Jay Bilas names area of concern for Texas ahead of Sweet 16 matchup with Purdue
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The 11-seed Texas Longhorns are playing the role of “Cinderella” in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
As we enter the Sweet 16, Sean Miller’s squad is the only double-digit seed remaining in the bracket. Of course, playing in the SEC, the Longhorns are far from a scrappy mid-major. There’s elite talent all over this roster, starting with do-it-all wing Dailyn Swain.
However, the Longhorns face their toughest test yet on Thursday night to get the Sweet 16 started. On the other side of the court in San Jose will be the 2-seed Purdue Boilermakers, led by NCAA all-time assists leader Braden Smith.
ESPN’s Jay Bilas shared his major area of concern for the Longhorns in this matchup:
Area of concern: Texas is playing terrific basketball, and I loved its draw from the moment the bracket came out. But the Longhorns beat an erratic NC State team, a short-handed BYU team and a short-handed Gonzaga team. The key against Purdue will be the defense. Can Texas get stops versus a precise Purdue team with experience? It will not outscore Purdue on offense. The Longhorns have to get stops and defensive rebounds to win.
The Texas defense has been a source of concern for most of the season. If it doesn’t improve tonight, the Longhorns will likely see their season come to an end. But anything can happen in March Madness!
Thursday night’s game tips off at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Can the Longhorns pull off the big-time upset? Here’s what the latest Kalshi market has to say. Texas currently has a 25% chance to win:
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Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
