Texas’ dream of going from the First Four to the Final Four ended in heartbreak. And because of it, Purdue is one step closer to another appearance in the national semifinals.
Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a missed Braden Smith layup with 0.7 seconds remaining, breaking a tie and delivering the Boilermakers a 79-77 victory over the Longhorns in the Sweet 16 in San Jose on Thursday, March 26.
Kaufman-Renn had a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds for Purdue, while Fletcher Loyer added 18. Tramon Mark carried Texas for much of the night, scoring 29 points and making 11 of his 15 shots despite nursing an injured ankle for most of the game.
Purdue, the country’s preseason No. 1, is hitting its stride after a late-season stumble. The Boilermakers won the Big Ten tournament and are in the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five seasons. After going 2-4 to end the regular season, coach Matt Painter’s team has now won seven consecutive games.
Purdue advanced to Saturday’s Elite Eight to face the winner of Arizona and Arkansas. There, it will try to make the Final Four for the second time in the past three seasons.
Here’s what you need to know about tonight’s game, including predictions and injury updates:
This section will be updated throughout the game
| TEAMS | 1H | 2H | F |
| Texas | 35 | 42 | 77 |
| Purdue | 39 | 40 | 79 |
This section will be updated throughout the game.
With his team down by three, Dailyn Swain takes it to the basket, gets a layup and draws a foul on Oscar Cluff, taking the Purdue big man out of the game with his fifth foul. He tied the game on the ensuing free throw with 11.9 seconds left.
The Boilermakers responded on the other end, though, with Braden Smith putting up a contested layup and missing, but with Trey Kaufman-Renn tipping it in with 0.7 seconds left to deliver his team a 79-77 win and send it to the Elite Eight.
Purdue, Texas tied late
We’ve got a nailbiter in our first Sweet 16 game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Purdue and Texas are tied at 70 at the final media timeout of regulation, with 3:56 remaining. Tramon Mark continues to ball out for the Longhorns with a game-high 29 points, but Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer have been a dynamic combo for the Boilermakers, with 18 points apiece.
Texas holding narrow lead over Purdue
Can Texas’ run as the lone double-digit seed remaining in the tournament continue another round? The Longhorns hold a 65-63 lead over Purdue with 7:39 remaining.
Tramon Mark has been carrying coach Sean Miller’s team, even with a gimpy ankle. The sixth-year senior has 26 points and has made 10 of his 12 shots.
Tramon Mark gets to 2,000 career points
With a pair of free throws early in the second half, Texas’ Tramon Mark has reached the 2,000-point mark for his career. He got to the mark in his sixth season of college basketball, as he played three seasons for Houston and one for Arkansas before transferring to Texas ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Mark’s up to a game-high 19 points. Nobody else on his team has more than nine. Mark’s dealing with what appears to be an ankle injury, as he’s moving gingerly around the court and had to be tended to on the sideline.
Purdue up on Texas at halftime
A fast-paced, back-and-forth opening 20 minutes comes to an end with Purdue holding a 39-35 lead over Texas at halftime. Fletcher Loyer heated up for the Boilermakers, making three of his five 3-pointers for a game-high 13 points, while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12. Tramon Mark leads Texas with 12 points.
The teams are combining to make 50.8% of their shots from the field.
At the final media timeout of the first half, Texas and Purdue are all tied up at 30 with 3:13 remaining until halftime. Tramon Mark has a game-high 12 points for Texas while Trey Kaufman-Renn is leading the way for Purdue with 10.
The teams are a combined 19-of-28 from inside the 3-point arc (67.9%).
File this under something you don’t see every day: Purdue and Texas went 9:12 without a stoppage in play, meaning they went past the first two media timeouts. Given that, we had a unique situation in which Texas big man Matas Vokietaitis was fouled, leading to a commercial break, and made the first of two free throws, which led to another TV timeout to make up for the ones the game action bypassed.
Both teams are shooting at least 50% from the field.
Jordan Pope injury update
Jordan Pope was not listed among the Texas starters for its Sweet 16 game tonight against Purdue after being listed as questionable on the NCAA availability report. Pope had suffered an ankle injury late in the Longhorns’ second-round victory against Gonzaga.
Though he was not listed as a starter, Pope was on the court for Texas when the game tipped off.
A 6-foot-1 guard, Pope is averaging 13.1 points per game this season, the fourth-highest mark on the team.
CJ Cox injury update
CJ Cox will be starting for Purdue against Texas tonight in their Sweet 16 matchup. Cox was listed as questionable on the NCAA player availability report after he injured his right knee early in the second half of the Boilermakers’ second-round win against Miami.
Cox is Purdue’s fifth-leading scorer this season, at 8.5 points per game.
What time is Purdue vs Texas Sweet 16 game today?
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET from San Jose, California.
What channel is Purdue vs Texas game on? How to watch, streaming info
Purdue vs. Texas will air on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.
Purdue vs Texas prediction, odds
Odds provided by BetMGM as of 10 p.m., Wednesday, March 25.
∎ Nathan Baird, IndyStar: Purdue 83, Texas 76
The Boilers need a big game from their bigs against an opponent which thrives on interior scoring and offensive rebounding. This may also be decided by which defense with a marginal track record all season maintains a recent trajectory of improvement — and does so without fouling. Purdue’s seniors are playing, and leading, better than ever, and this matchup sets up well for another Elite Eight trip.
∎ Sam King, Journal & Courier: Purdue 84, Texas 73
Texas has had a luxury of facing injury-hampered teams to get to the Sweet 16. If C.J. Cox is good to go, Purdue is fine. If Cox can’t, Purdue will still dance on.
- Blake Toppmeyer: Purdue
- Paul Myerberg: Purdue
- Jordan Mendoza: Purdue
- John Brice: Purdue
- Matt Glenesk: Purdue
- Craig Meyer: Purdue
- John Leuzzi: Purdue
- Austin Curtright: Purdue
- Ehsan Kassim: Texas
- Moneyline: Purdue (-350); Texas (+275)
- Spread: Purdue (-7.5)
- Over/under total: 148.5
CJ Cox injury update: Will Purdue guard play vs Texas?
C.J. Cox suffered a knee he said was hyperextended during Sunday’s second round win over Miami. He’s done drills and plenty of rehab work with trainers, he said Wednesday during media availability with reporters in San Jose. He’s hopeful to play, but the Boilermakers have depth behind him if he can’t go, namely Gicarri Harris.
«I was obviously scared if I had torn something, because then I’m out for a long time, but thankfully I didn’t,» Cox said. «It still sucks, but just continuing one step at a time.»
Cox said an MRI on the knee, injured Sunday against Miami, came back «pretty good.» Purdue only watch film and shot free throws Monday. Cox partially participated in Tuesday’s short practice, staying out of contact drills.
Jordan Pope injury update: Will Texas guard play vs Purdue?
Pope suffered a lower-leg injury in Saturday’s win over Gonzaga. He said he was «hopeful» to play against the Boilermakers on Thursday.
«Jordan, he’s dealing with a lower leg situation,» Sean Miller said Wednesday. «We’re hopeful that he can — we’ve given him a lot of rest since our last game, and I think he’s really responding to it.
«We still had a pretty quick turnaround, all things considered, because of the distance between San Jose and Austin and traveling from Dayton to Portland and Portland back to Austin.»
Why did Camden Heide transfer from Purdue to Texas? ‘I’ll be a Boilermaker for life’
Heide spent the previous two seasons at Purdue before entering the transfer portal and landing in Austin. So why did he leave Purdue?
“I was looking for a bigger role on a winning team,” he told IndyStar’s Gregg Doyel with a smile. “Those were tough conversations, obviously, with coaches and teammates I’d known for years. Everyone didn’t see it eye-to-eye, but I just wanted people to understand I was doing what was best for me. And at the end of it, they were all supportive of me. It just goes to show the kind of people Purdue recruits. Great guys.
“I’m happy I was a Boilermaker. I’ll be a Boilermaker for life.”
Heide, who hit a key late 3-pointer in Texas’ second round upset over Gonzaga, has helped provide the Longhorns with a scouting report on his former team.
«He’s been big time. He knows what they do,» Texas guard Tramon Mark said. «He knows a lot of what they do, so he’s been helping us, coaching us up on the things that they do and just being a big-time guy for us in our scouting and everything we do in our scouting, practice. He’s been big.
Braden Smith breaks Bobby Hurley NCAA assists record
Smith broke Hurley’s record in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Queens on Friday, March 20. The senior from Indiana got the record on a dish to Trey Kaufman-Renn in the first half.
Smith finished the game with 1,083 career assists in his four-year career with the Boilermakers. Purdue fans at the game gave Smith a standing ovation for the achievement.
Smith told USA TODAY Sports ahead of the tournament he was «ready to just get it over with» so he could put all of the attention toward winning Purdue’s first national championship. Now with that in hand, the decorated guard can go for the two goals he had for his senior season.
«That’s one of the reasons I came back, was to win and to get the record,» he said. «Obviously, wanted to do it at a place that I’ve been for the three years prior. For me, just to be around a great bunch of guys and obviously great coaching staff, and do it with them, I think it makes it more special.»
Matt Painter March Madness record: How many Sweet 16 appearances does Matt Painter have?
Matt Painter has a 26-17 career record in the NCAA Tournament. This is his 18th trip to March Madness, 17th with Purdue (he led Southern Illinois to the NCAA Tournament before becoming Purdue’s coach-in-waiting).
He’s led the Boilermakers to nine Sweet 16s.
Sean Miller March Madness record: How many Sweet 16 appearances does?
Texas is the third team Miller has guided to March Madness (Xavier and Arizona are the others). He has a 25-13 record combined in 14 NCAA Tournament appearances.
This is his ninth trip to the Sweet 16.
What’s furthest a First Four team has advanced in NCAA Tournament?
Texas was one of the last at-large teams to get a berth to March Madness. That meant a trip to Dayton and the First Four.
The Longhorns beat NC State on a Tramon Mark last-second shot, then beat BYU despite 35 points from AJ Dybantsa in the first round. Texas followed that up with an upset of No. 3 seed Gonzaga in Round 2 to reach the Sweet 16.
Texas needs two more wins if it wants to match the furthest a First Four team has gone in an NCAA Tournament.
VCU (2011) and UCLA (2021) reached the Final Four after starting its tournament run in the First Four.
Will Arizona fans boo Sean Miller at Sweet 16 in San Jose?
Texas-Purdue is the first game of Thursday’s Sweet 16 at San Jose, with the Arizona-Arkansas game to follow. Miller coached 12 seasons at Arizona and was fired in 2021 after an NCAA probe found Miller has offered to illegally pay players and the school was forced to vacate wins from the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.
There will be plenty of Wildcats fans in the stands in the SAP Center. So what kind of reception does Miller expect to receive Thursday?
«I would hope they would cheer for us. We’re the 11 seed. If I were them, I’d want us to win,» Miller said.
«But my relationship with Arizona is nothing but great. I have three sons, they all attended the University of Arizona, and each of them had an amazing experience. Two of the three, their girlfriend, potentially maybe who they end up with as their wife, also went to Arizona. I was there for 13 years, have friendships that will last a lifetime. I was treated, our family was treated incredibly well.
«… I mean, if we were to beat Purdue — I’m at Texas. That would be amazing. We’re playing in the Elite Eight. But the other part of it doesn’t really exist for me. I think with that emotion, you can either burn the house down or make it warmer. I look at that place and that experience as nothing but just making my house warmer. I have nothing but positive thoughts, feelings and perspectives towards that experience.»
