Latest ESPN Bracketology projects Texas basketball as a five-seed

Following a really disappointing early exit in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament earlier this week, head coach Chris Beard and No. 21 ranked Texas basketball now have to sit and wait for their seeding in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday. On March 13, Texas will figure out where they’re slotted in the Big Dance to try and make some noise during the postseason.

Beard and the Longhorns will have their work cut out for them, though, as they sit on a three-game losing streak heading into Selection Sunday and then the NCAA Tournament. The four-seed Texas fell short in their first game in the Big 12 Tournament back on March 10 at the hands of head coach Jamie Dixon and the TCU Horned Frogs.

This losing streak for the Longhorns dates back to Feb. 28 against the Baylor Bears. There was also a loss in the regular season finale back on March 5 on the road to the Kansas Jayhawks that is part of this three-game losing streak.

Moreover, as the Longhorns faithful await their team’s fate on Selection Sunday, it looks like there is a pretty solidified range for the seeding that Texas could fall in. It looks as if Texas is likely going to get either a five or a six-seed on Selection Sunday for the Big Dance.

Texas basketball and Chris Beard get the five-seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology

This was confirmed in the latest edition of ESPN’s Bracketology from Joe Lunardi, updated on the morning of March 12. The latest round of Lunardi’s Bracketology projects Texas as a five-seed competing in the West Region. That would pit Beard and the Longhorns up against the 12-seed South Dakota State Jackrabbits, who just finished up an undefeated run in the Summit League to win that conference.

South Dakota State would come into the NCAA Tournament with plenty of momentum after making it through the Summit League without a single blemish.

Yet, if Texas could still hold onto a five-seed in the NCAA Tournament following their early exit from the Big 12 Tournament, that would still have to be considered pretty fortunate for this team. There were some projections that showed Texas could be a six-seed on Selection Sunday before the Big 12 Tournament began.

Sliding up to a five-seed, in this case, wouldn’t be the worst thing for Texas at the moment.

After their loss to TCU in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, Beard and the Longhorns head into Selection Sunday with a record of 21-11 (10-8 Big 12). Selection Sunday is set to begin on March 13 at 5 p.m. CT.