With only nine games remaining in conference play and Texas basketball sitting at 4–5, the question arises of whether it will be a contender for the NCAA tournament. 

The March Madness bracket is composed of 68 Division 1 basketball teams that are chosen by the NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Committee. 32 of the teams will gain automatic entry into the tournament by winning their conference championship at the end of the season. The other 36 slots, however, are spots for “at-large” teams. 

These programs have made a positive impression on the board and shown that they deserve a spot. The committee will vote on at-large teams regardless of if the team could potentially win a conference championship and become an automatic qualifier. The board then makes an “under consideration” section and will vote these teams into the bracket until it is full. 

Following the initial selection of the teams, the committee members vote on the eight best teams and the top four become the number one seeds. This process continues where each top four teams are given the next highest seed until each team has received a seed ranking 1–16. After the seed numbers are dispersed, the bracket is split into four different regions. 

Taking a look at last year’s selection process, seven of the Big 12 schools found their way onto the bracket with Kansas and Houston as No.1 seeds with 13–5 and 17–1 conference records, respectively. Texas was given the No. 2. spot with a 12–6 conference record and was an automatic qualifier due to its Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship win. Both Kansas State and Baylor held the No. 3 seeds with 11–7 records and Iowa State and TCU were ranked No. 6 seeds with 9–9 records.

Looking at these Big 12 teams may give hope to Texas fans. With the 2023 Iowa State and TCU programs finishing with a .500 season, Texas will only need five more wins to match their win record, and along with the multiple ranked opponents they were able to conquer so far, it seems probable that Texas will enter the 2024 bracket.

While the current Texas squad has underperformed in comparison to where the team was a year ago, there is still much more basketball to come. The Longhorns have many more returning matchups such as Houston and Baylor on the road, a difficult path ahead if they want to see their name on the bracket. 

CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm, a Bracketology expert, has compiled a 2024 bracket prediction that updates almost daily as games carry on in the season. Early last week, Texas was listed as one of the first four teams not included in the bracket, but its triumph over then No. 25 TCU boosted them to the Palm’s No. 8 seed, showing just how quickly the outcome of the bracket can change. 

While there seems to be much uncertainty about whether Texas will be able to make the bracket, it conquered so heavily last season. Only time will tell as Texas takes on its last nine conference matchups.