The No. 19 Longhorns men’s basketball team will return to the Moody Center this Friday, for their first home game of the season against Houston Christian University.
Having a home crowd that averages over 10,819 fans per game, Texas will look to feed off its students’ energy to get its first win.
The home-court advantage is strong at Texas, as the program has won 22 consecutive home-opener games and is 103–15 all-time in home openers. At the Moody Center alone, the Longhorns have posted a 30–5 record over the past two years.
And after an 80-72 loss against Ohio State in Monday’s season opener, Texas needs a boost of confidence.
Unlike HCU, who won its season opener against Avila University 86-59, Texas played a Power Five team, Ohio State, and rallied from behind after a slow start.
“I think you learn a lot about your team early in the year when you challenge yourself early in the year,” head coach Rodney Terry said after the game.
The Longhorns have beat the Huskies each of the past four times the teams have met. Last year was their most recent meeting, with Texas pulling away with a 77-50 win.
The HCU matchup is just the first out of three consecutive games at home. Texas will also play at home against Chicago State on Nov. 12 and Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 16.
In these home games, freshman guard Tre Johnson’s performance will likely get the fans riled up. Johnson’s breakout performance against Ohio State broke a Texas record for most points in a freshman debut at 29, surpassing Kevin Durant’s old record at 20 points. A dynamic player, Johnson will likely make big plays on both offense and defense.
“I think the best is still yet to come for him,” Terry said. “He’s playing really hard on defense as well as trying to score the ball on offense. Tre’s one of those guys who plays the game to win.”
Another player to watch in the upcoming game is junior guard Chendall Weaver, who also helped the team against Ohio State, tying his career record with eight rebounds in 33 minutes.
The first home game of the season will not only give Texas fans their first look at the new team, but give the Longhorns an opportunity to build up confidence and connect better on the court as a team. The matchup will be streamed live nationally on the SEC Network+ starting at 7 p.m. CT.
