In honor of college basketball season being less than a week away, Texas students filled the West Campus sports bar, Victory Lap, to celebrate ahead of the program’s debut season in the Southeastern Conference.
Longhorn mascot Hook ’Em took charge of the event as the Longhorn Band and cheer team presented the most popular songs and chants performed at games as both the men’s and women’s basketball players and team made their way into the outside area of the bar.
The event was hosted by The Corral, the official men’s basketball student section. It was the first time the organization put on an event like this.
“We believe that it’s very important to show support to all of our athletes, not just men’s basketball,” The Corral social chair Giorgette Ruiz said. “We wanted to have this collaboration event to show that, at the end of the day, we are supporting our athletes.”
Following a short speech from program veterans Kadin Shedrick, Aaliyah Moore and Rori Harmon, as well as head coaches Rodney Terry and Vic Schaefer, the teams hung out with fans, taking pictures, signing shirts and having conversations.
“Just showing the types of personalities that we have, because we have a bunch of guys that are clowns I would say,” graduate guard Julian Larry said about his favorite part of the event. “For the fans, just being able to see all the personalities that we’re talking about, cause they don’t get to see it on a daily basis like I do.”
Schaefer, who is going into his fifth year as the head coach for the women’s basketball team, appreciated the show that The Corral put on.
“It’s really cool,” Schaefer said in a Daily Texan exclusive. “Great experience for our student-athletes. (I) appreciate the students coming out.”
With football season going into its last stretch, hoops season will take over, and as women’s basketball sits at No. 4 and men’s at No. 19 in the AP Poll, students are excited about what both teams have in store.
“We’re not just a football school,” The Corral social committee member Ciara Brown said. “There’s so much more to UT and there’s such a beauty to the sports that we offer, and showing people the community that we have is really cool. We’ve done a good job with that so far.”
Texas women’s basketball will face UT Tyler in an exhibition game Thursday night while men’s basketball will travel to Las Vegas to face Ohio State on Monday.
