Momentum fuels Texas' March Madness bid. Can a strong SEC finish secure their NCAA Tournament spot?
With Selection Sunday looming, the Texas Longhorns find themselves squarely in the NCAA Tournament conversation—but not without urgency. According to CBSSports.com, Texas currently sits in the “work to do” category, meaning the path to March Madness is clear but far from guaranteed.
Under first-year head coach Sean Miller, the Longhorns have begun to stabilize after a rocky start to SEC play.
Texas has won three straight games and four of its last five overall, including a confidence-boosting victory over Ole Miss. In that win, the Longhorns closed the game on a decisive 14-0 run, flipping a late three-point deficit into a comfortable double-digit finish. Performances like that have helped shift the trajectory in the right direction.
From a numbers standpoint, Texas presents a mixed resume. Predictive analytics rate the Longhorns in the mid-30s nationally, suggesting a team capable of competing with tournament-caliber opponents. Metrics, however, paint a tougher picture.
Texas sits around 10th in the SEC in rankings and near the 50th range nationally, leaving little margin for error in a loaded conference.
But there are positives to point to. Texas owns three Quadrant 1 wins, including two in the elite Quadrant 1A tier - results that carry significant weight with the selection committee. Those wins help offset early conference losses and keep Texas firmly in the discussion rather than on the outside looking in.
The road ahead will determine everything. Texas’ remaining schedule is among the toughest in the country, jumping from the mid-60s in strength played so far to a top-20 difficulty level moving forward.
That means opportunity and risk go hand in hand. Continued wins against quality SEC opponents could quickly push the Longhorns toward safer ground, while slip-ups would tighten the bubble.
The next test comes on the road at Missouri, another game that could move the needle. For Texas, the message is simple ... keep winning, and the NCAA Tournament remains well within reach.