One Thing Sean Miller Regrets After SEC Tournament Loss

The Texas Longhorns were eliminated from the first round of the SEC Tournament by the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday.

Despite being underdogs, the Rebels handled the Longhorns for most of the game and won 76-66.

While many things went wrong for the Longhorns, one issue head coach Sean Miller identified in particular was an inability to shake off recent losses.

Sean Miller Cites Lack of Mental Preparation as One Reason for SEC Tournament Loss

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller looks on | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Miller took his first media availability since being upset by the Rebels yesterday. Among other questions, he was asked about how his team had emotionally responded to a poor regular season finish before their tournament loss.

"I don't think we ever had the chance, nor did I take it upon myself, to separate the end of the regular season and all the good that we've done and the new beginning of an SEC Tournament in Nashville separate from what just happened," Miller said.

After a five-game win-streak in February, Texas went 1-4 to close the season and entered the tournament as the tenth seed.

After that finish Miller believes the Longhorns were not able to concentrate on the beginning of a 'new season' in the SEC Tournament.

"I think that we were all kind of guilty of staying in-tune with [the idea that] we just blew a big opportunity for us," Miller said.

Texas indeed had an opportunity to climb the SEC and selection committee's rankings, as their win-streak represented their first showing of consistent basketball all year. They regressed to their mean and lost three of those games by at least 10 points.

It was not the Longhorns' first time struggling to forget losses this season.

Miller also pointed to the opening of conference play, when the Longhorns lost both of their first two games.

"We had a huge lead at home versus Mississippi State, and it was a game [where you feel] like 'we're going to win, we're going to win, can you believe we lost? And the next thing you know we are at Tennessee," Miller said. "We were still connected to what had happened at Mississippi State."

Still, the Longhorns have shown an ability to put losses behind them before this season, such as right after that Tennessee game when they took down Alabama and Vanderbilt.

Texas is officially in the last-four play-in for the NCAA Tournament and will play NC State tomorrow for the right to play the BYU Cougars and freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa. Thankfully, Miller believes the Longhorns will be able to properly focus on their next matchup.

"Because we lost so long ago we had two full days of being able to take a deep breath and get away from each other, get our legs and minds right," Miller said.