Golden: Moody was a beehive, but can Texas hoops team thrive outside its walls?

While the Texas baseball team struggles to find its groove, the school's new basketball arena hit a home run in its campus debut.

Moody Center played to nice crowds in men’s and women’s basketball and the reviews were mostly positive. While the old Erwin Center had its fan moments, its cavernous size never made it the beehive that had Texas players, coaches and opponents alike buzzing about the new crib.

Better yet, Texas' men's and women's teams produced some nice hoops, combining to go 31-3 at Moody. Had the men figured out a way to win one more game, the teams also would have also enjoyed twin Big 12 titles. The women cut down the nets at Moody on Monday after winning a share of their first regular-season title in 19 seasons, dating back to when program legends Jody Conradt, Jamie Carey and the late Tiffany Jackson were holding court — and will host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The men will have to manufacture that home-court advantage that led to several comeback wins in the 10,000-seat facility.

It’s intimate and loud, so loud that Kansas coach Bill Self wondered aloud if there was noise being piped in while a smiling Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte was sitting in the corner.

Texas rock-chalked the Jayhawks

A fitting finale for Moody: Saturday’s 75-59 win over Kansas was pretty sweet, considering Texas mostly dominated a game that Self criticized his team for letting the atmosphere at The Mood mess with their psyche. The enduring image from the regular season finale was Jabari Rice exchanging a high-five with a fan seated courtside after blocking a Kansas layup attempt while the rest of the crowd went wild.

It said everything about basketball's newest beehive.

Moody doesn’t have that sleepy feel to it that was often the criticism levied at Horns fans who sat on their hands in those choice seats behind the opponent’s bench. Wine and cheese has been replaced by beer and wings.

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One year ago after a loss at the Erwin Center, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said the arena atmosphere in Austin didn’t match up with other league hotbeds.

“This is one of the easiest places to play because they don’t bring people in here,” Huggins told reporters. "Go to K-State. Go to KU. Go to Oklahoma State. That’s hard. You can’t hear coaches yelling things out. You can’t hear your teammates. Here you can hear conversations in the stands almost. The whole thing to me is mental.”

That was then. Moody Center is an entirely different environment from the Erwin Center.

And it’s only going to get louder.

And who knows, if this keeps up, Minister of Culture McConaughey might even show up for a game or two next season.

Texas' Worthy wowed us even with a broken wing

Sark got hands-on with Worthy: Steve Sarkisian dropped a relatively sizable bomb on the first day at spring football practice Monday when he revealed that star wideout Xavier Worthy played through what he called a broken hand during the second half of last season.

Worthy notably dropped two potentially game-changing deep passes in the third quarter of the Alamo Bowl loss to Washington. Sark didn’t make it clear if the hand was healed by that point, but it was still the most interesting moment of the presser.

When AP scribe Jim Vertuno, one of the best newsmen in the Texas sports media, asked why Sarkisian was so secretive about this injury last season, the coach said, “Because I don’t have to tell you that,” adding to reveal it publicly would have meant tipping off opponents as well.”

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Sark went on to say that he didn’t sit Worthy because he presented Texas’ best option at the position.

It makes me wonder what other secrets, if any, is Sarkisian keeping over there.

Texas' Bijan Robinson won't run the 40 at UT's pro day

Been there, done that for Bijan: Bijan Robinson didn’t do the entire workout schedule at the NFL scouting combine, but he did enough in three events to cement his status as the top running back in the upcoming draft.

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The Texas ex posted a 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash, displayed a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-4 distance in the broad jump. He reportedly told the NFL Network that he won’t be participating in Texas’ pro timing day on Thursday, which will open up the spotlight to his other former teammates.

Texas' pro day lets other Longhorns get their shot

Next men up for Texas: Robinson has nothing left to prove. He’s a first-rounder who could be a difference maker his rookie year. His former teammates, on the other hand, have time to gain notice this week and that includes defensive tackle Keondre Coburn, who clocked a 5.22 40 at 322 pounds — that’s trucking — and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who ran 4.55.

While we watched those three and teammates Roschon Johnson and Moro Ojomo perform on TV, I’m looking forward to seeing how defensive backs Anthony Cook and D’Shawn Jamison perform in the bubble in front of NFL scouts on their home turf.

Great on-court decisions, not so great off-court decisions

Morant, don’t be moronic: Memphis guard Ja Morant is one of the NBA's brightest stars, but he has shown that it can all be taken away in an instant through careless, senseless and dare I say, moronic, behavior.

The all-star was seen on a recent Instagram Live video at a Denver suburban nightclub apparently brandishing a gun, which led the team to suspend him indefinitely. And now the Colorado cops are investigating.

It’s a small reminder that trying to live up to some street image is one of the dumbest things these athletes can do. Even if they are from a rough neighborhood — and Morant isn’t — why risk losing your life lottery ticket to be "down"?

I’d hate to see such a young talent throw it all away for street cred.

Rich NBA cred is more fun and rewarding.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: The reviews were all positive for Season 1 of Texas' Moody Center