After beating Missouri on Saturday for its fourth consecutive win, Texas basketball has strengthened its case for the NCAA Tournament.
The Longhorns (16-9, 7-5 SEC) picked up their fifth Quad One win with their 85-68 win at Missouri while climbing off the projected tournament bubble. They slipped one spot to No. 37 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, which is a major component used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee when determining the March Madness field.
The Longhorns return to Moody Center Tuesday against LSU at 8 p.m.
The No. 37 ranking for Texas is eighth among SEC schools. The SEC has nine programs in the top 40, headed by No. 9 Florida.
How do the NCAA Tournament prognosticators see the Longhorns entering this week? Let’s take a look.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi: Tuesday, Feb. 17, update
According to Tuesday’s latest NCAA Tournament projection from ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi, the Longhorns have climbed off the bubble and into a No. 9 seed. Lunardi projects Texas in the East Region in Greenville, S.C., where the Longhorns will face No. 8 Iowa in the first round. In this scenario, Texas would likely face No. 1 Duke in the second round with a win.
Duke beat Texas 75-60 in the Nov. 4 season opener in Charlotte, N.C.
Ten SEC teams would make the tournament, based on Lunardi’s current projection.
CBS Bracketology update: Tuesday, Feb. 17, update
In CBS Sports’ tournament projections, Texas has also risen to a No. 9 seed after a 10th-seed projection last week. CBS currently projects the Longhorns facing off against No. 8 Clemson in a first-round Midwest Region contest. With a win, Texas would advance to a possible second-round meeting with No. 1 Michigan.
The SEC Tournament runs March 11-15, and Selection Sunday is March 15.