© SARA DIGGINS, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Longhorns Embracing Love From Kevin Durant, Other Alumni Amid Sweet 16 Run
KANSAS CITY, MO - The Texas Longhorns are in the midst of one their best seasons in program history - and the guys who helped pave the way for them over a decade ago are taking notice.
No. 2 Texas is set to play the No. 3 seed Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Friday. It marks the first time since 2008 that the Longhorns have made it to the third round of the tournament. That season, Texas advanced to the Elite 8 before falling to John Calipari, Derrick Rose and the Memphis Tigers.
This time period was one of the best for a Texas men's hoops program that has had loads of talent in the past but have generally failed to meet expectations.. But now, many of the Texas players from around this time are realizing the special run the current team is on, and that there's only room for more.
Throw your run-of-the-mill big-time NBA names to the mix of those showing support, as two-time champion and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and five-time All-NBA LaMarcus Aldridge.
Aldridge is someone Durant quickly used as a comparison to Texas forward Dylan Disu, who posted 28 points and 10 rebounds in a dominant performance during the second-round win over Penn State on Saturday.
"See y’all in the 16. Gameball goes to Dylan Disu, looked like a young Lamarcus Aldridge out there. Let’s get it @TexasMBB" Durant tweeted.
Aldridge chimed in.
"Big time win fellas! @TexasMBB DYLAN DISU way to carry us!!" he tweeted.
Durant, who played one season at Texas while Rodney Terry was an assistant on the team, also showed unwavering support for the Longhorns' interim coach during an adversity-filled season.
“(Terry) has led this team on and off the court as well as anyone could have expected,” Durant said in an interview with Boardroom. “To see them in the Sweet 16 with as a good a shot to win the national championship as anyone is a testament to the amazing job he’s done. The program is in an amazing place.”
The team's current roster doesn't have two players quite at the magnitude of KD and LA. It remains surreal to veteran players like Marcus Carr to see the support.
"Getting the love from the fans and the alumni, it's been super surreal," Carr said Thursday. "Having guys like K.D. and LaMarcus tweet about us, the team, and what's going on, has been super cool. We're definitely out there playing for each other but playing to make them proud as well."
Terry lauded the support that Durant has shown the program as well. Despite only playing at Texas for one year before going on to become one of the best NBA players of all time, he's worn his burnt orange proudly.
"I know he's very fond of Texas, his experience he had," Terry said. "He came back this summer. He hadn't been back on campus in a long time. Got a chance to work out with our guys, just jump right in. 'Whatever you guys are doing, I'm doing.' I think our guys are looking around like, 'Wow, okay, Kevin is jumping into all the stuff we're doing.'"
Texas will look to make a generation of Longhorns proud when they tip-off against Xavier on Friday at 8:45 p.m. CT.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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