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Tom Herman praises Longhorns basketball team for NIT semifinal win

Shaka Smart's Longhorns will play for the NIT championship Thursday night.

AUSTIN, Texas — "We get to play one more, one more, baby!"

That's what Texas Men's Basketball Head Coach Shaka Smart told his team after defeating Texas Christian University in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) semifinals Tuesday night inside Madison Square Garden.

That "one more" is the championship game of the NIT.

Texas eliminated their Big 12 rivals, TCU, in the NIT final four, 58-44. 

RELATED: Texas tops TCU to advance to NIT championship

That win over TCU was UT's twentieth win of the season. They have won four consecutive games after closing out the regular season.

The team will face Lipscomb University out of Nashville for the NIT championship Thursday night. 

RELATED: Texas basketball's Shaka Smart could join the same fraternity as the late Abe Lemons this week

It may not be the NCAA Tournament, but the Longhorns have an opportunity to win a championship after losing five of their last six games prior to tipping off the NIT – including the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal against Kansas.

There's a buzz building for Thursday night's game at Madison Square Garden. Texas Head Football Coach Tom Herman gave Shaka Smart and the Horns a shoutout after Wednesday morning's spring football practice.

RELATED: Longhorns receivers continue to battle in spring camp

RELATED: Longhorns' offense becoming more explosive in spring camp

"I had a chance to watch that game last night, they played with a lot of energy, enthusiasm, played great defense. That was fun to watch," Coach Herman said.

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