SAN JOSE, Calif. — Texas basketball has upset a pair of higher-seeded teams in its past two NCAA Tournament games while reaching Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue.
But the No. 11 Longhorns (21-14) may have to try to slow down the No. 2 Boilermakers (29-8) in a West Regional semifinal without starting point guard Jordan Pope, who scored 17 points in Texas’s 74-68 win Saturday over Gonzaga. Pope suffered what head coach Sean Miller described “as a lower leg injury” against the Zags, and the Longhorns will need all the help it can get against a Boilermaker offense led by point guard Braden Smith, the NCAA’s all-time assists leader. So far, so food for Pope, who has nine points in the first half that ends with Purdue grabbing a 39-35 lead.
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MORE: Texas basketball photos: Longhorns take on Purdue Boilermakers in Sweet 16 matchup
GOLDEN: Texas isn’t a Cinderella, the Longhorns were just late to the ball
Follow below for live scores and updates Saturday as the Texas Longhorns face the Purdue Boilermakers in a third-round March Madness game. The winner will play either No. 4 Arkansas or No. 1 in a West Regional final Saturday in San Jose, Calif.
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) defends against Purdue Boilermakers center Oscar Cluff (45) in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain (3) passes around defense from Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) shoots over defense from Purdue Boilermakers guard Gicarri Harris (24) in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) celebrates three points in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) celebrates three points in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) defends against Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) drives to the hoop as Texas Longhorns forward Nic Codie (10) defends in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) shoots for three points in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) shoots over defense from Purdue Boilermakers guard Gicarri Harris (24) in the first half as Texas plays Purdue in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, March 26, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
This game has gotten very physical and very chippy. The Longhorns are skirting the line on some of their physical play, and I think Sean Miller likes it. But he doesn’t like a third foul call on Matas Vokietaitis. Tramon Mark is up to 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
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Tramon Mark (15 points) hits a transition 3 for Texas, and we’re off in the second half.
Both teams are showing off their prolific offenses. The Boilermakers are shooting 53.1% from the floor and outrebounding Texas 18-13. Fletcher Loyer has a game-high 13 points, but Trey Kaufman-Renn has been a real hero with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting. Tramon Mark (12 points) leads a Texas team shooting 48.3% from the floor, and the Longhorns have been especially deadly from the arc (6-of-16).
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Jordan Pope buries a 3 from the corner for Texas and is up to nine points. What a gritty effort for Pope, a Bay Area native playing on a banged-up ankle.
Matas Vokietaitis swings an elbow while trying to corral a rebound, and he picks up his second foul. It may be a flagrant, much to the chagrin of Texas coach Sean Miller.
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Texas has cooled off a bit, but the Boilers have made four of their last five shots. Dailyn Swain is scoreless and 0-for-2 from the field; let’s see if Sean Miller draws something up for his leading scorer on the season out of this timeout.
If you like offensive basketball, hang this in whatever Louvre they have in an Indiana cornfield or a Harlem playground. Texas is shooting 60% and is 4-of-9 from 3-point range. Purdue is shooting 55%. But things a little too pretty for the Boilers after Braden Smith drives to the basket for a layup, and Sean Miller takes a timeout.
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Tramon Mark is the story of the game for Texas early. The senior guard has 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting; teams need heroes at this time of year, and Mark has picked up the cape.
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Texas coach Sean Miller said that he would play a big lineup with Nic Codie and Matas Vokietaitis together, and Codie is already in the game for Texas in place of Cam Heide. And Simeon Wilcher will make an early sub for Jordan Pope, who’s a bit ginger in his movements but does have a bucket. Rollicking start for both squads, who have blown through the first media timeout.
Fletcher Loyer nails a 3 from the corner for Purdue, and we’re off in San Jose.
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POS#NAMEGPPPGRPGAPGG0Pope,Jordan3513.12.11.9G12Mark,Tramon3513.53.51.9F3Swain,Dailyn3517.47.53.5F5Heide,Camden345.92.60.6C8Vokietaitis,Matas3515.77.20.7
POS#NAMEGPPPGRPGAPGG0Cox,C.J.378.52.61.3G2Loyer,Fletcher3714.12.32.0G3Smith,Braden3714.33.59.0F4Kaufman-Renn,Trey3514.18.52.6C45Cluff,Oscar3710.57.51.8
In the final player availability report, Texas point guard Jordan Pope is listed as questionable and will be ” a true game-time decision,” according to a source close to the team. Pope led Texas with 17 points in its upset win over Gonzaga Saturday in a second-round matchup but injured his ankle late in the game. Texas forward Lassina Traore, who hasn’t played since a Feb. 3 win over South Carolina, is officially out. Purdue guard CJ Cox, who hyper-extended his knee in the Boilermakers’ win over Miami in the second round, is questionable.
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What: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game
When: 6:10 p.m. Thursday
Where: March 26, 2026, at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
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TV/radio: CBS; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM
Line: Purdue is favored by 6½; total of 148½
Reach Texas beat reporter Thomas Jones via email at tjones@statesman.com.
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