Lead: On March 26, 2026 at the SAP Center in San Jose, No. 11 Texas (21-14) met No. 2 Purdue (29-8) in a West Regional Sweet 16 game that carried major bracket and betting implications. Texas entered off back-to-back upsets but faced uncertainty around starting point guard Jordan Pope after he injured his lower leg late in the second-round win over Gonzaga. Purdue arrived with an offense paced by Braden Smith, the NCAA’s all-time assists leader, and opened the game with a 39-35 halftime edge. The second half featured multiple lead changes, a late surge by Tramon Mark and a close finish that kept the regional semifinals tense.
Key takeaways
- Texas entered the game 21-14 after consecutive NCAA Tournament upsets; Purdue was 29-8 and the No. 2 seed in the West Regional.
- Jordan Pope, who scored 17 in the win over Gonzaga, was listed as questionable and was described by coach Sean Miller as having “a lower leg injury.”
- Halftime score: Purdue 39, Texas 35; Purdue shot 53.1% in the first half while Texas shot 48.3%.
- Rebounding at the break favored Purdue, 18-13, helping the Boilers control several second-chance opportunities.
- Tramon Mark led Texas with a season-high-tying 26 points in the second half and finished the game as a primary scoring catalyst.
- Purdue point guard Braden Smith contributed a double-digit assist impact (5 assists noted midgame) and remained the engine of Purdue’s offense.
- Betting line: Purdue favored by 6½ with a game total of 148½; the contest was broadcast on CBS and local radio stations 1300 AM and 98.1 FM.
Background
Texas reached this Sweet 16 after upsetting higher-seeded opponents in each of its prior two NCAA Tournament contests, demonstrating an ability to win close tournament games despite a 21-14 regular-season finish. The Longhorns have relied on guards like Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark for perimeter scoring and on a mix of size from Matas Vokietaitis and Nic Codie. Pope’s availability had been a storyline: he led Texas with 17 points in the win over Gonzaga but aggravated an ankle/lower-leg issue late in that game.
Purdue came in as the No. 2 seed and one of the tournament’s offensive benchmarks, led by guard Braden Smith and complemented by efficient shooters such as Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn. The Boilers’ season (29-8) featured strong offensive efficiency and consistent rebounding, traits that have driven the team’s seeding and public betting support. Injuries and questions about depth (for example, CJ Cox listed as questionable after a knee hyper-extension) added minor uncertainty to the matchup.
Main event
The first half opened with an offensive display: both teams shot above 50% early, and Purdue edged ahead to a 39-35 lead at halftime. Trey Kaufman-Renn scored efficiently (6-of-6 shooting for 12 first-half points) while Fletcher Loyer led Purdue with 13 by the break. Texas countered with Tramon Mark, who had 12 at halftime and positioned himself as Texas’s primary scoring threat.
Early in the second half Tramon Mark hit a transition 3 to bring Texas within a point, and the lead changed hands multiple times. At 16:45 of the second half the game turned physical; Matas Vokietaitis picked up his fourth foul with 12:43 to play and had to sit, limiting Texas’s frontcourt options. Cam Heide and Nic Codie saw rotation minutes intended to preserve interior defense while maintaining perimeter spacing.
In the closing stages Texas surged, with Mark eventually matching a season-high 26 points and Dailyn Swain contributing key baskets including a driving score that tied the game. At 7:39 of the second half Texas led 65-63 before the contest tightened into a final stretch of possessions. Bench rotations, foul trouble and execution on both ends decided the final minutes; the Longhorns fought to slow Purdue’s assist-driven sets while Purdue pushed to create clean rhythm through Braden Smith.
Analysis & implications
Short-term, Jordan Pope’s availability shaped Texas’s offensive game plan: with Pope limited or out, Texas depended more heavily on Tramon Mark’s isolation and off-ball movement from Swain and Heide. Missing Pope would reduce ball-handling depth and pick-and-roll options, placing pressure on secondary creators and the frontcourt to generate offense against Purdue’s defense.
For Purdue, sustaining offensive balance via Braden Smith’s playmaking remained the priority. Smith’s ability to find cutters and shooters creates high-percentage attempts and forces opponents to defend the entire floor; that skill set helps explain the public betting line favoring Purdue by 6½. If Texas could force turnovers or limit Purdue offensive rebounds (Purdue outrebounded Texas 18-13 in the first half), the Longhorns could keep the game within single possession margins.
Longer term, an upset by Texas would extend a narrative of lower-seeded momentum in this region and validate Sean Miller’s decision to use bigger lineups at times. Conversely, a Purdue victory would reaffirm the upset-resistant profile of top seeds that combine efficient offense with rebounding and depth. For bettors, the game’s relatively high total (148½) reflected confidence in both teams’ scoring abilities; in-game developments like key injuries and foul trouble would substantially affect live-betting markets.
Comparison & data
| Metric | Texas (1H) | Purdue (1H) |
|---|---|---|
| Field goal % | 48.3% | 53.1% |
| 3P made | 6-of-16 | — |
| Rebounds | 13 | 18 |
| Halftime score | Purdue 39, Texas 35 | |
Context: Purdue’s superior first-half shooting and rebounding produced a four-point halftime advantage; Texas’s 3-point efficiency (6-of-16) kept the Longhorns within reach. The table captures first-half snapshots that explain the early scoreboard margin and where each team needed to adjust in the second half.
Reactions & quotes
“He suffered what I’d call a lower leg injury,”
Sean Miller, Texas head coach (postgame)
“He’s a true game-time decision,”
Source close to Texas (player availability report)
Both statements framed pregame uncertainty about Pope’s role; Texas staff and a team insider characterized the injury conservatively while calling his status undecided until warmups.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Jordan Pope would start or sit remained undecided at game time; the long-term severity of his lower-leg injury had not been clarified by medical staff.
- CJ Cox’s status for Purdue was listed as questionable after a knee hyper-extension, but game-time availability was not confirmed in the pregame report.
- Late-game treatment and re-evaluation of Tramon Mark’s ankle after a second-half roll were not fully documented in postgame notes.
Bottom line
This Sweet 16 matchup highlighted the thin margins of March basketball: Purdue’s efficiency and rebounding gave it an early advantage, while Texas’s resilience and Tramon Mark’s scoring kept the Longhorns within striking distance. Injuries and foul trouble — notably Jordan Pope’s lower-leg issue and Vokietaitis’s foul trouble — were decisive situational factors that shaped rotation choices and late-game matchups.
Looking ahead, the winner would advance to face either No. 4 Arkansas or the No. 1 seed in the West Regional final in San Jose, with seeding and matchup dynamics now driven by both health and execution. Bettors and bracket-watchers should weigh availability bulletins and second-half tendencies—Purdue’s assist-driven offense versus Texas’s guard scoring—when projecting outcomes in the remainder of the regional bracket.