The 1980-81 Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team came into the season after losing their entire starting back-court of George Turner, Ron Baxter and John Danks…..which were also the 1st, 2nd and 5th leading scorers on the team….who were also their entire senior leadership from the year prior…..so, 1980-81 was a rebuilding year for Coach Abe Lemons and this season’s team.
Regardless of whether Abe was having to rebuild the majority of his starting rotation or not….when ever his team went on the road to play the mighty Razorbacks at fabled Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas….Coach Abe being the “wily coyote” that he was….seemed to always figure out a way to defeat his arch rival friend, Coach Eddie Sutton and his much more heavily talented team in their own backyard….and this 1980 game in Hogland was no exception….as his undersized, under experiences and less talented Horns team….who would finish the season at 15 – 15….while finishing at 7 – 9 for 6th in the SWC…..whereas the Hogs finished 1st in the SWC at 13 – 3 for 1st in SWC play….while having a 24 – 8 season record. During the 1980-81 season, Texas was led by 6’11” C LaSalle Thompson with 19.2 pts 12.3 rebs (led the nation) 1.2 asst….6’6″ F Henry Johnson with 15.6 pts 5.2 rebs 2.2 asst….6’6″ F Ken Montgomery with 10.9 pts 2.3 rebs 1.8 asst….5’11” G Ray Harper with 9.8 pts 1.3 rebs 3.9 asst….6’6″ F Virdell Howland with 8.9 pts 2.7 rebs 1.9 asst….6’8″ F Mike Wacker with 7.7 pts 5.8 rebs 0.9 asst…..and 6’1″ G Fred Carson with 6.7 pts 1.5 rebs 3.9 assts…..as Montgomery, Howland, Harper and Wacker were all freshman in their first year playing for Abe.
This 1980-81 Arkansas Razorbacks team won it’s 3rd straight SWC title (having tied Texas for 1st in 1978 and 1979)….and were led by 6’10” F Scott Hastings with 16.3 pts 5.4 rebs 1.4 asst….6’2″ G U. S. Reed with 13.0 pts 4.1 rebs 1.3 asst….6’4″ G Darrell Walker with 11.3 pts 4.5 rebs 3.3 assts….6’6″ F Keith Peterson with 8.4 pts 5.2 rebs 0.8 asst….6’4″ G Mike Young with 6.4 pts 1.6 rebs 1.1 asst….6’6″ F Tony Brown with 4.5 pts 2.8 rebs 2.3 asst….and 6’6″ F Brad Friess with 2.5 pts 1.9 rebs 1.0 asst…..for the SWC Champion Arkansas Razorback….but all that talent and fire power couldn’t hold down the feisty Horns during this Madison Square Garden Network telecast of the SWC Game of the Week during the 1980-81 season.
