For the youngins, thought we could get hyped with a trip down memory lane. Maybe some of the older ags have even older stories of this deal.
2005: The new age of the rivalry begins
From 1994 to 2005, the truly dark ages of Aggie Basketball, we only managed to beat Texas once, a road victory in 2002. That win still stands as our only win in Austin since 1987.
In 2005, under first year coach Billy Gillispie, the Ags put together what can only be described as one of the worst non-conference schedules possible (literally, we played Trinity that year...), so when Texas rolled into town in early January the Ags were 10-1, but hadn't played anyone. The Longhorns came in ranked #10.
This game wasn't very dramatic. At one point in the second half the Ags led by 21. Texas cut into the lead late, but this game was never really in doubt.
There was also nothing spontaneous about this court storm. At this time there were no courtside seats lining the court, so the student section had clear access to the court. Texas kept fouling despite being down a bunch, leading to a "Barnes is stalling" chant.
2006: The shot
Still probably the most famous game in Aggie Basketball history, in 2006, #6 Texas came to Reed Arena for the final home game of the season. The Aggies needed this win to have a chance at our first NCAA Tournament bid since 1987.
A random memory I have of this game is that it was Ash Wednesday and they do masses all over campus on Ash Wednesday. Because of the basketball game, I went to an early one around noon in Rudder Theater. Roughly half the people in there were dressed in white and about to walk over to the Reed Arena afterwards. In some of the photos of that game you can see the ashes on people's heads.
Texas' PJ Tucker had been suspended for academics the season before (imagine that happening in the modern social media era, a star player gets suspended mid-season for academic reasons) so the Reed Rowdies welcomed him to Reed with a PJ Tucker book drive. Every time in warm ups that Tucker would get near the sideline, a Rowdy would start reading children's books to him. Then during the game every time Tucker touched the ball the fans would chant "stu-pid" at him.
In one of the great moments in Reed Arena history, on a late possession with the game tied, PJ Tucker dribbles out the shot clock setting up the most famous shot in school history.
This court storm was madness. The new courtside seats were a tough barrier causing a few unlucky students to get Mufasa'd. Luckily there were no serious injuries if I recall correctly.
2007-2010 Home team reigns
For the next four seasons, the teams just traded home wins. The 2007 home game was a straight up beatdown of Texas just 48 hours after we became the first Big 12 South team ever to win at Allen Fieldhouse. Law recorded 15 assists in the 100-82 win.
After the game, Rick Barnes poked fun at the old school "sit down bus driver" yell and jokingly asked "What's next? Watermelon watermelon watermelon rind, look at the scoreboard see who's behind?"
The game in Austin would go to Texas but would become of the more legendary games in college basketball history in the state of Texas when Acie Law IV and Kevin Durant dualed in a double overtime game, both just hitting shot after shot. Durant finished with 30 points, Law with 33.
In 2008, Barnes was exactly right. Starting here on TexAgs the Rowdies and Yell Leaders worked together to teach everyone the chant and give it a passback (if memory serves the passback was just putting the horns down.)
We blasted Texas again at Reed Arena under first year coach Mark Turgeon 80-63.
From here, the teams traded home wins a few more times, but the rivalry lost some of its heat as a more rage-rivalry started with the emergence of Scott Drew's Baylor.
The rivalry goes cold
With our program reset under Billy Kennedy, Texas won the last five games against us before we left the Big 12. However, unlike football, we have actually faced Texas a couple of times since joining the SEC. We beat them in the Bahamas in 2016 and they beat us in Ft. Worth in 2020.
2005: The new age of the rivalry begins
From 1994 to 2005, the truly dark ages of Aggie Basketball, we only managed to beat Texas once, a road victory in 2002. That win still stands as our only win in Austin since 1987.
In 2005, under first year coach Billy Gillispie, the Ags put together what can only be described as one of the worst non-conference schedules possible (literally, we played Trinity that year...), so when Texas rolled into town in early January the Ags were 10-1, but hadn't played anyone. The Longhorns came in ranked #10.
This game wasn't very dramatic. At one point in the second half the Ags led by 21. Texas cut into the lead late, but this game was never really in doubt.
There was also nothing spontaneous about this court storm. At this time there were no courtside seats lining the court, so the student section had clear access to the court. Texas kept fouling despite being down a bunch, leading to a "Barnes is stalling" chant.
2006: The shot
Still probably the most famous game in Aggie Basketball history, in 2006, #6 Texas came to Reed Arena for the final home game of the season. The Aggies needed this win to have a chance at our first NCAA Tournament bid since 1987.
A random memory I have of this game is that it was Ash Wednesday and they do masses all over campus on Ash Wednesday. Because of the basketball game, I went to an early one around noon in Rudder Theater. Roughly half the people in there were dressed in white and about to walk over to the Reed Arena afterwards. In some of the photos of that game you can see the ashes on people's heads.
Texas' PJ Tucker had been suspended for academics the season before (imagine that happening in the modern social media era, a star player gets suspended mid-season for academic reasons) so the Reed Rowdies welcomed him to Reed with a PJ Tucker book drive. Every time in warm ups that Tucker would get near the sideline, a Rowdy would start reading children's books to him. Then during the game every time Tucker touched the ball the fans would chant "stu-pid" at him.
In one of the great moments in Reed Arena history, on a late possession with the game tied, PJ Tucker dribbles out the shot clock setting up the most famous shot in school history.
This court storm was madness. The new courtside seats were a tough barrier causing a few unlucky students to get Mufasa'd. Luckily there were no serious injuries if I recall correctly.
2007-2010 Home team reigns
For the next four seasons, the teams just traded home wins. The 2007 home game was a straight up beatdown of Texas just 48 hours after we became the first Big 12 South team ever to win at Allen Fieldhouse. Law recorded 15 assists in the 100-82 win.
After the game, Rick Barnes poked fun at the old school "sit down bus driver" yell and jokingly asked "What's next? Watermelon watermelon watermelon rind, look at the scoreboard see who's behind?"
The game in Austin would go to Texas but would become of the more legendary games in college basketball history in the state of Texas when Acie Law IV and Kevin Durant dualed in a double overtime game, both just hitting shot after shot. Durant finished with 30 points, Law with 33.
In 2008, Barnes was exactly right. Starting here on TexAgs the Rowdies and Yell Leaders worked together to teach everyone the chant and give it a passback (if memory serves the passback was just putting the horns down.)
We blasted Texas again at Reed Arena under first year coach Mark Turgeon 80-63.
From here, the teams traded home wins a few more times, but the rivalry lost some of its heat as a more rage-rivalry started with the emergence of Scott Drew's Baylor.
The rivalry goes cold
With our program reset under Billy Kennedy, Texas won the last five games against us before we left the Big 12. However, unlike football, we have actually faced Texas a couple of times since joining the SEC. We beat them in the Bahamas in 2016 and they beat us in Ft. Worth in 2020.