Texas advances to Elite 8 after dominating 83-71 win over Xavier

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Rodney Terry stopped on the way to the Texas locker room after his team knocked out Xavier for a spot in the Elite Eight, the interim coach fulfilling a fan's wish for a photograph by flashing that all-too-familiar "Hook ’em Horns" sign.

"Go get that job, coach!" the grateful fan hollered after him.

A couple more wins, and the folks at Texas might not have a choice.

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Marcus Carr, #5 of the Texas Longhorns, reacts after scoring a three-point basket against the Xavier Musketeers during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Center on March 24, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The longtime assistant made his boldest statement yet for the full-time gig, guiding the Longhorns without ailing big man Dylan Disu to an 83-71 win over the Musketeers on Friday night. 

Tyrese Hunter scored 19 points, and Marcus Carr and Christian Bishop added 18 apiece, to move second-seeded Texas within a game of the Final Four for the first time in 15 years.

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"I thought we played one of our better defensive games tonight that we played all year," said Terry, who stepped into the top job in December, when Chris Beard was suspended and ultimately fired following allegations of domestic violence.

"Proud of my guys and the way they put their will on this game from the start to finish."

Disu, who had been dominant through the first two games of the tournament, hurt his foot in a second-round win over Penn State. He got treatment on it all