1977–78 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team
{{short description|American college basketball season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
|year=1977–78
|team=Texas Longhorns
|sport=Basketball
|image=Texas Longhorns logo.svg
|image_size=
|conference=Southwest Conference
|division=
|short_conf=SWC
|CoachRank= 19
|APRank= 17
|record= 26–5
|conf_record= 14–2
|head_coach=Abe Lemons
|hc_year=2nd
|asst_coach1=Barry Dowd
|asst_coach2=Steve Moeller
|asst_coach3=
|stadium=Special Events Center
|champion=SWC Regular Season Co-Champions
|tourney=National Invitation Tournament
|tourney_result=Champions
}}
{{1977–78 Southwest Conference men's basketball standings}}
The 1977–78 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season as a member of the Southwest Conference. They finished the season 26-5 overall, tied for the SWC regular season title with a 14–2 record and won the 1978 National Invitation Tournament. They were coached by Abe Lemons in his second season as head coach of the Longhorns. They played their home games at the Special Events Center in Austin, Texas.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/texas/1978-schedule.html|title=1977–78 Texas Longhorns Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=May 29, 2020}}
Roster
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;" |
| Name1977–78 SWC men's basketball media guide, p. 36
! # ! Position ! Height ! Weight ! Year ! Home Town ! High School |
|---|
| Ron Baxter
| 12 | Guard-Forward | 6–4 | 205 | Sophomore | Dorsey |
| Brent Boyd
| 4 | Guard | 6–3 | 185 | Sophomore |
| Tyrone Branyan
| 31 | Forward | 6–7 | 220 | Junior | El Dorado |
| Rob Cunningham
| 35 | Forward-Center | 6–8 | 215 | Freshman | Staples |
| John Danks
| 32 | Forward | 6–6 | 190 | Sophomore | Ohio County |
| Ovie Dotson
| 15 | Guard | 6–5 | 200 | Junior | Sam Houston |
| Gary Goodner
| 42 | Forward | 6–7 | 220 | Senior | Denton |
| Henry Johnson
| 33 | Forward | 6–6 | 190 | Freshman |
| Jim Krivacs
| 11 | Guard | 6–1 | 160 | Junior |
| John Moore
| 00 | Guard | 6–1 | 170 | Junior | Altoona |
| Mike Murphy
| 41 | Forward | 6–8 | 215 | Senior | Crockett |
| Tom Nichols
| 55 | Center | 6–10 | 230 | Senior |
| Dave Shepard
| 44 | Guard | 6–4 | 205 | Freshman |
| Keith Stephens
| 52 | Forward | 6–8 | 210 | Freshman | Pasadena |
| Phillip Stroud
| 30 | Forward | 6–7 | 220 | Junior | Wheatley |
Schedule
{{CBB schedule start|gamehighs=no|attend=no}}
|-
!colspan=12 style={{NCAA color cell|Texas Longhorns|color=white}}| Regular season
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 26, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=USC Trojans|title=USC}}
| site_stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
| site_cityst = Los Angeles, CA
| tv =
| score = 64–65
| record = 0–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = November 29, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Oklahoma Sooners|title=Oklahoma}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 83–76
| record = 1–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 3, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Mississippi State Bulldogs|title=Mississippi State}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 81–69
| record = 2–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 5, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=LSU Tigers|title=LSU}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 82–66
| record = 3–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 7, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Oklahoma State Cowboys|title=Oklahoma State}}
| site_stadium = Gallagher Hall
| site_cityst = Stillwater, OK
| tv =
| score = 108–87
| record = 4–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 10, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Alaska Anchorage Seawolves|title=Alaska Anchorage}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, Texas
| tv =
| score = 87–65
| record = 5–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 17, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Centenary Gentlemen|title=Centenary}}
| site_stadium = Gold Dome
| site_cityst = Shreveport, LA
| tv =
| score = 87–65
| record = 6–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 20, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Oklahoma City Chiefs|title=Oklahoma City}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, Texas
| tv =
| score = 88–71
| record = 7–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 26, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| neutral = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Army Cadets|title=Army}}
| gamename = Milwaukee Classic
| site_stadium = MECCA Arena
| site_cityst = Milwaukee, WI
| tv =
| score = 74–73
| record = 8–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = December 27, 1977
| time =
| rank =
| nonconf = yes
| away = yes
| gamename = Milwaukee Classic
| opponent = Marquette
| opprank = 5
| site_stadium = MECCA Arena
| site_cityst = Milwaukee, WI
| tv =
| score = 56–65
| record = 8–2
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 5, 1978
| time =
| rank =
| away = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=TCU Horned Frogs|title=TCU}}
| site_stadium = Daniel–Meyer Coliseum
| site_cityst = Fort Worth, TX
| tv =
| score = 90–41
| record = 9–2
| conference = 1–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 7, 1978
| time =
| rank =
| opponent = Texas Tech
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 90–41
| record = 10–2
| conference = 2–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 10, 1978
| time =
| rank =
| away = yes
| opponent = Houston
| site_stadium = Hofheinz Pavilion
| site_cityst = Houston, TX
| tv =
| score = 100–89
| record = 11–2
| conference = 3–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 14, 1978
| time =
| rank =
| opponent = Arkansas
| opprank = 3
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 75–69
| record = 12–2
| conference = 4–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 17, 1978
| time =
| rank = 15
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Rice Owls|title=Rice}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 78–64
| record = 13–2
| conference = 5–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 23, 1978
| time =
| rank = 15
| away = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Texas A&M Aggies|title=Texas A&M}}
| site_stadium = G. Rollie White Coliseum
| site_cityst = College Station, TX
| tv =
| score = 79–77
| overtime = OT
| record = 14–2
| conference = 6–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 25, 1978
| time =
| rank = 15
| opponent = Baylor
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 78–76
| record = 15–2
| conference = 7–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 28, 1978
| time =
| rank = 15
| away = yes
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=SMU Mustangs|title=SMU}}
| site_stadium = Moody Coliseum
| site_cityst = University Park, TX
| tv =
| score = 85–80
| record = 16–2
| conference = 8–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = January 30, 1978
| time =
| rank = 15
| opponent = Houston
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 73–72
| record = 17–2
| conference = 9–0
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 1, 1978
| time =
| rank = 12
| away = yes
| opponent = Arkansas
| opprank = 2
| site_stadium = Barnhill Arena
| site_cityst = Fayetteville, AR
| tv =
| score = 71–75
| record = 17–3
| conference = 9–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 4, 1978
| time =
| rank = 12
| opponent = TCU
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 87–60
| record = 18–3
| conference = 10–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 7, 1978
| time =
| rank = 12
| opponent = Rice
| away = yes
| site_stadium = Rice Gymnasium
| site_cityst = Houston, TX
| tv =
| score = 102–86
| record = 19–3
| conference = 11–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 13, 1978
| time =
| rank = 12
| opponent = Texas A&M
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 90–66
| record = 20–3
| conference = 12–1
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 15, 1978
| time =
| away = yes
| rank = 12
| opponent = Baylor
| site_stadium = Heart O' Texas Fair Complex
| site_cityst = Waco, TX
| tv =
| score = 77–79
| record = 20–4
| conference = 12–2
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 18, 1978
| time =
| away = yes
| rank = 12
| opponent = Texas Tech
| site_stadium = Lubbock Municipal Coliseum
| site_cityst = Lubbock, TX
| tv =
| score = 78–63
| record = 21–4
| conference = 13–2
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = February 21, 1978
| time =
| rank = 14
| opponent = SMU
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| tv =
| score = 82–74
| record = 22–4
| conference = 14–2
}}
|-
!colspan=9 style={{NCAA color cell|Texas Longhorns}}|1978 Southwest Conference men's basketball tournament
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = March 4, 1978
| time =
| neutral = yes
| rank = 12
| seed = 1
| opponent = Houston
| oppseed = 3
| site_stadium = The Summit
| site_cityst = Houston, TX
| gamename = Final
| tv =
| score = 90–92
| record = 22–5
}}
|-
!colspan=9 style={{NCAA color cell|Texas Longhorns}}|1978 National Invitation Tournament
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = March 10, 1978
| time =
| rank = 16
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Temple Owls|title=Temple}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| gamename = First Round
| tv =
| score = 72–58
| record = 23–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = March 15, 1978
| time =
| rank = 17
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Nebraska Cornhuskers|title=Nebraska}}
| site_stadium = Special Events Center
| site_cityst = Austin, TX
| gamename = Quarterfinal
| tv =
| score = 67–48
| record = 24–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = March 19, 1978
| time =
| neutral = yes
| rank = 17
| opponent = {{cbb link|1=1977|sex=men|team=Rutgers Scarlet Knights|title=Rutgers}}
| site_stadium = Madison Square Garden
| site_cityst = New York, NY
| gamename = Semifinal
| tv =
| score = 96–76
| record = 25–5
}}
{{CBB schedule entry
| date = March 21, 1978
| time =
| neutral = yes
| rank = 17
| opponent = NC State
| site_stadium = Madison Square Garden
| site_cityst = Houston, TX
| gamename = Final
| tv =
| score = 101–93
| record = 26–5
}}
{{CBB schedule end
| rank =
| poll = AP Poll
| timezone = Central Time
| region =
| regionname =
}}{{cite book |last=Pennington|first=Richard |title=Longhorn Hoops: The History of Texas Basketball |publisher=University of Texas Press, 1998 |location=Austin |isbn=0-292-76585-1}}{{cite book |last=McConnell|first=Scott |title=2006–07 Texas Basketball Media Guide |publisher=UT Athletics, 2006 |location=Austin}}
Rankings
{{main|1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Texas Longhorns men's basketball navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1977-78 Texas Longhorns Mens Basketball Season}}
Category:Texas Longhorns men's basketball seasons
Category:National Invitation Tournament championship seasons