AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas men’s basketball team is officially part of March Madness.
The Longhorns (20-12, 9-9 Big 12) earned a No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament and will play either Virginia or Colorado State in the first round Thursday in Charlotte.
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“Our guys are excited about this time of year and we don’t take it for granted,” Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry said. “This group has come a long way from the start of the season, and I think they’re still hungry for more. They don’t want this journey to stop.”
It’s the program’s fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
If the Longhorns win their first game, they have a potential second-round matchup against No. 2 Tennessee and former Texas head coach Rick Barnes. The Volunteers play No. 15 Saint Peter’s in the first round.
Virginia and Colorado State play in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday in the First Four with the winner moving on to face the Longhorns. Texas center Kadin Shedrick transferred from Virginia before this season.
Terry said it’s a little different not knowing exactly who they’ll play with a First Four game playing into them, but his staff will go about scouting and building a game plan just like they’ve done all year.
“Now that we have an idea of who we’ll possibly play, it gives us a little direction of what we really need to hone in on,” Terry said. “The staff will do a great job tonight putting that together.”
Texas was bounced out of the Big 12 Conference tournament by Kansas State in the quarterfinals 78-74 on March 13. Dylan Disu was named to the All-Big 12 first team and the conference’s most improved player while Max Abmas was named to the second team and also the all-newcomer team.
Connecticut was named the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament with a 31-3 overall record. The Huskies beat the Longhorns 81-71 on Nov. 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Houston was awarded the No. 1 seed in the South Region and Purdue is the No. 1 in the Midwest Region. North Carolina earned the No. 1 seed in the West Region.
The Final Four is April 6 and 8 at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix.