Jay Bilas names 11 college basketball teams as championship contenders

Texas was mentioned among Bilas’ list of national title hopefuls.

ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas named 11 teams he sees as legitimate national championship contenders.

Texas was mentioned among Bilas’ list of national title hopefuls. The Longhorns currently sit ranked at No. 10 in the nation at 17-3, tied on top of the Big 12 Conference standings.

There are plenty of reasons why Texas is a trendy pick to play well in March.

Texas is an experienced group with lots of college basketball under its belt. The core of Marcus Carr, Timmy Allen and Tyrese Hunter are no strangers to the big stage.

Depth is an area where Texas holds an advantage over many teams in the nation. The Longhorns bench has been critical in their success thus far, averaging over 25 points per game in Big 12 play.

Playing elite competition is something Texas is used to while keeping up with the gauntlet of the Big 12 schedule. Every night in the league is a dogfight on the court.

Here is a complete look at the 11 programs Bilas believes can make a championship run in the NCAA Tournament.

Texas basketball: Where the Horns rank in latest the ESPN bracketolgy

Texas is climbing up ESPN’s bracketology ranks.

No. 20 Texas has played itself into a safe NCAA tournament bid after winning eight of the last 11 games.

The Longhorns claimed victory No. 21 on the road against West Virginia on Saturday, their most wins in a season since Rick Barnes was the coach in 2014. Solid work for Chris Beard in his first season in Austin.

Joe Linardi has Texas up to a No. 4 seed in his latest ESPN bracketology projections.

The Longhorns join Kansas, Baylor and Texas Tech as Big 12 teams in Lunardi’s top 16. He has six total Big 12 teams making the final field of 68.

Texas has a chance to bolster the resume even more with two top 10 matchups to close out the regular season. The Horns welcome in Baylor on Monday before a trip to Allen Fieldhouse against the Jayhawks on Saturday.

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Big 12 Football: Greg McElroy thinks the American conference is deeper

ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback doesn’t think too highly of the Big 12 Conference. He would put the AAC up there with them.

The Texas Longhorns don’t have fond memories of former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy. The last time many saw him on a football field came in the 2009-10 BCS National Championship game. Colt McCoy was injured and McElroy would lead the Crimson Tide to the National Championship. Now McElroy is talking about the Big 12, just not in a very positive manner.

During a telecast, he had some interesting comments about the American Athletic Conference over the Big 12 Conference. The Big 12 has come under criticism following the performances of Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State and Kansas the last two weeks. While he makes the case about the middle of the pack, it is all about the top of the conference. That is where the group is judged but he thinks there is an argument.

“Tell me the American, right now, isn’t deeper than the Big 12, perhaps,” McElroy said during the UCF/Georgia Tech game. “I think the American — you could make a case, based on the first couple of weeks here out in the 2020 season — it’s early but I’ve been far more impressed with the quality of play at the top right now. Of course, Oklahoma, Texas, they’re excellent. But those next teams, three, four, five — Oklahoma State struggled today, Iowa State lost to Louisiana, we know Kansas State struggled last week against Arkansas State, losing that game.”

One could point out that the Big 12 Conference is an easy target at this point. It is for good reason, as a Power Five conference, you don’t expect that a Group of Five conference to give you so much trouble, but here we are.

Navy 1-1
SMU 2-0
Cincinnati 1-0
Memphis 1-0
Central Florida 1-0
South Florida 1-1
East Carolina 0-0
Houston 0-0
Temple 0-0
Tulsa 0-1
Tulane 1-1

It is really a silly argument to try and make after just three weeks of the season. Sure has the Big 12 Conference looked bad through the first couple weeks of the season? Sure. Given how the season has come together with so many concerns about the health and safety of those involved, many should have known it would be slow going.

ESPN analyst Todd McShay missing NFL draft coverage as he recovers from coronavirus

ESPN football analyst Todd McShay, one of the staples of the NFL Draft, shared on Thursday that he will not be part of Draft Night coverage this year as he’s at home recovering from the coronavirus.

ESPN football analyst Todd McShay, one of the staples of the NFL Draft, shared on Thursday that he will not be part of Draft Night coverage this year as he’s at home recovering from the coronavirus.