A chorus of ‘Tra-Bron’ echoed through the locker room, started by sophomore guard Malik Presley and freshman forward Nic Codie. The Texas men’s basketball team had just beaten No. 14 Texas A&M 94–89 after two overtimes in the Southeastern Conference Tournament second round, and the mood was high.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about,” Mark said with a smile.
The new nickname from the team — a mix of his first name and NBA star Lebron James — was well-deserved after Mark’s performance against Texas A&M. Playing as a point guard for the second time this tournament, Mark led the team with five assists while putting up 15 points.
So when Mark got his fifth foul of the game in the second overtime, forcing him to exit the court, it could have been a devastating loss.
“It was tough,” Mark said. “I was bummed out, but I knew that my team could still get the job done. That’s why, when I got to the bench, I was still energized, I was still clapping, still showing affection for them.”
Mark was on his feet as junior Jordan Pope made his last free throw, solidifying Texas’ win. Despite the Aggies being six-point favorites to win, the Longhorns beat the Aggies in the rivalry game.
“We already knew the odds were against us,” Mark said. “We came out and proved them wrong.”
While the team proved the betting lines wrong in the end, it didn’t seem so certain throughout. The Aggie defense started out aggressive to try and throw the Longhorns off their game early on, but they overcame it and went on an 8-0 run to take the lead. Then, in the second half, A&M built momentum from the very start, also going on an 8-0.
And in both overtime periods, the crowd was on the edge of their seats as the points went back and forth.
“It was a super physical game; it felt like a war,” senior forward Arthur Kaluma said. “Once the shot goes up, the game really started going because then you got to try to get the rebound, and they were just so relentless going to the glass.”
A physical game typically comes with a lot of fouling, and this one was no exception. Texas racked up 27 personal fouls, while A&M ended with 25.
Graduate student forward Kadin Shedrick stepped onto the line 10 times. Holding steady and blocking out the outside noise from the A&M student section, Shedrick made every single shot.
“Honestly, what I think about (on the line) is I’m old, and this kind of situation shouldn’t faze me,” Shedrick said. “I should make these free throws, and if I don’t, then my experience is for nothing.”
Shedrick has struggled throughout the season on the line, with only a .667 free throw percentage. So when it mattered the most, when Texas’ March Madness tournament hopes were on the line, Shedrick was able to focus and do what he needed to.
“Obviously, it’s been my worst free throw shooting season, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s a new season right now,” Shedrick said.
Now, heading to the third round of the SEC tournament to play against No. 4-seeded Tennessee, the Longhorns have a chance to completely turn its season around. But Texas isn’t focused on the outside noise.
“We know a lot of people, even our own fans, have a lot to say about us,” Shedrick said. “Coach likes to call it ‘iso.’ It’s all about us right now. We’re not worried about what our fans have to say, what other team’s fans have to say, what the media has to say. Forget all them. It’s about us.”
