A season filled with gut checks and daunting challenges gave Texas another test.
Like so many times before, Texas passed, surviving to become the highest seed left in the NCAA Tournament.
Playing without injured breakout star Dylan Disu for all but the first 94 seconds, second-seeded Texas dismantled No. 3 Xavier 83-71 in the Midwest Regional semifinals Friday. Texas led by as much as 24 and Xavier was never closer than the final margin the second half.
“We’re excited about it,” Terry told CBS after Texas reached the regional finals for the first time since 2008. “We’re down Disu tonight and the next guy stepped up. These guys have played really hard for one another all year long and hopefully we’re going more.”
Pretty much everyone in the playoff rotation stepped up for Texas with five Longhorns scoring in double figures. Tyrese Hunter led Texas with 19 points followed by Marcus Carr and Christian Bishop with 18. Bishop added nine rebounds stepping in for Disu.
Texas (29-8) will face No. 5 Miami in the regional finals Sunday with a trip to the Final Four in Houston on the line. Miami (28-7) stunned top seed Houston 89-75 earlier Friday behind 26 points and seven 3-pointers by Nijel Pack. Houston, which is joining the Big 12 next season, finished 33-4.
Disu’s availability for the regional finals was not immediately known.
Texas’ Rodney Terry became the first interim coach since Michigan’s Steve Fisher in 1989 to guide a team to the Elite Eight. The Wolverines went on to win the NCAA title that year. The Texas administration still has not said if it plans to remove the interim tag from Terry but each win is providing impressive selling points.
In a significant development, CBS Sports reported just before tip-off that Disu had sustained a bone bruise in his left foot. Disu had become one of the breakout stars of the tournament, averaging 22.5 points and 10 rebounds in the first two game while shooting a sizzling 71% from the field. He had posted a season-high 28 points against Penn State in the Round of 32.
Disu had been unable to finish practice Thursday and an MRI revealed the injury, CBS courtside reporter Tracy Wolfson said. He lasted less than two minutes before landing awkwardly on the foot after taking a slap to the face. Disu limped to the bench and then to the locker room. He returned to the bench wearing a walking boot and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Even without Disu and with sixth man Sir’Jabari Rice picking up two early fouls, Texas forged a 42-25 point lead at halftime. Timmy Allen provided the exclamation point, banking in an awkward runner from just past halfcourt at the buzzer. Texas was playing in the same building in Kansas City, Missouri, where its hot streak started with three wins in the Big 12 tournament earlier this month.
The Longhorns’ lockdown defense again played a big role, holding Xavier to 27.3% shooting in the first half with numerous misses from point-blank range. Fourteen of Xavier’s 24 misses were in the paint. The Musketeers started slow, making just of their first 14 shots, and shot just 37.5% for the game.
Carr had 15 points and four assists to propel the offense in the first 20 minutes. Bishop added 10 points and five points, despite giving up five inches inside to Xavier 7-footer Jack Nunge.
