College basketball’s premier event is about to get underway. Welcome to March Madness! (Joey Held)
Texas is well-represented in both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments. Learn more about these schools and their history during March Madness.
The state of Texas is one of the more successful states during March Madness, particularly in the women’s field. A study by BetMGM found women’s teams in Texas have had the fourth-greatest impact among U.S. states, putting forth six NCAA Tournament titles, three Final Four Most Outstanding Players, and two national championship-winning coaches. Men’s teams in Texas have had some shining moments, as well, with two tournament titles, two championship coaches, and one Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
That’s all looking at past tournaments, of course. How do Texas teams stack up in 2025? We’re diving into the participants in both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament, plus some tips for filling out your bracket. Just remember, it’s March Madness, so chaos reigns supreme.
One of the best parts of attending March Madness games in person is getting pictures with the mascots. (Joey Held)
Teams from Texas in Men’s March Madness
Five teams from Texas made the men’s NCAA Tournament this year—one of them just barely, as we’ll see below. How do their paths to tournament glory look? (Note: All times below are in Central Daylight Time).
Houston Cougars
The Houston Cougars moved from the American to the Big 12 in 2023, a move that some analysts believed might hurt the team’s chances of success. Not to worry, Houston has simply been the best team in its new conference. This season, the Cougars have already won 30 games (the fourth season in a row they’ve won at least 30), finished first in the Big 12 regular season, won the Big 12 Tournament, and once again secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Since the 2017-18 season, Houston has won 238 games, compared to just 39 losses. The school’s mascots, Shasta and Sasha, are also quite charming.
This year’s record: 30-4
2025 first-round matchup: SIU Edwardsville (March 20, 1 p.m., TBS)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament runner-up (1983, 1984)
Bracket advice: They are astoundingly good and well-coached. They’ve been a legitimate title contender every year for the past half-decade; this could be the year they finally win it all.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
A fellow Big 12 team is another high seed. At the end of March 2023, Grant McCasland left North Texas to become the head coach at Texas Tech. McCasland got the team back to the NCAA Tournament after missing it entirely during the 2023 season. The Red Raiders were upset in 2024 by No. 11 seed NC State, which went on to reach the Final Four. This year’s squad can put up a ton of points; it finished with a top-ten offensive rating among all colleges.
This year’s record: 25-8
2025 first-round matchup: UNC Wilmington (March 20, 9:10 p.m., TruTV)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament runner-up (2019)
Bracket advice: The Red Raiders can score with the best of them. We like their chances in a shootout (coincidentally, a good situation, given their mascot). A Sweet 16 or Elite 8 appearance would be a solid season.
Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies were part of an all-Texas matchup during last year’s March Madness, almost pulling off an upset of No. 1 Houston. They’re a better team overall now, and they had the top offensive rebounding rate in the entire country during the regular season, getting second chances on an impressive 42% of their misses. They’re limping into the postseason, though, losing five of their past seven—including a double overtime thriller against Texas in the SEC Tournament.
This year’s record: 22-10
2025 first-round matchup: Yale (March 20, 6:25 p.m., TBS)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 (six appearances, most recently in 2018)
Bracket advice: The Aggies don’t shoot super well, but they play a style of basketball that can wear teams down. However, they got a brutal draw. Yale is no slouch, and the winner of Michigan and UC San Diego would also put up a good fight. Texas A&M could make the Sweet 16, but they might also be a trendy upset pick in the first round.
Baylor Bears
Baylor was the champion of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the last time a Texas school has won it all. Since then, the team has underperformed relative to its seeding. In 2022, the Bears were a No. 1 seed and lost in the second round to No. 8 seed North Carolina. In both 2023 and 2024, Baylor was a No. 3 seed and lost in the second round to a pair of 6-seeds: Creighton and Clemson, respectively. This year, they were a worse regular-season team, but maybe the Bears can still go on a run. Either way, though he’s long since graduated, former Bear Taurean Prince still has the funniest post-game response in March Madness history.
This year’s record: 19-14
2025 first-round matchup: 8-seed Mississippi State (March 21, 11:15 a.m., CBS)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament Champions (2021)
Bracket advice: In a down season, we don’t expect Baylor to go very far in this tournament. Still, Scott Drew is a talented enough coach that his leadership could at least nab a first-round victory.
Texas Longhorns (First Four)
At the end of the regular season, the Longhorns likely weren’t going to make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large. Texas had lost seven of its last nine regular season games. But that’s the good thing about the SEC, which sent a record 14 schools to the tournament. You play a strong team nearly every time you take the floor. Those two regular-season wins were over Kentucky and at Mississippi State. Come SEC Tournament time, the Longhorns eked out victories over Vanderbilt and Texas A&M, the latter coming in double overtime. All four of those schools made the NCAA Tournament, as well. It was enough for Texas to be one of the last teams selected for March Madness.
This year’s record: 19-15
2025 first-round matchup: Xavier (March 19, 8:10 p.m., TruTV)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament Final Four (three times, most recent appearance in 2003)
Bracket advice: The Longhorns barely made it in, but the good news is that a team from the First Four has won at least one additional game in the NCAA Tournament since the element was added to the bracket in 2011. If Texas can get by Xavier, the next opponent would be Illinois, who has looked shaky at various stretches of the season.
Teams from Texas in Women’s March Madness
The state of Texas put four teams into the women’s NCAA Tournament this year. In women’s March Madness, the top four seeds each get to host the first two rounds of their respective pods. That’s good news for the first three teams on the list, which are the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 seeds, respectively. Coincidentally, all the Texas schools except for Baylor are in the same quadrant of the bracket. Madness!
Texas Longhorns
Texas has always been a pretty consistent program over the years, but Vic Schaefer has elevated it to another level since becoming head coach in 2020. Texas has made the Elite 8 in three out of the past four seasons, and at 31-3 overall and 15-1 in the SEC, a Final Four and championship are the goals. The Longhorns left the Big 12 for the SEC before the start of this season. Aside from the most recent game, a 19-point loss to South Carolina, Texas has looked fantastic in its new digs. Their strong play earned them a No. 1 seed.
This year’s record: 31-3
2025 first-round matchup: Winner of High Point/William & Mary (March 22, 8:45 p.m., ESPN2)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament Champions (1986)
Bracket advice: Two of the Longhorns’ three losses have come against South Carolina. They wouldn’t play each other until the Final Four at the earliest, which is a good spot for Texas.
TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs welcomed several transfers this offseason, including Olympic gold medalist Hailey Van Lith. As a result of that veteran leadership, TCU finished 31-3, winning the Big 12 regular season and then defeating Baylor in the Big 12 championship. It’s the school’s first appearance in the women’s tournament since 2010. TCU is a top-ten team in offensive rating, true shooting percentage, and block percentage. They’ll head into the tournament as a 2-seed.
This year’s record: 31-3
2025 first-round matchup: Fairleigh Dickinson (March 21, 2:30 p.m. ESPN2)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament Round of 32 (five appearances, most recently in 2006)
Bracket advice: Behind Van Lith, Madison Conner, and Sedona Prince, the Horned Frogs are a legitimate Final Four contender. They should at least reach the Sweet 16, which would be the furthest the program has gone.
Baylor Bears
Baylor finished a game back of TCU in the Big 12 standings at 15-3, though a 27-win season is nothing to sneeze at. They’re a top-ten team in rebounds and assists and do most things well on the court. Their biggest issue is free throw shooting, which could potentially become a problem in a close game. Nevertheless, they’re a solid veteran team, with all five of their top scorers being juniors, seniors, or graduate students.
This year’s record: 27-7
2025 first-round matchup: Grand Canyon (March 21, 2:30 p.m. ESPNU)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament champions (2005, 2012, 2019)
Bracket advice: Baylor is probably a good bet for the Sweet 16 this year. However, based on their tradition of earning a championship every seven years, you should pick them to win it all in 2026.
Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
With 15 straight victories, the Ladyjacks are one of the hottest teams in the nation. However, they haven’t won a game in the NCAA Tournament since 2000, so they’re hoping to end that streak. This season also marked the return of the Ladyjacks to the Southland Conference after three years in the WAC. Does it make sense for a team in Nacogdoches, about as far east in Texas as you can get, to play in the Western Athletic Conference? Of course not, but those are the effects of conference realignment. We’re glad the school could get back into a more geographically sensical environment.
This year’s record: 29-5
2025 first-round matchup: Notre Dame (March 21, 1 p.m., ESPN)
Best-ever finish: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 (five appearances, most recently in 1996)
Bracket advice: Stephen F. Austin is playing well, but the Ladyjacks, who received a 14-seed, have a tough first-round matchup against Notre Dame. That winning streak might come to an abrupt end. On the bright side, the Fighting Irish have lost three of their last five, so the Ladyjacks are catching them at a good time.
Now it’s time to make your predictions
Download your women’s bracket here
Download the men’s bracket here
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
