The Texas Longhorns and Purdue Boilermakers are dealing with some notable injury questions in the backcourt headed into the Sweet 16.
No. 11 Texas will face No. 2 Purdue at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on Thursday with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line. The Longhorns pulled off tight wins over BYU and Gonzaga to advance to the second weekend while the Boilers took care of business against Queens and Miami.
NCAA Releases Texas vs. Purdue Injury Report Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope reacts after a play in the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images Texas guard Jordan Pope is questionable with an ankle injury while Purdue guard CJ Cox is also questionable with a knee injury. Both players are key starters for their respective teams but suffered their injuries in the Round of 32. Pope averages 13.1 points and 2.1 rebounds while Cox is averaging 8.5 points and 2.6 rebounds.Texas guard Jordan Pope is questionable tomorrow against Purdue in the Sweet 16. Another injury to watch: Purdue guard CJ Cox, who is questionable as well after suffering a knee injury vs. Miami in the second round.Texas head coach Sean Miller said that the team is "hopeful" Pope can play. It's clear that he won't be at 100%. "He's dealing with a lower leg situation," Miller said. "We're hopeful that he can . We've given him a lot of rest since our last game, and I think he's really responding to it."Bohls also reported that Pope did not participate in the 15-minute portion of Wednesday's practice open to the media but eventually took the court in some capacity shortly after.“I definitely want to help this team win the game. But if I’m not ready to go, then it is what it is," Cox said in the Purdue locker room on Wednesday while riding a stationary bike. “Just taking it one day at a time,” Cox said. “Continuing to rehab, just seeing how it is. Not jumping in too fast, but just seeing what Chad thinks and what the staff thinks. ... “I feel like I help the team a lot on defense and also on offense, but even if I didn’t play in the game, I feel like this team is capable of beating anyone in the country, so I’m not really worried.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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