Purdue's Path to an NCAA Sweet 16 Matchup with the Texas Longhorns

The NCAA Men's Tournament's Sweet 16 will get started on Thursday, with the opening matchup of the slate being between the No. 2-seeded Purdue Boilermakers and No. 11-seeded Texas Longhorns. A head-coaching battle between Matt Painter and Sean Miller awaits.

After their win over the No. 7-seeded Miami Hurricanes on Sunday, the Boilermakers are making their fourth appearance in the Sweet 16 in the past five seasons.

Riding a six-game win streak at the perfect time, Purdue should provide Texas with its biggest tournament challenge yet. This is how the Boilmakers have gotten here.

Purdue's regular season (23-8)

Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball — Purdue Boilermakers guard Gicarri Harris (24) reacts during a NCAA Tournament second round game against the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Purdue defeated Miami 79-69. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Boilermakers opened the season as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll, boasting the trio of impact returners in guard Braden Smith, guard Fletcher Loyer and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn. They started the year 8-0, beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Texas Tech on a neutral court.

Then came a lopsided home loss to then-No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones, which dropped Purdue to No. 6. They reached No. 5 over a subsequent nine-game win streak, which included wins over Auburn and Wisconsin.

But that win streak ended with three consecutive losses at UCLA, at home to Illinois and at Indiana. Despite those straight defeats, Purdue only dropped to No. 12.

Purdue suffered four more losses over its 10 remaining conference games, dropping it to No. 18 after a regular-season-ending loss to Wisconsin. The 97-93 defeat to the Badgers marked the most points the Boilermakers have given up in the 2025-26 campaign.

Purdue's conference tournament

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) defends Purdue guard Braden Smith (41) during the second half of Big Ten Tournament final at United Center in Chicago on Sunday, March 15, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At 13-7 in the Big Ten, the Boilermakers entered the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed, requiring four wins to become champions. Yet they did just that.

Purdue beat Northwestern, No. 11 Nebraska, a hot UCLA team and No. 3 Michigan on consecutive days, getting double-digit scoring performances from at least three players in each game. Center Oscar Cluff was an X-factor to the Boilermakers' Big Ten Tournament run, obtaining two double-doubles and scoring a game-high 21 points against Michigan.

In the championship, Purdue outplayed the Wolverines in the second half, growing its lead to as large as 12 points after entering the break tied. The win avenged the Boilermakers' home defeat to Michigan back on Feb. 17, when Purdue failed to overcome a 20-point first-half deficit.

Not only did the conference tournament championship grant the Boilermakers an automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament, though they would have obviously been in anyway, but it also boosted them to the No. 2 seed line.

Purdue's NCAA Tournament so far

Purdue Boilermakers fans hold up signs following a NCAA Tournament second round game against the Miami Hurricanes on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Purdue defeated Miami 79-69. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Assigned to the West Region, the Boilermakers played their first- and second-round tournament games in Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo., which is just about a four-hour drive from the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Ind.

Against No. 15-seeded Queens in the Round of 64, Purdue took command early and brought a 12-point lead into halftime. But in the second half, the Boilermakers again showed their late-game effectiveness, outscoring the Royals by 21 points with a 59-point half.

Smith and Kaufman-Renn had 26- and 25-point showings, respectively, on high efficiency, with both shooting 66.7% from the field. Smith also broke the NCAA all-time assist record against Queens on his second of eight assists in the contest. The Boilermakers converted 14 three-pointers, well above their per-game average, to achieve their third 100-point performance of the season.

In the Round of 32, Purdue took on Miami, which had come off a 14-victory over 10-seeded Missouri. The Hurricanes challenged Purdue with its trio of guard Tre Donaldson, forward Shelton Henderson and forward Malik Reneau, leading the Boilermakers by two at the halftime break.

But an impressive second half again by Purdue, especially defensively, allowed the Boilermakers to advance by 10, despite offensive struggles by Smith and zero points from their bench.

Miami outrebounded Purdue on the offensive glass, its second-chance opportunities contributing to its upset chances. However, the Hurricanes struggled from behind the arc and committed double-digit turnovers.

Playing clean basketball, as always, will be required by Texas to extend its season beyond Thursday. Continuing its rejuvenated defensive intensity could be as essential as well, with Purdue's ability to play lights out offensively.

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