Sean Miller’s injury update on Jordan Pope could swing their Sweet 16 matchup

Texas' star SG Jordan Pope injured his ankle against Gonzaga, and he was seen walking off the court and into the locker room with a visible limp following the game. Though it wasn't as publicized as it should've been immediately after the bout, losing Pope for Thursday's matchup against Purdue in the Sweet 16 would be devastating for the team.

Luckily, Sean Miller provided Longhorns fans with an update that should make them feel a little bit better about the situation.

When asked about Pope and his injury, Miller said:

"I think we'll be fine. We didn't do anything yesterday, so we weren't together, but he's gotten treatment and moving forward."

On top of this, Pope himself also said that he'll be fine in the locker room after the game, which was excellent to hear. If you've ever played a sport and rolled an ankle, it's pretty easy to tell whether or not you'll be able to perform within the next few days. The fact that this was most likely just a mild injury with some swelling bodes well for his fast recovery and ability to play on Thursday.

Though he was pretty hot and cold throughout the regular season, he's been very good for the most part during the tournament so far. If Texas is going to have any chance of upsetting a dominant Purdue team this week, Pope is going to have to be at the top of his game and ready to be the team's top three-point shooter against a Boilermakers defense that's surprisingly bad at defending from deep.

Purdue is allowing opposing teams to make an average of 8.6 three-pointers per game right now, which is ranked 289th in the league. It's pretty safe to say that if the Longhorns can get into a rhythm from the arc on Thursday, Sean Miller and Co. may have a legitimate chance of pulling off another massive upset in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.