Texas Basketball: Longhorns Now on ESPN's 'Bubble Watch'

Four-straight victories has Texas back on the cusp of an invite to the Big Dance

After being left for dead a couple of weeks ago, Texas has clawed its way back into the NCAA Tournament picture. 

The Longhorns recorded their best two wins of the year so far this past week, at home against West Virginia and on the road at Texas Tech - both Quadrant One victories. 

"They've owned it," Texas head coach Shaka Smart said. "They've taken ownership, they've lost themselves again. I keep saying that, but you know, when you have self-pity or selfish intent, or you get bored, any of those three things, you can't be aggressive, you can't be on the attack. And that's affected us at times earlier this year. And I think that's one thing that we've talked about that a lot as a program." 

Texas now finds itself back at .500 in conference play on the back of its four-game win streak, but likely needs at least one more win in its final two games to get on the other side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. 

ESPN recently released its latest Bubble Watch on Sunday morning, placing Texas in the "teams with work to do" category. The website says:

"Texas is not in the projected field yet, but no team -- not UCLA, not Providence, not Arizona State, no team -- has recorded a more dramatic and, yes, surprising rise to bubble status than the Longhorns. Shaka Smart is down to a handful of healthy players, and starters Jericho Sims and Jase Febres are still sidelined with injuries, none of which has prevented UT from winning four in a row and capping off that run with a profile-altering 68-58 victory at Texas Tech."