The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
2005-06 Men's Basketball: A season to remember
04.07.2006 | Men's Basketball
- UT advanced to the "Elite Eight" of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history and the second time in the last four years.
- Texas reached the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five years. Texas is one of only three schools that can make this claim, joining Duke and Connecticut.
- Over the last five seasons, Texas has recorded an 11-5 mark in NCAA Tournament games. The 11 wins are tied for the fourth-most tourney wins during this period (Connecticut, 15; Duke and Kansas, 12; Texas and Illinois, 11).
- UT ranked No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll and No. 9 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. During the Rick Barnes era, the Horns have spent 99 weeks in the AP Top 25, including 41 in the Top 10. This also marked the third time in the past four seasons that the Longhorns have finished the season ranked in the Top 10 of the coaches' poll.
- The Longhorns claimed a share of the Big 12 Conference regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. This marked the second Big 12 title for Texas and the 24th all-time conference crown for the Horns.
- Texas led the nation in rebound margin and set a school record for highest rebound margin in a season at +10.6. This marked the second time in school history (and first since 1947-48 when the Horns led the nation in free throw percentage) that the Longhorns have led the nation in a team statistical category. UT shattered its previous school record of +7.3 set in the 1961-62 season.
- Texas also ranked second nationally in scoring margin (+14.9, a school record) and fifth in field goal percentage defense (38.4).
- Texas reached the NCAA Tournament for a school-record eighth consecutive season. UT is one of just nine programs to have advanced to each of the last eight NCAA Tournaments, joining Arizona, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
- UT set a school record for most regular-season victories. The Horns posted a 25-5 mark in the regular season, topping the previous record of 24-1 set by the 1946-47 Final Four team.
- Texas reached the 20-win plateau for a school-record seventh consecutive season. The Longhorns reached the 20-win plateau on the earliest calendar date (Feb. 6) in school history with the win at Texas Tech. The previous mark was Feb. 13, set during the 1977-78 season.
- UT set a team season record for most games played in a season with 37 (previous mark: 35 in 1991-92). A.J. Abrams, LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson, Kenton Paulino and P.J. Tucker played in all 37 games which broke the school's individual mark for most games played (previous record: 35 by four players in 1991-92). In addition, Aldridge, Gibson, Paulino and Tucker started all 37 games, also eclipsing the school record (previous: 35 by Benford Williams in 1991-92).
- Texas proved to be a dominant team in the friendly confines of the Frank Erwin Center. UT tied the school record for most home victories in a season with a 16-1 mark at the Erwin Center. Texas went 16-1 at home in 2000-01 and 16-0 in 1932-33. On the season, the Horns posted a +27.8 scoring margin in their 17 home games (83.2-55.4). UT also had a perfect 8-0 mark in Big 12 Conference home games and registered a +25.1 scoring margin in those eight contests (81.5-56.4).
- The senior duo of Brad Buckman and Kenton Paulino closed out their collegiate careers with a four-year mark of 101-33 (.754). The 101 wins marked the most wins in a four-year period in school history, topping the previous record of 98 set by the 2004 class. The senior duo also completed their careers with a 59-4 (.937) mark in games played at the Erwin Center.
