NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
Cinderellas are at a premium in this year’s NCAA Tournament. One of the few remaining is Texas. The Longhorns were in the First Four game a little over one week ago. Yet here they stand in the Sweet 16 after upsets of BYU and Gonzaga. Their unlikely run continues Thursday when they take a step up in class against the Purdue Boilermakers.
Braden Smith and the Boilermakers arrive in San Jose following wins over Queens and Miami (FL). Texas may be a Cinderella, but Purdue will need a better night out of Smith than they got vs. Miami should they hope to advance and push their overall win streak to seven games. In their second round win, the NCAA’s all-time assist leader did tally eight assists but he also turned the ball over eight times and scored a mere 12 points. His night included going scoreless from three-point range on four attempts.
Advertisement
The Longhorns have ridden on the back of Matas Vokietaitis to reach the Sweet 16. The sophomore center has scored 40 points and pulled down 25 rebounds over the last two games.
This battle for a spot in the Elite 8 may come down to Texas’ ability to disrupt Purdue’s elite offensive efficiency, led by the aforementioned Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Purdue averages over nine three-pointers per game and excels at exploiting “drop coverage” defenses, a scheme Texas utilizes frequently. To pull off the upset, the Longhorns will need to force Purdue into tough isolation shots and capitalize on their own ability to get to the free-throw line, where they rank among the best in the country.
Individual matchups to watch include the backcourt duel between Purdue’s Smith and Texas standout Dailyn Swain, whose athleticism will be critical in pressuring Purdue’s lead guards. Rebounding will also be a major point of emphasis; while Texas has been a strong rebounding team all season, Purdue survived against Miami despite being outrebounded 33-28.
A couple injuries to pay attention to: C. J. Cox (knee) and Lassina…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/no-11-texas-vs-no-194222546.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-03-25 19:42:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
