If it were not for COVID-19, today would have been Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament. Going into the Big 12 Tournament this week, Texas was in need of a win against Texas Tech to fully secure their spot in March Madness this season. However, we will never know if the Longhorns were going to make it or what their seeding would have been.
Throughout Texas’ history, they have made the NCAA Tournament 34 times. 26 of those appearances came after the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, beginning in 1989 and as recent as 2018. The Longhorns have been seeded in 11 different positions ranging from the top of the bracket to playing the underdog role.
Here is Texas’ seeding history in the NCAA Tournament:
Highest ever seed: One seed in 2003
Lowest ever seed: 11 seed in 1989, 1995, 2012, and 2015
Most frequent seed: Six seed (four times), 10 seed (four times), 11 seed (four times)
The one time Texas was ever a one seed was in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, where they also made their third Final Four in school history. Led by T.J. Ford and Brandon Mouton, the Longhorns went 22-5 in the regular season and finished second in the Big 12 with a 13-3 conference record. Despite losing to Texas Tech in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, Texas managed to hang onto a one seed.
In the tournament, Rick Barnes’ squad beat UNC Ashville by 21 in the first round and Purdue by 10 in the second round to make the school’s second Sweet 16 in as many years.
The games got tougher from then on, escaping from UConn with a four-point victory and then beating Michigan State by nine to win the South Region. After making it to the Final Four in 1947 and only getting as far as the Elite Eight once since then, Texas was back to the promised land.
The Longhorns lost to a Syracuse team led by Carmelo Anthony by 11 at the Superdome in New Orleans, ending their best season in over 50 years. The Orange would go on to win the National Championship, beating Big 12 foe Kansas in the title game.
Only securing a one seed once in their history, Texas has only gotten as high as a two seed since then. Coming in 2006 and 2008, both teams lost in the Elite Eight to LSU and Memphis respectively.
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