With one win in those two games, Texas would earn another coveted Quad I win and likely crawl back in the top 30 in the NET ratings, a key component used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. But two losses in those two homes games could mean a bounce off the bubble for Texas. Even if this year’s version of the SEC projects as one of the highest-rated conferences in college basketball history, Texas coach Rodney Terry knows his team needs to get a few wins over some of the nation’s best teams to ensure a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever had been a part of a league that’s been as ultra-competitive as this league is, where you literally have to coach every game like it’s an NCAA Tournament game,” Terry said. “You can play 30 good minutes in this league — really good basketball at a very, very high level — and you’ve got nothing to show for it at the end of the day.”