Texas has 7 teams competing in March Madness. What are the odds one wins the title?
In 1966, as racial integration trudged along in college basketball — especially in the South — Texas Western coach Don Haskins was quietly putting his mark on the game.
Since arriving in 1961 at the school now known as the University of Texas at El Paso, Haskins started recruiting Black players and in his fifth season his Miners made it to the NCAA championship in College Park, Maryland.
On March 19, 1966, it was the Miners vs. Adolph Rupp’s Kentucky team for the title and Haskins started five Black Players — a first for an NCAA championship game.
The Miners beat all-white Kentucky, led by guard Pat Riley, 72-65, securing their place in history and changing the college game forever.
Riley, now the president of the Miami Heat, referred to the game “the Emancipation Proclamation of 1966.”
A Sports Illustrated piece called it “The Night They Drove Ol Dixie Down.”
Disney immortalized the team’s journey in 2006 with“Glory Road.” a film based onoff of Haskins’ autobiography of the same title.
Fifty-years later, UTEP remains the only Texas team to win a men’s national basketball championship, but there is optimism in the Lone Star State that this could be the year that changes. Texas has seven teams competing in March Madness, the most of any state in the nation.
Baylor Bears
The Bears earned their first-ever No. 1 seed, in the South Region, and opened as 25.5-point favorites, Dallas Morning News reported. They’ll face off against America East champs Hartford (15-8).
“The whole key to the tournament is real simple — you’ve got to go 1-0. That’s the only game you’re worried about, concerned about,” coach Scott Drew said according to Dallas Morning News. “That’s the beauty of college basketball. It’s a 40-minute game. It’s not the NBA where it’s best-of-seven and the best team usually wins. In a 40-minute game, anybody can win.”
Odds
BetMGM: +350
Covers: +600
FanDuel: +600
Texas Longhorns
Emotions were running high on Selection Sunday when the Longhorns, winners of the Big 12 Tournament, learned that they were the East’s No. 3 seed. Texas will meet the No. 14 seed, Abilene Christian University, another Texas team.
Texas last made the NCAA Tournament in 2018 (losing to Nevada) and if the Longhorns can beat ACU, it will be their firsttournament win since 2014.
BetMGM: +2000
Covers: +2000
FanDuel: +4200
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Under head coach Chris Beard, Texas Tech has made it to the tournament in four of their last five seasons. They made it to the national championship in 2019 — the last time a championship game was played — but lost to Virginia 85-77.
“I think each team has a little bit of different journey,” Beard said, according to Dallas Morning News. “One thing that’s a constant in what I believe in postseason play is you’ve got to be you. You’ve got to ride the train that got you there. You can’t reinvent yourself.”
Tech, the No. 6 seed in the South, will play No. 11 Utah.
Covers: +4000
FanDuel: +4200
Houston Cougars
Houston, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest, will play Horizon League champion Cleveland State in its first game and Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson has a particular goal in mind: Keep the needle on the vinyl.
“We’re going to see how long we can stay on the dance floor,” said Sampson, according to the Houston Chronicle. “Keep that needle on the vinyl and let’s keep dancing.”
Houston came oh-so-close to a national championship in 1983, when its “Phi Slama Jama” team was upset by North Carolina State on a last-second dunk.
BetMGM: +2000
Covers: +1600
FanDuel: +1800
Would-be Cinderella stories
Betters should never count out a long-shot team from pulling off an early round upset — and Texas has three of them this year.
North Texas Mean Green
North Texas, winners of the Conference USA Tournament, goes in as a No. 13 seed in the South Region and will face No. 4 Purdue.
BetMGM: +15000
Abilene Christian Wildcats
ACU is 23-4 after winning the Southland Conference Tournament and is the No. 14 in the East region. The Wildcats will play Texas.
BetMGM: +50000
Texas Southern Tigers
Texas Southern, winners of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, is in a play-in game against Mount Saint Mary’s on Thursday. Should the Tigers win they will play top-seeded Michigan in East Region.
BetMGM: +50000
Texas teams in the NCAA Tournament
| Seed | Team | Region |
| 1 | Baylor | South |
| 2 | Houston | Midwest |
| 3 | Texas | East |
| 6 | Texas Tech | South |
| 13 | North Texas | South |
| 14 | Abilene Christian | East |
| play-in* | Texas Southern | East |
*would become a 16 seed with a win Tuesday
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 2:04 PM.