Longhorns to Play Virginia Tech in First Round of NCAA Men's Tournament

The Texas men, a No. 6 seed, are out to make a deep tournament run under Chris Beard, who has had success in 'March Madness'

On Thursday, Texas coach Chris Beard called out his Longhorns’ effort in “winning time” against TCU. On Sunday, he and the Longhorns found out where they would start the NCAA Tournament.

The Longhorns’ bid to remove the taste of that Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal loss to TCU begins on Friday when No. 6 seed Texas (21-11) faces No. 11 seed Virginia Tech in the first round in the East Region in Milwaukee, Wis.

The Longhorns have a checkered history in the NCAA Tournament of late. Last year’s first-round loss to Abilene Christian led to Shaka Smart taking the job at Marquette, and the Longhorns’ pursuit of Beard, a Texas graduate who had done incredible work at Texas Tech.

Chris Beard

Chris Beard

Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images

Chris Beard

In fact, Texas hired Beard precisely for this moment.

He went 9-3 in the NCAA Tournament at Texas Tech, leading the Red Raiders to the 2018 Elite Eight and the 2019 national championship game, where they lost to Virginia in overtime. Beard has never lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game as a head coach, and that dates back to his one season at Little Rock, where he led the Trojans to a first-round upset of Purdue in 2016.

Texas enters the tournament with a No. 17 NET rating and 10 Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins. But the program enters with some baggage that Beard must deal with — and it’s more than just last year’s first-round loss.

Texas has lost its last four first-round tournament games and hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since it beat Arizona State in 2014. Texas also hasn’t played in the tournament’s second weekend since an Elite Eight run in 2008 under Rick Barnes. 

Kevin Jairaj, USA Today

Devin Askew and Timmy Allen

Kevin Jairaj, USA Today

Timmy Allen

And, if you believe what Beard said last month, that his team was a “potential Final Four team,” well that hasn’t happened since 2003.

Beard and the Longhorns have that reality to overcome, along with the mindset adjustment Beard wants from his team in the short turnaround from the Big 12 Tournament to the NCAA Tournament.

“I think we have a team that can play with anyone, but we have to face the reality that we have to learn how to win in winning time,” Beard said.

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You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.

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