AUSTIN -- People love to ask Vic Schaefer the difference between this season’s Texas and last year’s. He received that question multiple times over the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

The obvious answer is the addition and emergence of Big 12 Player of the Year and freshman Madison Booker, who stepped up her production in a massive way after Rori Harmon tore her ACL. The second answer is overall health. Aaliyah Moore tore her ACL toward the end of 2022, Taylor Jones missed stretches of last year as did Khadija Faye and Harmon.

With that newfound health comes the attribute that’s kept Texas as a national title contender even in Harmon’s absence – post dominance. In Sunday’s 65-54 win over Alabama in the Round of 32, Aaliyah Moore’s 21 points and 10 rebounds combined with Jones’ 8 rebounds and DeYonna Gaston’s near-double-double, flashed the interior dominance that Schaefer’s teams have traditionally been known for. Texas has now notched its highest win mark since the 1987-88 season with 32. Per HerHoopsStats, Texas has the highest defensive rating (75.3) of any of Schaefer's teams since his national runner-up squad in 2017-18 (73.5).

It’s the style of play that made Teaira McCowan a household name in college basketball, and the brand of basketball that made his games against South Carolina and Dawn Staley in the 2010s instant-classics. It’s why the likes of Rickea Jackson initially signed to play for Schaefer at Mississippi State. And it’s arguably what’s been missing from his brief Texas tenure before this season.

“You win with guard play, but you win championships with guard play and size,” Schaefer said of his team that’s also showcasing its readiness for the move to the toughest conference in women’s basketball next season.

“(Schaefer) was telling us that we have to be tough because this is an SEC team and we are going there next year,” Gaston said. “So, we had to make sure we're tough and make sure we're ready for all these SEC teams.”

After just playing 13 minutes in the opening round against Drexel on Friday, nursing some soreness, Moore led the team in scoring and guarded All-SEC guard Sarah Ashlee Barker on the other end Sunday night. Some managed minutes, a good night’s rest and an early start with the trainers was all she needed to be good to go.

“(Barker’s) a great player,” Moore said. “I got better tonight just guarding her.”

Alabama head coach Kristy Curry lauded Texas’ front-court depth before the game and Texas’ 34-to-22 edge in points in the paint and 45-to-34 advantage on the glass showed why.

“We go through it all year, everybody wants to beat Texas, they see that on your chest,” Schaefer said. “Now you're Texas and you’re a number one seed. If you can't handle that, if that's something that you cannot and are not prepared to deal withit  … you might need to find a place to play because it ain’t gonna change.”

But with post depth comes a thinner guard rotation.

Both Shay Holle and Shaylee Gonzales have played marathon minutes this entire season with inexperienced guard play behind them on the bench. Friday, Gonzales showcased the outside scoring prowess that made her the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year last season with 21 points. But more often this season, her and Holle’s roles have been to lock in defensively to let Booker and interior players control the other end of the floor. The pair played all 40 minutes Sunday night and combined for just five points. Holle held Bama’s Aaliyah Nye to 14 points on 18 shots.

“When Rori went down, we went from being pretty athletic on the perimeter to not being very athletic, but you better not tell those two because they don't play that way,” Schaefer said. “We didn't change how we play.

“They lock up everybody that we throw at them defensively. They take great pride in that.”