itching for a return to prominence.

Beard graduated from Texas and was a student assistant under Tom Penders, so it could be difficult for Texas Tech to keep him in Lubbock.

If Texas fails to land Beard, it would have to go back to the drawing board. Kevin Durant recently advocated for fellow former Longhorn Royal Ivey, per Jeff Goodman of Stadium. Ivey is an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets.