Texas basketball is heating up at just the right time. After a rocky start to SEC play, the Longhorns have strung together three straight wins, including a solid 79-68 showing over Ole Miss this past Saturday. That victory pushed them to 6-5 in conference play and 15-9 overall - marking the first time they’ve been above .500 in the SEC since making the jump to the conference last season.
But the momentum isn’t just showing up in the win column. Texas has climbed to its highest position yet in the NCAA’s NET rankings, landing at No. 36 entering the week.
That’s a key number when it comes to NCAA Tournament selection - the NET is one of the primary tools the committee uses to evaluate teams. Right now, Texas is sandwiched between a couple of familiar faces: one spot behind SEC foe Georgia and three ahead of Texas A&M.
In fact, the SEC is stacked this year, with 10 teams sitting inside the top 40. Florida leads the way at No.
With a midweek bye, the Longhorns get a chance to reset before Saturday’s road matchup at Missouri. But while the team gets a breather, the bracketologists are hard at work, and the latest projections have Texas right on the edge of the Big Dance.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi: Texas Still on the Bubble, But In
According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the Longhorns are still walking the tournament tightrope. In his Tuesday update, Lunardi has Texas listed among the “Last Four In,” meaning they’d be headed to Dayton for the First Four play-in games if the tournament started today. They’re joined in that group by Miami, San Diego State, and New Mexico - but Texas is currently sitting atop that list, a sign that their recent surge hasn’t gone unnoticed.
It’s a familiar path. Last season, Texas also made the First Four, where they were bounced by Xavier - a team then coached by none other than Sean Miller, who now leads the Longhorns. Should they make it through the First Four again, they’d enter the main bracket as a No. 11 seed.
Lunardi’s projections also highlight the depth of the SEC, with nine teams currently in the field. That’s a strong showing for a conference still adjusting to its new basketball landscape with Texas and Oklahoma in the mix.
CBS Sports: A Little More Breathing Room
Over at CBS Sports, the outlook is slightly more optimistic. Their Tuesday bracket update has Texas off the bubble entirely, slotted in as a No. 10 seed in the East Region. In that scenario, the Longhorns would face No. 7 seed Villanova in the opening round - a tough but winnable matchup for a team that’s finding its rhythm.
That kind of seeding would give Texas a straight shot into the round of 64, avoiding the play-in round and signaling a bit more security in their tournament status. But with several weeks of SEC play still ahead - and the SEC Tournament looming March 11-15 - there’s plenty of time for movement up or down.
Where Things Stand
Right now, Texas is trending in the right direction. The combination of improved play, a rising NET ranking, and growing respect from bracketologists has the Longhorns in their best position yet this season.
But they’re not in the clear. Every game from here on out matters - especially in a conference as deep and competitive as the SEC.
The next step comes Saturday at Missouri. Win that, and the Longhorns might just start to shift from bubble dwellers to bracket locks.