5 Things Texas Fans Need to Know About Purdue

The Texas Longhorns are staying alive in the NCAA Tournament for a little while longer, making their way to the second weekend of the tournament for the Sweet Sixteen.

The Longhorns have strung together back-to-back upsets, taking down the No. 6-seeded BYU Cougars in the First Round, and followed that up by scoring a major upset over the No. 3-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs to book their ticket to San Jose.

Texas now knows its opponents for the Sweet Sixteen, facing the No. 2-seeded Purdue Boilermakers, who head into the matchup with a 29-8 overall record. The Boilermakers make it to the Sweet Sixteen after taking down the No. 7-seeded Miami Hurricanes 79-69. With the battle set, here are five things to know about the Longhorns' upcoming matchup.

Matt Painter is One of the Country's High-Level Coaches

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter calls a play during the first half against the Miami Hurricanes. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Not only will the battle be on the court, but it will also play out on the sideline with Longhorns head coach Sean Miller battling against one of college basketball's top coaches in Purdue's Matt Painter.

After the Boilermakers win over the Hurricanes in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, Painter claimed his 500th victory with the program. Purdue has been one of the mainstays in college basketball under Painter, guiding the Boilermakers to 11 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2026 and back in 2024, they reached the national title game.

Purdue has a Top Offense

Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer celebrates after the game against the Miami Hurricanes. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Sticking out right away is the Boilermakers on the offensive side of the court as they average 82.3 points per game, being very efficient as a team, shooting 50.3 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from three-point range and 74.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Purdue has one of the top offenses in the Big Ten, finishing as the third-best scoring offense in the conference, averaging 82.3 points per game, following right behind the Michigan Wolverines, who have the top scoring offense, and the Illinois Fighting Illini, coming in second, both of whom have reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament.

Braden Smith Leads the Way for Purdue

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith shoots a free throw during the second half against the Miami Hurricanes. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The top option for the high-powered Boilermaker offense is guard Braden Smith, who, for his performance throughout the season, earned himself a Second-Team All-American honor. The guard is Purdue's leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Not only is Smith Purdue's top scorer, but he is also its leading playmaker as he leads the team with nine assists per game while only recording 2.8 turnovers a game. Smith also puts together 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

The Boilermakers Have Some Size Down Low

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn celebrates after the game against the Miami Hurricanes. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Purdue has also done a solid job at rebounding the basketball all season long, averaging 35.6 rebounds per game, which situates the Boilermakers as one of the top 10 rebounding teams in the Big Ten.

Leading the way on the boards is forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, who at six-foot-nine leads the team, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game. Right behind him, though, is center Oscar Cluff, who at six-foot-eleven is the Boilermakers' second leading rebounder, averaging 7.5 rebounds per game.

With the size that Purdue has in the paint, Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis will no longer have a height advantage, making his job a lot harder in the ballgame.

There's Some Recent History Between The Two Programs

Texas Longhorns guard Marcus Carr shoots the ball during the second half against Purdue Boilermakers guard Eric Hunter Jr. in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

As soon as the game clock hit zero earlier today and the Longhorns found out that they'll be taking on the Boilermakers in the Sweet Sixteen, some Texas fans must've had flashbacks to the ending of the 2022 season.

A then Longhorns team coached by Chris Beard had their season ended by the Boilermakers, falling 81-71 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Then senior guard Marcus Carr scored a game-high 23 points, but it was not enough to keep the Longhorns alive.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.