Texas in the NCAA Tournament: The chance to compete in March is the 'why' for several Longhorns

There are a variety of recruiting pitches available to college basketball programs when talking to top prospects. A wall filled with players who have made their way to the NBA is an effective one. In the current day and age, so too is a robust Name, Image, and Likeness apparatus.

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But in college basketball, there’s always one pitch that has a significant amount of value: the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.

Texas sold the opportunity to play in March Madness to many of the portal prospects it signed last year, and also to high school phenom Tre Johnson. Some transfers like Tramon Mark and Arthur Kaluma had NCAA Tournament experience but failed to enter the field of 68 in 2024. Others like Jordan Pope, Jayson Kent, and Julian Larry were on teams that fell painfully short of making the March Madness field.

So, when the members of the 2024-25 Longhorns saw their names pop up in a First Four matchup versus Xavier, they weren’t bemoaning a trip to Dayton. Rather, they were excited, and relieved, that they had made the field.

“It was joy, happiness, relief, all different types of emotions,” Mark said Sunday. “Seeing your name, especially when we didn’t expect to see our name, but we did? That’s what it is, it’s a whole new season.”

North Carolina’s inclusion in the field in a different region felt like a nail in the coffin for Texas’ chances. Johnson said the practice gym where the Longhorns watched the selection show quickly became gloomy when the Tar Heels made the field, seemingly taking a spot that could have gone to the Longhorns. But when the Midwest region was put on the screen and the Longhorns saw their name, there was relief among those wearing burnt orange and dreams turned into reality for a sizable portion of the roster.

“It feels great,” said Pope, who missed the tournament during his previous two seasons with Oregon State. “When I saw everyone start cheering when our name popped up, I almost teared up a little bit because this is what I dreamed for. This is what I came to Texas for. That was part of my decision in leaving my prior school. I wanted to be part of March Madness. I wanted to get myself a chance to get on that stage. Now that we have that opportunity, I’m just grateful and excited.”

Added Kent, who along with Larry was on an Indiana State team that was left out of the field in 2024: “It’s a blessing. To be in the tournament, not a lot of college athletes get the opportunity to, so I’m blessed to have the ability to play in there.”

In the transfer portal era, Texas has successfully brought a number of prospects to the 40 Acres out of the portal with visions of March Madness. Marcus Carr failed to make the NCAA Tournament at both Pitt and Minnesota. Same with Timmy Allen at Utah, and Dylan Disu at Vanderbilt. March basketball resonates, and it’s why Texas head coach Rodney Terry was so happy on Sunday for the players that joined his program at Texas to compete in the tournament.

“I’m really happy for those guys to get that experience,” Terry said in reference to his Indiana State transfers. “Jordan Pope, to have that opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament as well. He hasn’t had the chance to play in the tournament.”

For others, the selection on Sunday was about returning to a stage they’d been to previously.

“I’m happy that Arthur Kaluma gets the chance to close out his career in the NCAA Tournament,” Terry said. “He’s had the chance to compete in the tournament a couple of times. Same thing with Tramon Mark.”

That pitch no doubt applies to prep prospects, and Texas’ best player in Johnson was a star in the high school ranks just last year. The opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament, even for one-and-done prospects, is important. Terry said that former Longhorn Tristan Thompson, who played just one season with the Horns in 2010-11, told the team at the SEC Tournament how fondly he remembers his time in the Madness.

Johnson, who is heading to the NBA Draft barring a drastic change of heart after the season, now has the opportunity to make his mark and have his One Shining Moment starting Wednesday against Xavier in the First Four.

“Just playing each game like it’s our last, because it is,” Johnson said. “Just playing for all the seniors and the guys on the team since it’s their last year. Just playing with my brothers, guys I’ve built memories and friendships with over the course of the season. They’re my motivation for sure.”

Terry was glad to have his freshman superstar in the field as well.

“There’s nothing like it,” Terry said. “It’s why you come to play college basketball. He’s got an incredible future ahead of himself, but he’s also excited about playing in this NCAA Tournament.”

Even if the odds are long, there are odds. It’s impossible to compete for a national championship without being in the Tournament. Texas made it, and as Chendall Weaver put it, they think they can do something in March.

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“Don’t count us out,” Weaver said. “We’re still here.”