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Texas basketball head coach Rodney Terry made a definitive statement to the selection committee after his team's massive win over No. 14 Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. The Longhorns' head coach has been on a crusade to get his team into the NCAA Tournament over the past few days. And Texas' electric 94-89 double overtime victory over its in-state rival is exactly what the doctor ordered. The Longhorns are now in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament after two quality victories. Terry immediately made the case for his team in a postgame interview with the SEC Network.
“I think we play in the best league in the country, and every night you have to play in an NCAA tournament game…We’ve handled adversity, and we haven’t been healthy all year long. But we’re now healthy, have all our guys, and have the star power. We got guys that can step up and answer the bell, and we’re an entertaining team to watch.”
The Longhorns helped their resume significantly on Thursday
Texas basketball was listed as one of the “Last Four In” in ESPN's Bracketology heading into Thursday's affair. It cannot be understated how important this win was for the Longhorns, especially given how this team finished the regular season. Rodney Terry's squad lost four out of its last five games before the SEC Tournament and seemed to be trending in the wrong direction.
Now, the Longhorns are 19-14 overall, with seven Quad 1 wins. This team has a net rating 42, which puts it in good shape to make the 68-team field. However, a win over No. 5 Tennessee would go a long way toward confirming that at-large bid for Texas basketball. The Longhorns will get that opportunity tomorrow at 3:30 to confirm their NCAA Tournament inclusion. A loss, and this team will have to keep an eye on results from other conference tournaments. Bid stealers and teams on the bubble having deep runs in their respective tournaments will threaten the Longhorns' ultimate goal.
That being said, this team's cement is still dry. Rodney Terry's team used a versatile offensive approach against a stellar Aggies' defense to gradually break them down. Six Longhorns' players scored in double figures, with freshman sensation Tre Johnson leading the way with 20 points. Texas will need to be better on the boards in its next matchup, as they were severely outrebounded on Thursday.
Still, overall, this team has the ability to win the most important game of its season tomorrow. But it will take a near-flawless performance against a juggernaut Volunteers' team. The selection committee will ultimately learn a lot about Texas basketball tomorrow afternoon.
