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WATCH: TJ Ford takes victory lap on Twitter after Texas wins Big 12 Tournament championship

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels03/11/23

ChandlerVessels

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Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Former Texas point guard TJ Ford loved what he saw Saturday as the Longhorns defeated Kansas 76-56 to claim the Big 12 Tournament title. Ford tweeted a video following the victory showing himself wearing his No. 11 Texas jersey with the game on in the background as he celebrated the win.

“Big 12 champs,” he said. “Yes sir! Yes sir! Yes sir!”

TJ Ford starred at Texas during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year his first season. He led the Longhorns to a Final Four appearance the following season, averaging 15 points, 7.7 rebounds and two steals per game. The Milwaukee Bucks later selected him as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, and he enjoyed an eight-year NBA career.

The Big 12 Tournament title was the second for Texas in the past three seasons, as it also won the tournament in 2021. Now the Longhorns will move on to the NCAA Tournament, where they are projected to be a No. 2 seed in ESPN expert Joe Lunardi’s latest rankings.

Texas will find out exactly whom and where it will play at 5 p.m. CT during the Selection Sunday Show on CBS.

Texas defeats Kansas to claim Big 12 Tournament title

For the second consecutive Saturday, Texas has taken care of Kansas. This one most likely meant more, winning the Big 12 Tournament in impressive fashion. Interim head coach Rodney Terry has done a masterful job in Kansas City and was able to take down the Jayhawks 76-56.

A couple of key faces were missing from both sides, with Timmy Allen not playing on the Texas side. He has been an important, veteran presence for the Longhorns since Terry took over. Without him on the court, other role players stepped up in a big way.

Freshman Arterio Morris was the most notable, getting things done on both ends of the court. Offensively, he was able to get into double figures for the second time in the past three games. An efficient three of four from the floor was crucial for Texas coming off the bench.

The usual stars showed out as well for Texas. Dylan Disu was the leading scorer, finishing with 18 points and was closely followed by Marcus Carr. Sir Jabari Rice was as impressive as his shot fake as well, adding another 17 points — all without hitting a three-pointer.

Expectations will once again be high heading into next week. Texas has not made the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2014.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh contributed to this report.