Texas men's basketball looked genuinely surprised at their spot in the Big Dance

The Texas Longhorns defied the odds and earned a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Even they looked surprised.
Texas Longhorns forward Kadin Shedrick (5) reacts during their second-round game of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 13, 2025.
Texas Longhorns forward Kadin Shedrick (5) reacts during their second-round game of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, March 13, 2025. | Nicole Hester / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texas men's basketball team isn't supposed to be here. That's according to Bracketology master Joe Lunardi, at least.

The Longhorns had a terrible regular season. They finished 17-14 overall with a 6-12 conference record and an embarrassing loss to Oklahoma in their final regular season game. Then, the Horns went on a run in the SEC Tournament, defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Now, Texas is in the Big Dance and has a chance to rack up at least one more win. When the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed, almost the entire country was surprised at Texas' seeding, including the Horns themselves.

Center Kadin Shedrick flew out of his chair and veteran guard Tramon Mark had a look of utter shock as it was revealed that the Longhorns would play against the Xavier Musketeers in the First Four for a chance at a No. 11 seed in the tournament.

To put it simply, the Horns did not expect to be where they are today. Afterward, head coach Rodney Terry gave all of the credit to his team for putting in the work to earn their place in the tournament.

"I give my guys a lot of credit for staying the course and continuing to work the season," Terry said. "We've been granted 40 more minutes just like everybody else in this tournament and we're excited to compete."

Also read: Postseason hopes for the Longhorns stay alive with First Four game versus Xavier

Texas will face Xavier in the First Four round, a set of four games to narrow the field from 68 teams to 64 and set the official bracket. The Longhorns and the Musketeers are scheduled to tip off at 8:10 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19. The game will be broadcast on truTV.

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