Joe Lunardi reveals NCAA Tournament outlook for Texas

Texas had lost three straight games heading into a Tuesday night showdown with No. 25 Mississippi State, and the Longhorns desperately needed to come away with a result to bolster their NCAA Tournament chances.

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi joined the SEC Network coverage at halftime to provide an overview of where things stand for the Longhorns currently.

“Well let’s start by winning the next 20 minutes the way they went on that 11-0 run to end the first half,” Lunardi said. “Nothing, and I mean nothing, carries more weight with the committee than big road wins, particularly late in the season.”

Texas was sloppy at times in the first half against Mississippi State but closed the half on a strong note, an 11-0 run as Lunardi pointed out.

Improved defense helped, as did shot-making.

Tre Johnson led the way with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor and 2-of-4 from 3-point range, keying the Longhorns as they look to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume. Meanwhile, Jayson Kent added nine points off the bench in the first half.

Will that be enough to propel Texas — holder of a 37-32 halftime lead — to the victory? We’ll see.

But Lunardi stressed the importance of doing just that if the Longhorns want to feel good about their NCAA Tournament chances.

“We’ve seen Georgia do it. Texas halfway there,” Lunardi said. “Arkansas coming up later tonight. These would be enormous victories for all three of those road teams and maybe give them a chance to exhale heading into that final Saturday.”

If Texas can’t hang on, things might get dicey down the stretch. A regular-season finale against bubble team Oklahoma looms, followed by the SEC Tournament.

An NCAA Tournament bid hangs in the balance. Texas has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons.