Ryan McFaddenMar 21, 2026, 09:32 PM ET
- Ryan McFadden covers the Las Vegas Raiders for ESPN's NFL Nation. Prior to ESPN, McFadden was a Denver Broncos beat reporter for the Denver Post. McFadden also wrote about the Baltimore Ravens and University of Maryland athletics for The Baltimore Sun.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Don't tell coach Sean Miller that 11th-seeded Texas is a Cinderella team, even if the program's 74-68 upset victory over third-seeded Gonzaga suggests otherwise.
Moments after the Longhorns advanced to the Sweet 16 on Saturday by earning their 11th NCAA tournament victory as a double-digit seed, the most of any program since seeding began in 1979, Miller made it known that he doesn't view his team as the underdogs of the tournament.
"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.
Miller had every right to flex. Texas' win over the Bulldogs came after it had defeated sixth-seeded BYU in the first round despite a 35-point performance from freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa.
The former Arizona and Xavier coach has improved to 9-1 (including vacated games) in the round of 32 and has won his past nine games. Miller's record in the round of 32 is the best any coach has had since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1975 (minimum 10 games), ahead of Mike Krzyzewski (26-6) and Bob Knight (14-4).
Miller is a frequent visitor to the Sweet 16, but he is the first Longhorns coach to get there in his first season.
Miller credited the Longhorns' rigid regular-season conference schedule, which featured victories over Alabama, Missouri, Georgia and Texas A&M, as an indicator that they are equipped to make a run.
"There's no easy game in the SEC. The league itself prepares you for the postseason," said Miller. "... 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."
Texas became the sixth team to start in the First Four and reach the Sweet 16 since the First Four began in 2011. The Longhorns wouldn't have been able to accomplish the feat without the resilience of guard Jordan Pope.
Pope, who finished with a team-best 17 points, rolled on his ankle around the five-minute mark of regulation. And despite limping across the hardwood for the remainder of regulation, Pope managed to come through in the clutch yet again. With 2:31 to go, he was positioned at the top of the key when he nailed a 3-pointer to give Texas a 69-64 lead.
Texas didn't score again until the 14-second mark, when forward Camden Heide converted a 3-pointer from the corner, followed by a transition layup by center Matas Vokietaitis to solidify the win.
"We're playing our best right now, and hopefully we can keep going," Miller said.
