Texas steps up without Dylan Disu, defeats Xavier for chance at NCAA Final Four

A season filled with gut checks and daunting challenges gave Texas another test.

Like so many times before, Texas passed, surviving to become the highest seed left in the NCAA Tournament.

Playing without injured breakout star Dylan Disu for all but the first 94 seconds, second-seeded Texas dismantled No. 3 Xavier 83-71 in the Midwest Regional semifinals Friday. Texas led by as much as 24 and Xavier was never closer than the final margin the second half.

“We’re excited about it,” Terry told CBS after Texas reached the regional finals for the first time since 2008. “We’re down Disu tonight and the next guy stepped up. These guys have played really hard for one another all year long and hopefully we’re going more.”

Pretty much everyone in the playoff rotation stepped up for Texas with five Longhorns scoring in double figures. Guard Tyrese Hunter led Texas with 19 points and shut down Xavier scoring leader Souley Boum for much of the first half.

Marcus Carr and Christian Bishop each chipped in with 18. Bishop added nine rebounds stepping for Disu.

“We’ve played all year long next man up,” Texas interim coach Rodney Terry said when asked about Disu’s injury. “They had his back tonight in a big way. He’s carried us.”

Texas (29-8) will face No. 5 Miami in the regional finals Sunday with a trip to the Final Four in Houston on the line. Miami (28-7) stunned top seed Houston 89-75 earlier Friday behind 26 points and seven 3-pointers by Nijel Pack. Houston, which is joining the Big 12 next season, finished 33-4.

Disu’s availability for the regional finals was not immediately known.

“We’ll continue to go day to day with his progress,” Terry said. “We won’t put him out there unless he’s full tilt to go.”

Terry became the first interim coach since Michigan’s Steve Fisher in 1989 to guide a team to the Elite Eight. The Wolverines went on to win the NCAA title that year.

The Texas administration still has not said if it plans to remove the interim tag from Terry but each win is providing impressive selling points.

“For the past two years for me, since Day 1, meeting RT, he’s been nothing but an amazing coach, a guy that’s pushed me to get better,” Carr said. “He is my head coach.”

In a significant development, CBS Sports reported just before tip-off that Disu had sustained a bone bruise in his left foot. Disu had become one of the breakout stars of the tournament, averaging 22.5 points and 10 rebounds in the first two game while shooting a sizzling 71% from the field. He had posted a season-high 28 points against Penn State in the Round of 32.

Disu had been unable to finish practice Thursday and an MRI revealed the injury, CBS courtside reporter Tracy Wolfson said. He lasted less than two minutes before landing awkwardly on the foot after taking a slap to the face. Disu limped to the bench and then to the locker room. He returned to the bench wearing a walking boot and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

“I wanted to give him that moment, though, to start the game and have a couple trips because he’s worked so hard and he’s earned the right to be here in a regional and play in a regional,” Terry said. “But we knew we weren’t going to have him very much in this game.”

Carr said Disu’s injury became a rallying point for players.

“We really wanted to play for him,” Carr said. “We knew how much this would mean for him. We all got emotional in there just knowing he wouldn’t be out there.”

Even without Disu and with sixth man Sir’Jabari Rice picking up two early fouls, Texas forged a 42-25 point lead at halftime. Timmy Allen provided the exclamation point, banking in an awkward heave from just past halfcourt at the buzzer.

Texas was playing in the same building in Kansas City, Mo., where its hot streak started with three wins in the Big 12 tournament earlier this month.

The Longhorns’ lockdown defense again played a big role, holding Xavier to 27.3% shooting in the first half with numerous misses from point-blank range. Fourteen of Xavier’s 24 misses were in the paint. The Musketeers started slow, making just of their first 14 shots, and shot 43.8% for the game.

“Rodney Terry and his staff have done a great job,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “His team in Texas was prepared. They were better than us.

“We had a very difficult time running our offense, which is a real testament to their defense because we’ve been able to score virtually every game we’ve played this year, maybe other than once.”

Carr had 15 points and four assists to propel the offense in the first 20 minutes. Bishop added 10 points and five points, despite giving up five inches inside to Xavier 7-footer Jack Nunge.

“CB [Bishop] obviously stepped up in a big way and played to the ability we know he can,” Carr said. “He helped us a lot. Everybody out there really stepped up their game in place of Dylan, and we’re going to continue to do that.”

Twitter: @ChuckCarltonDMN

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