Texas Longhorns Have Favorable Path in SEC Tournament

After a crushing overtime loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the regular-season finale on Saturday, the Texas Longhorns will now head into the SEC Tournament with much more to prove.

Texas (18-13, 9-9) has had some ups and downs in the first year under head coach Sean Miller but the Longhorns still have a solid chance to hear their names called on Selection Sunday.

But first, Texas will need to take care of business in the SEC Tournament.

Texas to Face Chris Beard, Ole Miss in First Round of SEC Tournament

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Chris Beard | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The Longhorns will face the Ole Miss Rebels in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville on Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT, the conference announced.

Texas beat Ole Miss 79-68 in Austin on Feb. 7 in what marked Chris Beard's return to the Moody Center after being fired in Jan. 2023.

If the Longhorns can take care of business against the Rebels, they have somewhat of a favorable path considering that each game before the SEC Semifinals could come against a team they've already beaten this season.

If the Longhorns beat Ole Miss, they would face Georgia, which Texas split the season series with. A win over the Bulldogs would pin the Longhorns against Alabama in the SEC Quarterfinals. Texas beat the Crimson Tide 92-88 in Tuscaloosa in January in what remains the best win of the season for the Longhorns.

It's certainly up for debate, but considering that the Longhorns will have to avoid Florida and Arkansas until deeper in the SEC Tournament while also potentially facing an Alabama that they've already beaten on the road, it's not a bad draw for Texas in Nashville.

Here's a look at the full bracket:

The 2026 SEC Tournament Bracket. pic.twitter.com/8xqUkqnQLr
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 8, 2026

Strangely enough, Beard said in February after the loss to Texas that Ole Miss would have some motivation against the Longhorns in a potential rematch in the SEC Tournament after a Texas assistant coach directed some comments from the sideline at Rebels guard Eduardo Klafke.

"If the basketball gods put us against Texas again in Nashville, I'm sure we'll use that," Beard said.

The Rebels will need to start with slowing down Texas guard Jordan Pope, who had 30 points in the loss to Oklahoma on Saturday.

"Pope's a veteran player, scoring point guard, kind of picks and chooses his time, and Sean's asking him to do something," Beard said. "He's doing it well, but we all know he has the burst in him where it's a 30-point game on the horizon."