· 2003-04 in a Nutshell
· 2003-04 Individual Honors

How Sweet It Is: A year removed from its first Final Four appearance since 1947, Texas again proved to be one of the nation’s elite teams in 2003-04. The Longhorns posted a 25-8 record (12-4 Big 12 Conference, tied for second place) and advanced to the NCAA “Sweet 16.” UT reached the “Sweet 16” for the third consecutive season and eighth overall time since 1960. The Horns made “Sweet 16” appearances in 1960 (25-team tournament), 1963 (25-team tournament), 1972 (25-team tournament), 1997 and 2002. UT also advanced to the “Elite Eight” in 1990 and the Final Four in 2003.

In Elite Company: By virtue of advancing to their third consecutive “Sweet 16,” the Longhorns are in some elite company. Texas is one of just five schoools (Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Pittsburgh and Texas) that have advanced to the “Sweet 16” in each of the last three seasons.

The Road to the “Sweet 16”: UT earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Atlanta Regional, the second-highest tourney seed in school history (No. 1 seed in 2003). The Longhorns recorded wins against Princeton (66-49) and No. 18 North Carolina (78-75) during the First & Second Rounds at Denver, Colo. UT’s season came to a close with a 79-71 loss to Xavier in the “Sweet 16” before 24,533 fans at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

One Shy of Single-Season Win Mark: Texas posted a 25-8 mark during the 2003-04 campaign. The 25 wins are tied for the second-most victories in a season in school history. UT also reached the 25-win plateau for the second consecutive year, a first in school history. The 51 wins over the last two seasons are the most victories in a two-year span in UT history (previous: 49, three times).

Most Wins in a Season in Texas History
Rk. Year Record
1. 2002-03 (NCAA Final Four) 26-7
1993-94 (NCAA 2nd Round) 26-8
1977-78 (NIT Champs) 26-5
1946-47 (NCAA Final Four) 26-2
5. 2003-04 (NCAA “Sweet 16”) 25-8
2000-01 (NCAA 1st Round) 25-9
1988-89 (NCAA 2nd Round) 25-9

Noting the Polls: Texas was ranked No. 12 in the final Associated Press poll (released before the start of the NCAA Tournament) and No. 10 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches poll (released following the NCAA Tournament). The Horns began the year ranked No. 12 in the AP poll and No. 11 in the coaches poll. Texas has now been ranked a school-record 38 consecutive weeks in the AP poll, dating back to the start of the 2002-03 season (previous record: 19, 1999-2000 season).

One for the Thumb, Plus One: With a bid to the 2004 NCAA Tournament, the Longhorns accomplished something never done before in school history … advancing to their sixth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to the Rick Barnes era, UT’s previous mark for consecutive NCAA Tournament bids was four, set in 1989-92 and 1994-97.

Most Consecutive NCAA Tournament Appearances in UT History
No. Years
6 1999-2004
4 1994-97
4 1989-92

20 Wins … Again: With its victory against No. 20 Kansas on Feb. 23, Texas reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth straight year and 20th overall time in school history. In the process, the Horns set a school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons.

Consecutive 20-win Seasons in UT History
No. Years
5 1999-2000 (24), 2000-01 (25), 2001-02 (22), 2002-03 (26), 2003-04 (25)
4 1988-89 (25), 1989-90 (24), 1990-91 (23), 1991-92 (23)
3 1993-94 (26), 1994-95 (23), 1995-96 (21)

Success Against The Top 25
With its 78-75 win against No. 18 North Carolina in the NCAA Second Round, Texas improved to 8-5 against AP Top 25 opponents during the 2003-04 season. UT’s win against No. 18 Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals broke the school record for most victories in a season against ranked opponents (went 6-4 in 2002-03). During his six years in Austin, Rick Barnes has registered a school-record 27 career victories against AP Top 25 opponents (previous mark: 10 by Tom Penders, 1989-98). Barnes has guided the Horns to a 27-31 (.466) record against ranked teams. Overall in his 17 years of coaching, Barnes has posted 57 victories over AP Top 25 opponents.

Defense Wins
Stingy defense continues to be a Texas trademark under coach Rick Barnes. The Horns held 18 of their 33 opponents below 40% field goal shooting in 2003-04, and Texas ranked 15th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.396). UT held 12 of its last 18 opponents to below 40% FG shooting to conclude the season. Texas limited its three NCAA tourney opponents to 37.9% FG shooting, including a 27.8% mark (22-of-79) from three-point range. Since Barnes arrived in Austin, the Horns have held 91 of their 199 opponents to under 40% shooting. UT sports an 82-9 mark in the Barnes era when accomplishing the feat (16-2 in 2003-04).

Cleaning the Glass
Texas had another solid rebounding squad in 2003-04, as it recorded a +6.8 rebound margin (41.1-34.3) and outrebounded 21 of its 33 opponents on the year. The Horns led the Big 12 and ranked 11th nationally in rebound margin. UT posted an impressive 43-23 advantage on the glass during the NCAA First Round win against Princeton. This marked the fifth time this season that the Longhorns recorded at least a +20 rebound margin. In 2002-03, UT tied for sixth nationally in rebound margin (+6.9) while outrebounding 26 of its 33 opponents.

Depth and Balance
Depth and scoring balance again proved to be key factors in UT’s success in 2003-04. Ten different Horns made appearances in the starting lineup. Eight Longhorns averaged at least 5.5 points per game, while 11 Texas players averaged at least 10.9 minutes per game during the season. In addition, 11 different Longhorns reached double-figure scoring during a game this season. During the NCAA Second Round win against No. 18 North Carolina, all 11 Texas players who saw game action scored at least two points and UT posted a 34-7 edge in bench scoring.

Taking Care of the Ball
Texas was a solid ball-handling team during the 2003-04 season. The Horns averaged just 11.8 turnovers per game on the year, setting a school record for fewest turnovers per game (since the stat was first kept in 1981-82). The previous mark was 12.3 set in 1992-93 (344 turnovers in 28 games). UT led the Big 12 and ranked ninth nationally in turnovers per game. During its 16-game Big 12 Conference schedule, the Longhorns averaged a league-low 10.1 turnovers per game (161 turnovers in 16 games).

Senior Salute
Texas was led throughout the year by a quartet of seniors who Rick Barnes tabbed “the foundation of the UT program.” During their four seasons in Austin, forward Brian Boddicker, guard Royal Ivey, guard Brandon Mouton and center James Thomas helped the Longhorns make four trips to the NCAA Tournament, including three consecutive trips to the “Sweet 16” and a Final Four appearance in 2003. The quartet led Texas to a total of 98 wins in their career, a school record for most victories in a four-year span (previous: 97, 2000-03). The foursome each played in a school-record 12 NCAA Tournament contests.

Senior Experience … By the Numbers
Player | GP-GS | Pts | Reb | Min
Brian Boddicker | 134-25 | 974 | 566 | 2,689
Royal Ivey | 133-126 | 1,036 | 406 | 3,287
Brandon Mouton | 133-105 | 1,582 | 483 | 3,667
James Thomas | 134-96 | 1,149 | 1,077 | 2,890
Totals | 534-352 | 4,741 | 2,532 | 12,533

Ivey Solid with the Ball
Senior guard Royal Ivey registered a 2.76 assist-to-turnover ratio (141 assists/51 turnovers) this season. In Big 12 play, Ivey was even better … posting a 3.58 assist-to-turnover ratio (68 assists/19 turnovers). In 13 games against AP Top 25 opposition, Ivey recorded 60 assists against 21 turnovers.

Top Assist-to-TO Ratio in a Season in UT History (min. 3.0 apg)
Ratio Name (Year) Ast-TO
2.96 Alex Broadway (1985-86) 154-52
2.76 Royal Ivey (2003-04) 141-51
2.37 T.J. Ford (2002-03) 254-107

Ivey Comes Through in the Clutch
Royal Ivey earned a reputation for being a clutch player for the Longhorns. Ivey provided some late-game heroics in three of UT’s victories during the 2003-04 season. In the 63-61 win against Nebraska (Jan. 17), Ivey tied for the team lead with 13 points (6-of-10 FG) including a game-winning 16-foot fadeaway from the left baseline with 2.4 seconds left. He returned to post 10 of his career-high 24 points in overtime during the Jan. 20th win at Missouri. In the overtime session, Ivey went 6-of-6 from the stripe and hit back-to-back mid-range jumpers in the final 1:11 to lead Texas to the win. In the 79-77 overtime win at No. 25 Providence (Jan. 5), he tallied 22 points including a game-tying three-pointer from the right wing with 15 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime.

Mouton Climbs UT Scoring List
Senior guard Brandon Mouton led the team in scoring (13.9 ppg) for the season and was the only Longhorn to average double figures in scoring (12.9 ppg) during Big 12 play. He reached double figures in scoring in a team-best 22 games, including nine 20-point efforts. Mouton concluded his career ranked eighth on the school’s all-time scoring chart with 1,582 points in 133 career games (11.9 ppg).

Mouton Likes to Dance
Brandon Mouton averaged a team-best 18.7 ppg while hitting 8-of-12 (.667) three-pointers during UT’s three NCAA tourney games. He topped the 20-point plateau in two of those three contests, posting a game-high 23 points (18 in the second half) in the First Round victory against Princeton and a team-best 21points in the “Sweet 16” loss to Xavier. In Mouton’s final six career NCAA tourney games (last three in the 2003 tourney and all three during the 2004 tourney), he averaged 20.7 ppg while converting 18-of-31 (.581) three-pointers. Mouton eclipsed the 20-point plateau in four of those six games.

Texas Three-Step
The senior duo of Brian Boddicker and Brandon Mouton left their mark as two of the top three-point shooting threats in UT history. Boddicker, who set a school single-season mark for three-point percentage as a junior (.439) before eclipsing his own record in 2003-04 (.448), ranks second in school history in career three-point percentage (.404) and seventh in career threes made (159). Mouton ranks fourth in school history in career three-point percentage (.389) and fifth in career three-pointers made (198).

Top 3-Point FG % in a Career at Texas (min. 200 attempts)
Rk. Pct. Name (Years) 3FG-A
1. 41.47 Joey Wright (1989-91) 175-422
2. 40.36 Brian Boddicker (2001- ) 159-394
3. 38.91 Maurice Evans (2001) 86-221
4. 38.90 Brandon Mouton (2001- ) 198-509
5. 38.21 Tony Watson (1991-94) 141-369

Most 3-Pointers Made in a Career in UT History
Rk. Name (Years) 3 FG
4. Brandy Perryman (1995-98) 210
5. Brandon Mouton (2001- ) 198
6. Joey Wright (1989-91) 175
7. Brian Boddicker (2001- ) 159

Thomas Climbs UT Scoring Chart
Although known more for his defense and rebounding, senior center James Thomas reached a significant offensive milestone in the Dec. 4th victory against Wofford. With his field goal at the 18:00 mark of the second half, he became the 24th player in Texas history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Thomas concluded his career in 18th place on UT’s all-time scoring list with 1,149 points in 134 games (8.6 ppg).

Thomas Sets UT Rebounding Record
James Thomas eclipsed a school record that had stood for 22 years during the win at Oklahoma on Feb. 21. With his second rebound of the game (at the 18:12 mark of the first half), Thomas broke the UT career rebounding mark, previously held by LaSalle Thompson (1,027 rebounds, 1980-82). Thomas had a game-high 12 boards during the win at Oklahoma. He concluded his collegiate career with 1,077 career rebounds in 134 games (8.0 rpg).

Most Rebounds in a Career in UT History
Rk. Name (Years) Rebounds
1. James Thomas (2001- ) 1,070
2. LaSalle Thompson (1980-82) 1,027

Thomas Reaches 1,000-1,000 Milestone
James Thomas reached a major statistical milestone during the Feb. 8th win against No. 22 Oklahoma. With his defensive board at the 4:17 mark of the second half, Thomas became just the second player in UT history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. Thomas registered 1,149 points and 1,077 boards in 134 games at Texas. LaSalle Thompson (1980-82) recorded 1,463 points and 1,027 rebounds in his three-year UT career.

A New “Home” for Texas Basketball
Texas Basketball moved into its new home prior to the 2003-04 season … the state-of-the-art Denton A. Cooley Pavilion, a two-level, 44,000-square foot facility. Cooley Pavilion is named for UT basketball letterman Dr. Denton Cooley (1939-41), who performed the first successful heart transplant in the United States (1968) and implanted the first totally artificial heart in a human (1969). The Texas men’s and women’s teams have separate 9,000-square foot practice court areas, each comprised of one full-court and one half-court practice area with seven basket stations. The practice facility also includes a locker room with a players’ lounge, an instructional film theater, a 4,100-square foot strength and conditioning area, an athletic training and hydrotherapy area, an academic resource and activity center and a coaches’ lounge and locker room.

Erwin Center Upgrades
In addition to the new practice facility, Texas fans will notice some major renovations in and around the Frank Erwin Center this season. With the completion of 28 luxury suites at the top of the arena section, the capacity for the Erwin Center has increased to 16,837 (largest in the Big 12 Conference). The arena also features a new LED scoreboard and a ribbon screen that loops around the top of the arena section. Concession and restroom areas have been remodeled and moved to widen the concourse areas.

2003-04 in a Nutshell
· 25-8 record (one victory shy of tying the UT record for most wins in a season)
· Advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s “Sweet 16” for the third consecutive year, a first in school history
· Ranked 10th in the final ESPN/USA Today poll and 12th in the final Associated Press poll
· Tied for second place in the Big 12 Conference (12-4 record)
· No. 3 seed in the NCAA Atlanta Region, the second-highest NCAA Tournament seed in school history
· Ranked in the AP Top 25 the entire season for the second straight year
· Reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth straight year, setting a school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons
· Registered an 8-5 mark against AP Top 25 opponents, setting a school record for most wins against ranked teams in a season
· Depth and team chemistry carried the Horns all year. Ten Longhorns averaged at least 10.9 minutes per game, and eight UT players averaged at least 5.5 points per contest.
· Defense and rebounding proved to be keys to success. UT ranked 15th nationally in FG percentage defense (.396) and 11th in rebound margin (+6.8).

2003-04 Individual Honors
Brian Boddicker
· Honorable mention All-Big 12 (coaches)
· Big 12 All-Reserve team
· Team’s Co-Most Valuable Player

Royal Ivey
· USBWA All-District 7 (Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana)
· Third-team All-Big 12 (media)
· Honorable mention All-Big 12 (coaches)
· Big 12 All-Defensive team
· Team’s Co-Most Valuable Player

Jason Klotz
· Honorable mention All-Big 12 (coaches)
· Big 12 All-Reserve team
· Big 12 All-Improved team
· Team’s Co-Most Improved Player

Brandon Mouton
· Big 12 All-Tournament team
· First-team All-Big 12 (media)
· Second-team All-Big 12 (media)
· USBWA All-District 7 (Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana)
· Team’s Co-Most Valuable Player
· Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 23)

Kenton Paulino
· Team’s Co-Most Improved Player

James Thomas
· Honorable mention All-Big 12 (coaches)
· Team’s Co-Most Valuable Player

P.J. Tucker
· Honorable mention All-Big 12 (coaches)
· Big 12 All-Freshman team
· Four-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week (Nov. 24, Dec. 1, Jan. 5, March 1)