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Bracketology 2023: Penn State, Marquette and Utah State among biggest winners

Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) defends Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game, Friday, March 10, 2023, at United Center in Chicago. Penn State won 67-65 in overtime.Norpsu031023 Am16293
Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) defends Penn State Nittany Lions guard Jalen Pickett (22) during the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament game, Friday, March 10, 2023, at United Center in Chicago. Penn State won 67-65 in overtime.Norpsu031023 Am16293 /
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Bracketology Texas Longhorns guard Tyrese Hunter William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Bracketology Texas Longhorns guard Tyrese Hunter William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas

When you realize what this program has done even since firing Chris Beard, it makes the work that Rodney Terry and the rest of this staff have put in even more impressive. The Longhorns are easily the second-best team in a Big 12 loaded with talent and they’ve proven their worth all season long, even when the noise outside was very significant.

Friday’s triumph came in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament, with Texas earning a hard-fought 66-60 win over a very good TCU squad. Dylan Disu had 15 points and 8 rebounds while Christian Bishop added 15 points and 7 rebounds off the bench for the Longhorns who outshot and outworked the Horned Frogs, avenging a loss from just over one week ago.

This win is important because it likely guarantees that Texas will be a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament, giving them a mind-boggling 13th Quad 1 victory, a number that includes wins over Gonzaga and many of their conference foes. Even if they upend Kansas in the title game, it’s hard to say that they can work up to a 1-seed, but what they’ve already done is quite important. This performance against TCU guarantees that they will not be passed by one of those hotter teams on the 3-seed line and the Longhorns can do serious damage as a 2 in the Big Dance next week.