5 Key Quotes from UT’s Upset Win & Next Game vs. WVU

Texas Longhorns Basketball simply did not want their season to end in the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

It was improbable. It was unexpected. It was unrealistic. The Texas Longhorns went the entire regular season losing games like Wednesday night against Texas Tech. They did not win a single road game or neutral site game the entire season.

Their 10 wins came against third-tier non-conference foes, SEC team Alabama, and four Big 12 teams in nailbiters that came down to the last possession.

But, none of those wins were away from the friendly confines of the Erwin Center in Austin.

The Longhorns also finished the season on a seven-game losing streak, last winning one month ago against Iowa State on February 7.

So, what Texas did Wednesday night by rallying – not just rallying, but coming back from an 11-point deficit with 10 minutes left in their season – was inexplicable. It defied logic.

Head coach Shaka Smart and many of the Texas players tried to explain what changed in the final “quarter” of the 40-minute game. It came down to this – the Longhorns’ desire to continue playing basketball superseded the struggles and hardships from the regular season.

Now, does this mean Texas can ride the wave of momentum into another upset victory against West Virginia on Thursday night? It will take more than an emotional lift. They will need to play a lot better than they played in the first 30 minutes of the game against Tech, or they will find themselves in a big hole against 2-seeded West Virginia.

But, one win – just one win away from Austin – could give the Horns a confidence boost they needed all season. Here’s what the players and Coach Smart said after Wednesday’s game that captures how Texas Basketball pulled off the upset.

Shaka Smart On Beating Texas Tech

Head coach Shaka Smart finally got his first postseason victory as head coach of the Texas Longhorns.

Last year’s Longhorns team lost to the Baylor Bears in a tough 4-5 quarterfinal matchup in the Big 12 tournament. The Horns then lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on a heart-breaking half-court shot against Northern Iowa.

After beating Tech in the Big 12 tourney, Coach Smart said it came down to the guards shaking off their poor shooting start and just playing basketball. Plus, excellent hustle from Kendal Yancy, who did not want to end his career on Wednesday night.

"“I’m proud of the fact that guys didn’t want to go home. They wanted to keep playing. Particularly, (senior) Kendal Yancy gave us a huge lift getting on the floor and playing with a level of energy. And, our guards did not shoot the ball well early, but they played with more passion and more togetherness down the stretch, and that was a big difference.“If we lost, our season would have been over. And, our guys finally let go of worrying about the last result, the last missed shot, the last call. And they just played. Those two things are probably related. It was certainly a win that was much needed for us.” – Shaka Smart to Big 12 Digital"

Eric Davis On Texas Longhorns Surviving and Advancing

Sophomore guard Eric Davis was part of the worst kind of loss any team can experience in last year’s NCAA Tournament. He said he just wanted to get past that in this year’s postseason. And, the players knew this was their only shot because they are not returning to the NCAA Tournament unless they win the conference tourney.

Davis said the difference in this year’s postseason is the guys just wanted it. And, for the players who were part of last year’s team, they wanted to get the bad taste out of their mouths.

"“Last season, my postseason ended not the way I wanted it to. We lost to Baylor last year in the Big 12 Tournament and we lost on a buzzer-beater to Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. So, to finally get a win – I’m 1-2 in the postseason – there’s no feeling like it.“We didn’t want to give up. We didn’t want any regrets. It’s win or go home, and we didn’t want our season to end… Coach said all it takes is one win to get the ball rolling. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s game. I’m feeling pretty good. Our guys made some big plays down the stretch.” – Eric Davis to Big 12 Digital"

Kerwin Roach Keyed Texas Comeback

Kerwin Roach delivered two spectacular dunks against Texas Tech. His first one started the big comeback, giving Texas a much-needed spark.

With Texas down 11 points and only 10 minutes left to play, Roach elevated for a monstrous dunk in front of the Longhorns bench. From there, the Horns’ intensity picked up and they started playing great defense that fueled their offense.

Roach said if he needs to make a spectacular play to energize his team, then that’s what he’ll do.

"“We just made effort plays – 50/50 balls diving on the floor. And, getting stops was most important to carry our momentum. We got three seniors on our team that we’re playing for. That’s our motivation – don’t let this be their last game. Just try to extend our season.“I just want to win. That’s the bottom line. My energy (dunking) was contagious for our team. If that’s what I gotta do, that’s what I’ll do to help us win.” – Kerwin Roach to Big 12 Digital"

Mareik Isom – Unexpected Hero for Texas Basketball

Mareik Isom barely played this season. After dealing with a lingering foot injury for most of the year, Isom finally started to get some minutes at the end of the year.

Then, he finally got his moment against his former head coach Chris Beard when he nailed a clutch NBA-range three-pointer that extended Texas’ lead from 1 to 4 points late in the game.

Isom was one of three seniors – along with Yancy and Shaq Cleare – who did not want to end his college career with the taste of an awful regular season and first round Big 12 tournament exit. But, Isom wants more than just one postseason win.

"“In postseason, everyone is 0-0. Go back and watch the film to get ready for tomorrow. But, we can really build off this win. Especially some of the things we did on the court and our energy and spirit. It feels good to win a game.” – Mareik Isom to Big 12 Digital"

Jarrett Allen Says It’s Closing Time

Freshman star Jarrett Allen has a decision to make after this season ends – return to Texas or leave early for the NBA Draft.

Allen did not want to start thinking seriously about that decision just yet, as he believes this team is finally his family after the difficulties they experienced during the regular season.

Allen, who was interviewed with his left shoulder wrapped, said it came down to understanding a simple household act of “closing the curtains.”

"“The main thing in the huddle was to ‘believe.’ Coach Smart said he was going to put five guys out there that believe they could win… This team became my family, so I’m just going to have to fight for my family. The main thing for us is curtains. We’ve gotta ‘close the curtains’ and just getting this win was all we needed to do.” – Jarrett Allen to Big 12 Digital"

Can Texas Longhorns Duplicate vs. West Virginia?

Texas Basketball now has one more guaranteed game left in the season. It’s 6:00 p.m. CST against West Virginia – a team that Texas played close in Austin and not so close in Morgantown.

Texas cannot get off to a slow start against the Mountaineers like they did against Texas Tech. It just won’t work two nights in a row. But, perhaps this experience of finally winning away from Austin showed the young Longhorns that they are capable of a big win if they push aside the negativity and just play basketball.

Next: Why UT Basketball Will Be National Title Contender In Two Years

Plus, playing for three seniors who do not want their careers to end is a big motivating factor. Coach Smart has to tap into these factors to get this team ready for another chance to shock the Big 12 on Thursday night.