With their NCAA Tournament hopes still hanging in the balance, the Texas Longhorns came up short to the Tennessee Volunteers in the SEC Tournament.

Tennessee uses a strong second half to pull away from a Texas team playing in its third game in three days, but the Longhorns feel ready for the NCAAs.

Michael Shapiro is a sports reporter for Chron, covering the Astros, Rockets, Texans and every team in town. Michael is a Denver native and graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and a noted fan of pull-up threes, wide-receiver passes and a good hot fudge sundae.

Texas’ first SEC Tournament appearance had its moments, with wins over Texas A&M and Oklahoma marking a successful debut. But the Longhorns’ run ended Friday in an 83-72 loss to No. 8 Tennessee in the quarterfinals.

Did the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team ensure a spot in the NCAA Tournament with Thursday's upset win over rival Texas A&M? It's complicated.

Here's how to watch the Texas Longhorns take on the Tennessee Volunteers in the SEC Tournament. A Texas win should get it into the NCAA Tournament.

The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the best teams in the country, a status that has become expected under 10th-year head coach Rick Barnes. Tennessee is battling conference foes Alabama and Florida for the final No.

Former Texas Longhorns head coach Rick Barnes is vouching for his former team to make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Tennessee Volunteers head coach said Friday after an 83-72 win over Texas in the SEC Tournament that there's "no doubt" the Longhorns have earned an at-large bid to March Madness.