Joe Lunardi explains NCAA Tournament implications of Monday's Houston-Texas matchup

Big Monday is heading to Austin, with an old Southwest Conference basketball rivalry being renewed. For the first and only time as Big 12 members, Texas will host Houston for a huge conference showdown. While bragging rights are certainly on the line, there are plenty of on-court implications depending on the result.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi broke down the scenarios, with Texas having the most to gain. Beating Houston would only distance them even more from the bubble and actually see upward movement on the seed list. These types of Quad 1 wins can be why you get in the NCAA Tournament.

As for Houston, Lunardi currently projects Kelvin Sampson‘s team as the No. 3 overall team in the field. Losing in the state’s capital would keep them as a one-seed but move down to No. 4 overall. A win would keep pace with the two teams ahead of the Cougars, Purdue and UConn.

“The Cougars would likely remain a 1-seed even with a loss at Texas tonight but North Carolina would eclipse them for the No. 3 overall,” Lunardi said. “The 10-seed Longhorns stay in the field with a loss, but move up one line with a victory.”

When the bracket is revealed, there is a chance double-digit Big 12 teams make the field. Houston is nearly a lock to do so, barring an epic collapse down the stretch. Texas certainly has a lot of work ahead of them and can add a positive data point to the resume with an in-state win on Monday night.

Big 12 implications on the line with Houston-Texas

Houston and Texas were expected to be two of the three best teams in the Big 12 this season. The Lone Star State duo finished just behind Kansas in the Big 12 preseason poll. Two first-place votes even went to Houston ahead of their first season in the conference.

At least one school has held up their end of the bargain, with Houston currently in second place at 5-2. A rough 1-2 start has since been erased with the Cougars winning four in a row. Just one has been on the road though, coming against fellow newbie BYU.

Texas has underperformed based on the preseason poll and is currently under .500 in league play with a 3-4 record. Momentum was thought to be recaptured with huge wins against Baylor and Oklahoma before traveling to Provo and dropping a game over the weekend.