NCAA Tournament Projections: Texas ‘Big Mover’ in the Latest Update.
Austin — The Texas Longhorns are coming together at the perfect time after being questioned about their validity during non-conference and early Big 12 action. The Longhorns (14-5, 3-3 Big 12) still have a long way to go if they want to advance to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament, but they’ve boosted their resume over the last four days with back-to-back wins over top-11 teams. Texas defeated then-No. 9 Baylor 75-73 in Austin on Saturday before shutting out No. 11 Oklahoma 75-60 in Norman on Thursday.
As a result, ESPN’s Bracketology has given the Longhorns a significant advantage in the latest March Madness bracket predictions.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s bracket expert Joe Lunardi tweeted the most recent movement in the projections following Tuesday’s results, and the Longhorns are the “big mover” this time. “Texas was the big mover last night, winning at Oklahoma to vault from NEXT FOUR OUT to LAST FOUR BYES and knock Big 12 compatriot Cincinnati to the wrong side of the bubble,” the report said. In this scenario, Texas would receive a No. 10 seed and avoid a trip to the First Four. The Longhorns would join New Mexico, Boise State, and Kansas State as teams who may slip in, with TCU, Northwestern, Colorado, and Gonzaga rounding out the final four.
The Longhorns have virtually preserved their season over the last week after two tough losses to West Virginia and UCF, the latter of which resulted in some outside distractions due to Rodney Terry’s “Horns Down” incident with the Knights. However, things have changed in an instant, and Texas will seek to capitalize on this momentum in Provo on Saturday against No. 21 BYU for its third straight top-25 victory.
