Bubble watch: How many SEC victories will Longhorns need to make sure they’re in the NCAA Tournament?
With more than a month left in the regular season, Texas has put in some good work toward getting into the NCAA Tournament. But the Longhorns aren’t all the way there just yet. Each week, A to Z Sports will look at where the Horns stand on the NCAA bubble watch as they weave through […]
With more than a month left in the regular season, Texas has put in some good work toward getting into the NCAA Tournament. But the Longhorns aren’t all the way there just yet.
Each week, A to Z Sports will look at where the Horns stand on the NCAA bubble watch as they weave through the rest of the SEC schedule.
Texas is 14-6 overall and 3-4 in SEC play. Rodney Terry’s club has a winnable game on the road at No. 23 Ole Miss (15-5, 4-3) at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
At this point, the Horns are banking on the strength of the SEC carrying them into the NCAAs.
ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently as Texas atop the list of Last Four In, which means the Horns would get into play-in game in Dayton, Ohio.
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Addressing the Ole Miss game, Lunardi wrote, “Longhorns would stay above the cut line with a loss, but could rise above the danger zone with big road win.” Meanwhile, the Rebels are shooting for a No. 5 seed in coach Chris Beard’s second season in Oxford.
As most Longhorns fans know, Beard was Texas’ coach for just over one full season before a domestic dispute led to his unraveling. Terry, an assistant at the time, took over and led the squad that Beard assembled to the Elite Eight.
Terry has since taken Texas back to the NCAA Tournament last season and put together a team full of veteran transfers to attack the SEC schedule.
How many SEC wins would it take for Texas to feel good about its NCAA chances? Normally, any time a team is flirting with a .500 league record or maybe one game under .500 gives it a strong chance.
In that regard, Texas could aim for a 9-9 league mark or maybe 8-10 and then tack on another victory in the SEC tournament. The remaining league schedule offers plenty of chances for solid wins.
Texas will be at LSU on Saturday and play Arkansas twice in February alone. There’s a huge home game against Kentucky on Feb 15. And Texas can close strong with Georgia, Mississippi State and Oklahoma in the final three before the league tournament.
Yes, the Horns are on the right side of the NCAA bubble, but they need to keep working.
