Texas' spot in the first round of the NCAA Tournament depends on one game. The Longhorns will take on the Xavier Musketeers in the First Four round of the tournament in Dayton, Ohio, for a chance to keep dancing in Milwaukee against No. 6 Illinois.

The final matchup of the First Four belongs to Xavier and Texas, who take the court at 9:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 19. It’s the second time the two teams have met in the tournament. In 2023, Texas and Xavier met in the Sweet 16, and the Longhorns delivered a 83-71 victory to improve to the Elite Eight.

Most NCAA tournament teams dispatched to the First Four view it as an opportunity or a nuisance, but rarely, if ever, an advantage. The First Four is a logistical and preparation scramble, not to mention an extra game before the start of what many consider to be the true NCAA tournament.