Texas Hoops: Big 12 race and NCAA Tourney resume

The No. 5 ranked Texas Longhorns continue to sit atop the Big 12 standings after the first round of conference games this week.

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Up next, the Longhorns (19-5, 8-3) play host to West Virginia Saturday in Austin in a game that is a “must win” if Texas is to hold serve at home and continue the march toward 12 Big 12 victories.

Texas’ NCAA Tournament resume continues to trend toward the two-seed line. Texas has eight quadrant 1 wins, trailing only Kansas (10) and Purdue (9).

The Longhorns are 12-4 under interim head coach Rodney Terry, including three wins over ranked opponents. Texas is 4-2 on the road in Big 12 play under Terry.

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Big 12 conference race​

No. 5 Texas Longhorns (19-5, 8-3)
Longhorns games this week: Lost at Kansas 88-80, West Virginia
Remaining schedule: at Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Iowa State, at Baylor, at TCU, Kansas

No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones (16-7, 7-4)
Cyclones games this week: Lost at West Virginia 76-71, Oklahoma State
Remaining schedule: TCU, at Kansas State, at Texas, Oklahoma, West Virginia, at Baylor

No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats (19-5, 7-4)
Wildcats games this week: Beat TCU 82-61, at Texas Tech
Remaining schedule: at Oklahoma, Iowa State, Baylor, at Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, at West Virginia

No. 14 Baylor Bears (18-6, 7-4)
Bears games this week: Beat Oklahoma 82-72, at TCU
Remaining schedule: West Virginia, at Kansas, at Kansas State, Texas, at Oklahoma State, Iowa State

No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks (19-5, 7-4)
Jayhawks games this week: Beat Texas 88-80, at Oklahoma
Remaining schedule: at Oklahoma State, Baylor, at TCU, West Virginia, Texas Tech, at Texas

No. 17 TCU Horned Frogs (17-7, 6-5)
Horned Frogs games this week: Lost at Kansas State 82-61, Baylor
Remaining schedule: at Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, at Texas Tech, Texas, at Oklahoma

Oklahoma State Cowboys (15-9, 6-5)
Cowboys games this week: Beat Texas Tech 71-68, at Iowa State
Remaining schedule: Kansas, at TCU, at West Virginia, Kansas State, Baylor, at Texas Tech

West Virginia Mountaineers (15-9, 4-7)
Mountaineers games this week: Beat Iowa State 76-71, at Texas
Remaining schedule: at Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, at Kansas, at Iowa State, Kansas State

Oklahoma Sooners (12-12, 2-9)
Sooners games this week: Lost at Baylor 82-72, Kansas
Remaining schedule: Kansas State, at Texas, Texas Tech, at Iowa State, at Kansas State, TCU

Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-12, 1-10)
Red Raiders games this week: Lost at Oklahoma State 71-68, Kansas State
Remaining schedule: Texas, at West Virginia, at Oklahoma, TCU, at Kansas, Oklahoma State

Big 12 2023 Pomeroy Ratings

10. Texas
12. Kansas (plays in Austin)
13. Baylor (plays at Baylor)
15. West Virginia (plays in Austin)
18. Iowa State (plays in Austin)
19. Kansas State (split)
24. TCU (plays at TCU)
31. Oklahoma State (Texas beat twice)
54. Oklahoma (plays in Austin)
69. Texas Tech (plays at TT)

Texas non-conference in the 2023 Pomeroy Ratings

4. Tennessee (road loss)
9. Creighton (Home win)
17. Gonzaga (Home win)
26. Illinois (Neutral loss)
92. Louisiana (Home win)
99. Stanford (Neutral win)
168. Rice (Home win)
173. UTEP (Home win)
254. UT Rio Grande Valley (Home win)
265. Northern Arizona (Neutral win)
306. Texas A&M-Commerce (Home win)
316. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (Home win)
351. Houston Christian (Home win)

NET (Texas No. 9)

• Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
• Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
• Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
• Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

Quadrant 1 games

Record: 8-5

Wins: Gonzaga, Creighton, at Oklahoma, at Oklahoma State, TCU, at West Virginia, Baylor, at Kansas State

Losses: Kansas State, vs. Illinois, at Iowa State, at Tennessee, at Kansas

The Gonzaga and TCU home wins and the road victories at Oklahoma State and West Virginia are in good shape to remain Q1 games throughout the year. Same with the losses to Kansas State, Illinois, at Iowa State. Creighton is currently No. 15 in NET, while the Sooners are No. 63. 

Quadrant 2 games

Record: 2-0

Wins: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State

Losses: N/A

Should the Red Raiders fall any farther from their current No. 74 ranking, this game could turn into a Quadrant 3 game. Oklahoma State is likely to remain a Quadrant 2 win, but they are now No. 35 in NET and just need to move up a few more places to make it a Quadrant 1 win.

Quadrant 3 games

Record: 3-0

Wins: vs. Stanford, Louisiana, Rice

Losses: N/A

Texas managing to hang on versus the Owls on the day Chris Beard was fired looks better with each passing game. Rice is currently No. 153 in NET. Louisiana is currently No. 85. Stanford is No. 116.

Quadrant 4 games

Record: 6-0

Wins: UTEP, Houston Christian, vs. Northern Arizona, UT-RGV, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas A&M-Commerce

Losses: N/A

UTEP is currently No. 174 in the rankings, placing the Miners on the precipice of becoming a Quadrant 3 opponent. Going undefeated in Quadrant 4 games is a must. Only one team in the top 25 of NET, TCU, has a Quadrant 4 loss.

Feb 11 – West Virginia – No. 19 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 13 – at Texas Tech – No. 74 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 18 – Oklahoma – No. 63 – Quadrant 2 game
Feb 21 – Iowa State – No. 13 – Quadrant 1 game
Feb 25 – at Baylor – No. 11 – Quadrant 1 game
Mar 1 – at TCU – No. 24 – Quadrant 1 game
Mar 4 – Kansas – No. 10 – Quadrant 1 game