We’re a day away from Texas head coach Rodney Terry’s biggest slate of games. For the Longhorns’ acting head coach, the task is simple and straightforward: Get to the second weekend.

Terry and the Texas Longhorns (26-8) face the Colgate Raiders (26-8) in what could be a sharp-shooting contest from the outside. To date, the game is the most important event of the season for the 2022-23 squad.

Everything the team has done to this point is important. Taking care of business in high profile games and in the conference tournament sets the Longhorns up for a manageable tournament path. That said, the team needs to capitalize or there will likely be changes.

If Terry and company beat Colgate and the winner of Texas A&M/Penn State, the administration can’t ignore what the coaching staff has accomplished. If they can’t make it out of the weekend, the athletic department might reconsider who leads the team.

Here are a few reasons why we’ll judge Terry’s coaching job on what he does in the NCAA Tournament.

Coaching separates in the NCAA Tournament

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Great coaches get it done in March. TV timeouts in tournament time are more pronounced, so the strategy can be more in-depth. If you have what it takes to coach your team to the next round, you should be able to get it done.

Talent and experience

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This is the most complete Texas offensive attack we’ve seen in awhile. Teams that can get buckets tend to succeed in March. With Marcus Carr, Sir’Jabari Rice, Dylan Disu and Timmy Allen able to score in their own ways this team is too good to squander.

Expectations

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The Texas Longhorns are a trending Final Four pick, and rightfully so. The team spent the majority of the season toward the top of college basketball rankings. If Terry can meet or come close to expectations, he has a strong case to win the job.

Short evaluation period

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Every data point matters when assessing a coach’s candidacy for a job. There isn’t much in the way of positive data in past seasons at Fresno State and UTEP despite a commendable season this year. Texas decision makers would probably like to see more before they make a long-term decision.

Make it your own

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You could argue former head coach Chris Beard prepared the team to be successful over the offseason. Given how far out we are from Beard coaching the team, coaching success in the tournament can be given to Rodney Terry. This is Terry’s team now. Every tournament win should go to his credit.

Story originally appeared on Longhorns Wire