Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Texas

Chris Del Conte attempts to quell concerns over Texas basketball, Rodney Terry: 'It ebbs and flows'

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•about 10 hours•

BarkleyTruax

Rodney Terry, Chris Del Conte
Texas Head Coach Rodney Terry and Chris Del Conte Vice President and Athletics Director, The University of Texas poses during a press conference accepting the role as head basketball coach for the University of Texas. (Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte was asked to comment on the state of the Longhorns men’s basketball program amid their first season in the SEC.

Having made four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, Del Conte believes Texas will be just fine after adjusting to its new conference.

“The direction of basketball. It ebbs and flows,” Del Conte explained. “Two years ago we were in the Elite Eight. Last year in the round of 32. Not having the year we all expect. I understand that. Some of our programs are at the top of the heap and they’re working their way through it. That’s the reality of sport. I get it.

“At the end of the day, as we look at every one of our programs, I have those discussions at the end of the year.”

Rodney Terry is in his second full season as the Texas head coach. He took over for Chris Beard as interim head coach mid-season in 2022. The Longhorns would make a run to the Elite Eight that season, leading Del Conte to remove the interim tag from his title.

Texas finished its first season under Terry’s leadership 21-13 overall but went 9-9 against a Big 12 Conference that sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament. They were ranked as high as No. 12 in the AP Top 25 poll after starting the preseason ranked No. 18. Texas would go on to lose in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a seven-seed.

The Longhorns would enter the 2024-25 season ranked No. 19 in the preseason AP poll heading into their first season in the SEC.

As of this report, Texas is 16-12 overall, but 5-10 in conference play. However, the SEC is expected to push up to 13 teams, including Texas, into the NCAA Tournament given the conference’s collective strength this season.

They most recently dropped an overtime game to Arkansas on the road, but have impressive wins over ranked teams such as Missouri, Texas A&M and Kentucky down the stretch.

The loss pushes Texas down to 13th place in the current SEC rankings, one spot above Oklahoma, who made the jump from the Big 12 to the SEC earlier this offseason.

Texas still has time to finish its season on a high note, and even reach 20 wins before the NCAA Tournament. That effort starts on Saturday night when they host Georgia inside the Moody Center. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET live on ESPN2.