AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns secured the program’s first NCAA Men's Tournament win since 2014 on Friday, taking down the ACC champ Virginia Tech Hokes 81-73 behind 21 points and five 3s from guard Andrew Jones.
But now, Texas' season is on the line against one of the best teams in the country in the Round of 32, as the Horns (22-11) will face the Purdue Boilermakers (28-7) Friday night at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
"The NCAA Tournament, just like any other great opportunity in life, it's important that you enjoy it," Texas coach Chris Beard said Saturday. "We're not gonna act like we're in a funeral line here. We're in March Madness and one of 32 teams left.
Texas vs. Virginia Tech
Marcus Carr (left) and Chris Beard
Texas vs. Virginia Tech
The Texas-Purdue winner will have a favorable matchup in the Sweet 16 against No. 15 Saint Peter's, though underestimating any team in this tournament is a mistake. The Longhorns will be looking for their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2008.
The Horns are 4-1 all-time vs Purdue. The last meeting came in 2019, as unranked Texas took down the No. 23 Boilermakers 70-66 on the road.
Purdue has been ranked in the top 10 for the entire season, including No. 1 during early December. Before losing in the Big 10 tournament final, Purdue was widely considered to be a contender for a No. 1 or 2 seed for March Madness.
Purdue coach Matt Painters' team is an offensive juggernaut. The Boilermakers have the seventh-best scoring offense in the country (79.7 points), the third-most efficient offense, and shoot the fifth-best percentage as a team (49.2 percent) this season.
Leading the charge is guard Jaden Ivey, who is considered one of the country's best players. He'll be a tough matchup for every Longhorn on the court, as his elite position size and shot-making ability has proved the difference for the Boilermakers all season.
Marcus Carr
Timmy Allen
"He's a good player," Jones said Saturday. "He's really highly regarded right now, we got to do our best just to shut him down. Every time we get a good high-caliber guard like that, it's personal to us."
Ivey is elite, but the toughest challenge for Texas might come on the interior. Purdue center Zach Edey is a 7-4 difference-maker on both ends of the court.
Potential candidates to guard Edey include Texas forwards Christian Bishop and Dylan Disu. The latter is the tallest player on the roster and could use his impressive wingspan to limit Edey's scoring (14.6 points) and rebounding (7.8 rebounds) production.
But it doesn't end there. Purdue forward Trevion Williams is another problem in the paint at 6-10, as he averages 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Purdue guard Sasha Stefanovic is an elite shooter that the Horns will need to keep an eye on. He leads the team in 3-point makes (84), assists per game (3.4) and is first in total minutes (1061). The senior should remain a consistent shooting presence on the floor Sunday.
The Horns will be looking for another terrific shooting day from Jones and guard Marcus Carr. The Minnesota transfer has battled with Purdue in the Big 10 in the past and will aim to build off his 15 points and season-high nine assists against the Hokies.
Sunday's tipoff is set for 7:40 p.m. C.T.
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