Though not known as a traditional basketball school, the Texas Longhorns have been remarkably consistent in making the NCAA Tournament over the last 30 seasons, appearing 26 times, good for sixth nationally during that stretch.
But after what head coach Shaka Smart called “a season unlike any other” in the immediate aftermath of the ‘Horns securing a No. 10 seed in the South Region, there was a sense of excitement from the team that belied the program’s historic success and put into perspective just how much it had overcome.
So while making the tournament is now a minimum and justified expectation for this program, this group is clearly not taking it for granted.