Merely eleven months ago, I was talking about the curious case that was the 2015 Texas Longhorns. Now, with a new coach on the bench and some fresh faces on the court, the Longhorns are in a very similar situation.

They may not be in the hands of the committee, nor are they likely to miss out on the NCAA tournament (KenPom.com, the Longhorns are not only the 23rd-best team in the country, but they are the only team in the country in the top five in terms of opponents' average Adjusted Offensive Efficiency (4th) and Adjusted Defensive Efficiency (3rd).

In comparison, the Oklahoma Sooners rank fifth in opponent average Adjusted Defensive Efficiency and 12th in their competition's average Adjusted Offensive Efficiency. They also rate just 97th in Non-Conference Strength of Schedule (NCSOS) rating compared to Texas' 69th ranked rating in the same category.

Oklahoma's the closest comparison, but there really isn't one when it comes to the competition that Texas has faced this season. As reflected by their NCSOS, in addition to facing tough competition in the Big 12, Texas has given themselves quite the challenge out of conference against teams like Washington, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

Even with such a tough schedule against top offenses and defenses, Coach Smart's crew is 17-9 and ranked 30th in our own power rankings. They've proven themselves to be a well-balanced team, with the nation's 35th-ranked defense and 29th-ranked offense in terms of Adjusted Defensive and Offensive Efficiency. 

The tough and competitive Longhorns have gone through the gauntlet this year. And they should be prepared for some difficult games and tough competition in the coming month and a half.

We shouldn't be surprised if they cause some trouble in the Big 12 tournament, or if they even compete for the title. 

Either way, with their strength of schedule and notable wins, expect them to be "in" come Selection Sunday. And who knows, maybe Texas will make a surprise run when the madness of March ensues.