Texas men’s basketball coach Sean Miller is not losing a wink of sleep over the missed box out that ultimately sealed their 79-77 Sweet 16 loss to Purdue, even after being just one play away from the Elite Eight in his debut season. You’d think a coach would be replaying that final second tip-in from Trey Kaufman-Renn a thousand times, but Miller’s perspective is totally different. He spilled the beans on college basketball insider Jon Rothstein’s podcast this week, giving a surprising take on that crushing defeat.
Why You Can’t “Just” Blame One Play
Miller made it clear he is not the type to dwell on “if we just did this one thing we could’ve won,” because that kind of thinking totally disrespects the incredible journey they had just to get there. “I think it’s hard to reflect on ‘if we just did this one thing we could’ve won’ because you take for granted the things you did to be in that position,” he told Rothstein. He’s right, you know? They battled their butts off! Seriously, the Longhorns had a couple of amazing plays just to be in a position to win that game, clawing their way through the tournament. It’s a testament to the team, not a single mistake.
The Unbelievable Courage That Got Them There
Remember that wild run? Texas was one of the last teams to even get into the NCAA Tournament. They had to win their First Four game against North Carolina State just to become the 11th seed. Then, they racked up wins against BYU and Gonzaga to grab that Sweet 16 spot. What makes it even more insane? Star players Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark were absolutely battling through brutal injuries. Pope was playing with a broken foot, and Mark’s ankle injury in that game was so bad he is out for the “next four months.” Miller confirmed those guys would have been totally unavailable for an Elite Eight match against No. 2 Arizona. Can you even imagine that?
“It was remarkable the courage, the unselfishness those two kids showed,” Miller said. He pointed out that while fans might sometimes get caught up in the money side of things, Pope and Mark were a prime example of how much it means to play for your team and university. Miller truly believes that 90% of players in their shoes would have either not finished the game or not played at all. Both Pope and Mark, though, kept grinding. Mark even participated in the NBA Summer League with the Phoenix Mercury, and Pope was granted another year of eligibility, joining the Texas A&M roster. Talk about dedication!
Building a Culture That Will Pay Off
Miller, who has been to the NCAA Tournament 14 times since starting his coaching career in 2004, views that kind of dedication as a blueprint for the culture they are building at UT. “I think that’s a true testament to No. 1: why we had the run we did, because of their leadership. But again, when you move forward, you move forward in a good way knowing that a culture was created where both guys wanted to keep playing under amazing duress.” It is about more than just one missed box out; it is about establishing a foundation where players fight for each other. As college hoops looms, Texas men’s basketball is set to tip off their season on November 2 against Chicago State at Moody Center. You gotta think that culture of fight and unselfishness will be front and center from day one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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