The Texas Longhorns and their improbable run in the 2026 NCAA March Madness tournament, will continue to keep dancing with a win vs Purdue and a date, in the Elite 8.

This team who have had a up and down season, with new Head Coach Sean Miller, but are finally starting to Jell as a team with timely scoring , led buy the Lithuanian Prince Matas Vokietaitis who just keeps taking games over.

Here are some key factors and numbers as to how this game might unfold:

Purdue Boilermakers Breakdown (29-8)

• Tournament Performance: Purdue cruised through the first two rounds after winning the Big Ten Tournament, defeating Queens and Miami.
• Key Players: Point guard Braden Smith leads the offense and has surpassed 1,000 career assists. Forward Trey Kaufman-Renn has been dominant, scoring 43 points in the first two rounds.
• Strengths: One of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country. The boiler makers shot a whopping 58 percent in the regular season and are at a 39 percent clip during the tournament. They live and die buy the three. If Texas can limit them in the 20 percent range they will cruise to victory.

Texas Longhorns Breakdown (No. 11 Seed)

• Tournament Performance: The Longhorns are a “Cinderella” team, winning their First Four game and taking down No. 3 Gonzaga in the second round, 74-68.
• Key Players: Former Purdue transfer Cam Heide has been a major contributor, hitting a crucial 3-pointer against Gonzaga.
• Strengths: Improved perimeter defense and a positive turnover margin in recent wins, making them a threat. 

Texas plays a suffocating defense and that will be the key, if Purdue can break that.

Final Socre and Prediction: This game will come down to which team plays the betterdefense and can execute down the stretch and make key shots. The Longhorns have the momentum, and look for them to win a close one.

Final Score: Texas Longhorns 78 Purdue Boile Makers 74