5 Things to Know About Purdue's Sweet 16 Opponent — Texas Longhorns
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After wins over Queens and Miami in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Purdue heads to San Jose to continue its March Madness run. It will face Texas in the Sweet 16, hoping to get another victory and keep its chances of another Final Four appearance alive.
Although the Longhorns struggled to close the regular season — losing five of their last six games in the regular season and SEC Tournament — they have gathered some much-needed momentum in the NCAA Tournament. Texas has earned a trip to the Sweet 16, beating North Carolina State in the play-in game, BYU in the first round and Gonzaga in the Round of 32.
What should Purdue fans know about Texas ahead of Thursday's clash? Here are a few things.
Dailyn Swain can do it all
Swain is the engine that makes Texas go. He's a big, 6-foot-8 player who can fit into the guard or forward positions. He leads the Longhorns in multiple statistical categories this year, averaging 17.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
The junior wing is capable of beating defenders off the dribble and getting to the rim. He also jumps passing lanes to create turnovers and gets down to the other end for easy dunks. Swain can also knock down jump shots and hit the three-ball at a 35.2% clip.
His size makes him a tough player to defend, especially because of his ability to drive the basketball. Swain will try to break down Purdue's defenders off the dribble and get to the basket for easy scoring opportunities.
Great size and length across the board
Texas can create matchup problems because of its size. Four of the team's five starters are listed at 6-foot-5 or taller, headlined by 7-foot sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis. Swain's 6-foot-8 frame has already been mentioned, Camden Heide stands 6-foot-7 and Tramon Mark is 6-foot-5. The only "smaller" starter is Jordan Pope at 6-foot-1.
Because of the mismatches their size creates, Texas has been effective on the glass this year, sitting at a plus-7.2 differential for the year. The Longhorns also use their length to disrupt passing lanes and get out into transition when possible.
Purdue has played teams with better size throughout the season, especially in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers proved that they can win games against bigger teams, particularly with that Big Ten Tournament victory over Michigan. But the size of the Longhorns will create some problems.
Four players averaging 13-plus points per game
Most of Texas's scoring output this season has come from four players. Swain leads the way with 17.4 points per game and Vokietaitis adds 15.7 per contest. Mark and Pope are averaging 13.5 and 13.1 points per game, respectively.
Combined, that quartest is averaging 59.7 of the Longhorns' 83.8 points per game this season.
Texas is shooting 48.6% from the floor and 35.3% from three-point range. Pope is the most effective three-point shooter of that bunch, connecting at a 36.9% clip. Vokietaitis has been efficient in the post, making nearly 68% of his shots.
What makes Texas so challenging to defend is that so many players can do damage on the offensive end. If you take one guy out of a rhythm, there are three others who can step up and make shots.
A familiar face, but wearing burnt orange
Purdue will see a familiar face on the other end of the floor on Thursday night in San Jose. After spending three seasons in West Lafayette, Heide decided to hit the transfer portal and landed at Texas.
Heide has carved out a starting role for himself with the Longhorns and is averaging 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He knocked down a big three-pointer near the end of the game in Texas's win over Gonzaga in the second round to help his team reach the Sweet 16.
At Purdue, Heide was a role player, coming off the bench and providing Purdue with some much-needed athleticism and floor spacing. He's also providing that for Texas this year, shooting 46.2% from behind the arc.
Sean Miller coaching his 39th NCAA Tournament game
Thursday's game is a battle between two veteran head coaches. Miller will be coaching his 39th NCAA Tournament game. This is also the third program he's taken to March Madness, also reaching the field with Xavier and Arizona.
Miller has enjoyed some deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 10 times and getting the Elite Eight four times. He's still searching for his first Final Four appearance, though.
Miller has been coaching as long as Purdue's Matt Painter, racking up more than 500 wins and making 14 NCAA Tournament appearances in 20 seasons as a head coach.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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