Texas Longhorns Fight for NCAA Tournament Survival

0:00On March 16, the 11th-seated Texas Longhorns faced North Carolina State in the NCAA Tournament 1st 4 tonight in Dayton, Ohio. Texas enters with an 18-win, 14-loss record, and a 9-9 mark in the SEC, while the Wolfpack sit at 20 wins and 13 losses. After going 10-8 in the ACC, its winner go home for both squads looking to advance to the main bracket. This March the 2nd straight year, Texas has landed in the first four as one of the last teams selected. They got a lifeline after a shaky end to the regular season, dropping three games in a row and five of their final six, including an early SEC, tournament exit. Players are ramping up the urgency, treating this as potentially their final chance. Seniors like Chindall Weaver have rallied the group in the locker room, stressing a now or never mindset to shake off the recent doubts. Heading out newcomer Swain has been the engine, earning SEC newcomer of the year honors while leading in points at 17.8 per game.

1:02Rebounds at 7.6, assists at 3.4, and steals at 1.7. Even in the slump, his scoring hold steady, though shot volume has dip lately. Team mates like Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark, a decorated veteran, echo the call to seize the moment. With head coach Sean Miller pushing for desperation play, after weeks of warnings, Texas hopes this berth sparks the fire they need to punch there. Take it forward.