1998-2015  Coach Rick Barnes Many more highs than lows

Barnes was the longest-tenured and winningest head coach in program history, coaching the Longhorns for 17 years from 1999 to 2015.

During his time on the Forty Acres, Barnes amassed a 402-180 overall record, leading Texas to three conference titles, 16 NCAA tournament appearances, and one Final Four appearance.

The History of Longhorn Basketball from Wikipedia:

The University of Texas began varsity intercollegiate competition in men’s basketball in 1906. The Longhorns rank 17th in total victories among all NCAA Division I college basketball programs and 25th in all-time win percentage among programs with at least 50 years in Division I, with an all-time win-loss record of 1749–1051 (.625). Among Big 12 Conference men’s basketball programs, Texas is second only to Kansas in both all-time wins and all-time win percentage.

The Longhorns have won 27 total conference championships in men’s basketball and have made 33 total appearances in the NCAA Tournament (11th-most appearances all time, with a 35–36 overall record), reaching the NCAA Final Four three times (1943, 1947, 2003) and the NCAA Regional Finals (Elite Eight) seven times. As of April 2015, Texas ranks fourth among all Division I men’s basketball programs for total NCAA Tournament games won without having won the national championship (35), trailing only Notre Dame (37), Illinois (40), and Oklahoma.

BARNES: BY THE NUMBERS AT TEXAS

One losing season in 17 years at Texas.

One time reaching the highest national ranking during the 2010 season.

Two National players of the year produced by Barnes — T.J. Ford in 2003, Kevin Durant in 2007.

Three Big 12 championships won (1999, 2006, 2008).

Four times Barnes was named Big 12 coach of the year.

5th – 7th was the Longhorn average NCAA Tournament seeding in the Barnes era.

Six NBA lottery picks from Texas during the Barnes era — Chris Mimh, Ford, LaMarcus Aldridge, Durant, D.J. Augustin and Tristan Thompson.

Eight All-Americans at Texas in the Barnes era.

Nine – Barnes became one of nine active coaches who had more than 400 wins at their schools.

Thirteen consecutive 20-win seasons (2000-12).

Sixteen Texas players drafted by the NBA in the Barnes era.

Sixteen NCAA Tournaments bids in 17 years.

19-16 is Barnes NCAA Tournament record.

178-84 is Barnes’ Big 12 record at Texas.

193 is the number of Total weeks Texas was ranked in the AP Top 25, including 92 weeks in the Top 10.

402-180 is Barnes’ overall record at Texas.

604-314 is Barnes’s career coaching record in 28 years. That’s a career-winning percentage of .658.

                If the facts above are not enough then consider these additions.

• 17 Of 17 Years Texas Went To The NCAA Tournament

• Three Times To The  Elite 8

• Five Times To The Sweet 16

• School Record  13 Consecutive 20 Game Winners

• Most Wins Ever At Texas In One Season (31)

• Five Time District 9 Coach Of The Year

• Four-Time District 7 Coach Of The Year

• 2009 John Wooden Legends Of Coaching Award Recipient.

Coach Barnes’s basketball philosophy was more flexible than Penders. Barnes’s ability to adapt to each game is his formula for success. He focuses his team on a strong defense that either Runs or slows down the offense depending on the circumstance.

1998-1999 19-13 record Rick Barnes – Big 12 conference champs

Rick Barnes’s first few months at Texas were chaotic. Following the tumultuous departure of Tom Penders, the team lost three players to transfer and faced eligibility issues that cost them one recruit and left another as a “partial qualifier.” By the 1998-1999 season, Barnes had only eight eligible scholarship players. However, he demonstrated his coaching abilities by previously playing with only four players on five during a game at Chapel Hill. His focus on conditioning was key in preparing his teams to win through strong defensive play. Four of the five starters returned from a 14-17 record the previous season.

Despite the turmoil after Penders’ exit, players like Chris Mihm and Royal Ivey chose to stick it out. Although Barnes only had seven scholarship players on the 1998 team, he led them to win the regular-season title in the Big 12 Conference and secured a seventh seed in the NCAA tournament. Barnes relied heavily on Mihm and Chris Clack to carry much of the team’s scoring load. Notably, Clack was the first McDonald’s All-American to play for Texas.

Barnes transformed the team’s playing style from Penders’ “circus-style” approach to a more disciplined offense and defensive strategy. He emphasized that games are won from the inside out, rather than the outside in, and reminded his players that intensity cannot be turned on or off like a light switch—once you have it, it must be constant.

Barnes was hired for his tireless recruiting efforts and promotional skills, boasting a blend of Abe Lemons’ feistiness and Bobby Knight’s inner drive.

MOMENT NO. 81
Jan. 23, 1999: Despite playing without starting forward Gabe Muoneke (suspension), Chris Mihm blocks a pair of three-point attempts in the final 10 seconds to preserve a 73-70 upset over No. 23 Oklahoma State at the Erwin Center.

Gabe Muoneke punched a Wisconsin player and received a warning. In the game against Kansas, he threw three punches and was suspended for one match. Gabe apologized, stating that he was embarrassed for hurting both the team and his family’s reputation.

In an article in Sports Illustrated, All-Big 12 forward Gabe Muoneke discusses Chris Mihm’s decision to stay with the Longhorns for the 1998 season. He notes, “Chris made a very courageous decision to brave the storm.” Muoneke also mentions that if Mihm had left, he would have followed, and this might have influenced Rick Barnes’ decision to accept the Longhorns coaching job.

Barnes acknowledged Mihm’s potential, stating, “You can be one of the greatest ever to play this game.” NBA scouts agreed, describing Chris as “a great mix of old-school fundamentals and ’90s flair.”

Chris Mihm was a 2000 All-American center and a two-time first-team Big 12 selection.

1999-2000- 24-9 record Rick Barnes

Ivan Wagner is the track star who helped the basketball team improve. His video is below. He was the MVP two years in a row- 1998-1999 and 1999-2000.

MOMENT NO. 35
Nov. 27, 1999: Chris Mihm paces five Longhorns in double-figure scoring by recording a game-high 19 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocked shots to lead Texas to an 81-74 upset of No. 3 Michigan State in the championship game of the Puerto Rico Shootout in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The win marked the first time Texas had captured an eight-team, neutral-site in-season tourney title in school history. The Spartans, playing without All-America guard Mateen Cleaves, went on to win the NCAA Championship later that spring.

Texas enters the top 10 for the first time since 1982.

CBS pays 6 billion dollars for the exclusive rights to NCAA basketball for 11 years. This is double the amount of the previous Television contract and represents 90% of the revenue base.

MOMENT NO. 16
End of 1999-2000 season: Chris Mihm garners consensus first-team All-America honors, becoming just the second player in school history (and first in 65 years) to earn the accolade.

Texas sets a record for defense against Baylor, winning 60-38.

MOMENT NO. 33
Feb. 24, 1999: UT tops Baylor 62-52 in Waco to capture the school’s first-ever Big 12 Conference championship. Despite playing with just seven scholarship players for most of the season and struggling out of the gate to a 3-8 mark, first-year coach Rick Barnes remains patient and engineers one of the greatest midseason turnarounds in school history. The Longhorns win 16 of their final 21 games and post a 13-3 mark in the Big 12.

2000-2001 25-9 record rick Barnes -winning without swagger

Texas beats Kansas for the first time in 62 years. This is the Longhorns best team since 1981-1982.

MOMENT NO. 64
Feb. 5, 2000: Chris Mihm posted 18 points, 12 rebounds, and a school single-game record eight blocked shots to lead Texas to a 68-57 win at Massachusetts. During the victory, Mihm also breaks the school career blocked shots record, passing Albert Burditt’s previous mark of 236.

Roosevelt Brown overcomes eligibility issues, and Freddie Williams is the team’s MVP. Both are important components of the team’s plan prior to the season.

2001 – 2002- 22-12 record Rick Barnes -the team makes the Sweet 16

Texas claimed its 1,400 victory, beating Colorado.

2001-2002 season – overcoming injuries  – finished in 18th in the poll but made the Sweet-16.  The team was better away from home than at home, beating Stanford, Oklahoma State, Missouri (twice), and Texas Tech.  The team featured USBWA National Freshman of the Year Ford, who was the first Freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists.

Royal Ivey sets a record for most starts in a career (126)

MOMENT NO. 91
Feb. 24, 2001: Maurice Evans recorded a career-high 28 points while hitting 10-of-14 field goals (including 5-of-6 from three-point range) to pace the Longhorns to a 94-78 upset of No. 6 Iowa State at the Erwin Center before an ESPN national television audience.

The team reaches the Sweet 16.

MOMENT NO. 78
2001-2002: T.J. Ford becomes the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 avg.) while earning several National Freshman of the Year accolades (USBWA, CNNSI.com, CollegeInsider.com).

Converting Longhorn academic success to the business world.

Deginald Erskin was a walk-on transfer from UNT and a major force in the paint during the post-season run. Deginald led the team in field goal percentage and was second in blocks.  Jason Klotz was the most improved player during the 2001-2002 season.

2002- 2003 26-7 Record Under Coach Barnes Final 4

Buckman and Paulino had a great basketball ride for the Longhorns. Three sweet 16 appearances. On their home court, the two were 59-4, and in their final game, they beat Oklahoma to share the Big 12 title. They also were part of a school record for most wins in a season.

2002-2003 was the best season in the 97-year history of Longhorn basketball. Texas advanced to the final four for the third time in the school’s history (1943 and 1947 were the other two years). Texas was ranked #3 in the final poll.

Before this season, UT had made only three appearances in the AP Top 10. #6 in 1978-1979, #7 in 1982, and #5 in 1982.  2002-2003 Texas was ranked in the top 10 for 19 weeks, including 13 weeks in the top 5.   #2 on December 2, 2002, was the highest preseason billing in school history, besting the #6 ranking in 1978-1979.   Ford won the Naismith and Wooden awards, becoming the first person in UT history to earn National Player of the Year.

MOMENT NO. 41
December 2, 2002: Texas climbs to No. 2 in both The Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. This marks the highest ranking in both polls in school history (before the 2005-06 season).

The Horns reached The Final 4 for the third time in Longhorn basketball history—first, Bully GilstGilstrap’s in 1942, and Jack Gray’Gray’s in 1946.

This basketball team ties the school record for most wins @ 26.

T. J. Ford  Receives The Naismith College Player Of The Year; John R. Wooden Award; Sporting News Men’sMen’sege Basketball Player Of The Year; CBS/Chevrolet National Player Of The Year; SI.Com National Player Of The Year; And Espn.Com Player Of The Year.

On February 9, 2002, Longhorn basketball won their 1500 game in the program’s history.

ESPN and AP ranked the Longhorns as number 2 during the year. This is the highest ranking ever for Longhorn basketball and the first time the Longhorns have received a Number One seed.

MOMENT NO. 50
Mar. 17, 2002: Royal Ivey hits a pair of free throws with eight seconds left to lift Texas to a 68-64 victory against Mississippi State in a NCAA Second Round contest at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The win sends the Longhorns to the “Sweet 16” for the third time since the tourney expanded to 64 teams.

The Longhorns are relatively small, but 6’8″ sophomore center James
Thomas had some good number after Owen’s injury the year before. . Though only a sophomore, “He really filled the void for us, and he’s just scratched the surface of his talent,” says Texas coach Rick Barnes. Height is also on the way from freshman 6’8″ forward Brad Buckman.

 Brandon Mouton is the leading scorer in three of their five
tournament games with 25 points against a loss to Syracuse in the Final Four semis.

MOMENT NO. 5
April 12, 2003: T.J. Ford concludes his collegiate career by capturing the John R. Wooden Player of the Year award in a formal ceremony at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. One day earlier, Ford receives the Naismith Award during a banquet in Atlanta. Ford becomes the first person in UT history to earn National Player of the Year honors.

The Seniors On This Team Win The Most Games In School History (98)

2003-2004 25-8 Record Coach Barnes Team makes sweet 16 but loses to xavier.

2003-2004 team advances to the sweet 16 for the third consecutive season.   The Horns also made the sweet 16 in 1960, 1963, 1972, 1997, and 2002. Making the elite 8 in 1990. This was the second consecutive year the  Horns won 25 games in the season.  The team ended the season with a #12 ranking. It was the 6th consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament.  The defense was the team’s trade mark.

Barnes said this team had no superstars but was blessed with a lot of talent and a deep bench so he used an 11 man rotation. Coach Barnes is a master of exploiting the opposing team’s weaknesses and converts team synergy to get the best performance from each player.

MOMENT NO. 87
Jan. 17, 2004: Royal Ivey hits a 16-foot fade-away jumper with 2.4 seconds left to give No. 18 Texas a 63-61 victory against Nebraska at the Erwin Center.

Jan. 5, 2004: P.J. Tucker goes coast-to-coast and drops a five-foot finger roll through the basket as time expires in overtime to lift No. 18 Texas to a 79-77 win at No. 25 Providence before an ESPN national television audience. With the score tied at 77-77 and 3.7 seconds left in overtime, Tucker took the inbounds pass in the UT backcourt, drove the ball to mid-court, used a behind-the-back dribble to cut to the middle of the floor, and then drove to the basket. Officials reviewed the play for 10 minutes using television replays before determining that Tucker’s shot had left his right hand before the red light behind the backboard (used to determine the official ending of the game clock) lit up. Barnes signs three McDonald’s All Americans LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson, and Mike Williams. Many thought this was the best recruiting class in the country in 2004.

MOMENT NO. 56
Jan. 13, 2004: P.J. Tucker tallies a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds to lead the Horns to a 94-81 upset over No. 4 Wake Forest at the Erwin Center before an ESPN2 national television audience. UT defeated the second-highest AP-ranked opponent at home in school history. Texas has beaten the No. 3 ranked team twice before at the Erwin Center.

Two starters are lost after the team was off to a great start with a 14-3 record. Freshman forward LaMarcus Aldridge suffered a hip injury, and sophomore swingman P.J. Tucker was declared academically ineligible.

MOMENT NO. 8
April 5, 2003: Texas falls to eventual national champion Syracuse 95-84 in the National Semifinals in UT’s first appearance in modern history at the Final Four. The teams play in front of 54,432 fans at the Superdome in New Orleans, marking the largest crowd to ever see a Texas basketball game.

MOMENT NO. 1
March 30, 2003: Texas players and coaches cut down the nets in San Antonio’s Alamodome following an 85-76 victory against Michigan State in the NCAA South Regional final. The game is played before a pro-Longhorn crowd of 30,169. The victory sends the Horns to the Final Four for the third time in school history and first since 1947, a span of 56 years.

MOMENT NO. 13
March 8, 2003: T.J. Ford scores 14 of his team-high 18 points in the second half to rally the No. 4 Longhorns from a 15-point deficit to a 76-71 win against fifth-ranked Oklahoma in Norman. Texas trailed 58-43 with 13:48 left before a Brian Boddicker three-pointer ignites the comeback. The contest marks the first time in school history that UT had been involved in a match-up of two AP Top Five teams.

2004-2005 20-11 Record Under Coach Barnes

P.J. Tucker decided to quit telling Coach Barnes he was physically drained from strength and conditioning coach Todd Wright. Adding to this exhaustion was the emotional struggle he had to overcome when he was academically ineligible. He did more than just overcome the obstacles in his life; he excelled in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Hall of Honor inductee P.J. Tucker was Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and was one of 10 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, given by the USBWA to the national college player of the year.

In the middle of the season, the Horns lost Alridge and Tucker to injuries. In the first part of the season, the team had a strong record of 14-3, but after the injuries, their performance declined to 6-8. There were additional challenges this year, including Mike Williams facing eligibility issues, Dion Sowell suffering from a shoulder injury, Kenton Paulino struggling with a hamstring injury throughout the season, and Sydmill Harris dealing with a groin injury and back spasms all year long.

Despite these setbacks, the team still managed to win 20 games and received an NCAA tournament bid for the 15th time in 17 seasons. However, Texas did not achieve a ranking this year. The Horns set a new record with a 38.8% shooting percentage from three-point range. Additionally, Daniel Gibson was named the consensus Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

This Team Sets The Texas Record For Most Rebounds (1498);

This is Coach Barnes 7th year at Texas and he has set all kinds of Longhorn basketball records:

1) three years in a row to the sweet 16

2) six straight trips to the NCAA tournament

3) 5 consecutive years winning 20 games or more.

MOMENT NO. 61
Jan. 26, 2004: Brandon Mouton nailed a three-pointer as time expired in regulation to force overtime, and the Longhorns went on to record a 62-61 victory against No. 13 Texas Tech before a sellout crowd in Lubbock and an ESPN “Big Monday” national television audience. After two Ronald Ross free throws gave Tech a 55-52 lead with 3.2 seconds left, Brian Boddicker rifled the inbounds pass beyond half-court to Royal Ivey who promptly called timeout. Ivey then tossed a crosscourt pass to Mouton who took one dribble and launched a deep three-pointer that found the net at the buzzer.

Coach Barnes made some changes in the lineup in 2004 by moving P.J. Tucker from power forward to wingman. This team struggled with internal issues. Tucker had academic issues, Alridge suffered knee problems, and Klotz was suspended for a game for hitting a Memphis player. Texas is one-and-done in the Big 12 tournament and barely makes the NCAA race to the championship.

MOMENT NO. 39
March 20, 2004: Royal Ivey posts a team-high 17 points, including 9-of-10 free throws, to pace the Longhorns to a 78-75 win against No. 18 North Carolina in an NCAA second-round game in Denver. The victory sends Texas to the “Sweet 16” for a third consecutive year, a first in school history.

MOMENT NO. 65
Feb. 21, 2004: James Thomas sets the UT career rebounding mark in Texas’ 68-63 win at Oklahoma before an ESPN national television audience. Thomas breaks the record that had stood for 22 seasons at the 18:12 mark of the first half with his second rebound of the contest.

 MOMENT NO. 31
Feb. 8, 2004: The University of Texas officially retires the No. 11 jersey of T.J. Ford in a halftime ceremony during a 66-37 victory against No. 22 Oklahoma. The 29-point win marked the largest margin of victory for the Longhorns in the all-time series with the Sooners.

2005- 2006  30-7 Record Under Coach Barnes- happy birthday to longhorn basketball – the team makes the elite 8

2005-2006 draft Lamarcus Alridge, P.J. Tucker and Daniel Gibson.

2005-2006 is the 100th year of Longhorn basketball. The team’s record over the last 99 years was 1,477-911. Texas played its first basketball game on March 10, 1906, defeating Baylor 27-17. It posted a 7-1 record. This is Barnes’s eighth year as the Longhorn basketball coach. Barnes’s record at Erwin Center is 90-15. The Horns have won 44 of the last 47 home games.

The Longhorn Nation has experienced a roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs over the last 100 years, but the ride is what makes Longhorn basketball exciting. Fans live vicariously through their team, holding on during the ride up and screaming on the way down.

Daniel Gibson is considered one of the top point guards in the country.

Brad Buckman a McDonald All-American was the third player In UT history to post 20 points in 20 rebounds in a game.  Brad earned the title “Double Double Man”

The Longhorns Have their First 30-game Winning Season, And The Seniors On This Team replace the 2004 team as the winningest team in school history (101).

Aldridge returns and Tucker regains eligibility and these horns record the first 30 game win season in the history of Longhorn basketball and make the Elite 8.

2006-2007 25-10 Under Coach Barnes pending

Texas won their 1500 game in 2006.

Only one player and 14% of the scoring returned from the 2005-2006 Elite 8 team. However, this team also recruits one of the best freshman classes in the history of Longhorn basketball. Kevin Durant, Damion James, Dexter Pittman, Matt Hill, and D.J. Augustin are part of this class. This Horn team could have easily had 5 freshmen in the starting rotation for 2006.

Four freshmen and one sophomore finish third in the Big 12 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.  Texas finished the season ranked  #11 in the country.  Kevin Durant tied LaMarcus Aldridge as the highest NBA basketball draft pick in Longhorn sports history.  This was the 9th consecutive year the Horns received a NCAA tournament bid.

#1 tandem in points scored through 2006 = Kevin Durant/A.J. Abrams, 2)  1989-Travis Mays/Lance Blanks, 3)  1988-Travis Mays/Lance Blanks as one of the top-scoring duos in school history during the 2007-2008 season.

Kevin Durant is the first freshman ever to win a National Player of the year award.  He wins all 10 of the awards presented in 2007. He receives the  Naismith College Player of the Year; John R. Wooden Award; USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy; Adolph Rupp Trophy; Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year, NABC Play of the Year, Sporting News Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year; CBS/Chevrolet National Player of the Year; SI.Com National Player of the Year; and Espn.com Player of the Year. He is also selected for the Olympic team in 2012.

Ed Reese (the Texas swimming coach)  gives Barnes some coaching advise that improves Barnes coaching style.

2007- 2008 31-7 Record Under Coach Barnes – won the Big 12 regular season championship

Rick  Barne’s formula for winning has always been to pay attention to the fundamentals and details. He is a master at adjusting his game plan to fit the strength of his personnel.

Texas set a school record for the most victories in a season by winning 30 games three years in a row. The Horns also set records for most wins in regular season (26-5) , most home victories 17-1, most total games played (38) and tied the record for most away victories (14-6).

 During the season, Texas beat 20 of the 38 opponents who played in the NCAA tournament.  Memphis beat Texas 85-67 to end NCAA tournament play. During the season, Texas beat UCLA and Kansas. UCLA marked the highest-ranked AP team that the Horns beat in school history.   The attendance set a record of 13, 815 fans at home games.  Connor Atchley was one of the breakout players of the season.

Horns won the Big 12 conference and attended the 10th consecutive NCAA tournament.   Augustin was first-team all-American and academic first-team All-big 12.

Since Barnes’s arrival, the Horns have held 165 of their 340 opponents to under 40% FG shooting.

Texas returned 4 starters and 7 of their top eight scorers from last years team. The Horns claimed the Big 12 conference title and advanced to the Elite 8 for the 7th time  (1939, 1943, 1947, 1990, 2003, and 2006.  The 31 wins set a school record for most wins in a season.  This was the second visit to the Elite 8 in the last 3 years.   Texas finished the season ranked #7.

The year before Augustin was eclipsed by the great Kevin Durant. ” But without Durant, Augustin is the floor leader chosen by Rick Barnes

Augustin lost 20 pounds and spent considerable time in the gym planning to lead the Horns after Durant was drafted. Barnes respected his work ethic and rewarded him with more floor leadership responsibility in 2007.

It is fair to say that the 2007 team was more balanced without Durant. Augustin the field general, A.J. Abrams, and Connor Atchley’s points per game in 2007 were higher than when Durant dominated the court.

D.J. Augustin – consensus first-team All American. He was the 1st  Longhorn to earn both a consensus and Academic All American in the same season.  In the Tennessee game for the first time, the Horns had 4- 20 point scorers in one game (Augistin, Atchley, Abrams, and Mason.

Augustin and Abrams’s combination ranks 4th in points scored in 2007-2008.   1)2006 = Kevin Durant/A.J. Abrams, 2)  1989-Travis Mays/Lance Blanks, 3)  1988-Travis Mays/Lance Blanks as one of the top-scoring duos in school history during the 2007-2008 season.

Music topping the charts

2008-2009  23-12 Record Under Coach Barnes pending

 Texas won 23 out of 24 games with Baylor. Abrams tied the Big 12 career record with his 338th three-pointer.  7th-seeded Horns Lost to Duke in the NCAA   tournament.

Barnes and the staff have the best combination of depth and experience since 2003-2004. The Horns return four starters and their top ten scorers from the previous year.

2009 24-10 Record – Coach Barnes

Talent – check  – Dexter Pittman and Damion James

Experience- check- Texas returns 4 starters who made the NCAA second round the previous year.

Depth- check- The roster is two-deep at every position

Inspired by T.J. Ford, Bradley was a Longhorn for one year before declaring for the NBA draft. As a freshman in 2009–10, Bradley averaged 11.6 points for the Longhorns and established himself as one of the top defensive guards in the country. He earned Big 12 All-Rookie Team and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors. Avery Bradley played for the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.

2010  28-7 Record – Coach Barnes

This Is The Only Season In The History Of Texas Basketball That Texas Is  Number 1 In A Weekly National Poll. 

This year begins with dreams of greatness, winning their first 17 games, but ends in despair as the Horns do not win at the Big 12 tournament and fall in the first round with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime to Wake Forest.

The play of the Longhorns in the second half of the season was inconsistent. The Horns were ranked #1 but fell to #10 Kansas State 71-62, breaking the 17-game winning streak. Horns lost to Connecticut the next week and their downward trend in the polls to #9.  Losses continued to Baylor and Texas A & M. Texas made history with this team.

The Horns are the 5th #1 to fall out of the top 25 in the same season.

The Horns were ranked #15 but lost to the #11 A & M in the Big 12 quarter-finals.  Texas then fell to #26.

Cory Joseph started all 36 games in his freshman season, leading the team in scoring four times and in rebounding twice. Following the end of the season, Joseph declared for the NBA draft and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team. In 2014 Cory played for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

Tristan Thompson played for the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2010-2011 draft marked the second straight year and third time in school history that the Horns had three players selected in the same draft.  Avery Bradley, Damion James, and Dexter Pittman.

Texas led the number of Academic All-Big 12 selections from 2008-2011.

 2011 Record Under Coach Barnes pending

This was A & M last year in the Big 12, so it was important to win the last game.  It was a great game, tied at 66-66 with a minute to go, but the Horns were up to the task and sent the Aggies to the SEC with a loss. Texas’ final numbers combining the SWC and Big 12 totaled 137 wins for Texas and 85 for the Aggies.

The Longhorns lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.  But the Horns had an abysmal record of 0-7 against ranked teams.

J’covan Brown had a stellar season leading the Big 12 in scoring.

2012-2013  16-18 Record Under Coach Barnes pending

Through 2014 Texas had 6 different individuals earn conference player of the year – Ron Baxter  1979-1980, John Brownlee 1985-1985, Travis Mays 1988-1986, Terrence Rencher 1991-1993, Kris Clack 1995-1996, P.J. Tucker 2005-2006, and Kevin Durant 2006-2007.

Texas won all three games against the Aggies.  Jordan Hamilton led both the team in scoring against the Aggies.

Texas A &M is favored to win so the fans had a hex rally to beat the Aggies.  Horns dominate Kansas and broke Kansas 69 home game winning streak.  In 2012 the Horns got ahead and stayed ahead.

2013 24-11 Record Under Coach Barnes pending

 Rick Barnes said that even though they lost twice to West Virginia,, he thought the teams second meeting was a big step in terms of being a team from the inside out.

2014- 2015 20-14 Record Under Coach Barnes ending

2014-2015 the Men’s basketball team GPA is the highest in Horn basketball history – 3.20.

Texas wins against ranked Kansas State on a three-pointer by Jonathan Holmes with no time left to start .  Texas wins the next three games against ranked appoints but disappoints in the NCAA tournament.

Reflection Point – Coach Barnes

Kirk Bohls said it best. He supported the release of Rick Barnes – the coach, but he wanted to celebrate Rick Barnes -the man. Kirk said, “ I genuinely and deeply like and respect Barnes, who is as genuine as any person I’ve ever dealt with professionally. “ Most UT decision-makers agreed that it was time to change direction with Longhorn basketball. Barnes teams were playing poorly in the Big 12 portion of the schedule, and the team barely made the NCAA tournament his last year and UT was beaten 56-48 opening-game loss to Butler that kept Texas out of the Sweet 16 for the seventh March in a row. Kirk looks at Barnes’s accomplishment thru the prism of history giving credit to Tom Penders for making basketball relevant in Austin but to Barnes for keeping UT basketball “relevant and stable and nationally prominent for a glorious decade, even with only one Final Four”. Barnes took Texas to the highest and most elite levels since the days of Coach Jack Gray’s final 4 team in 1946.

The research on the history of Longhorn Sports ends in 2014.  Information will be added at a future date.

Texas athletic Steve Patterson has released an open letter to men’s basketball season ticket holders. The letter is listed below in its entirety:

First, I wanted to take the time to thank you for your continued support of Texas Athletics and particularly our men’s basketball team by corresponding directly with you.

Over the weekend, we decided to change the leadership of our men’s basketball program. These decisions are never pleasant, but I felt they were necessary to ensure that our men’s basketball team and our student-athletes have the greatest chance to succeed.

Secondly, as I said in our announcement Sunday, the University owes Rick Barnes a great deal of gratitude and respect for all he’s done to put Texas on the basketball map. This decision was not easy because of the heights that Coach Barnes took our program and how he did it – with integrity, respect, and focus on developing the all-around student-athlete. We thank Rick for his many years of service to Texas and wish him continued success in the future.

Third, we are committed to ensuring our men’s basketball team competes at an elite level, challenging for the Big 12 title every year and making deeper runs in the NCAA Tournament.

We also are committed to creating an unmatched home game atmosphere in the Frank Erwin Center. We have begun our search for a new basketball coach, which we expect to complete in a thoughtful yet expeditious manner. You can be assured the successful candidate will be someone who will represent the University with the utmost competence and integrity and someone who has a history of winning and building a winning culture that ultimately leads to championship performance consistently. We want a bright leader who can recruit and develop young men to the utmost of their abilities both on and off the court.

Lastly, we appreciate your continued support and look forward to many exciting years of Longhorns basketball.

Thank you, and Hook ‘em,

Steve Patterson

Shaka Smart 2015-2021

Shaka Smart   2015 to present

Longhorn basketball is tradition-rich

2015 – Shaka’s Smart Start