Amid SEC conference play, Texas basketball (12-5, 1-3 SEC) and head coach Rodney Terry have opportunities for multiple Quad 1 wins to bolster their resume for the NCAA Tournament. Texas reeled in its first SEC win on Wednesday night in Norman in the Red River Rivalry game on the hardwood over the Oklahoma Sooners.
Texas basketball gets in the NCAA Tournament in latest ESPN Bracketology from Joe Lunardi
The 77-73 win over Oklahoma on Jan. 15 was critical to the Longhorns' tourney resume-building, given it was Texas's first Quad 1 victory of this season. Texas also has two Quad 2 victories this season, coming against the NC State Wolfpack on the road in Raleigh on Dec. 4 and the Saint Joseph's Hawks in the Empire Classic on Nov. 22 in Brooklyn.
Texas makes it into the NCAA Tournament as one of the "Last Four In", according to the most recent ESPN Bracketology update from Joe Lunardi.
Despite the loss to the Longhorns, the Sooners and Texas both are still among the last four teams getting in the NCAA Tournament in Lunardi's latest Bracketology projections for Jan. 17.
Texas is projected to face the Iowa Hawkeyes from the Big Ten in an 11-seed play-in game which would decide which team faces the six-seed Memphis Tigers in the Round of 64 for the Midwest (Indianapolis) Region.
The Iowa State Cyclones are projected to be the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region as an automatic qualifier Big 12 Champion.
Texas's matchup against the No. 5 Florida Gators on Jan. 18 on the road in Gainesville gives the Longhorns another big opportunity for a resume-building victory that would also help them move up the SEC standings this weekend.
Florida is the third team ranked in the top five of the AP Poll and Coaches Poll that the Longhorns have faced in the past four games in SEC play in January.