It's official, the Texas Longhorns will face the Purdue Boilermakers in the Sweet 16, but after the powerhouse eked out (until the last few minutes, at least) its win over Miami, people aren't flying to the conclusion that the Horns will be knocked off their feet.
One of the biggest missing pieces from Purdue's performance in the Round of 32 was guard Braden Smith having a poor showing on the offensive end of the court.
Smith, a usually reliable shooter who had averaged 14.3 points throughout the year, missed nine of his 12 field goal attempts, shooting an abysmal 25 percent from the field.
This plays quite perfectly into Texas's suddenly heightened dominance on the defensive end of the court. While the Horns were ranked 124th in defensive efficiency heading into the NCAA Tournament, Texas now ranks 19th in the nation.
Sean Miller must get Texas ready for rebounds galore vs. Purdue
Texas head coach Sean Miller has whipped his players into shape, and the Longhorns have pulled off three incredible upset wins in a row. Now, to pull off yet another improbable victory, Miller has to get them ready to take advantage of this possible shortcoming in Smith's game.
With nine missed shots come nine opportunities for defensive rebounds, minimizing the number of second-chance opportunities the opponent would have on offense.
Against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Round of 32, the Horns brought down 24 defensive rebounds, shutting down a lot of offensive drives for the Zags.
If Miller can get star center Matas Vokietaitis to lock in under the basket (which he has been throughout the Big Dance), the Longhorns could out-rebound the Boilermakers to reduce Purdue's chances to score.
Purdue is favored, not by much, but favored, over Texas. Creating a deficiency for the Boilermakers off the glass could have the in-game odds starting to lean heavily in the Horns' favor instead.