Busting Brackets
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Big 12 Basketball: 2019 Bracketology predictions for Selection Sunday

By Chris Kern

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 16: Jarrett Culver #23 and Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders react to made basket during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 16: Jarrett Culver #23 and Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders react to made basket during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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AUSTIN, TEXAS – JANUARY 29: (L to R) Matt Coleman III #2, Dylan Osetkowski #21 and Courtney Ramey #3 of the Texas Longhorns walk to the bench during the game with the Kansas Jayhawks at The Frank Erwin Center on January 29, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS – JANUARY 29: (L to R) Matt Coleman III #2, Dylan Osetkowski #21 and Courtney Ramey #3 of the Texas Longhorns walk to the bench during the game with the Kansas Jayhawks at The Frank Erwin Center on January 29, 2019 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /

Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns are not in a good spot. They have a record of 16-16 and no team with that winning percentage or that many losses have been selected to the NCAA Tournament. They do have some good wins though which give them a little bit of hope.

The Longhorns have played in a lot of Quadrant 1/2 games. They have a record of 9-15 in those games. That is more than the majority of other bubble teams but those team’s also don’t have the 16 losses that Texas does. The quality wins are there though which has raised their NET Ranking up to 38 which is ahead of many teams that will be in the NCAA Tournament field.

Some teams they are ahead of in the NET include Iowa at 44, Minnesota at 57, and St.John’s at 72. That is a large margin between some of these teams. The committee developed this tool to help them select teams for the NCAA Tournament and if they use it as they have said they will then Texas will receive strong consideration. If a team 30 spots below them gets in while the Longhorns don’t, then why use this evaluation tool at all.

I’m not saying Texas deserves to be in because 16 losses is a lot to overcome but if they really do prioritize the NET rankings then the Longhorns will be in the discussion until the very end. The reason their NET ranking so high has a lot to do with their wins. They have four wins that are as good as anybody in the country. They won at home against Kansas and Purdue, they won at Kansas State, and they also beat North Carolina on a neutral floor.

How does a team good enough to win those games have a 16-16 record? They have been very inconsistent this season which is why they lost games such as at Georgia and at home against Radford. The majority of their losses have come against NCAA Tournament teams but nonetheless, they’re still losses. The committee will consider them but at the end of the day, the losses are too much to overcome.

Prediction: NIT Bound

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