This upcoming weekend will mark the halfway point of the SEC conference schedule. The Longhorns enter the week with a 3-4 conference record, with road games against Ole Miss and LSU awaiting in the next 7 days. As the calendar turns to February, the conversations about the NCAA tournament will get louder, and a large focus will turn to what the Longhorns must do to make the 68-team field.
NET Ranking
Texas currently ranks a respectable 32nd in NCAA NET, a ranking system used heavily by the selection committee that factors in game results, strength of schedule, game location, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. Quadrant 1 wins (beating a top 30 NET team at home or a top 75 NET team on the road) are precious, and Texas currently has 3. Seven of the remaining 11 conference games would be Q1 win opportunities based on current NET rankings.
The Longhorns finished 30th in NET a season ago, leading to a 7-seed in the NCAA tournament.
Conference Record
The Longhorns play in the toughest league in college basketball, meaning a below .500 finish in conference play could still lead to an at-large berth. There are multiple instances over the last few years of a 7-11 team from the Big 12 making the 68-team field. Will the SEC get the same respect this year? Considering the Longhorns non-conference schedule and lack of marquee wins outside the SEC, a 7-11 finish would be very dicey. 8 wins or more would likely have Texas safely in the field.
Texas still has 6 games remaining against teams below them in the current SEC standings.
Final Thoughts
Back-to-back wins against ranked opponents have Texas right back in the thick of the NCAA tournament conversation. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had the Longhorns as the final team in his projected field prior to the victory against Texas A&M. The win against the Aggies will move Texas into a more secure spot in his next projected field, but the Longhorns have a golden opportunity to remove themselves from the bubble completely by going 3-1 or better over the next 4 games against Ole Miss, LSU, Arkansas and Vanderbilt.
