Rodney Terry stopped on the way in which to the Texas locker room after his workforce knocked out Xavier for a spot within the Elite Eight, the interim coach fulfilling a fan’s want for {a photograph} by flashing that all-too-familiar “Hook ’em Horns” signal.
“Go get that job, coach!” the grateful fan hollered after him.
A pair extra wins, and the parents at Texas won’t have a selection.
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The longtime assistant made his boldest assertion but for the full-time gig, guiding the Longhorns with out ailing massive man Dylan Disu to an 83-71 win over the Musketeers on Friday evening.
Tyrese Hunter scored 19 factors, and Marcus Carr and Christian Bishop added 18 apiece, to maneuver second-seeded Texas inside a sport of the Closing 4 for the primary time in 15 years.
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“I assumed we performed one in every of our higher defensive video games tonight that we performed all yr,” mentioned Terry, who stepped into the highest job in December, when Chris Beard was suspended and in the end fired following allegations of home violence.
“Pleased with my guys and the way in which they put their will on this sport from the begin to end.”
Disu, who had been dominant via the primary two video games of the event, damage his foot in a second-round win over Penn State. He received remedy on all of it week, and the Longhorns efficiently saved it secret till tipoff, when the large man performed simply a few minutes after which limped off the ground and straight to the locker room.
When he returned to the bench, he was sporting a giant strolling boot, a black hoodie and a grim expression.
“It will be day-to-day proper now in the meanwhile,” Terry mentioned. “We received the most effective within the enterprise working with us.”
Nonetheless, the Longhorns already had a tricky job forward in No. 5 seed Miami on Sunday evening, particularly given the way in which the Hurricanes roared to an 89-75 win over Houston. The opportunity of enjoying with out Disu, who led the Longhorns to a Massive 12 Event title and earned MVP honors on the identical flooring simply two weeks in the past, solely makes it tougher.
“We knew earlier than the sport that we would not have Dylan for the entire sport,” Carr mentioned. “We simply wished to actually play for him. We knew how a lot this may imply to him. We received emotional in there, figuring out he would not be on the market.”
Relegated to a 6-foot-9 cheerleader Friday evening, Disu not less than had a lot to have a good time.
Sir’Jabari Rice scored 16 factors and Timmy Allen added 11 for the Longhorns (29-8). The perfect-seeded workforce left within the event saved Souley Boum and Xavier’s perimeter threats in examine whereas making life depressing for Jack Nunge down low.
Adam Kunkel hit 5 three-pointers and led the third-seeded Musketeers (27-10) with 21 factors. Nunge scored 15 however wanted 19 pictures to get there, whereas Colby Jones additionally had 15 factors. Boum didn’t hit a subject objective till early within the second half and completed with 12.
“They had been higher than us,” Xavier coach Sean Miller mentioned. “We had a really tough time operating our offense, and that is a testomony to their protection, as a result of we have been in a position to rating just about each sport we have performed this yr.”
It was Texas who scored at will, although, and Carr who received them going. He spun via the lane like a Tilt-A-Whirl for powerful buckets on the rim, and even knocked down a spinning, desperation three because the shot clock expired. And when Miller traded out a man-to-man protection for a zone, the Longhorns started to pound the ball to Bishop within the paint.
With dozens of household and mates readily available, the Creighton switch from the Kansas Metropolis suburb of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, went to work. Bishop threw down one dunk on Carr’s alley-oop lob, then slammed down one other a couple of minutes later.
By the point Allen banked in a half-court heave, the Longhorns had established a 42-25 halftime benefit and needed to be redirected from the Xavier tunnel, the place they had been busy celebrating, towards their very own locker room.
“Their strain is one thing you possibly can’t actually simulate till you’re within the sport in opposition to them. Their toughness, their expertise,” Miller mentioned. “After which offensively they’ve nice guard play, and you’re feeling that as nicely.”
Xavier tried to creep again a few occasions, however the Longhorns by no means let their lead sniff single digits. And that gave Terry, who returned to Texas after head jobs at Fresno State and UTEP, an opportunity to breathe deeply and benefit from the second.
The 54-year-old from the small Texas city of Angleton was on Rick Barnes’ employees the final time the Longhorns reached the Elite Eight, again in 2008. He was on the 2003 employees that guided all of them the way in which to the Closing 4, too.
Now, he is one step away from taking Texas on a most unbelievable journey to school basketball’s largest stage.
“Proceed to need extra. I imply, every spherical — don’t be happy,” Terry mentioned. “We’re going to get pleasure from this victory for one evening, like we now have all yr lengthy, and we’ll be on to the following problem and really rapidly in opposition to a extremely good Miami workforce.”
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