Texas, Oregon Coaches Recall 2019 NCAA Tournament Matchup

Vic Schaefer and Kelly Graves will face off again in the 2026 NCAA Tournament second round.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 10:15am

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Texas women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer and Oregon coach Kelly Graves will meet again in the 2026 NCAA Tournament second round, rekindling memories of their 2019 Elite Eight matchup when Graves' Oregon Ducks defeated Schaefer's Mississippi State Bulldogs 88-84 to advance to the Final Four. Both coaches reflected on that memorable 2019 game, with Schaefer still lamenting the loss of his talented 2018-19 team and Graves recalling it as one of the best games he's ever been a part of.

Why it matters

The 2019 matchup between Schaefer and Graves was a high-stakes, high-intensity affair with a Final Four berth on the line. Their renewed matchup in the 2026 tournament adds an extra layer of drama and history to the second-round clash between the top-seeded Longhorns and eighth-seeded Ducks.

The details

In 2019, Schaefer's Mississippi State team scored 84 points but still fell to Graves' Oregon squad 88-84 in the Elite Eight. Schaefer has said that 2018-19 Mississippi State team was better than the ones he coached to NCAA championship games in 2017 and 2018, making the loss especially tough. Graves called it one of the greatest games he's ever been a part of, with both teams shooting around 50% from the field and Oregon legend Sabrina Ionescu scoring 31 points.

  • The 2019 Elite Eight matchup between Mississippi State and Oregon took place in Portland.
  • The 2026 second-round NCAA Tournament game between Texas and Oregon will be played on Sunday.

The players

Vic Schaefer

The head coach of the Texas women's basketball team, who previously coached at Mississippi State and has a career record of 477-211.

Kelly Graves

The head coach of the Oregon women's basketball team, who has a career record of 646-297.

Sabrina Ionescu

The legendary Oregon women's basketball player who scored 31 points in the 2019 Elite Eight matchup against Mississippi State.

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What they’re saying

“Part of the NCAA Tournament is, and my media has heard me say this before, you've got to get hot and you've got to have a little luck. We were unlucky. We had to go out there and play in front of 13,000 Ducks and play his best team ever, and got beat 88-84. You can count on one finger how many games I've lost when my teams have scored 84 points. And it was that night. And Ionescu was so special. But he had a whole team full of special players.”

— Vic Schaefer, Texas women's basketball coach

“Honestly, one of the greatest games I've ever been a part of. I think the most well-played game I've ever been a part of. Both teams. I think it was 88-84. Obviously a big stage, winner to the Final Four. ... It was just a great basketball game. It went back and forth. We were fortunate enough to get the win, but that was a long time ago.”

— Kelly Graves, Oregon women's basketball coach

What’s next

The winner of the Texas-Oregon second-round matchup will advance to the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

The renewed coaching matchup between Schaefer and Graves in the 2026 NCAA Tournament adds an exciting layer of history and drama to the second-round clash, as the two coaches look to rekindle the intensity and high-level play of their memorable 2019 Elite Eight showdown.