Texas came into Saturday’s rivalry clash with Texas A&M looking to build momentum in SEC play. Instead, the Longhorns walked off their home court with a 74-70 loss and one glaring issue staring them in the face: bench production.
Head coach Sean Miller didn’t sugarcoat it. Glancing at the stat sheet postgame, he summed it up with brutal honesty: “We didn't get much from our bench.”
He wasn’t wrong. The disparity in bench impact between the two teams was as clear as it gets.
A&M rolled out five reserves who logged 66 combined minutes, dropped 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Among them was Jamie Vinson - a former Longhorn and Austin native - who helped anchor a second unit that simply outplayed Texas in key stretches.
Meanwhile, Texas leaned on just three bench players - Chendall Weaver, Simeon Wilcher, and Lassina Traore - and the return was underwhelming: six points, eight boards, five assists, and a rough 1-for-10 from the field. That kind of imbalance is tough to overcome in any game, let alone a rivalry matchup in a tightly contested SEC.
To be fair, Miller didn’t pin the loss solely on the bench. “In no way did we lose the game just because of that,” he said. “But if one team really is playing those nine or 10 guys, and they're getting great production, it's really important that on our end, we can get some quality production from our bench.”
And that’s what Texas will need - not just on Wednesday when they head to Kentucky, but throughout the grind of SEC play. This year’s SEC might not have the same top-heavy powerhouses we’ve seen in the past, but it’s arguably the deepest it’s been in years. Depth matters, and right now, Texas is looking to rediscover theirs.
It’s not like the bench has been a problem all season. In fact, for much of the year, it’s been a strength. Miller has settled into a core eight-man rotation after some early experimentation, and when things are clicking, it works.
The starting five is solid: Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark in the backcourt, Dailyn Swain logging heavy minutes on the wing, Matas Vokietaitis anchoring the paint, and Camden Heide rounding things out at forward. That group has chemistry, experience, and the ability to compete with anyone in the league.
But it’s the bench trio that needs to rediscover its rhythm.
Weaver, a 6-foot-3 senior, is typically the tone-setter off the bench. He brings energy, defense, and hustle - all the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.
In the win over previously unbeaten Vanderbilt, he did everything you’d want from a sixth man: six points, nine rebounds, two steals in 23 minutes. That version of Weaver is a game-changer.
Traore, the 6-foot-10, 245-pound senior, is the primary backup in the post. He’s had his moments - most notably against Alabama, where he posted seven points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in 22 minutes.
But he was held scoreless again versus A&M, the fourth time that’s happened this season. Texas doesn’t need him to be a double-double machine, but they do need consistent minutes that don’t drop off from what Vokietaitis provides.
Then there’s Wilcher, who may have the trickiest role of them all. The 6-foot-4 junior transferred in from St.
John’s to give the Longhorns a scoring punch off the bench, and he’s averaging a career-best 8.1 points per game. But the efficiency just hasn’t been there lately.
He’s shooting 36.8% from the field this season, and it’s been even rougher in SEC play - just 6-of-32 over five games, and 0-for-8 in the last two. When your designated scorer off the bench goes cold, it puts a lot more pressure on the starting five to carry the load.
Still, Miller isn’t pointing fingers - he’s looking for accountability across the board. “We've won a lot of games this year where our bench has delivered,” he said. “But tonight, that really wasn't the case.”
And that’s the challenge moving forward. The SEC doesn’t give you many nights off. If Texas wants to stay in the hunt and make noise in March, they’ll need all eight guys - not just the starters - to show up and contribute.
Pope, one of the team’s leaders, put it plainly: “We've been playing basketball a long time. We can't get wore out over 30-40 minutes if we want to compete at the highest level.”
That’s the mindset Texas will need to bring to Lexington, where Kentucky awaits. The Wildcats aren’t invincible, but they’re deep, talented, and tough at home. If Texas wants to bounce back, it starts with the bench showing they’re ready to rise to the moment.
Texas (11-7, 2-3 SEC) at Kentucky (12-6, 3-2)
How to watch: SEC Network; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM