The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Hall of Honor
- Induction:
- 2020
- Class:
- 1998
Tom Penders restored a lost luster to Texas Basketball when he brought his "Runnin' 'Horns" style to Austin for the 1988-89 season. Following three losing seasons in the previous six years at UT, Penders' up-tempo style not only won games, it captured the excitement of the UT fan base. In his 10 seasons, the Horns won 208 games, made eight NCAA tournament appearances, advanced to the Elite Eight in 1990, and claimed three Southwest Conference regular season titles and two SWC tourney crowns. The success was immediate as in his first season, the Horns went 25-9 and Erwin Center crowds swelled to over 12,000 per game. That team averaged a SWC single-season record 94.3 points per game, eclipsing a mark set by Houston and Otis Birdsong in 1977. His early post-season success earned him the nickname of "Mr. March." His first team shocked Georgia Tech in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The 1990 squad, led by the "Texas BMW" guard trio of Travis Mays, Lance Blanks and Joey Wright, finished 24-9 and advanced all the way to the Elite Eight before losing by a basket in a game that would have earned UT an appearance in the Final Four for the first time in over 40 years. Over the next eight seasons, Penders' teams captured three SWC regular-season championships, a pair of SWC Tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament six times. His 1996 team narrowly missed advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, falling 65-62 to Tim Duncan and Wake Forest. The 1997 team made it to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to No. 25 Louisville. Penders' teams scored at least 100 points in 60 games during his 10 years in Austin, and seven of his players went on to the NBA. He left Texas following the 1998 season with a mark of 208-110, good for a winning percentage of .654, which at the time was the most victories and the second-best winning percentage (minimum five seasons) in UT basketball history.
