Longhorns 'Well-Positioned' to Win National Championship, Says SI

The Texas Longhorns are seen as one of eight teams capable of winning it all on Monday, April 3.

The Texas Longhorns still have a long way to go on what has been a rollercoaster of a 2022-23 basketball season.

With a handful of games left in the regular season, everyone is starting to get ready to write in their brackets, as each team has already solidified its identity at this point. And considering what the Longhorns have shown us, Sports Illustrated sees them as one of the eight teams capable of winning a national title on Monday, April 3.

On its "Magic Eight" list, SI broke down why each of these contenders could struggle once the NCAA Tournament begins, but also provided evidence as to why each is capable of winning six straight games this spring.

Texas is joined on the list by the Purdue Boilermakers, the Houston Cougars, the Kansas Jayhawks, the Creighton Bluejays, the Alabama Crimson Tide, the UCLA Bruins and the Baylor Bears.

Here's why the Longhorns could win it all:

The Longhorns’ ballhandling depth is a major strength, and both Carr and Tyrese Hunter are experienced veterans you can trust in big spots. Texas also gets to the line plenty and makes its free throws, shooting over 80% from the stripe in Big 12 play. This is also an incredibly old team: Its rotation features three graduate students, three seniors and a sophomore that played in the Sweet 16 last season.

At the end of the day, this group is battle-tested. It has been the best team in a historically good Big 12 this season. If you can win that league, you can win a national championship, and the Longhorns are well-positioned to do just that.

But despite all the experience and the proven ability to overcome adversity, here's why they won't:

Texas’s primary limitation is its shooting: The Longhorns have just two consistent three-point threats in Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice and often play with two and sometimes even three non-shooters on the floor at the same time. That’s a concerning lack of balance for a team with title aspirations

The Longhorns still have a grueling stretch to look forward to in the Big 12 Tournament, a bracket they'll be extra motivated to power through after blowing a 20-point in the first round against the TCU Horned Frogs last season.

But the Longhorns control what's in front of them, and we've seen the kind of magic that March can bring time and again.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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