The Lone Star State and the NCAA Tournament

DALLAS - Selection Sunday is upon us and College basketball fans everywhere are preparing to fill out their brackets. Once again the state of Texas will be well represented in the field of 65.

The University of North Texas was the first school to qualify for this year’s tournament. The Mean Green won the Sun Belt Conference’s automatic bid. But not before receiving a scare from Louisiana-Monroe in the quarterfinals. Johnny Jones team enters the tournament with a 24-8 record. Speculation on North Texas seeding varies from 15 to as high as 13.

The Conference USA champion will also be a Texas school. This morning former Longhorns Head Coach Tom Penders’ Houston Cougars will tangle with the Miners of Texas El Paso.

Following in the footsteps of the legendary Don Haskins, Tony Barbee’s UTEP squad is riding a 16-game winning streak. In the semi-finals The Miners defeated Tulsa on its home court, 75-61. Randy Culpepper led the way with 21 points.

On other side of the floor, Houston was not supposed to get this far. But when the Cougars upset Memphis in the second round and Southern Mississippi shocked Alabama-Birmingham. Houston was suddenly in position to advance to the title game.

A UTEP win should give the Miners a seed between five and ten. Many analysts believe UTEP will get an at-large bid regardless of today’s outcome.

Another Texas school is headed to the NCAA tournament from the Southland Conference. This afternoon in suburban Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State meet in the basketball version of the “Battle of the Piney Woods”.

The two schools met once during the regular season. The Bearkats beat the Lumberjacks in Huntsville, 66-57.

The two teams met in the Southland title game in 2003 with the Kats beating the Jacks 69-66 in overtime. That game was also played on Sam Houston’s home floor in Huntsville.

The winner of this game could be a 15 seed or be involved in the play-in game. Most experts agree the Southland Champ will be a 16 seed.

One other surprise school, Texas Southern, could qualify for the NCAA tournament. The Tigers face Arkansas Pine-Bluff in the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game today in Shreveport, LA.

Tony Harvey’s team began the tournament with an upset of Prairie View A&M. Then the Tigers knocked off Grambling State. Grambling opened the SWAC tournament with a stunning win over the top seed, Jackson State.

Texas Southern is favored to win. If the Tigers win the SWAC, they will most likely be one of the two schools assigned to Tuesday’s play-in game.

Three other schools will receive at-large bids, Baylor, Texas A&M and Texas. Of the three, Scott Drew’s Bears should receive the highest bid.