Instead of a warm welcome, Aaliyah Chavez’s homecoming to Texas was met with a hostile chorus of ‘overrated’ chants from the Longhorns faithful. Her team, the Oklahoma Sooners, suffered a crushing 70-78 defeat to the Texas Longhorns on the night. The chants were meant to rattle the freshman, but they ended up sparking a firestorm of debate across the college basketball world, with many rushing to her defense.

The tipping point of the incident started in the concluding moments of the game, with less than 30 seconds left on the clock, and the Longhorns had marked a 10-point lead in the game. The Sooners were awarded two free throws, courtesy of a scoring foul by Longhorns guard Jordan Lee. And as Chavez stood near the free throw line to take her shot, the crowd started chanting ‘overrated’ against her, per an X post shared by reporter and presenter Anne-Parker Coleman.

“Overrated” chants rain down on Aaliyah Chavez as Texas closes out the win against OU,” the caption of the post read.

The game was on the hot seat even before the game started on the court. With Chavez snubbing the Longhorns last year during her commitment to choose the Sooners, the narrative before the game was the battle of freshmen between Chavez and Texas’s top recruit, Aaliyah Crump. And the Texas crowd left nothing behind to create pressure on Chavez. Per reports, the Texas crowd also booed the Sooners’ freshman during the introductions and later as she took the court.

While it was a hostile night at the Moody Center for Aaliyah Chavez, her performance reflected it as well. She did manage to continue her 10+ point streak in her freshman year, but precision was lacking during her 30-minute stay on the court. Chavez concluded her stint with 11 points, including a disappointing 3 of 13 from open play. Moreover, she allowed three turnovers in the game, which didn’t enhance her performance.

Notably, the Oklahoma Sooners team as a unit also struggled with turnovers in the game. The Jennie Baranczyk-led team struggled with ball security, turning it over 21 times, helping the Longhorns’ offense, which featured Madison Booker, Justice Carlton, and Crump (12 points). Thereby, this disappointing result for the Sooners gave the Texas Longhorns crowd another reason to take a jab at their freshman player. However, a section of the NCAA basketball community also came out in support of Chavez. They expressed their heartfelt comments on Coleman’s X post.

Aaliyah Chavez’s Tough Texas Test Sparks Strong Fan Reactions

A fan quickly highlighted Aaliyah Chavez’s skill set, cautioning the Texas Longhorns of their fate in a possible rematch in the future. “Wait til they play again… 😊❤️,” the fan wrote. “Damn they are hurt she didnt pick them 💀😂,” stated another.

In her freshman season with the Oklahoma Sooners, Chavez has once again shown why she was the No. 1 recruit of her class. With 20+ points against top-ranked teams like South Carolina, she has proven to be a reliable offensive player. Thus, with such a skill set, she can easily break through any defensive blocks, including those of Texas, when they meet in the future.

Top Stories

NFL Makes Punishment Decision on Sam Darnold’s Seahawks After NFC Conference Championship Win

NCAA Fans Call Out Vic Schaefer After Heated Outburst at Refs During Texas vs Oklahoma

MSG Official Threatens to Ban for Life After Team Haney, Tiger Johnson Brawl at Teofimo-Shakur Weigh-Ins

Bills Make Final Decision on Firing Sean McDermott’s Staff as Joe Brady Demands Major Changes From Josh Allen & Co.

Justin Rose Makes Honest Admission About Turning Down LIV After Brooks Koepka’s Return

Carlos Alcaraz Calls Out Critics With a Strong Statement After Australian Open Win

“She’s legit, idk maybe she chose playing time over winning..maybe they offered her more NIL.. 🤷🏽‍♂️ but she can come back via portal lol 🤘🏽,” commented another fan.

The subtle reasons for Chavez choosing the Sooners over a formidable basketball powerhouse like Texas raised eyebrows last year. The rumored $1 million NIL deal can be one of the possible reasons, but per Chavez, her playing style perfectly aligns with the Sooners. “They match how I want to play; I want to play fast,” the Sooners freshman said last year while committing. For now, Chavez has blended perfectly with Oklahoma and is in for a long haul, with a transfer is unlikely at least for the next year.

“Wow so rude! She’s just a freshman. Has a Long way to go still….” another fan rallied. “Classless fans! Nothing like booing a 18 yr old,” chimed in another. Rough days for basketball players on the court are part and parcel of the job. And especially for a young prodigy like Chavez, she has a lot to learn in her remaining collegiate years. Thus, such off days will be even more prevalent in those years, but it was unfortunate for Chavez that it came on the day of her homecoming.

“Hate when we do that. Kid can ball, don’t do that just cuz she didn’t choose us. She took the L and that’ll sit with her,” remarked another. With the Sooners’ defeat, Chavez had already lost the anticipated clash with Aaliyah Crump. Thus, disrespecting the 18-year-old freshman in the game’s final moments can’t be considered particularly sportsmanlike. Moreover, this defeat cost Chavez and her team big time, as they slipped to seventh in the SEC.

Despite the immense scrutiny in her freshman season, even from Sooner fans at times, Chavez has led her team in points this season. The ability to do it in her rookie collegiate year speaks volumes about her unmatched skill, truly making her the No. 1 recruit of her batch. And while the Longhorns’ game was a setback, she would look to bounce back and silence her critics with her performances on the court.