Texas basketball now waits on Selection Sunday after an SEC Tournament loss. Are the Longhorns headed to March Madness or the NIT?
The Texas Longhorns’ NCAA Tournament hopes now sit squarely in the hands of the Selection Committee after a disappointing 76-66 loss to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament.
What once looked like a comfortable path to March Madness has suddenly turned into a nerve-wracking wait for Selection Sunday.
Texas entered the postseason firmly on the bubble but leaning toward the right side of it. Strong performances during a midseason surge helped the Longhorns stabilize their resume and push themselves back into the tournament conversation.
However, a flat performance in Nashville has raised fresh questions about whether Texas has done enough to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The Longhorns struggled to find rhythm early against Ole Miss and spent most of the night chasing the game. Despite a second-half push, Texas never fully recovered after falling behind by double digits.
Dailyn Swain did everything he could to keep the Longhorns competitive, finishing with 22 points and 12 rebounds in a strong individual effort.
Jordan Pope added 16 points, while Matas Vokietaitis chipped in 10, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Rebels’ balanced attack.
Ole Miss was led by Malik Dia, who poured in 23 points, while AJ Storr added 18 points off the bench, helping the Rebels control the pace throughout the game.
For Texas, the bigger issue now is timing.
The Selection Committee tends to favor teams that finish the season strong. Instead, the Longhorns appear to be trending in the opposite direction, fading late after showing promise earlier in conference play.
Bracket projections still give Texas some hope. Some analysts believe the Longhorns remain in the tournament field as a lower seed, while others believe their postseason fate could depend heavily on how other bubble teams perform in conference tournaments.
That leaves Texas in a familiar but uncomfortable position ... scoreboard watching and hoping the resume holds up.
If the committee views Texas’ late-season struggles as a red flag, the Longhorns could find themselves headed to the NIT instead of March Madness.