Texas opened its season with a win, but the Longhorns didn’t exactly leave the floor looking polished.
In an 85-65 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday night, the Longhorns showed the kind of firepower that makes them dangerous, then followed it with stretches that had head coach Vic Schaefer sounding far more frustrated than relieved.
“You’re going to ask me why? What was the difference?”
Schaefer said. “I don’t have an answer other than I got to do better.”
The first quarter looked like Texas was ready to run away with it. The Longhorns held FDU scoreless for the first five and a half minutes and controlled the glass 14-5 in the opening frame, a dominant start that made the matchup look exactly like the mismatch it was supposed to be.
Then the second quarter arrived and the rhythm disappeared.
Texas shot just 29.4% from the field on 17 attempts in the period and turned the ball over five times, more giveaways than it had in all the other quarters combined. Fairleigh Dickinson took advantage, outscoring Texas 19-14 while Schaefer worked freshmen into the rotation. That youth was one of the biggest questions around this team entering the season, and it showed.
“Those kids are going to play,” Schaefer said. “We just need them to play a little bit more (efficiently) and a little better. But you know, I think we’re going to get there, y’all.”
The veterans did the heavy lifting. Senior forwards Breya Cunningham and Madison Booker were the center of Texas’ offense from the jump, with Cunningham scoring the game’s first seven points. She finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds for her sixth career double-double, while Booker led the Longhorns with 24 points.
That kind of production is exactly what Texas needs, but Schaefer knows the Longhorns can’t lean on just two players if they want to chase bigger goals. The talent is obvious. The balance still isn’t there.
“We’re gonna have some growing pains,” Schaefer said. “As good as that first quarter was, you know, that second quarter was a complete flip, and the fourth quarter wasn’t as good either.”
Fairleigh Dickinson made enough noise to keep the night from feeling like a total formality. The Knights outscored Texas in two of the four quarters, and their energy was noticeable even after the final buzzer, with cheering and celebration audible in the locker room hallway. Texas, meanwhile, sounded like a team that knew the result mattered less than the uneven performance.
Still, the Longhorns got what they needed in the standings. The lead built early held up, the win was secured, and Texas moved to 1-0.
And as Schaefer said earlier this week, winning can cover up plenty. The Longhorns got the result on Wednesday. The bigger question is how quickly they clean up the issues that showed up anyway.
In Other News...
Texas Could Be Closing In On A Huge In-State Recruiting Flip
Texas has put itself in the mix for one of the more intriguing in-state recruiting battles on the board, with four-star defensive line prospect Xaiver Muhammad now scheduled to visit campus despite being committed to Michigan. The Texas native recently picked up an offer from Steve Sarkisian and has already made an unofficial stop in Austin, which is enough to keep the Longhorns firmly in the conversation as they try to pull a high-end defender back home.
Muhammads interest comes at a time when Michigans situation on the coaching side has become a talking point in recruiting circles, and that uncertainty appears to be part of what Texas is trying to capitalize on. For the Longhorns, the appeal is straightforward: land a talented local prospect, keep him close to home, and turn a committed player into a serious flip candidate as the visit process continues. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Could Land A Rare Receiver Talent Fans Need To Watch
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For the Longhorns, this is the kind of recruitment that can resonate well beyond one class. Wrights combination of production, athletic reputation and national attention has made him a priority target, and Texas has stayed in the hunt as the decision nears. The only question now is whether the Longhorns can close against two other major programs when the announcement finally arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Freshmen Just Put New Pressure On The Longhorns Depth Chart
The win over Mississippi State was comfortable on the scoreboard, but it also offered a useful glimpse into how much the Longhorns are leaning on their younger players. Freshmen Jermaine Bishop Jr., Derrek Cooper and Smoke Matthews all found ways to get on the stat sheet at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, with Bishop contributing as a receiver, Cooper getting work in the run game and Matthews making tackles on defense. With injuries thinning parts of the roster, several backups also got extended snaps, giving Texas a broader look at who can handle real game action.
For a team with bigger goals ahead, those reps matter just as much as the final margin. The Longhorns have already shown they can control a game like this one, but the deeper question is how the depth chart settles once the roster gets healthier and the competition stiffens. Performances like these do not answer everything, but they do create a little more pressure on the staff to keep the right young pieces involved. [Read more 🡒]