Texas Tech Is Headed To March Madness, Will Play The Butler Bulldogs

It's been a long time, but we're here.

Tubby Smith has taken us to the NCAA Tournament, our first visit since 2007.

This hasn't been an easy route. We've had to scrap and fight and claw to get here. We've had to have the best February in the history of our program. But we're here, and we aren't going anywhere.

To say that this has been a roller coaster of a season is an understatement. To those that have followed this team, it's felt like watching a snowboarder nearly faceplant before pulling off an average stunt. It's felt like the climax of a story, just when it gets to the point where you're unsure the hero will make it out of the bind they're in this time, and the deus ex machina comes in and saves the day. So has it been with Texas Tech basketball, 2015-2016.

By every single measure that is relative to our program, this season is a success wether we got into March Madness or not. We've quadrupled our staple Texas Tech Upset, provided a very real threat to the top members of the conference, and provided some serious end of the season highlights. While I do hope that we go far in the tournament and upset some of these College Basketball blue blood silver spoon douchebags, if we don't, I won't hold it against this team. They've already exceeded everyone's expectations.

It's hard to remember back that far, but I recall a time when Texas Tech was picked last in the conference. Now they've had one of the best months (February) in program history, upset a top 5 team, and put the rest of the Big XII on notice.

Tubby Smith and his crew are here for the long run, not just for 2015-2016.

We have the framework. We have the effort. We'll have the right recruits for the right system. I'm not sitting here telling you that we'll be UNC or Dook, but we'll be very, very good in the years to come. Texas Tech basketball is trending upwards, and we are witnesses to history.

With that said, let's enjoy the ride, which starts with a trip to Raleigh to face the Butler Bulldogs.

Butler is 21-10 on the year, and finished 4th in the Big East Conference. Butler is another relatively young team, they only have 3 seniors on their entire roster. The Bulldog's starters are pretty good, but their bench appears to be lacking. Either way, the Red Raiders have their work cut out for them. Kenpom has Butler as being very comparable to Texas Tech in terms of power rankings. Whoever wins on Thursday will more than likely face the UVA Cavaliers on Saturday.