“Even Miracles take a little time.” Texas fans have been waiting for National success since moving to the SEC. And it seems to have finally arrived in Sean Miller’s first year coaching the Longhorns, as the college program finds itself in uncharted territory since Rick Barnes’ departure.

While March Madness 2026 has served up some nasty upsets already, the Texas Longhorns have soared into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after beating the 3-seed Gonzaga.

Texas is now the only double-digit seed remaining in this year’s NCAA Tournament. And while many are celebrating the Longhorns’ entry into the Sweet 16, Gonzaga head coach Mark Few has cautioned against calling it a Cinderella story.

Speaking after the loss to Texas, Few said, “That is not a Cinderella team. That is a really talented basketball team with a really, really, really good coach that has incredible resources, has a great history of doing great things in the Tournaments. It’s just an 11-seed that had some tough losses during the year. But definitely, more than enough talent to win another game after this.”

The Texas Longhorns finished with an overall record of 21 wins and 14 losses, and were ousted by Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament. Mark Few’s comments have received a mixed response from college basketball fans.

Fans divided on reaction to Mark Few’s comments on Texas’s ‘Cinderella’ tag

While Mark Few’s words resonated with several fans, others were quick to point out the circumstances leading to the statement.

One fan agreed with Few and said, “An SEC team with millions is NOT a Cinderella.” Another one, this time a Texas fan, also echoed Gonzaga head coach’s sentiments. “As a Horns fan, this is correct. We were the best 11 seed in the tournament. Wins over Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Missouri. Top 15 offense in the country. Not a Cinderella,” they said.

The SEC is such a stacked conference that even a team like Texas, which only went 9-9 in conference play, still managed a 12-5 non-conference record. The Longhorns also took major scalps during the regular season, beating Vanderbilt and Alabama, who are the 5-seed and the 4-seed in their respective NCAA Brackets.

Another fan chimed in with his take and highlighted, “I haven’t heard anyone call Texas a Cinderella team. Bracket buster – yes.”

Despite not being a true Cinderella, the Longhorns have still decimated several bracket predictions this year. While few would have tipped them to beat AJ Dybantsa-led BYU, their victory over Gonzaga would have ruined most predictions that survived other upsets.

The focus soon shifted to Mark Few and Gonzaga. One fan snapped, “This guy has been overrated for decades.”

While overrated is a harsh term, Mark Few has led the Gonzaga men’s basketball team to two National Championship games in over 25 years. In fact, Gonzaga has underachieved in the NCAA Tournament on multiple occasions, with the Bulldogs receiving the one-seed in their bracket just five times under Few.

While Gonzaga has dominated the regular seasons, its inability to win a single National Championship under Mark Few is disappointing. Another pointed out the timing of the statement. “Sounds like a sore loser to me,” they said.

Losing to an 11-seed in the second round is an embarrassing result for Gonzaga, and Mark Few’s comments felt like an attempt at compensating or dismissing the narrative of being a huge upset.

Highlighting the funding could also be a hint toward his wish to invest more into his Gonzaga team in the immediate future. Whatever the reason for Few’s comments, the win over Gonzaga still holds significant weight, especially given how the two teams fared this season.’