PORTLAND, Ore. — Are these the same Texas Longhorns that limped to a 1-5 finish and barely made the NCAA Tournament?

The Horns have caught a fever of some sort. Perhaps it’s the March Madness bug. Whatever this good malady, it’s infected the entire roster, from rejuvenated veteran guards Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope to sophomore big man Matas Vokietaitis, who who had a career yet rollercoaster game in Thursday’s 79-71 takedown of No. 6 seed BYU in a thriller of a West Region opener.

Vokietaitis missed his last seven free throws after starting 3-for-4, but the Horns persevered to advance to the second round where they will play the Gonzaga-Kennesaw State winner Saturday.

In a span of three days, the Horns have gone from NCAA roadkill to beating North Carolina State to get in, to knocking out BYU to become a threat against any team they play.

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“I’m beyond thrilled to be able to advance and have an opportunity to play into the next round,” Texas coach Sean Miller said. “I’m thrilled for the University of Texas and I’m thrilled for these guys.”

The Horns (20-14) are a product of their experiences. Battle-tested and hungry to show they’re plenty good enough to stick around for awhile.

Unlike BYU, which got 35 points from future NBA lottery pick AJ Dybansta, the Horns are far from a one-man band. They got contributions from everywhere and not just on offense. Dybansta got his points, but his teammates combined to score only one more point than he did. 

Pope hit a monster triple from the corner put the Horns up 75-68 with 1 minute, 29 seconds left and after Vokietaitis final miss, Mark calmly sunk four straight throws down the stretch to keep the Horns in the tournament.

While Dailyn Swain has been this team’s best player all season,  Mark has become its closer.

“I’m having a great March Madness experience,” said Mark, who was a part of Houston’s Final Four team in 2021. “This is my best one. I love this team. We’re doing it in very fun fashion so I’m just happy to keep this thing going.”

Texas went from near extinction in bracketology-speak to a dangerous opponent.

The Horns survived. They advanced.

And they’re still dancing.