Sooner Nation wouldn't have believed it even a week ago, but the Oklahoma men's basketball team is worthy of getting to dance.
The Sooners beat Texas 76-72 on Saturday night in Austin in their regular-season finale before starting March Madness next week with the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament.
The win improved OU to 19-12 overall and 6-12 in SEC play after back-to-back wins in the final week of the regular season. The victory also gave the Sooners their sixth Quadrant 1 win after enduring a grueling schedule.
The Sooners started Saturday as the last team in the field 68, according to Joe Lunardi's most recent ESPN Bracketology. Lunardi said at halftime of the Red River Rivalry that if OU beat Texas, then just one win in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament should be enough to put the Sooners in the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Porter Moser in his fourth season.
And Lunardi isn't the only believer that the Sooners should go dancing. Sooner Nation had hope restored after OU upset No. 15 Missouri on Wednesday, and now the rest of the college basketball world is buying into the Sooners after their win against Texas.
Oklahoma goes into Austin and gets a MASSIVE win for its tourney hopes vs. Texas.
— Kevin Sweeney (@CBB_Central) March 9, 2025
Sooners now have six Quad 1 wins, five on road or neutral courts.
Know people won’t like their conference record, but this team has earned a spot in the NCAA tournament.
“Oklahoma shouldn’t make the NCAA Tournament with a 6-12 league record”
— Josh Callaway (@JoshMCallaway) March 9, 2025
A) It’s arguably the best conference in the history of the sport
B) OU beat the Big Ten No. 2, Big 12 No. 3 and ACC No. 2 teams on neutral courts
OU has earned their spot in the dance, in my opinion
— Joe Castiglione Jr. (@JoeCJr29) March 9, 2025
Oklahoma with a huge win in Austin against Texas - for tourney reasons and also snapping an 8-game losing skid to the Longhorns.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 9, 2025
Sooners finish the SEC 6-12 after beating Missouri and Texas to finish season, and have a bunch of quality non-conference wins - Arizona, Louisville…
Oklahoma takes a step closer to punching a ticket to March Madness
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) March 9, 2025
Texas takes a step closer to firing its coach https://t.co/XChOeCImLt
And from Wednesday night:
Missouri coach Dennis Gates: “Oklahoma is an NCAA Tournament team.” #Sooners pic.twitter.com/q0l825KVfp
— Colton Sulley (@colton_sulley) March 6, 2025