Sweet 16 bound Texas getting key contribution off bench from Nic Codie
Through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the Texas Longhorns have shocked the college basketball world. They have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen by beating No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Gonzaga. As the Longhorns have beaten the odds, they have gotten contributions from everyone on the roster, including Nic Codie.
While Codie made his presence felt on defense against BYU, he was a scoring threat off the bench against Gonzaga. In 26 minutes against the Bulldogs, Codie had 12 points and made five of his six shots. He was one of the Longhorns' best players, finishing third in points.
In the first week of March Madness, Codie showed he could make an impact in various ways. He finished the weekend with six rebounds, four assists, and one steal. With both of the Longhorns games coming down to the wire, the play of Codie did not go unnoticed by head coach Sean Miller.
" Nic had a career-high 12 points," Miller said following the Longhorns' win over Gonzaga. " He was called on to play, I think 26 minutes. It might have been the most he played in a long time. But he's gotten better. The season is filled with a lot of high and low moments. Nic had a stretch where he didn't even play in games, but he stayed with it, didn't give in. He kept working, and when his opportunity came, he got better."
Due to his performances, the Texas native should continue to get opportunities throughout the tournament. The Sweet Sixteen will be this team's toughest test yet, and Miller will need his bench at its best to move on. If Codie can replicate his performance from Saturday night, then life will be difficult for No.2 Purdue as look to move closer to a national title.
Regardless of how the regular season went, Codie has provided a reminder of his importance when it mattered the most. On Thursday night he will be looking to build on his success.
This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Longhorns get boost from Nic Codie off bench en route to Sweet 16
