As we ride into Selection Sunday, the countdown of the Top 10 buzzer beats in the NCAA Tournament continues with number five.

Today’s selection will be very familiar to Longhorn fans, as it comes from the Texas/West Virginia Sweet 16 match-up just two seasons ago. As Texas fans will remember, the last 14 seconds of the game were absolutely crazy. The Longhorns were up three points, but West Virginia rushed down the court and tied the game on a Kevin Pittsnoggle trifecta with just five seconds left. Texas immediately pushed the ball up the floor, and A.J. Abrams threw an “ohshit” pass that nearly sailed past Kenton Paulino. But KP calmly controlled the feed, set up for an NBA-range three, and shot the team into the Elite Eight.

In an interesting twist, Pittsnoggle and Paulino are now teammates on the Austin Toros, a team in the NBDL.

We’ve mentioned a few times this weekend how difficult it is to beat the same team three times in one season. But how about going 7-0 against three teams from one state? Or winning six in a row and 11 out of 14 against your hated rival? Apparently it’s nothing but child’s play for the Texas Longhorns, who held the Oklahoma Sooners under fifty points for the second time this year and cruised to a 28-point victory in front of 19,000 disappointed Kansas Jayhawk fans.

The Horns were led by the insanely hot shooting of A.J. Abrams, who knocked down seven three-pointers just a day after going 0-for-5 from behind the arc against Oklahoma State. The diminutive guard finished with 24 points on the day to lead the team, giving him nearly half of OU’s entire output in the game.

The contest was dicey for the first 22 minutes, as the Sooners rode the broad shoulders of Blake Griffin to keep pace with the Longhorns. In the first half alone, he nearly had a double-double — only one more rebound would have done the trick — and had OU in a 36-all tie with 18 minutes to play. But when Abrams lit up, the Texas defense locked down, giving the Sooners no chance as the Longhorns finished the game on a 41-13 run.

The only real negative to come from this game was the early struggle on the defensive glass. Just as against the Cowboys one day prior, Texas let Griffin and the other Sooners pick the offensive glass clean for easy putbacks and longer possessions. The Longhorns simply cannot afford to do that against the quality teams they will be playing over the next three weeks.

There was also one troubling piece of news that came from the sideline rather than the game on the court. Although Gary Johnson was dressed out and walking, he had a large black boot on his right foot. From my vantage point in the corner of the lower level, it looked a lot like the one that Matt Hill has worn throughout his injury troubles. Here’s hoping that Gary will in fact be ready for next weekend’s games.

If he isn’t, Longhorn fans can take solace in the improved play of the Texas big men during this tournament. For a second straight day, Alexis Wangmene turned in a minute-eating performance for Coach Barnes, but this time added the scoring threat. Lex had seven points and four boards in his 14 minutes and looked very impressive in the post. He’s still got a long way to go if he’s going to become a dominant force inside, but the moves are definitely there.

Dexter Pittman also stepped up in Johnson’s absence, absolutely cleaning the glass in his nine minutes of work. Big Dex picked on the Sooners for seven boards and a bucket, even adding a block to round out the stat line. It was very nice to see Pittman be able to play for significant stretches rather than being yanked after a few seconds on the floor. Perhaps this will increase his confidence and also signal a change in the way he’s used down the stretch.

Texas now moves on to face Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament championship game for the third time in the last three years. Game preview will be up in a few hours, along with our 5th-best buzzer beater in NCAA tournament history.

The countdown of the top ten finishes in NCAA tournament history continues this evening with number six.

One of the craziest March Madness buzzer beaters I can remember watching as a kid came in a game between Missouri and UCLA in the 1995 NCAA tournament. The Bruins were down a point and had to go the length of the floor with 4.8 seconds to go.

You always hear coaches and TV analysts say that in late-game situations you can take a dribble for each second on the clock. But most players aren’t as fast as Tyus Edney, who streaked down the court, whipped it around his back, and took it to the rim for one of the most memorable plays in tournament history.

By the time you’re reading this, the Longhorns and Sooners will have wrapped up their semifinal. I’ll either be enjoying the Kansas/A&M tilt, or slouched in my chair wishing I were anywhere but the Sprint Center. But since I’m writing this before we head to the arena, the mood for today’s news wrap will be still be upbeat.

Joe Lunardi’s Saturday Bracketology has the Aggies climbing to an 8-seed after dispatching K-State last night. Baylor is still clinging to life as an 11-seed after their quarterfinal exit to the cellar-dwelling Buffaloes. A&M fans will be delighted to notice that their opponent in Lunardi’s projected 8/9 game is lovable Coach Billy Gillispie and his Kentucky Wildcats. Guess they’d better beat Kansas and play up to a higher seed, eh?

An email hit my inbox this morning from Baylor, where they are planning a Selection Sunday watch party at the Ferrell Center. CBS television crews are expected to be in the house to get the reactions of the Bears after they earn their first NCAA bid in 20 years. Of course, if they fail to make the field of 65, that could be some of the most depressing television since Emily’s Reasons Why Not.

Happen to miss the insane final five seconds of the Indiana/Minnesota game last night? Well, it’s not just you, because the game was on the Big 10 Network, one of the worst inventions in the history of mankind. But thanks to YouTube, you can check out the highlights right now.

Just a day after dispatching the OSU Cowboys for the third time this season, Texas looks to finish off a six-game sweep of the state of Oklahoma when they face the Sooners in the Big 12 semifinals. While OU holds a 4-1 advantage in games against Texas that are played in the league tournament, the Longhorns have won five straight overall against their rivals.

The first two match-ups

When the teams first met in early February up in Norman, the Longhorns started out cold as ice. They shot only 25% in the first half and trailed by double-digits before turning up the defensive intensity in the second half and cruising to a 64-54 win. That game was played without Longar Longar down low for Oklahoma, which was a surprise for a Texas team that had game-planned to face him.

The second game was all about defense for Texas, as they absolutely shut down the Sooners en route to a 62-45 victory. Even with poor shooting crippling the usually efficient Longhorn offense, the excellent play on D kept Texas in control the entire way. The post defense was particularly solid, which is key against an OU team that excels down low. Alexis Wangemene played incredibly well against Longar Longar in that one, and Texas fans can expect to see quite a few minutes out of him again today if Gary Johnson isn’t playing.

What to look for

Fans who want to a refresher course on the Sooner players can revisit the game preview from the first match-up. The biggest difference today will be the availability and effectiveness of big man Blake Griffin, who is fighting through yet another injury.

The younger Griffin brother did not start in yesterday’s game — Cade Davis took his slot in the starting five — but he did play 15 minutes in the game. He struggled against a solid Colorado defense that would immediately swarm him with a double or triple-team as soon as he touched the ball, and he finished with only four points. He was still an absolute beast on the glass though, grabbing nine boards in his limited minutes.

If Griffin is playing that poorly today, it could be a very long afternoon for Oklahoma. Texas has a huge advantage at the guard position, so Coach Jeff Capel will have to hope that they can abuse the Longhorns inside. If they are relying mostly on Longar, Taylor Griffin, and Davis, they will find that much more difficult.

Yesterday’s post-game interviews on Kansas City sports radio revealed the Sooners to be resigned to the scoring threat of D.J. Augustin. Griffin said that they cannot stop him, only hope to contain him. He also added that the key for Oklahoma will be to ensure that Damion James, A.J. Abrams, and Connor Atchley don’t have big games while they are trying to limit Augustin.

A word for TV viewers

If you’re in a “Big 12 market,” finding today’s game could be confusing for you. The ESPN2 telecast is only being shown in the rest of the country, while those of us in the Big 12 area will have to find the game on ESPN Plus. While this is usually just the same channel you’ve watched when the Longhorns play teams like Iowa State and Colorado, you’ll want to check your local listings to make sure you’ve got the right one set on the DVR. For the rest of you burnt-orange faithful elsewhere in the nation, you can enjoy Ron Franklin, Fran Fraschilla, and Holly Rowe on the ESPN2 telecast.