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Bracket Brad isn’t without random thoughts and opinions. Whether discussing team trends or other perspectives, he’ll occasionally spout his bracketology-related reactions on The Gaming Juice.
Texas Longhorns — Bracket Big Board Rank: No. 11 seed
Matthew McConaughey’s finest thespian work is arguably the OG “True Detective.” In the HBO show’s debut season, his character, Rust Cohle, delivered one memorable quote after another. My favorite: “It’s all one ghetto, man. A giant gutter in outer space.”
Right now, the NCAA Tournament resume of McConaughey’s beloved Longhorns is living in the eaves of the great expanse.
Texas lost its first bubble battle Wednesday in an overtime nail-biter at Arkansas. Next up is another test against Georgia on Saturday, then another potential resume builder at Mississippi State next Tuesday. The Longhorns close the regular season at home against Red River rival Oklahoma on March 8.
Suffice it to say, March’s first week will ultimately determine UT’s postseason design.
Tre Johnson is a scoring extraordinaire, but Texas’ surrounding cast has underwhelmed. As a collective, the Longhorns are only 3-6 in true away games and rank No. 215-plus in effective field goal percentage offense and effective field goal percentage defense over the last 30 days. They must play more efficiently.
UT's unattractive road record and No. 286 non-conference strength of schedule are major eyesores. A 2-1 finish is imperative. Winning just one Big 12 Tournament game will advance the at-large argument.
With bouts against Georgia (60% win probability on BartTorvik) and Oklahoma (70%) both at the Moody Center, give this riverboat gambler all the plus money.
Brad's pick — Texas to MAKE the NCAA Tournament (+162, FanDuel)