The Texas Longhorns are still a few weeks from the start of the season, but the early signs out of a closed scrimmage with Arizona State already gave fans something to look at.
Texas recently hosted the Sun Devils for a workout at the Moody Center as head coach Sean Miller enters his second season with the program. The Longhorns have not released a final score from the scrimmage, but the feedback from those who saw it was positive.
One source told Texas Longhorns on SI that it was "definitely a productive deal for the staff and players." Another described the scrimmage as one that "went really well."
On Monday evening, Texas shared highlights from the session, and the clip offered a first glimpse of several newcomers in action. Among the freshmen showing up were Marcus Spears Jr., Joe Sterling and Bo Ogden.
The transfer group was on display too, with David Punch, Isaiah Johnson, Elyjah Freeman and Amari Evans all appearing against Arizona State.
The highlight reel included Spears Jr. with a block and a two-hand dunk, Johnson knocking down a triple, Sterling burying a catch-and-shoot 3, Punch throwing down a dunk, and Sterling finding Lewis Obiroah for a pocket-pass finish at the rim.
Texas still has one more closed scrimmage lined up, this one against SMU. After that, the Longhorns will open to the public in an exhibition against St.
John’s at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. ET.
The first game that counts comes on Nov. 2, when Texas opens at home against Chicago State.
From there, the Longhorns’ 2026-27 schedule rolls through Gardner-Webb, Grambling, Baylor in San Antonio, Southern Utah, Georgetown and UCLA or Saint Mary’s in the Rady Children’s Invitational. Texas also has nonconference dates with Louisville in the ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge, Jackson State, Miami in Houston, Memphis, Prairie View A&M, East Texas A&M and Florida.
SEC play brings a long run of heavy lifting, including road trips to Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU, South Carolina, Florida, Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Mississippi State and Texas A&M, plus home dates with Auburn, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Missouri. The Longhorns will wrap the regular season before heading into the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament from March 10-14.
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Florida Just Got A Needed Recruiting Boost After That Ugly Loss
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Royals decision matters beyond the headline because he is one of the most coveted prospects in the country and is expected to wrap up his recruitment soon. For Texas, it is a notable miss in a class that had been building momentum, while Florida gets a major boost as it tries to steady itself after slipping to 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the SEC. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Has A Discipline Problem Sarkisian Can't Ignore
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Sarkisian has already pointed to penalties as the biggest issue the staff has to clean up, and he described the problem as a mix of effort-based plays and mental miscues. That makes the fix harder than simply preaching discipline in practice, because the issue is not coming from one place or one player group. Texas can outplay an opponent in stretches and still leave the door open if it keeps layering avoidable mistakes on top of itself. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Must Fix One Frustrating Problem After Red River Loss
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Sarkisian also owned the responsibility for the offenses struggles, a notable admission from a coach who knows the standard in Austin does not leave much room for uneven Saturdays. The Longhorns have shown enough ability to suggest the ceiling is still there, but the next stretch will be about turning that talent into steadier production. For Texas, the frustration is not just the loss itself, but the feeling that the offense still has to prove it can hold up when the stage gets biggest. [Read more 🡒]