Texas opens March Madness against Missouri State in Austin as Madison Booker, Rori Harmon, and Vic Schaefer chase a deep NCAA Tournament run.
Texas women’s basketball begins its NCAA Tournament run Friday with exactly the kind of pressure elite teams are supposed to want.
The Longhorns enter March Madness as a No. 1 seed, the SEC champions, and one of the clearest national title threats in the field.
The Longhorns are expected to roll, but this group has bigger goals than simply surviving the first round.
The game tips at 3 p.m. CT from Moody Center in Austin and will air on ESPN. Dave O’Brien and Jimmy Dykes will be on the call, with streaming available subject to regional restrictions.
Texas comes in at 31-3 and has now stacked three straight 30-win seasons under Vic Schaefer, who’s turned the program into a yearly heavyweight.
The Longhorns are also a No. 1 seed for the third consecutive season, a mark that puts this era in rare company in Austin. But the real edge for Texas is star power.
Madison Booker has been one of the best players in the country all season, posting 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while continuing to build one of the most decorated careers in program history.
Rori Harmon remains the heartbeat of the backcourt, already owning Texas career records with 943 assists and 370 steals. That kind of experience, production, and composure is why this team feels built for a serious March push.
Oddsmakers see this opener as a mismatch. Texas is listed as a massive 43.5-point favorite, and the over/under sits at 133.5. That tells you everything about the expectation level around this matchup.
Missouri State is walking into a brutal spot. Texas isn’t just trying to win. The Longhorns are trying to make a statement before the bracket gets tougher. If Booker and Harmon control the pace early, this could be a one-sided launch into what Texas hopes becomes a title chase.
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