Three teams from Texas made the NCAA Tournament, with Texas and TCU just missing out.
Here’s a breakdown of the draw for each team, with happiness meter of the draw being on a scale of 1-10 (10 being happiest).
Recommended Videos
Houston
Region: Midwest (No. 3 seed)
First round opponent: Georgia State
Draw happiness meter: 5
Breakdown: Talk about being in a bracket with blue bloods. North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas surround the Cougars in this bracket, so Houston will likely need to beat one or two in order to get to the Final Four. A second-game matchup with Iowa State or Ohio State is winnable. Beyond that, the road gets brutal.
Texas Tech
Region: West (No. 3 seed)
First round opponent: Northern Kentucky
Draw happiness meter: 6
Breakdown: After falling in the first round of the Big 12 tournament, the Red Raiders didn’t get the best of draws for the first two rounds. Northern Kentucky is a seasoned NCAA tournament team that qualified last year and won the Horizon League. After that, odds are good it will get a Buffalo squad that dominated the Mid-American Conference and has a quick stable of guards that can score. If there’s a silver lining, it’s the fact Texas Tech is in the West region, where Gonzaga is the fourth No. 1 seed and Michigan is the fourth No. 2 seed.
Baylor
Region: West (No. 9 seed)
First round opponent: Syracuse
Draw happiness meter: 7
Breakdown: Syracuse is often a tough out in the NCAA tournament, but if the Bears can handle Syracuse’s trademark matchup zone defense, there’s an opportunity. Gonzaga is the fourth No. 1 seed, so Baylor has to feel happy there wouldn’t be Duke or North Carolina waiting in the next round. The Bears should rightfully feel there’s an opportunity here.
Abilene Christian
Region: Midwest (No. 15 seed)
First round opponent: Kentucky
Draw happiness meter: 10
Breakdown: The opponent really doesn’t affect the mood of the Wildcats, who are making their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament after qualifying out of the Southland Conference.
Abilene Christian knew it would likely play a powerhouse, and the experience of playing in the NCAA Tournament will be a dream come true.