Not many Power 5 programs choose to have a non-conference game against another Power 5 program, let alone on opening night.
Oklahoma played Ohio Valley Conference’s Lindenwood Lions, Alabama tipped off against UNC Asheville from the Big South and national champion UConn is facing Northeast Conference’s Sacred Heart.
Texas, on the other hand, started against Big 10’s Ohio State with the No. 19 Longhorns falling to the Buckeyes 80-72 in the Las Vegas Hall of Fame series.
Texas had a slow start to the game. The Buckeyes went on an 8-0 run before senior forward Arthur Kaluma put on the first two points for the Longhorns. This new Texas team, made up of six returners, six transfers and four freshmen, struggled to find a connection in the first half and went 12 for 35 on field goals and four for 13 on three-pointers. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes started thriving from behind the three-point line, scoring 10 triples in the first half.
From then on, it was freshman guard Tre Johnson’s game. Johnson’s 15 points were nearly half of the Longhorns’ first half point, as the team went into halftime with 31. It was a five-star performance for a five-star recruit.
Terry had praised the freshman for his work ethic ahead of the game.
“If you’re going to be a young player that established some form of leadership, you’ve got to be able to walk the walk first,” Terry said. “He’s in this gym 24/7, he’s the kind of guy that overtrains in terms of his work ethic and the guys respect that.”
Johnson, who’s been earning comparisons to Texas and NBA star Kevin Durant, already beat one of the former Longhorn’s records: most points scored by a Texas freshman on a debut, Durant had 20 against Alcorn State in 2009, Johnson had nearly ten more with 29.
The freshman has been close to Durant since his recruiting days and said the Olympic gold medalist was a factor in his commitment.
Johnson and Texas improved throughout the game, tightening the gap to as little as three points and going on a 10-0 run, but failed to take the lead at any point. Despite the shaky start, the Longhorns showed grit.
Texas men’s basketball will play at home on Friday against Houston Christian in hopes of a comeback, and Texas fans will finally be able to see their star freshman play.
