Record: 26-2

Coach: Jack Gray

Best players: F John Hargis (14.3 ppg), G Al Madsen, G Slater Martin

During the regular season: The Longhorns streaked to victories in their first eight games before losing to Oklahoma A&M in the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City. From there, they ran off 16 straight victories to finish the regular season as they entered the NCAA tournament as favorites.

NCAA history: After narrowly beating Wyoming in their first tournament game, the Longhorns faced an Oklahoma team it had beaten by 12 points earlier in the season. The Sooners stormed back from a halftime deficit to claim a late five-point lead with three minutes left. Al Madsen gave the Longhorns a brief lead with 25 seconds left, but OU’s Ken Pryor hit the game-winning shot with six seconds left to give the Sooners the national semifinal victory. UT rebounded to beat City College of New York for third place.

What makes them special: The Longhorns made their second trip to the Final Four and won the third-place NCAA Final Four game for the only time in school history. The Longhorns had three starters 5-10 or smaller, earning them the nickname “The Mighty Mice.” Martin became a Hall of Famer after his pro career. And Texas’ 26-2 record was the best in the nation in 1947.

Record: 24-9

Coach: Tom Penders

Best players: G Travis Mays (24.1 ppg), G Lance Blanks (20.3 ppg, 2.7 spg), G Joey Wright (19.5 ppg, 3.8 apg).

During the regular season: Big things were expected as the Longhorns’ No. 22 preseason ranking was their first in nine seasons. They didn’t disappoint in a tough Southwest Conference, finishing third behind Arkansas and Houston. The Longhorns lost back-to-back games only once and finished strongly with six victories in their final seven regular-season games before they were eliminated by Houston in the second round of the SWC tournament.

NCAA history: The Longhorns claimed victories against Georgia and Purdue (in the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis) to qualify for their first Sweet 16 since 1979. They then beat Xavier, 102-89, as Mays, Blanks and Wright combined for 86 points. But their first trip to the Elite Eight in 43 seasons was ruined when Arkansas notched an 88-85 victory for their third triumph over UT that season.

What makes them special: Texas’ storied “BMW” offense of Blanks, Mays and Wright helped restore interest in basketball for the program along with making the coaching career of Tom Penders. The Longhorns’ entertaining offense and Penders’ candor made them one of the most memorable and exciting teams in the history of the Southwest Conference.