To watch Vic Schaefer’s team play is a masterclass in never-ending aggressiveness and in-your-face intensity.
It is who Texas is, explained Schaefer, the second-year women’s basketball coach as the Longhorns (28-6) prepared for an NCAA Sweet 16 meeting with Ohio State (25-6) Friday in the Spokane Region. The winner will meet the winner of Stanford (30-3) and Maryland (23-8) on Sunday for a berth in the women’s Final Four.
The 40 minutes of pressure may force some key turnovers or just take a toll by the fourth quarter. Opponents may be willing to give in at that point, Schaefer said.
“This time of year we are who we are, right?” Schaefer said. “That’s what we’ve done all year long. Our kids love it. They’re bought into it. They know the importance of it. For us, to me, it’s the only way to build a program, to build a fan base, to do our game justice.
“To me that’s what makes women’s basketball fun to watch. It’s how I built our program at the school I was at before. It’s how we’re building it at Texas.”
And it could be argued that his team’s style of play is an extension of Schaefer, the demanding, combustible coach.
This season alone, he’s called out his players after falling to Baylor, saying Texas had “too many people trying to be the hero.” He’s criticized Texas fans for a perceived lack of support. Following a home loss to Texas Tech, he even blasted himself. “If I was our administration, I’d want a visit with the head coach,” Schaefer said.
At Mississippi State, Schaefer took an SEC also-ran to back-to-back national runner-up finishes in 2017 and ‘18 before exiting to Texas in 2020.
Seeking to restore a Texas program to the glory years of the Jody Conradt era, athletic director Chris Del Conte gave Schaefer, 61, a seven-year contract that is paying him $1.8 million this season.
Despite his success, the choice of Schaefer was interesting. He’s a Texas A&M graduate and was the top assistant to Gary Blair for the 2011 national champions.
Now he’s an Aggie in burnt orange, with a building process that may be ahead of schedule.
Last year, Texas surprising got to the regional finals. The Longhorns are seeking a repeat after beating Baylor in the Big 12 tournament and dominating Fairfield and Utah in the first two rounds of the tournament.
Texas has now won 12 straight games with an average winning margin of 14.3 points.
“I think all my teams have always consistently gotten better throughout the year, even into March,” Schaefer said. “This team has really embraced the getting better and work ethic.”
Standout freshman Rori Harmon (11.4 ppg, 5.0 apg) and junior Aliyah Matharu (12.4 ppg) have given Schaefer the strong guard play that has been a trademark of his best teams.
“I think what separates her is her motor,” Schaefer said of Harmon.
She just has an unbelievable energy level and effort level that, let’s face it, even seniors don’t have.”
And there’s the defense – first, last and in-between. Texas forced 41 combined turnovers from Fairfield and Utah.
“Well, you’d better have two or three different plans to advance the basketball,” Fairfield coach Joe Frager said. “You can’t do the same thing every single time when they pick you up full court.”
Ohio State is acutely aware of the challenge. The Buckeyes emerged from Baton Rouge, eliminating LSU and Kim Mulkey 79-64. Texas may be a bigger chore.
“What makes them unique, their ball pressure, their ability to deny passing lanes, disrupt offenses, makes them arguably the best defensive team in the country,” Buckeyes coach Kevin McGuff said.
It’s not an easy style to play. Texas’ practices may be more grueling than most games.
It has provided the Longhorns with an identity, a tournament touchstone.
“Defense wins games ultimately,” Texas senior Audrey Warren said. “I think our press is not something that a lot of teams see. We use that to our advantage. We work on it every day in practice, multiple drills. Every time we scrimmage, it’s get into the press, get into the press.
“It’s ingrained in our mind, definitely.”
