AUSTIN - Texas has found a frontcourt pairing that changes the shape of its offense.
Junior center Matas Vokietaitis and junior forward David Punch are giving the Longhorns a true high-low option, and head coach Sean Miller said Monday the fit was part of the plan from the start.
Vokietaitis “relishes having a partner that can take some of the punishment off of him and help him in that vital area - in-the-paint rebounding,” Miller said.
Punch, meanwhile, “loves the fact that he doesn’t have to play the five often, and that he has a bigger guy in there with him.”
Miller and his staff made the pairing an offseason priority, building around two major goals for the roster: keeping Vokietaitis and adding a power four who could work alongside him. The result, at least through three games, has been a frontcourt combination that Texas can lean on.
“They’re a great combination. They really are,” Miller said. “I think that they both are grateful that the other one is their teammate.”
The clearest payoff has come in the offense. Punch, the TCU transfer, has become a useful entry passer at the top of the key, feeding Vokietaitis in high-low sets and helping Texas get cleaner looks inside.
“Matas is ducking, the most physical dude in the country,” Punch said. “He gets open every time. I just call credit to him.”
Vokietaitis has taken advantage of the setup, even if the early numbers are coming against lighter competition. He’s averaging 21.3 points per game on 79.3-percent shooting, with 11 of his 29 shot attempts coming on dunks and 27 classified as close twos.
“It’s making everything easier for me,” Vokietaitis said of Punch’s presence.
That was on display in Monday’s win over Grambling State, when Texas got into transition often enough for Vokietaitis to sprint into early post position and put pressure on 7’2 Tigers forward Isaiah Miranda. The result was foul trouble for Miranda and more easy work for the Longhorns’ center.
The spacing around those actions matters, too. When Punch is the one initiating from the top, Texas can keep shooters on the wing and in the corners, which makes double-teams against Vokietaitis far riskier. That becomes even more dangerous with freshmen guards Joe Sterling and Bo Odgen stretching the floor, and with injured junior guard Mikey Lewis eventually expected back.
Texas tried to get the ball inside last season from the wing, but that version of the action made it easier for defenses to send help from the weak side. Those doubles were tougher for the big man to escape, often forcing a cross-court pass.
The Longhorns also used the look more often when Nic Codie was in the game, but Cam Heide’s time at the four last year limited how much Miller could rely on it. Codie did not play much until late in the season and, as the source put it, wasn’t as trustworthy as Punch.
Now, Miller believes the set can be a steady part of what Texas does. Not the whole offense, but a real piece of it.
Punch’s shooting numbers show why defenses may not be able to ignore him, either. He shot 23.9 percent last year on 46 three-point attempts and has taken only one this season, missing it.
There’s also another possible wrinkle: Texas can run high-low action with Punch and freshman forward Marcus Spears Jr., though Vokietaitis remains the main beneficiary. That should keep giving him chances to draw fouls and finish around the rim.
Grambling State head coach Patrick Crarey II saw the physical edge up close.
“He’s gonna hit you, so you’ve gotta hit him first,” Crarey said. “The problem is he keeps hitting you and he’s like those old-school heavyweights that I grew up with that just keep hitting you and hitting you and hitting you. He can take any punch you give him, and he keeps hitting you.”
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