Longhorns Country

Smart Thinking: Texas Shines in First Big 12 Victory

For the first time in school history, the Longhorns are Big 12 Tournament champions

Cole Thompson

Former Texas baseball coach Augie Garrido once said "this is gift to them," when speaking of the haters. Shaka Smart gave those haters a quiet present on Saturday evening. 

Six years after leaving Virginia Commonwealth, Smart lived up to the initial expectations when hired to the program. In the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of a game, the Texas Longhorns never faltered from the ultimate goal. 

Their mission was completed when the first loop was cut from the net. The Longhorns won their first Big 12 title and officially clinched their spot in the NCAA tournament.

"This is a gift to everyone whether they've supported us or not," Smart said postgame following the 91-86 win over No.12 Oklahoma State. "There's a lot of people who have supported us and we're grateful for it. But the most important thing is our guys stayed connected, and I'm just happy they get to experience this feeling." 

Throughout the Big 12 tournament, connection has been the surging factor for Texas. Without a true set schedule, it was about living in the moment and not letting the lights control the action. 

One day after the cancellation of their matchup with Kansas due to COVID-19, Smart didn't allow it to affect his players. Instead, they treated Friday's off day like a 40-minute showcase. 

"I thought our guys took a really business-like approach towards practice," Smart said following the cancelation to the game against the Jayhawks.

READ MORE: Longhorns Advance To Big 12 Title Game After Positive COVID Test For Jayhawks

It showed against the Cowboys in Kansas City on Saturday. 

Matt Coleman shined once more, scoring a career-high 30 points in the win en route to tournament MVP honors. Every star though needs a supporting cast member, a place where Jericho Sims has lived as of late. The senior tallied 21 points to along with 14 rebounds and three steals.  

The Longhorns commanded respect from the 14:00 mark on after taking a 14-13 lead in the first half. 

"The best word I could use is how much his resilience has grown," Smart said of Sims' outing, who recorded his fourth consecutive double-digit game scoring. "He's so much more resilient.

"I saw a fire in his eye in the [Texas] Tech game. I don't know who was voting or what it was, but for him not to make the all-defensive team in our league is a joke."

READ MORE: Texas Advances to Big 12 Semi-Finals With 67-66 Win Over Texas Tech

The biggest test of the Longhorns' season came against freshman Cade Cunningham. The Big 12 Player of the Year and the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft scored 25 of his 29 points in the second half, but Texas matched his total as the clock kept ticking. 

A quick pass from Sims to Kai Jones led to a dunk and eruption from the Longhorns' bench with 14 seconds remaining. Two free throws from Andrew Jones seven seconds later sealed the five-point victory. 

"We've earned just a little bit of respect from, well, anybody, you know?" Coleman said. "And not that we're searching for respect. We knew in each other what we had, what we could do."

Now, the Longhorns must wait. Their ticket is punched, but their seeding is not. Depending on how the remainder of games go, Texas should expect either the No.3 or No.4 seed on their way to Indianapolis. 

For Smart, it's a sigh of relief. Entering a season with so much doubt, Smart's tenure also was in the same location. 

A losing year could have been the writing on the wall. And despite the high-end lottery selections making their way through Austin, his status was well under the microscope. 

As the confetti fell inside the T-Mobile Arena, Smart cut the final pieces of the net. One couldn't see under the mask, but a smile protruded in front of his players. 

For the first time in team history, Texas was the Big 12 Champions. Smart thinking to keep Shaka for one more season. 

"He takes the heat for those bad years that Texas had and it's led to this," Coleman said of his head coach. "I'm just happy for him because I want this for him. Not only for myself, but I want this for him because he's been through a lot. He's been through it all here." 

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Cole Thompson
COLE THOMPSON

Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson