Why Sean Miller Believes Texas' Sweet 16 Run Set Baseline for the Future

Heartbreak is echoing through Austin after the Texas Longhorns' Cinderella run came to an end in the Sweet 16, falling at the last second in a put-back back shot that ended the first year for head coach Sean Miller.

Despite that, there was a lot of great things that came out of the season, including the improbable run, proving that the Longhorns weren't going to roll over despite their sluggish end to the season.

Miller learned a lot and is proud of the way his team fought. More importantly, for him, in year one, he believes their efforts set a baseline for success within the program, and give them something to work off of as he looks to reignite the basketball program in Austin.

Setting the Foundation

Texas Longhorns Head Coach Sean Miller — Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller walks the court during a practice session ahead of the first four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Throughout the season, the Longhorns showed flashes of being a dominant team, especially on offense. Hampered by struggles closing out games and staying out of foul trouble, though, kept them from reaching their peak. Despite that, they still made their improbable run, winning four NCAA Tournament games in the process.

"You know, the first year at the University of Texas, there are so many different things you hope to accomplish," Miller said, reflecting. "First of all, you want to go as far as you can and hopefully it's in this tournament, but I think the bigger picture is trying to instill a way of doing things, a way of practicing, how we compete in games, a style of play."

Trying to find the pieces all season that would give his team the best chance to win, Miller was trying not just to find success during the season, but to instill a baseline he can build on as he tries to return the Longhorns to being a dangerous basketball opponent. Despite a three-game losing streak to end the regular season, including a first-round elimination in the SEC tournament, the team stayed the course.

"Watching us kind of evolve and grow through the year, it has never been easy for us, ever," Miller said of their late-season turnaround. "There were so many different times through the season where it looked like if we didn't get the next one, we'd be in trouble. But we got the next one, we stayed the course."

While there were times it was easy for players to give up, especially when the team was struggling, no player did. That includes Jordan Pope, who played against the Purdue Boilermakers with a broken foot, willing to sacrifice everything to help his team win one more game and make their triumphant return to the Elite Eight.

While the season may be over for the Longhorns, and prep will soon start in trying to rebuild the lineup to find even more success for the next season, Miller feels that there is now an emphasis on what he expects, and that now, the Longhorns can focus on getting better, not learning the basics with a new coach.

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