Nashville - As the Texas Longhorns wrap up their regular season, their NCAA Tournament hopes remain intact, though not as firm as they were before dropping their last two games.
Initially projected by CBS Sports among the "Last Four Teams In," Texas has managed to avoid the "First Four" bracket, securing a spot in the field of 64. However, with "Selection Sunday" just four days away, the Longhorns' position in the tournament has seen some shifts.
Texas, sitting at 18-13 overall and 9-9 in the Southeastern Conference, was previously pegged as a No. 9 seed. Now, the latest projections have them as a No. 10 seed, set to face No. 7-seed Miami. This matchup is slated for the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
The Longhorns still have a chance to influence their seeding with the upcoming SEC Tournament. They’ll face Ole Miss in the first round, a team they bested 78-69 back in February.
Coach Sean Miller emphasized the importance of execution: "Execute your game plan on both the offensive and defensive end. Be detailed in your approach and know what makes you a good team," he said after practice at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
ESPN's Joe Lunardi also has Texas in a 7/10 matchup against Miami, but in the West Region, with the game in St. Louis.
Texas holds a 6-9 record against Quad 1 opponents, which are the highest-quality wins based on the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. Their victories in this category include wins over Vanderbilt, Alabama, Oklahoma, NC State, Missouri, and Texas A&M.
Against Quad 2 teams, Texas is 1-3, while they boast a 3-1 record against Quad 3 competition and remain unbeaten at 7-0 against Quad 4 teams.
In CBS Sports' projections, 11 SEC teams, including Texas, are expected to make the NCAA Tournament, just shy of last season's record of 14.
KenPom currently ranks Texas as the 32nd-best team in the nation, with an overall strength of schedule at 17th. Their non-conference schedule, however, is ranked much lower at 321 out of 365 Division I programs.
Texas' standing as a top-40 NET team, currently at No. 33, is largely due to the strength of their SEC schedule. Their record against AP Top 25 teams is 4-3, with notable wins over then-ranked North Carolina State, Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Georgia.
The official NCAA Tournament bracket will be unveiled on Sunday, March 15 at 5 p.m. CT, available to fans on CBS and Paramount+.