Utah Valley Sees Charge as Elite Universities Clash in Epic Basketball Showdown!
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 10: AJ Dybantsa #3 of the BYU Cougars talks with head coach Kevin Young as he exits the game during the first round game of the Men's 2026 Big 12 Tournament against the Kansas State Wildcats at T-Mobile Center on March 10, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images Texas nearly blew a 9-point lead in the final two minutes versus NC State, but Tramon Mark hit the go-ahead basket with 1 second left as Texas held on to advance. The Longhorns now travel from Dayton, Ohio to Portland, Oregon where they will play BYU Thursday at 4:25 PT.
BYU arrived to Portland on Tuesday. Texas and BYU by the Numbers Texas KenPom: 37 NET ranking: 42 Record: 19-14 (9-9 Big 12) Best Wins: NC State (twice), Alabama (A), Vanderbilt (H), Georgia (H), Oklahoma (A), South Carolina (H), Ole Miss (H), Mizzou (A), LSU (H), Texas A&M (A) Losses: Duke (N), Arizona State (N), Virginia (H), UConn (A), Mississippi State (H), Tennessee (A), Texas A&M (H), Kentucky (A), Auburn (A), Georgia (A), Florida (H), Arkansas (A), Oklahoma (H), Ole Miss (N) AP Ranking: n/a BYU KenPom: 23 NET Ranking: 23 Record: 23-11 (9-9 Big 12) AP Ranking: n/a KenPom Prediction: BYU 84, Texas 81 — BYU 60% win probability Point Spread: BYU -1. 5; you can get odds at FanDuel Point Total: 159.
5 Texas Overview Texas came into the NCAA Tournament having lost 5 of their last 6, but have a potent offense and are capable of advancing when they are on. Despite a defensive battle versus NC State, offense has been the strength of the Longhorns this year. Texas ranks 18th in KenPom offensive efficiency and were 4th out of 16 SEC teams in conference play.
The Longhorns run a slow pace and rely on getting to the foul line. They have the fourth highest free-throw rate in college basketball. They also are good on the offensive glass.
Defensive is where Texas has had their struggles. They rank 95th in KenPom defensive efficiency and are bottom half in the SEC in many defensive metrics. Texas doesn’t force many turnovers, and are 301st nationally in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 36% from three.
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