THE Cleveland Cavaliers have a reason to smile after a 115-92 victory over the Charlotte Frelons at home Monday evening. It was a win the Cavs needed to boost morale after three straight losses. For Cleveland big man Tristan Thompson, what he didn’t need was a hit from his teammate Georges Niang about the early release of Texas Longhorns of the 2024 NCAA tournament.
After the Cavs’ win over Charlotte, Niang talked about the Texas Longhorns, Thompson’s alma mater, failing to make it out of the second round of the Big Dance. The Longhorns survived the first round with a 56-44 victory over the Colorado State Rams but fell prey to the Tennessee Volunteers in the round of 16, 62-58.
Meanwhile, Niang, who formerly played for the Iowa State Cyclones, saw that school punch its tickets to the Sweet 16 by defeating the Washington State Cougars in the second round, 67-56. The Cyclones also defeated the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the first round, 82-65.
The Cyclones next face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Thursday.
Thompson, of course, isn’t the only Longhorn on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster. Big man Jarrett Allen also played college ball in Austin, so it surely didn’t help him feel better to see the Longhorns bow out of the tournament early.
Regardless, Niang and Thompson now share the common goal of helping the Cavaliers win an NBA title.
The 44-28 Cavs will face the Hornets again this Wednesday on the road.
