The Texas Longhorns (20-12, 9-9 Big 12) will open play in their 38th NCAA Tournament on Thursday with hopes of advancing past the First Round for the third straight year. As the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region, Rodney Terry’s team will have to get past the 10-seeded Colorado State Rams in order to do so. The Rams made their way into the Round of 64 by winning a First-Four game on Tuesday night against Virginia, shooting an impressive 55.3% from the floor and holding the Cavaliers to just 25%.
The Longhorns have the benefit of rest, with their last action on the court taking place on March 13th. Texas lost their first game of the Big 12 Tournament on this day, falling 78-74 to Kansas State. The ‘Horns sit at No. 30 in the latest NET rankings and No. 27 in the latest KenPom team rankings. They notched five Quad 1 wins this season and went 3-2 against Quad 2 opponents.
Graduate guard Max Abmas leads the Longhorns in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per . He currently ranks 8th on the NCAA Division I men’s all-time scoring list (3,110 points) and is tied for the No. 3 spot on the all-time career three-point field goals made chart (509).
Colorado State (25-10, 10-8 Mountain West) is a formidable opponent. The Rams rose as high as No. 13 in the AP Poll this season, and got off to a 9-0 start before suffering their first loss to St. Mary’s. They check in at No. 36 in the NET rankings and No 30 in the KenPom team rankings. The Rams won 6 Quad 1 games and finished 3-2 in Quad 2 games.
Graduate guard and Allen, Texas native Isaiah Stevens leads the Rams in scoring with 16.2 points per game.
The NCAA Tournament has seen its share of upsets in the first round, with 10-seeds managing to upset 7 seeds 69 times since 1985. Despite Texas being favored in this game by 2.5 points, Colorado state is riding the momentum of a First-Four win and matches up well against the Longhorns.
Texas holds a 2-0 advantage all-time against Colorado State, with their last matchup taking place on December 15, 1962 in Austin.
What: NCAA Tournament First Round Game
Matchup: No. 7 Seed Texas Longhorns vs. No. 10 Seed Colorado State Rams
When: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Time: 5:50 Tipoff
TV: TNT
Venue: Spectrum Center
Location: Charlotte, NC
Spread: Texas -2.5
