From the First Four to the Sweet 16, Texas coach Sean Miller always had faith his team would make it this far, even after a grueling SEC season marked by a tough schedule. After a thrilling 74-68 victory over third-seeded Gonzaga, Miller walked off the court, dismissing any notion of his team being a Cinderella story. The Longhorns, the only double-digit seed to advance to the second weekend of March Madness, are making a statement.
Texas, an 11-seed with a 21-14 record, now boasts 11 NCAA Tournament wins as a double-digit seed-more than any other team since seeding began in 1979.
"We're not here to be a Cinderella story," Miller stated. "We are the University of Texas, and our SEC battles prepare us for moments like this.
Every game in the SEC is a test, and those lessons have made us stronger. We're a much better team now than we were a month ago."
The Longhorns have become the sixth team to reach the Sweet 16 after starting in the First Four since that round's inception in 2011. After a rocky end to the regular season, Texas found itself on the bubble but made a strong statement by defeating NC State in the First Four and then taking down BYU.
Gonzaga's coach, Mark Few, also rejected the Cinderella label for Texas after his team struggled against their formidable frontcourt. With 45 career tournament victories, Few is the winningest coach without a national title.
"These labels like Cinderella and blue bloods don't make much sense," Few remarked. "Texas is a talented team with a top-notch coach and great resources. They've had some tough losses, but they're more than capable of winning another game."
Miller has now taken three different programs to the Sweet 16, having previously led Arizona and Xavier there multiple times. Texas will next face either No. 7 seed Miami or No. 2 seed Purdue in San Jose. The Longhorns have history with both, having lost to Miami in the 2023 Elite Eight and to Purdue in the second round in 2022.
The last First Four team to reach the Final Four was UCLA in 2021.
"We just needed a chance," said Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain. "The end of the regular season didn't go our way, but we stayed united. We all stepped up, and our balanced attack is showing in this postseason."