5 Stats To Know Ahead of Texas vs BYU in March Madness

The Texas Longhorns face a difficult opponent in the Round of 64 in the BYU Cougars. What key stats do fans need to know before the game?

Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark dribbles while defended by NC State Wolfpack center Scottie Ebube in the second half during a First Four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

After a thrilling victory over the NC State Wolfpack in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, the Longhorns head to Portland, Ore., for a Round of 64 matchup with the BYU Cougars. Fresh off Tramon Mark’s game-winning bucket, the energy is high for Texas.

However, BYU is a difficult opponent with an exciting roster full of playmakers. The Longhorns will need to find any way they can gain an inch over the Cougars to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

5 Key Stats To Know for Texas-BYU

4–2

Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark shoots the ball over NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams in the second half during a First Four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Texas guard Tramon Mark hit the first game-winning shot of March Madness, and it got the Longhorns’ adrenaline pumping. However, as they prepare for their next game, there are two hurdles in the way.

First, Texas has to take a roughly seven-hour flight to the Pacific Northwest to reach the Moda Center in Portland, where they will play their next game. Furthermore, they will play two games in three days, something college teams rarely have to do.

This season, Texas has played six games that met similar criteria: playing two games in four days with a travel day in between. This excludes back-to-back home games or the Southwest Maui Invitational, where they did not have a travel day between games.

In these situations, the Longhorns went 4–2 in the second game, with wins over Texas A&M, Georgia, Oklahoma and LSU. This is where the team will need to lean on Sean Miller's experience as a head coach, playing deep postseason runs.

25.3

BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa and forward Keba Keita react during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Marriott Center. | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

BYU star AJ Dybantsa leads all college basketball players with 25.3 points per game, an incredible mark that clears all other players by more than a full point. The star freshman has a natural gift for getting to the basket, and Texas will have the tall task of stopping him.

This season, Texas is 1–3 against teams that ended the season with a 20 PPG scorer. They beat Alabama and Labaron Philon but lost to Cameron Boozer (Duke), Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas) and Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State).

Philon scored 21 in a 92–88 loss, while Boozer was held to 15 points in a 15-point win. Meanwhile, Hubbard exploded for 38 points, and Acuff topped his average with 28.

Texas has not had the most reliable defense all season, and it will be tested in stopping Dybantsa from scoring at will.

+265

Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope rebounds against Fairleigh Dickinson during the second half at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

After winning the rebounding battle by 13 against NC State, Texas is now +265 in rebound margin this season and 17–4 when winning the rebounding battle by five or more.

On the other side, Texas is 1–8 this season when it ties or loses the rebounding battle. This includes losses to Mississippi State, Oklahoma and Kentucky, as well as a non-conference win against Rider.

The Longhorns are a good rebounding team, but not the best. They were 66th in the country in rebounds per game entering the NCAA Tournament, but they allowed the 13th-fewest rebounds per game.

Texas's offensive efficiency ranked 13th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive rating and 32nd in field goal percentage, limiting opportunities. The Cougars are a more well-rounded rebounding team than the Wolfpack, with four players grabbing five or more rebounds. It will be a dogfight to control the glass.

9–4

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller reacts in the first half against the NC State Wolfpack during a First Four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Miller is very experienced in March; this is his 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a head coach, split across his two stints at Xavier and his time with Arizona. In his previous 13 appearances, he has a 9–4 record in the first round.

Meanwhile, BYU head coach Kevin Young is in just his second season leading the Cougars, having spent most of his coaching career as an assistant in the NBA. His last head coaching gig was with the Delaware 87ers of the NBA G League (then the NBA D-League) from 2014–2016.

Texas will be relying on Miller’s experience in high-pressure situations, though the team has plenty of tournament experience on its roster. Savvy veterans like Chendall Weaver will be a boon for the Longhorns, while the Cougars miss guard Richie Saunders.

80+

Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope dribbles the ball as NC State Wolfpack guard Tre Holloman defends in the second half during a First Four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Entering the NCAA Tournament, BYU ranked 24th in the nation, averaging 83.9 points per game, while Texas ranked 26th with 83.8.

Meanwhile, both programs have, at times, struggled defensively. Texas has the second-worst adjusted defensive rating among high-major programs in March Madness, and BYU ranks seventh-worst.

For the Longhorns, the magic number has been 80 points; they typically win when they can make the play on the court grimy and hold teams under that mark. Texas is 3–10 when allowing 80+ and 16–4 when holding teams below 80.

BYU, meanwhile, is better built for the race. They are 5–7 when conceding 80 or more points and have scored 90 or more 12 times, including 105 in the Big 12 Tournament. Texas will need to find a way to lock in defensively, as it did against NC State in the First Four.