Thursday was not the kindest day for the SEC at the NCAA Tournament, as the conference went a combined 1-3 across their round of 64 matchups.
With Kentucky, South Carolina, and Mississippi State getting upset by lower-seeded teams, the lone SEC team to win was regular-season champion Tennessee, who defeated No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s in a dominant fashion, 83-49.
With the win, up next for the Volunteers is the round of 32, where a matchup with the SEC-bound No. 7-seeded Texas Longhorns looms Saturday night. The two teams have met the past two seasons, with the home team winning each matchup in the home-and-home series.
As for this season, Texas sits at 21-12 overall for the 2023-24 campaign, a record that included a 9-9 mark in Big 12 play. The Longhorns are also coming off a round of 64 performance in which they defeated No. 10 seed Colorado State, 56-44.
While the Volunteers average 79.6 PPG with 67.3 PPG allowed, Texas on the other hand is averaging 75.9 PPG offensively for the year, allowing 69.1 PPG to opponents. The Longhorns are also led by a pair of seniors in Max Abmas and Dylan Disu, and will be looking for a bounce-back performance offensively after shooting only 1-for-14 from three-point range, as well as scoring a season-low 56 points, in their round of 64 win.
This could easily be a tough matchup for Tennessee, as Texas will certainly provide a tougher test for the Volunteers than Saint Peter’s. As for a prediction, Tennessee should advance on paper, but this is March, and Texas should certainly not be counted out Saturday night.
Prediction: Tennessee 75, Texas 67