Texas Upsets Gonzaga, SEC Analyst Bruce Pearl Praises Longhorns

Pearl believes the SEC deserves more credit after Texas' Sweet 16 run as an 11-seed

Mar. 22, 2026 at 1:41am

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Following Texas' upset win over Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament, SEC analyst and former coach Bruce Pearl praised the Longhorns' performance, arguing that the SEC deserves more credit for producing a team that was able to knock off a higher-seeded opponent and advance to the Sweet 16 as an 11-seed.

Why it matters

Texas' victory over Gonzaga as an 11-seed is a significant upset in the NCAA Tournament, and Pearl's comments highlight the ongoing debate around the strength of different college basketball conferences and whether the SEC is getting the recognition it deserves.

The details

Texas, which finished 10th in the SEC regular season with a 9-9 conference record, has now defeated NC State, BYU, and Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament. Pearl believes the Longhorns' success proves the SEC is a stronger conference than it gets credit for, pointing to their ability to win games against higher-seeded opponents.

  • Texas defeated Gonzaga on March 21, 2026 to advance to the Sweet 16.

The players

Bruce Pearl

An analyst and former college basketball coach who is advocating for more recognition of the SEC conference.

Texas Longhorns

The 11-seed team that upset 3-seed Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament.

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What they’re saying

“It's time to give the SEC a little bit of love, OK? This team finished 10th in the SEC. They were 9-9 in the conference and they've won three games in the NCAA Tournament against NC State, BYU and now Gonzaga. This is an 11-3 matchup.”

— Bruce Pearl, Analyst

“The reason why they lost five of the last six games is because they were playing in… the SEC. I don't think the conference got near enough credit and I think they're proving it throughout the tournament.”

— Bruce Pearl, Analyst

What’s next

Texas will face the winner of the matchup between the 2-seed and 7-seed in the Sweet 16.

The takeaway

Texas' upset victory over Gonzaga as an 11-seed has sparked renewed debate around the strength of the SEC conference, with analyst Bruce Pearl arguing that the league deserves more recognition for producing talented teams capable of making deep NCAA Tournament runs.