No. 4: Texas needs a strong SEC showing
Texas likely played only two NCAA Tournament teams in the non-con; they lost to both.
That is not to say the Longhorns struggled in the season's early months. Texas picked up two Quad 2 wins over St. Joe's and NC State, and a Quad 3 win over Syracuse. Both losses are Quad 1, which won't hurt them come Selection Sunday.
That said, Texas needs to improve its tournament resume in SEC play.
Luckily for the Longhorns, the 2024-25 SEC is shaping up to be one of the toughest conferences in college basketball!
All 16 SEC teams currently rank inside the top 65 on KenPom. 11 teams, including Texas, rank inside the top 40. In short, there are a lot of really, really good teams in the SEC this season.
This is good for Texas, which will be looking for marquee wins to add to a resume that lacks them. On the other hand, a slow start to conference play could doom the Longhorns' tournament chances.
This team must adapt quickly in what will be a gauntlet 10-week stretch of SEC play.
First five SEC games:
Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
Jan. 4 | at No. 13 Texas A&M |
Jan. 7 | No. 2 Auburn |
Jan. 11 | No. 1 Tennessee |
Jan. 15 | at No. 12 Oklahoma |
Jan. 18 | at No. 6 Florida |