The Texas basketball team is in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. That is a great start to the tenure of head coach Sean Miller, who is in just his first season in Austin. Miller is talking about why his Longhorns have had such great success so far in March Madness.

Miller thinks it is because Texas has to go through a gauntlet that is the SEC.

“You just can't underestimate the depth of this league, with 16 teams,” Miller said to CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein. “…..There's no game where at the jump ball, you know you have a distinct advantage.”

Texas has won three games already in this year's NCAA tournament. The Longhorns were a First Four team, that had to go to Dayton, Ohio. Texas has defeated North Carolina State, BYU and Gonzaga in March Madness.

Before coming to Austin, Miller spent two stints as the head coach at Xavier. He also coached at Arizona, when that school was in the Pac-12. He took both of those programs to the Elite Eight.

Texas hopes to keep the momentum going in March Madness

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Even though the Longhorns are a no. 11 seed, Miller doesn't believe his team should be considered a “Cinderella.” He made that point after his squad upset no. 3 seed Gonzaga in the Round of 32.

“I don't think we ever want to sign up to be the Cinderella story, because we are the University of Texas, and what we represent in the SEC,” Miller said after that game, per ESPN.

The Longhorns next face a Purdue team that has also had great success in the NCAA tournament. Just two years ago, the Boilermakers were in the national championship game. Texas hopes to complete yet another upset.

“We're playing our best right now, and hopefully we can keep going,” Miller said.

Texas and Purdue face off on Thursday, for a berth in the Elite Eight. This is the first time the Longhorns have been in the Sweet 16 since 2023. Time will tell if the Longhorns can keep dancing.