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Longhorn Lookback: When Texas took down Xavier for a spot in the Elite Eight

by:EvanVieth•about 10 hours
Rodney Terry
Rodney Terry vs. Xavier in the 2023 Elite Eight (William Purnell-Imagn Images)

Just under two years ago, an interim head coach by the name of Rodney Terry was making a run that caught the attention of the nation.

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Texas entered the 2022-23 season as the No. 12 team in the nation, led by the culture-defining head coach Chris Beard and a talented roster of veterans plus some promising freshmen. By the time December had started, Beard had brought his team to a No. 2 ranking, defeating two future Elite Eight teams in Gonzaga and Creighton before falling to No. 17 Illinois. Still, Texas was a top-10 team heading into the last few non-conference games.

But Beard didn’t last long into the season, suspended following his arrest eight games into the season and eventually dismissed for cause. In just the snap of a finger, Terry was tasked with keeping a strong team not only afloat, but competitive in the best conference in college basketball, the Big 12.

Terry’s run turned out to be a memorable one, winning 12 of 18 games in the league and ending the regular season as the No. 2 team in the Big 12. Texas entered the Big 12 Tournament having struggled in its last few games, but that didn’t seem to phase the Longhorns. Texas swept their way through Oklahoma State, TCU and Kansas on its way to a Big 12 Tournament title. The Jayhawks, the Big 12 favorite and a top-three team in the nation, lost to the Longhorns by 20 in the championship game.

Just a week later, the Longhorns were into the Sweet 16 as a No. 2 seed, seemingly possessing the best team from Austin since the one led by DJ Augustin in 2008. Texas was primed to face another strong team, the red hot Xavier Musketeers. Xavier entered as a No. 3 seed, having defeated Kennesaw State and Pitt, and the matchup would decide who faced Miami in the Elite Eight.

The contest started out just as many Texas games had that season, with the duo of Timmy Allen and Marcus Carr trading midrange jumpers to catapault Texas to a 10-5 lead. But the real story of the game was still yet to come.

Dylan Disu, a lengthy rim protector and eventual No. 1 option, had been banged up in the Penn State game a week prior. Just two minutes into the Xavier game, Disu was limping off into the locker room and would not return.

In relief, Christian Bishop had arguably his best night as a Longhorn. In 24 minutes, Bishop scored 18 points and recorded nine rebounds, taking over the post and paint area and affecting shots from Xavier center Jack Nunge.

With Bishop’s extra juice down low, Texas’ best shot creators took over the game. Carr and Allen combined for 29 points, while Tyrese Hunter and Sir’Jabari Rice scored 19 and 16 points, respectively.

Even with a 17-point lead at halftime thanks to an absurd Allen buzzer-beater, Xavier didn’t go away quietly. Adam Kunkel was lights out, scoring 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting with five threes. Nunge recorded a double-double, and future NBA draft pick Colby Jones was a menace throughout. Jones posted a 15-point, 7-rebound, 6-assist, 2-block stat line.

But still, this game felt like it was Texas’ from the jump. The Longhorn’ 83-71 win didn’t fully illustrate just how dominant they were, as the Musketeers played 14-20 points behind for most of the second half. It was arguably the best win of Terry’s interim tenure, and Texas advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in almost two decades.

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Two years later, Texas will face Xavier once again. Even as a First Four game for the tournament, the stakes seem just as high for Terry and his future in the program, with a loss almost signaling the departure of any remaining magic from 2023.

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