Over the 32 days leading up to college basketball season, we’re profiling 32 different teams who could be in the NIT mix, aided in this effort by those who know them best (or the closest we could get). Today, I myself will tell you about Texas. Does this mean I emailed myself? No. I typed all the questions out, and then I responded to them. Why Texas? Well, I live in Austin and had a front row seat to Shaka Smart’s national title run in 2019. Sometimes, literally. Also had a front row seat to him getting run out of town in 2021. That was unfair. I have a list of UT media folks who don’t know ball. It’s in my head, but I know who they are.
Here’s the full list of 32 for 32’s published so far, with links:
- Auburn, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- BYU, with Mitch Harper
- Cincinnati, with Zach Fries
- Dayton, with Tyler Cronin
- Duquesne, with Tristan Freeman
- Indiana, with Matt Cox
- Iona, with Sam Federman
- Iowa State, with Joe Stunardi
- James Madison, with Bennett Conlin
- Loyola, with Ky McKeon
- Michigan, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- Missouri, with Jim Root
- North Texas, with Harry Miers
- Northwestern, with John Templon
- Notre Dame, with Stuart McGrath
- Ohio State, with Mark Titus
- Oregon State, with Andy Dieckhoff
- Penn State, with DJ Bauer
- South Carolina, with Brian Rauf
- St. Bonaventure, with SBUnfurled
- St. John’s, with the Sickos CBB Committee
- Syracuse, with the Marshall Street Podcast
- Texas, with NIT Stu
- Utah, with Andrew Crowley
- Virginia Tech, with Ken Pomeroy
- Washington State, with Dave Andersen
- Wisconsin, with Cole Amundson
The Barking Crow: Beginning with last year. Despite your best efforts, Texas was never anywhere close to the NIT. What makes you think the Longhorns have a chance this season?
The lesson Texas likes to teach us, in sports people pay attention to, is that the greatest failures come from the greatest preseason expectations. I wish ill on nobody. I wish an NIT berth on many. Why can Texas make the NIT? Because they’ve got the heart for it. (And people around UT sports say that the athletes don’t feel enough pressure and that’s why they lose.)
TBC: Texas won the NIT in 2019, as many around this blog remember. They also won in 1978, though. Why don’t more people talk about that?
At some level, I think it’s that we do most of the talking about the NIT and we weren’t born until 1994. We literally do not remember 1978. That said, we should talk about it more. They scored 101 points in the championship. That was before the three-point line, too. It sounds like there’s a story there.
TBC: When Texas played in the 2019 NIT, games were at the Erwin Center, and the crowd was noticeably sparse. If they were to make it this year, would hosting the games at the Moody Center liven up the atmosphere?
This is something I hadn’t wondered about before writing that question. Would they have the game at the Moody Center? Or would they maybe move it to Gregory Gym or something? I always want Texas to make the NIT (I want the best for them), but now I really want it. I want to know. Also? An NIT game at Gregory Gym would be electric. I hope. I should probably start being nicer to Texas basketball, just in case.
TBC: Chris Beard is gone. The Moody Center is into its second year. The football team looks good. Has Texas basketball’s moment passed?
Well, the moment predates Chris Beard and the Moody Center, because the moment was 2019. So this is an insulting question. But. Yes. Maybe they come out hot again this year and get people talking, but it does seem that last year was a moment, and then it was a different kind of moment, and then it was the first kind of moment again, and then it ended and everyone’s kind of ok with letting it go. Texas basketball had some “fad” vibes last season. It’s always going to have a great following in Austin, and I think the Moody Center deepened a lot of ties to the city itself, but it’s not going to be at the front of the school’s consciousness unless the Horns are really making a run. Ideally towards an NIT title.
TBC: What’s the story with the women’s basketball program at Texas right now? Any WBIT hopes?
The thing about sports at Texas besides football and men’s basketball is that they don’t underachieve as much. That’s where the focus theory comes from. So, sadly, I don’t think we’re going to see Texas in the WBIT.
TBC: Who is your dream NIT opponent for Texas? Who do you least want Texas to play in the NIT?
Mississippi; Marquette.
TBC: Dare we dream of a Texas NIT title?
Always, friends. Always.
