Head coach Sean Miller’s Texas Longhorns defeated the NC State Wolfpack in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament after Tramon Mark sank a pull-up jumper with 1.1 seconds left to seal the Longhorns’ 68-66 victory.
The Longhorns reward was a matchup with the BYU Cougars and projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, A.J. Dybantsa, in the first round two days later.
Fatigue from the high-intensity First Four game didn’t seem to be too much of a factor for Texas, which led 46-37 at halftime. Dybantsa, however, affected the game in a major way. So much so that Miller was forced to admit his team’s helplessness when it came to stopping the dynamic scorer, who was already in double digits.
“Coach, AJ Dybantsa’s already got 14, what are you asking your team to try to do to slow him down?” sideline reporter Jared Greenberg asked Miller at halftime.
“I don’t think we can,” Miller responded bluntly.
It was a hilarious admission, especially in the middle of such a tightly contested game, but it ended up being an honest one. Dybantsa finished the game with an impressive stat line of 35 points and 10 rebounds.
The Longhorns managed to hang on for a 79-71 win and advance to the second round, and Miller reflected on his team’s approach toward the future lottery pick.
“We understood that he has the ability to score like nobody else. But what we talked about was a jump shot by him was a victory for us,” Miller said, via ESPN. “What we couldn’t afford was that he puts Dailyn (Swain) in great foul trouble or he fouls our entire team out.”
Next, Miller and Texas will face the Gonzaga Bulldogs, where they’ll do their best to corral another elite scorer in senior forward Graham Ike.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.