Selection Sunday for the 2024 Men’s NCAA College Basketball Tournament is about seven weeks away.
As January draws to a close, let’s look at which Texas schools are currently projected to make the 68-team field on March 17.
Ranked Teams
No. 4 Houston
Record: 19-2, 6-2, first in the Big 12
ESPN: No.1 seed in the South Region, playing No.16 seed South Dakota State in Omaha
CBS: No.1 seed in the West Region, playing No.16 seed Quinnipiac in Memphis
Fox Sports: No.1 seed in the West Region, playing No.16 seed South Dakota State
Houston has been in the top 10 all season and appears to be on track for another No.1 seed. The Cougars have dominated all season, winning their first 14 games before a brief two-game lull.
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No. 15 Texas Tech
Record: 16-4, 5-2, tied for second in the Big 12
ESPN: No.7 seed in the East Region, playing No.10 seed St. Mary’s in Indianapolis
CBS: No.4 seed in the West Region, playing No.13 seed Akron in Spokane
Fox Sports: No.6 seed in the Midwest Region, playing No.11 seed Michigan State
Texas Tech has gone from a last-place team to a Big 12 contender in year one under new head coach Grant McCasland. Despite losing to No.25 TCU on Tuesday night, the Red Raiders have four wins over teams that were ranked in the Top 25 at the time of the matchup.
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No.18 Baylor
Record: 14-5, 3-3, eighth in the Big 12
ESPN: No.5 seed in the Midwest Region, playing No.12 seed Cornell in Spokane
CBS: No.5 seed in the South Region, playing No.12 seed McNeese State in Spokane
Fox Sports: No.4 seed in the Midwest Region, playing No.13 seed Samford
Baylor was a Top 10 team entering December but is just 7-5 since a 7-0 start. Still, the conference provides plenty of opportunities, and the Bears have eight ranked matchups remaining on their schedule.
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No.25 TCU
Record: 16-5, 5-3, tied for fourth in the Big 12
ESPN: No.9 seed in the East Region, playing No.8 seed South Carolina in Brooklyn
CBS: No.10 seed in the West Region, playing No.7 seed Colorado State in Omaha
Fox Sports: No.8 seed in the East Region, playing No.9 seed Princeton
TCU has helped its chances with a few top-10 wins and a respectable record so far this season. Playing in the Big 12 has some advantages, and one is the number of opportunities to face elite teams, which should help the Horned Frogs come Selection Sunday. They have four more chances to come up with wins against current Top 25 teams.
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Unranked Teams
Texas
Record: 14-7, 3-5, 12th place in the Big 12
ESPN: No.10 seed in the West Region, playing No.7 seed New Mexico in Salt Lake City
CBS: No.11 seed in the Midwest Region, playing No.11 seed Nevada in the First Four. Winner is projected to play No.6 seed Dayton in Charlotte
Fox Sports: No.10 seed in the Midwest Region, playing No.7 seed New Mexico
It’s been a down year for Texas after nearly reaching the Final Four last season. Conference play has especially been a struggle, as the Longhorns have come out on the wrong side of several close games. They are projected to make the field and, in some cases, are one of the last four teams in the tournament, with consecutive ranked opponents looming as February begins.
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Texas A&M
Record: 12-8, 3-4, tied for eighth in the SEC
ESPN: No.10 seed in the Midwest Region, playing No.7 seed Northwestern in Pittsburgh
CBS: out
Fox Sports: No.12 seed in the West Region, playing No.12 seed Washington State in the First Four. Winner is projected to play No.5 seed BYU
The Aggies sit firmly on the bubble at the moment, but two publications still have them squeaking into the tournament. What hurts A&M is that the season could go very wrong very quickly, and it only has one ranked win this season with very few opportunities remaining. Finding the consistency it had to begin the season would go a long way, particularly if Texas A&M wants to avoid a play-in game during the First Four.
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Sam Houston State
Record: 12-9, 5-1, tied for first in Conference USA
ESPN: No.15 seed in the East Region, playing No.2 seed Wisconsin in Indianapolis
CBS: out
Fox Sports: out
ESPN is the only outlet projecting the Bearkats to make the field as projected Conference USA tournament champions.