Texas faces another uphill climb in Sweet 16
After pulling off a pair of upsets, the Longhorns hope their magic continues against Purdue.
PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 21: Tramon Mark #12, Jordan Pope #0, and Nic Codie #10 of the Texas Longhorns celebrate against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 21, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images Although it’s hard to officially call a team with the resources of the No. 11 seed Texas Longhorns a “Cinderella” in the classical sense, their path through the tournament paints an unlikely picture.
After needing a buzzer-beater to advance out of the First Four, Texas managed relatively comfortable wins over the No. 6 seed BYU Cougars and the No. 3 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs as underdogs.
The Longhorns took advantage of key injuries on both squads, pressing the advantage in both matchups to be the only double-digit seed to advance out of the first weekend. Now they take on the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers, who are healthier than the Longhorns’ previous opponents and on a dominant path through the first two rounds.
Purdue knocked off the Michigan Wolverines, who earned the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, to win the Big 10 Tournament, then rattled off a pair of double-digit wins to open the tournament. They boast a trio of stars that all average 14 points per game — guard Braden Smith at 14.