Texas basketball: The Longhorns welcome the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament, from tears to applause

For Texas basketball coach Rodney Terry, his team’s selection to the NCAA Tournament provided a sense of affirmation about enduring a gantlet of a schedule in the SEC.

But for the Longhorn players, the emotions ranged from relief and excitement to utter joy. An 11th seed, Texas (19-15) is going dancing in March for the fifth consecutive time and 31st time since 1990 — just five other programs can claim.

Does it matter that this NCAA Tournament starts with the Longhorns’ first appearance in a First Four game against Xavier in Dayton, Ohio, Wednesday? Not one bit, said Texas freshman Tre Johnson.

“Everybody was excited and everybody was nervous, because we weren’t locked in 100%,” he said. “But when we saw our name. …”

Johnson then broke into a smile while talking to reporters Sunday at the team’s practice facility adjacent to Moody Center, which was packed for a Tyler, The Creator concert. The NCAA Selection Committee apparently had 20/20 vision when it came to looking at the SEC, and it showed plenty of precision by picking Texas as the 14th team out of the conference, a new record number of selections for any conference.

For guard Jordan Pope, the moment with his teammates during Sunday’s selection show helped validate his decision to transfer in the offseason from Oregon State. Pope didn’t reach the tournament in his two years with the Beavers, and Wednesday’s First Four game against Xavier will fulfill one of his longtime goals.

“When everyone started cheering when our name popped up, I almost teared up a little bit,” he said. “This is what I dreamed of; this is what I came to Texas for. That was part of my decision in leaving (Oregon State).

Graduate guard Tramon Mark, another first-year Longhorn, welcomes the chance at again playing in the tournament. He went to the Final Four with Houston as a freshman in 2021, missed the 2022 tournament with an injury, and helped Houston reach the Sweet 16 in 2023. He missed last year’s tournament while with Arkansas, but that came as no surprise.

“This one was the most nervous one,” he said. “My other ones (with Houston), I kind of knew we were in. But this one was definitely different, because I didn’t know where we were going to land, who we were going to play, if we were going to play, none of that stuff. It was definitely nerve-wracking, but it ended all good.”

Senior forward Kadin Shedrick agreed about the nerves with Mark.