Texas Longhorns Face Familiar Foe in March Madness First Four

New head coach Sean Miller leads Texas back to the First Four, where they'll take on NC State in a rematch of an earlier regular season matchup.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 1:37pm

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The Texas Longhorns are back in the NCAA March Madness tournament, but have to play in the First Four round before advancing to the Round of 64. This is a familiar path for the Longhorns, who faced a similar situation last year under former head coach Rodney Terry. This time, new head coach Sean Miller will lead Texas against NC State, a team they defeated earlier this season. Both teams are looking to redeem themselves after disappointing conference tournament exits.

Why it matters

Texas' return to the First Four represents a chance for new head coach Sean Miller to make his mark on the program and lead the Longhorns deeper into the NCAA tournament than they went last year. The matchup against NC State also provides an opportunity for Texas to prove their earlier regular season win was no fluke, while the Wolfpack aim to avenge that loss and advance in the tournament.

The details

Texas and NC State faced off in November, with the Longhorns coming away with a 102-97 victory. Now the two teams will meet again in the First Four, with both looking to bounce back from early exits in their respective conference tournaments. Texas lost in the opening round of the SEC tournament as the 10 seed, while NC State was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament as the 7 seed.

  • Texas and NC State will play in the First Four on Tuesday, March 18, 2026.
  • The two teams previously met in November 2025, with Texas winning 102-97.

The players

Sean Miller

The new head coach of the Texas Longhorns, who is leading the team back to the NCAA tournament after they played in the First Four last year under former coach Rodney Terry.

Dailyn Swain

A forward for the Texas Longhorns who played a key role in the team's earlier victory over NC State this season.

NC State

The Wolfpack are the 7 seed from the ACC conference, looking to avenge their earlier loss to Texas and advance in the NCAA tournament.

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What they’re saying

“I think there's a little bit of irony in going back to UD Arena. You know I was there a year ago, not as the coach of Texas. Obviously, we -- Texas -- was there playing against us. I'll just say this, I think familiarity can be helpful.”

— Sean Miller, Head Coach, Texas Longhorns

What’s next

The winner of the Texas-NC State First Four matchup will advance to face the 6 seed in the Round of 64.

The takeaway

Sean Miller's return to the First Four provides an opportunity for the Texas Longhorns to build on last year's early tournament exit and make a deeper run in March Madness. The rematch against NC State adds an intriguing storyline, as both teams look to redeem themselves after disappointing conference tournament performances.