Texas Reaches Sweet 16 After Starting in First Four

Sometimes the teams that have to fight hardest for their chance end up shining brightest.

The Texas Longhorns upset No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday night, punching their ticket to the Sweet 16 and joining an elite group of programs who've turned early adversity into March magic. Only five other teams in NCAA Tournament history have advanced from the First Four play-in games to the Sweet 16 since the format began in 2011.

Texas barely made the tournament field at all. The Longhorns limped into March with three straight losses and had to win a First Four game just to reach the main bracket of 68 teams.

But first-year head coach Sean Miller's squad found their groove at exactly the right moment. Since surviving that play-in game, Texas has knocked off NC State, No. 6 seed BYU, and now Gonzaga in consecutive wins.

The victory over Gonzaga showcased a complete team effort. Texas dominated the paint with 46 points compared to Gonzaga's 38 and turned defense into offense, scoring 11 points off turnovers while holding the Bulldogs to just two.

Why This Inspires

This turnaround represents more than just winning basketball games. A year ago, Texas lost in the First Four and went home immediately. Now they're dancing deeper into March than most teams ever get to experience.

The redemption story extends beyond the players too. Coach Miller is reaching the Sweet 16 for the ninth time in his career, proving that experience and belief can transform a struggling team into tournament darlings.

Texas now heads to San Jose, California, where they'll face either Purdue or Miami in the regional semifinals on Thursday. They join VCU (2011) and UCLA (2021) as First Four teams to make deep runs, with both those programs reaching the Final Four.

For a team that needed an extra game just to start their tournament journey, the Longhorns are showing that the longest road sometimes leads to the sweetest destinations.