5 Favorite Moments From the Texas Longhorns’ Sweet 16 Run

These are the five moments that defined the Texas Longhorns’ four-game run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark addresses the media in a press conference during a practice session ahead of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

In the first season under head coach Sean Miller, the Texas Longhorns advanced to the Sweet 16 and were a game-winning tip-in away from a second Elite Eight run in four years.

Several players stepped up in big-time moments and left everything on the court in all four NCAA Tournament games. Relive the moments that defined the Longhorns’ postseason and had massive implications on the team’s success.

5 Moments That Defined the Texas Longhorns’ 2026 March Madness Run

5) Dailyn Swain, Tramon Mark Put It All on the Line vs. Purdue

Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain celebrates after a play against the Purdue Boilermakers in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Despite the loss in the Sweet 16 to the Purdue Boilermakers, the Longhorns were in the game until the finish line. Texas guard Chendall Weaver forced a missed layup on All-American guard Braden Smith, which resulted in a game-winning tip-in by Trey Kaufman-Renn, anchored by a controversial no-call.

However, Texas was down three with 11 seconds left when star forward Dailyn Swain scored on a difficult drive to the basket, forcing and converting the and-one. He scored 15 points and had five assists; 11 points and four assists came in the second half.

The game-high scorer, though, was guard Tramon Mark. He stepped up with a 29-point performance against the Boilermakers, and Texas needed every bucket. It was Mark’s seventh 20-point game of the season and his season-high, and it came on an efficient 11-for-15 from the field.

Mark is set to expire his eligibility, and Swain could be headed to the NBA draft. If both have played their last game in burnt orange, they left it all on the line.

4) Matas Vokietaitis Makes History vs. BYU

Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis keeps the ball from BYU Cougars center Keba Keita in the second half during a first-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The BYU Cougars had no match for Texas center Matas Vokietaitis in the Round of 64. The Lithuanian big man grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 23 points, both of which led the team. He became the first player in program history to record 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game.

Vokietaitis joined a rare class of players to record a double-double in the first half of a March Madness game. He helped the Longhorns out-rebound BYU by 11 and notably grabbed nine of the team’s 14 offensive rebounds.

After the game against Gonzaga, Vokietaitis stated that he believed he was the best big man in the country. This was strong evidence for that claim.

3) Jordan Pope Seals the Deal vs. BYU

Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope walks off the court after losing to the Purdue Boilermakers during a Sweet 16 game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Before Jordan Pope was the player who stepped up through injury against Purdue, he was hitting critical shots from deep. Through four games, including the First Four, he averaged 11.3 points and 2.8 three-pointers made per game, shooting 35.5% from deep.

Pope was the team’s leading three-point shooter this season, and against BYU, he had a chance to hit a dagger to solidify the Longhorns’ win. With a minute and a half to go, Swain was trying to find his shot in the paint but saw Pope open in the corner. He threw a jump pass to his shooter, who converted.

BIG JORDAN POPE THREE 3️⃣#MarchMadness @TexasMBB pic.twitter.com/1r330alzCu

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2026

This shot extended Texas’s lead to seven after BYU had crawled back from a 17-point deficit. This sealed the Longhorns’ fate, advancing to the Round of 32.

2) Cam Heide Hits the Dagger vs. Gonzaga

Texas Longhorns forward Camden Heide celebrates with teammates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs during a second-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

One player who never gave up and waited for his moment to shine was forward Camden Heide. Despite having zero points heading into the last stretch of play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Round of 32, Heide got his opportunity.

With a one-point lead and possession, Mark had the ball and was looking for a game-sealing bucket against the Zags. Unable to find his shot, he kicked the ball to the corner to an open Heide, who scored his first points of the day on a dagger three-pointer with about 14 seconds left on the clock.

"HOW SWEET IT IS TO BE A LONGHORN" 🤘@TexasMBB DANCES ON TO THE SWEET 16 🕺#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/Arb6sfDgRe

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2026

Heide had been out of the game for most of the second half, checking out with 17:42 and returning with 32 seconds left. However, Miller trusted his sharp shooter to make the play if the moment came to him.

“To not have [Heide] in there, I just didn't think it made any sense. … Cam has been a huge part of our team this year. He’s had some ups and downs, and I don't think anybody deserves to make that shot more than him,” Miller said after the victory over Gonzaga to the media.

1) Tramon Mark’s Game-Winner vs. NC State

The late-game heroics lasted well into the playoff run, but it all started in the First Four. Texas was one of the final four teams to make the Field of 68, and they narrowly escaped NC State to advance to the first round.

Mark, who averahed 17.8 points per game in the NCAA Tournament, started with a bang against the Wolfpack in the First Four, dropping 17 points. No shot was bigger, though, than his last two. He hit a turnaround jumper with less than 40 seconds left to go up by two, and after NC State answered, he hit a step-back, deep mid-range shot for the lead with one second remaining.

ARE YOU KIDDING!!!

TEXAS GOES BACK IN FRONT 😱 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/UE1EUjYjLc

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2026

Texas escaped overtime in its second thriller against the Wolfpack this season, and Mark’s shots were the start of a March Madness run that will leave him remembered fondly by Longhorns fans for years.

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