Sean Miller is setting new expectations with the Texas Longhorns after his first season with the team.
No. 11 seed Texas had a heartbreaking finish to its NCAA Tournament run with a 79-77 loss to No. 2 Purdue in the Sweet 16, but the feeling surrounding the program is full of positivity instead of overwhelming disappointment.
After the loss to Purdue, Miller was asked by Texas Longhorns on SI about what this team's unexpected March Madness run says to recruits that Texas will target in the future.Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller is seen against the Purdue Boilermakers prior to a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images His answer might come off as bold to some, but Miller is clearly confident in what the championship expectations look like for the Longhorns moving forward. "If you come to the University of Texas, you have a chance to play for the top prize on the biggest stage," Miller said. "I mean, that's what March does. It gives you credibility, and you can talk around it, but until you're in it, and advance, you don't understand the difference. And that's what we want, to build a program that continually can get to March and play their best to advance." Texas' season was filled with tons of ups and downs, but the ultimate goal for a team in its first year under a new head coach is to at least earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.“If you come to the University of Texas, you have a chance to play for the top prize on the biggest stage.”The Longhorns did just that and made the most of it, finishing one or two plays away from a spot in the Elite Eight, overachieving in the process. Each season is judged by what a team does in March, and Texas left its fans feeling like the 2025-26 campaign was a success. Miller said that this year's group set the tone for what Texas fans should expect for seasons to come. "I think the bigger picture is really just trying to instill a way of doing things, a way of practicing, how we compete in games, a style of play, and allow everybody to kind of feel it, see it, hopefully grow and improve while they're doing it, and get to a good place, which I think sets a great tone for the future. Really all of that came true through these guys' effort," Miller said. It remains uncertain what exactly next year's roster will look like but it's hard to doubt Miller after what the team did in the NCAA Tournament.Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7
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