Texas Longhorns to Face Ole Miss in SEC Tournament First Round

Longhorns fall to No. 10 seed after loss to Oklahoma, will need to win SEC Tournament opener to avoid First Four

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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After dropping an overtime heartache to rival Oklahoma in Saturday's regular-season finale, the Texas Longhorns (18-13, 9-9 SEC) will have to traverse the SEC Tournament without a first-round bye. The Longhorns finished 10th in the SEC in the first season under coach Sean Miller, which means the team will open the SEC Tournament with a first-round matchup against No. 15 Ole Miss (12-19, 4-14) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

Why it matters

Texas was hoping to secure a higher seed and first-round bye in the SEC Tournament, but the loss to Oklahoma dropped them to the No. 10 seed. Now the Longhorns will have to win their opening-round game against Ole Miss to avoid having to play in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, which most projections still have them making despite the late-season struggles.

The details

A win over Ole Miss would have secured the No. 8 seed for Texas and an extra day of rest until a second-round game on Thursday. But the Longhorns may benefit from a chance at nabbing another win, even if an Ole Miss squad led by former Texas coach Chris Beard won't provide an opportunity at a Quad One victory. Most NCAA Tournament prognosticators still have the Longhorns in the tournament and avoiding the First Four, even if only by a spot or two.

  • The SEC Tournament first round game between Texas and Ole Miss will tip off at 6 p.m. CST on Wednesday, March 11.
  • The SEC Tournament second round is scheduled for Thursday, March 12.
  • The SEC Tournament quarterfinals will be played on Friday, March 13.
  • The SEC Tournament semifinals are set for Saturday, March 14.
  • The SEC Tournament championship game will be held on Sunday, March 15.

The players

Sean Miller

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team, in his first season leading the program.

Chris Beard

The head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball team, who previously served as the head coach at Texas.

Tramon Mark

A player for the Texas Longhorns who had a late flurry of baskets against Oklahoma and ended the 88-85 overtime loss with 17 points.

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What they’re saying

“The difference between being 9-9 and 4-14 is sometimes about five plays. We're 9-9, and it could have been a lot worse. If you start to look at our season, there aren't a lot of close games that did go our way. Most of the time, when we won, we put the team away, and when we lost, we fought hard all the way to the final buzzer, like we did here tonight. So, there's not like a silver lining here or a big picture (tonight). This is sports at its highest level. We lost a very meaningful game tonight. Our future's about one thing: Wednesday against Ole Miss in the SEC tournament.”

— Sean Miller, Head Coach, Texas Longhorns (statesman.com)

“Fear of losing, playing desperate, that's what we've got to do Wednesday. Just come out there and play super desperate, like it's our last game of the season, because it can be if things don't go our way.”

— Tramon Mark, Player, Texas Longhorns (statesman.com)

What’s next

The winner of the Texas-Ole Miss first-round game will advance to face No. 2 seed Florida in the SEC Tournament second round on Thursday, March 12.

The takeaway

Texas' loss to Oklahoma in the regular-season finale dropped them to the No. 10 seed in the SEC Tournament, forcing them to play an extra game against Ole Miss just to avoid the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns will need to play with a sense of desperation to extend their season and secure a spot in the Big Dance.