AUSTIN – As the Texas Longhorns charge through their inaugural SEC season, the stakes are rising with every game. For senior point guard Rori Harmon, the team has been more than ready for the heightened physicality, despite the tough challenges that come with it.
Sitting at 4-1 in SEC play with their only loss coming to No. 2 South Carolina, Texas has embraced the tough competition, recently dominating No. 8 Maryland by 38 points in the Coretta Scott King Classic. While Harmon contributed only three points in that game, her influence was undeniable—distributing seven assists and grabbing three steals. Though she’s been critical of her own performance, Harmon knows the shots will start falling soon.
“I’m really hard on myself,” Harmon admitted. “I’m proud of the win, but I didn’t take the best shots. That’s something I’ll learn from—when things go right, I’ll celebrate, but when they don’t, I reflect and keep pushing.”
Despite the tough loss to South Carolina, Harmon doesn’t see it as her team’s “Welcome to the SEC” moment. She credits head coach Vic Schaefer, a former SEC coach, for preparing the team well before they ever stepped on the court. “Coach Schaefer’s been through it. He made sure we were ready, but we just didn’t respond the way we needed to,” she said. “Losing our first SEC game might feel like a ‘Welcome to the SEC’ moment, but we were ready.”
In the SEC, Harmon has been a force, averaging 10.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Sophomore Madison Booker, who’s been sensational with 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, has been right alongside her, forming a dynamic duo. The two constantly learn from each other, and last season, when Harmon was sidelined with an ACL injury, she found herself playing a vital coaching role from the bench. “I couldn’t play, but I still learned a lot, especially from how Coach Schaefer worked with Madison,” Harmon reflected. “It’s about learning from mistakes, not just as a point guard, but as a player, period.”
Now, as Texas eyes a historic rivalry matchup with Tennessee, Harmon and the Longhorns are determined to stay on course. Tennessee, coming off a heartbreaking upset to Vanderbilt, is hungry for a win. The game will air on ESPN Thursday at 7 PM from the Moody Center, and it promises to be an electrifying battle between two SEC powerhouses.
