The wait until Sunday surely will feel like forever for the Texas Longhorns, who left their home court just last week to Oklahoma fans chanting “NIT! NIT!” Now here they sit, a legitimate NCAA Tournament hopeful because of what they did in the SEC Tournament.

ESPN's version of Bracketology paints a darker future. Writer Joe Lunardi updated his bracket forecast late Saturday evening has Texas as one of the first four out of the Big Dance. ESPN's Neil Paine has a slightly different take, Texas has a 63% to get into the field.

For decades, the Atlantic Coast Conference was synonymous with college basketball excellence. The conference of David Thompson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner and Tim Duncan, of Jim Valvano, Dean Smith,