The only Cinderella in the 2026 NCAA Tournament is an SEC school with seemingly unlimited financial resources. That doesn’t sound like an underdog.
So, it’s not surprising Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller isn’t letting his team wear the glass slipper, even though it has made an unexpected run to the Sweet 16.
Sean Miller explains why Texas isn’t a true Cinderella
The No. 11-seeded Longhorns became the first double-digit seed in the 2026 tournament to reach the Sweet 16 after upsetting the No. 3-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs, 74-68, on Saturday. Texas is the sixth First Four team to reach the Sweet 16 since the field expanded to 68 teams in 2011. Miller, though, rejected the Cinderella label.
“I don’t think we ever want to sign up to be the Cinderella story because we are the University of Texas and what we represent in the SEC,” Miller said, via CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford. “There’s no easy game in the SEC. The league itself prepares you for the postseason. Sometimes the lessons you learned along the way strengthen you. We’re a much better team than we would’ve been a month ago.”
