For the fourth straight season, the Texas Longhorns are headed to the NCAA Tournament, landing the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region with a first-round matchup against the winner of the First Four matchup between the UVA Cavaliers and the Colorado State Rams on Thursday in Charlotte.
After landing a No. 2 seed under then-interim head coach Rodney Terry last season, the Longhorns advanced to the Elite Eight and came within minutes of the program’s first Final Four appearance since 2003, settling instead for the longest Texas run in March Madness since 2008.
But the expectations — and the seed — are much lower this year after Texas went 20-12 with a 9-9 record that produced a tie for seventh place in the Big 12 standings and bowed out of the Big 12 Tournament early with a loss in the opening matchup to Kansas State, a disappointing result that hurt the team’s chances of earning a higher seed and more favorable path to the second weekend.