The Longhorns delivered a statement win against NC State last night, and it was on the back of something that Sean Miller harped on all season long in Austin.
If everyone remembers, one of the biggest frustrations early in the year was that Texas would foul left and right, almost as if there were no consequences for it. Matas Vokietaitis would slap and push anyone who attempted to shoot the ball, and it resulted in losses or very close wins against teams that had no business being in that position.
Luckily, as the season went on, what Sean Miller was "droning on about" finally began to click with the team, and they began to play better defense down the stretch. This was a big reason why they beat Alabama and Vanderbilt in back-to-back weeks in January.
Following Texas' loss at Kentucky, Sean Miller dropped an early candidate for soundbite of the year:
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) January 22, 2026
"We have a virus called fouling... We will foul the living 💩 out of you... You describe the foul and the team that I'm coaching will commit it." pic.twitter.com/pvzBAYV4iI
It's no secret that consistent fouling is an incredibly bad thing because it not only gives the opponent extra possessions depending on the specific foul, but it also hands your opponent free points that may or may not be able to be overcome in the long run.
Thankfully, the Longhorns were able to play clean defense last night and it made all the difference in the game. Not only did Texas have one of it's lowest foul totals of the year, Sean Miller's squad had committed less fouls than North Carolina State did in the matchup.
This is undoubtedly an enormous reason why they were able to get the win in such a nail-biter against a team that's been pretty dangerous all season long on offense. In these types of tournament-level matchups, where you have to be incredibly efficient in every aspect of the game, "little" details like technique and positioning are what matter most on the defensive side of the court.
Coach Miller recognized a problem early in the season and successfully addressed it through long lecture sessions and technical workshops throughout the year. Say whatever you want about Miller in year one at Texas, but he's doing everything right, and it paid off in their first postseason game of 2026.
Now, Texas is set to face BYU tomorrow night in the round of 64.