Against all odds, Texas men’s basketball has made it to the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Championship.
Tomorrow, the Longhorns will face off against No. 4 seed Tennessee in Bridgestone Arena at 2:30 p.m. Before that afternoon’s battle, the Longhorns plan to take some time to rest and prepare for the game.
“Unfortunately, we gotta get in that ice bath,” senior forward Arthur Kaluma, who had seven rebounds for the day, said. “Doing everything our trainers do — stretches, NormaTechs, whatever we need to do to keep our legs feeling good.”
Kaluma played 40 minutes in the game against Texas A&M. Playing an entire game is incredibly physically taxing, but Kaluma is a key player, especially in regards to the Longhorns’ defensive stops. The rebounding, especially, was an integral part to Texas’ success in a game where every ball counts.
He shares that defensive power with graduate forward Kadin Shedrick, who had a career-high of 10 for 10 free throws against the Aggies in his 35 minutes on the floor. Shedrick usually makes an appearance on the board each game for rebounds and he put up five in this Lone Star Showdown rematch despite nursing lower back injuries from throughout the season.
On the court, Shedrick appeared slower to get up after a blocked layup sent him to the hardwood. In the locker room, though, he was confident about his ability to push through.
“My body will be alright,” Shedrick said.
Head coach Rodney Terry also prioritizes the mental aspect of rest instead of just focusing solely on physical recovery. Throughout the season, his message to the locker room has been staying mentally focused.
“We try to live where our feet are and live in the moment,” Terry said. “Possession by possession, forty minutes by forty minutes … We’re healthy now. We’re excited about playing. Hopefully we’re hungry for more.”
The Longhorns will need to be hungry when facing this Tennessee team. The atmosphere within Bridgestone is going to be even more intense than it was during the games against Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, as Knoxville is just three hours away and has a dedicated fanbase.
Adversity, however, fuels this Texas team.
“For some reason — I can’t explain it — I think we all play a lot looser on the road in neutral environments,” Shedrick said. “That’s a good thing for us now because we’re not playing at home anymore.”
And Texas has one advantage over Tennessee: They have played twice in Bridgestone, while Tennessee steps foot on the hardwood for the first time tomorrow.
“They haven’t played on these hoops in the gym,” Kaluma said. “It’s a different field, it’s gonna take a little bit to get used to.”
The Longhorns last faced Tennessee on Jan. 11 and lost at home 74-70. But after pulling a huge upset in the second round and advancing to the quarterfinals, anything is possible for this Texas team.
“It’s gonna be a tough ball game,” Terry said. “It’s a Final Four or Elite Eight-caliber team. We beat a Final Four, elite-caliber team today as well.”
