Less than two years ago, Texas fans were elated when former Oregon State point guard Jordan Pope announced he was transferring to play for the Longhorns.
Then, with a few sloppy games and some uninspiring performances, Horns Nation became disenchanted with their veteran guard.
That's all in the past now. Pope, quite literally, just made every Texas fan in the country fall in love with his game, once again, as he led the 11-seed Longhorns to an awe-inspiring 74-68 upset victory over the three-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Texas still dancing, will face Miami/Purdue in Sweet 16
In the second-round game against powerhouse Gonzaga, Pope racked up an incredible 17 points, three assists, and one rebound, joining Matas Vokietaitis to lead the team in scoring and marching the Longhorns onto the next round.
After the game, even Texas head coach Sean Miller couldn't contain his pride in Pope's performance that night, saying, "He's playing at a desperate level in a really good way. There are not a lot of guards that are playing in the tournament that are playing any better than him."
"There are not a lot of guards that are playing bettet than [Jordan Pope]."
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 22, 2026
Sean Miller told @JaredSGreenberg he couldn't be more pleased with the way his guards are playing. pic.twitter.com/CU7CZF1SVH
Vokietaitis earned 17 points and nearly collected yet another double-double with nine rebounds, as well as two assists.
Of course, Pope and Vokietaitis weren't the only Longhorns in double-digits in the scoring column. Texas's star of the season, Dailyn Swain, earned 11 points, and Nic Codie, who came off the bench to play 26 minutes, earned an arguably even more impressive 12 points for the Horns.
To put it simply, Texas just stunned the world, and it was due, in large part, to Pope's incredible effort and veteran leadership.
As the Bulldogs head home, the Horns advance to the Sweet 16, where Texas and Miller will face the winner of No. 7-seed Miami versus No. 2-seed Purdue.
While Texas will likely be doubted once again by the oddsmakers as they turn their attention to the next round, it is just another opportunity for Pope, Miller, and the rest of Longhorn Nation to shock the world.