The No. 11 Longhorns eliminated No. 3 Gonzaga and danced their way to the Sweet 16. Texas became this year’s dark horse - the lowest seed remaining and the only double-digit seed still alive. Even more remarkably, their journey began in the First Four... That makes it all even more special.
Two weeks ago, Texas’ future was uncertain. After a strong start to the season and a solid first part of conference play, they fell into a slump late, losing five of their final six regular-season games. They had to endure a disappointing first-round exit from the SEC tournament after getting outplayed by Ole Miss – a school that finished second-to-last in the conference. Texas was on the bubble, and the cut was going to be extremely close.
Earning their way
And it was. The Longhorns were among the last four teams in and had to earn their ticket to the first round of March Madness through the play-in game. In Dayton, Ohio, they faced NC State in the battle of No. 11 seeds. And just like their last showdown against Gonzaga, their premier matchup came down to the wire.
With the game tied 66-66, Texas regained possession and held the final offensive opportunity, a chance to win it. And then, it was Tramon Mark's show. The graduate guard took the ball near half court and used a couple of change moves before exploding down the floor.
With his defender still attached, Mark stepped back - just enough separation - and rose for a mid-range jumper from the right wing. His shot found the bottom of the net and gave Texas a two-point lead with 1.1 seconds to go. NC State didn’t answer, and the Longhorns moved on. 68-66. Survive and advance.
Next came No. 6 BYU. The Cougars finished seventh in the Big 12 Conference, which featured five nationally ranked teams. The school from Provo has been in the top 25 all year and started the season ranked ninth in the country.
There was a big reason behind BYU’s success: AJ Dybantsa. The six-foot-nine dynamic freshman was one of the most prolific and electrifying college players in the country. Was. The Longhorns took down the Cougars, too.
Dybantsa poured in 35 points, but Texas controlled the game. BYU led for just 22 seconds. Texas dominated the glass and had four scorers in double figures. They outlasted BYU 79-71. The sad Cougars loss could end Dybantsa’s collegiate career, as he is projected to be potentially the No. 1 NBA draft pick. And while Dybantsa now has time to think about his future and a decision to make, Texas moved on.
"One word I would use to describe our group is resilient," Texas coach Sean Miller said. "As we entered this tournament in Dayton, I think all of us up here really came to grips with, you know, let's really go out playing at the highest level we can, sticking together."
Make it three straight
Waiting in the second round was even a bigger challenge - the third-seeded Bulldogs from Gonzaga. They entered at 31-4, a perennial powerhouse with a strong NCAA Tournament pedigree. A true basketball school consistently producing NBA superstars. Gonzaga was a 6.5 favorite and enjoyed a friendly crowd that chanted 'Let’s go Zags!' after guard Davis Fogle connected on a jumper to make it 28-20 in the first half.
Texas didn’t flinch. Instead, it fueled their fire. Playing with a nothing-to-lose attitude, the Longhorns’ confidence grew with every possession. They didn’t let Gonzaga get any further away; instead, they went on a 15-5 run to finish the first half and took a two-point lead to the locker room.
The second half was a battle, with neither team leading by more than four for long stretches. But with just over five minutes remaining, Texas knocked down a three to go up six, and the upset began to feel real.
Since then, it was all Texas. The Zags never got up front again - they did their best to stay in the game and got to the closest difference possible. Until Heide’s cold-blooded shot froze Gonzaga’s effort and ultimately wrapped up the battle in favor of the burnt orange.
True Cinderella?
For the second straight year, Gonzaga had to endure a second-round exit, while Texas made the Sweet 16 just for the second time since 2008. The Longhorns also advanced to this stage in 2023. Besides the ticket to the Sweet 16, the statement victory also granted Texas one more thing - a true Cinderella label.
The fans were eager to finally see a team get a handful of unexpected wins and shatter brackets. In a tournament starring only one double-digit seed advancing past the second round, a school receiving this label was long overdue. But is Texas worth the nickname indicating a magical March Madness run?
An SEC powerhouse, Texas has excelled in sports, including men’s basketball. On the hardwood, they have been good, just not great. That’s why the school hired Sean Miller last spring. Former Arizona and Xavier head coach, owning a decorated resumé, Miller wasted no time turning the program around.
Right away, he made the Longhorns physical, poised, confident, thrilling. And, resilient. Even entering the tournament on a three-game losing streak couldn’t shake up the confidence the players had in Miller’s system. It’s been working, and it showed at the perfect moment.
"I don't think we ever want to sign up to be the Cinderella story, because we are the University of Texas, and what we represent in the SEC," Miller said confidently after taking down Gonzaga.
"There's no easy game in the SEC. The league itself prepares you for the postseason. Sometimes the lessons you learned along the way strengthen you. We're a much better team right now than we would have been a month ago."
Up next: No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers with a trip to the Elite 8 on the line. The matchup between the red-hot Longhorns and the reigning Big Ten champions promises a thrilling contest. It’s a daunting matchup- but then again, so was everything else Texas has faced.
The Longhorns wouldn’t be the first First Four team to make a deep run. In 2021, the UCLA Bruins turned a play-in start into a Final Four appearance. So why not Texas?
"Our ride has never been easy, but we fought the good fight the whole way, and we did it again," Miller said.
Now, Texas will have a chance to do it one more time. And they are more than ready. Texas competed their way to the Final Four only three times in school history - the last time coming in 2003. Miller feels like it is time to do it again.
"We're playing our best right now, and hopefully we can keep going," he said. It’s March. In a tournament notorious for improbable shots, impossible comebacks, and crazy dreams coming true, anything is possible.