University of Texas Longhorns Men's Basketball at Moody Center
When the University of Texas takes the court at the Moody Center, you pay attention. The arena packs 10,000 rabid Longhorn fans into one room and lets them loose for their boys in burnt orange. The Texas basketball team might not have the same level of national prestige as the football team, but they have their own long history of success in Austin.
University of Texas Longhorns Men's Basketball History
The year was 1933, and the University of Texas was a basketball champion. No, they did not win the NCAA Tournament; that didn't exist yet. But the Longhorns were crowned the retroactive national champions by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll, the unofficial crowners of the national champions before the NCAA Tournament came into being in 1939. And while the Longhorns have not won that tournament in its long history, they have had runs of success. Of all contenders, they've appeared 9th-most in tournaments, with 37 appearances, and they have gotten to the Final Four three times: in 1943, 1947 and 2003. Currently under the leadership of Rodney Terry, Texas has made all but four NCAA Tournaments since 2010, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
While Texas has put a lot of players in the NBA since it began playing basketball, it's living a bit of a golden era in the current day. LaMarcus Aldridge, D.J. Augustin, T.J. Ford, Royal Ivey and Avery Bradley have all put up lengthy pro careers, with Aldridge gaining All-Star honors throughout. And of course, two-time NBA Champion and lethal scorer Kevin Durant spent a year in the burnt orange of Texas before being drafted by the then Seattle Supersonics.
