No. 7 Texas opens the season Monday night in Austin with the kind of buzz that only comes when a roster suddenly looks much bigger than the sum of its parts. The Longhorns are expected to debut Marcus Spears Jr., the five-star talent who joined the program in July and instantly changed the conversation around Sean Miller’s second team.
Texas comes in with a high preseason ranking after an unexpected run to the Sweet 16 in March, but Miller isn’t pretending this group is finished. The Longhorns dropped an 87-74 exhibition game to No.
13 St. John’s on Oct. 25 at Madison Square Garden, a result that reinforced his belief that this roster is still finding its footing.
"We're going to get better," Miller said. "We're never going to be the best that we can be in November, December. We don't return five starters.
"I do think our ceiling, and where we can end up, will be in a far better place than we are here."
That ceiling starts with size. Texas will lean on 7-foot center Matas Vokietaitis, the only returning starter, alongside the 6-9 Spears.
Spears had been considered the No. 1 recruit in Class of 2027 before reclassifying and enrolling. Miller sees a lot in him beyond the recruiting ranking.
"He reminds me of a player that I coached at Arizona: Aaron Gordon," Miller said. "Marcus shares his maturity, his work ethic, his talent. He has an unselfish nature about him that you don't often see in people as talented athletically as he is."
The Longhorns also added Isaiah Johnson, David Punch, Amari Evans and Mikey Lewis through transfers, plus freshmen Austin Goosby and Bo Ogden. Goosby, a 6-5 guard from Dynamic Prep in Texas, was ranked the No. 18 recruit in the country by 247Sports and was one of 20 players named to the Jerry West Award preseason watch list on Tuesday.
Vokietaitis brings back real production after averaging 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 33 blocked shots in 36 games last season. Johnson arrived after leading Colorado with 16.9 points per game while shooting 37.8% from 3-point range.
Punch, a junior forward, put up 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds at TCU in 2025-26. Lewis scored 13.9 points a game at Saint Mary's, but he broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in preseason practice and is not expected back until December, Miller said.
Texas finished 21-15 last season and lost 79-77 to Purdue in the Sweet 16. This year’s group is ranked higher in the preseason than the Longhorns have been since entering 2021-22 at No. 5.
Miller wants a faster, cleaner offense than the one Texas showed a year ago, when the Longhorns averaged just 12.4 assists per game and ranked 228th in KenPom adjusted tempo.
"We want to play faster," Miller said. "That's in our team's best interest. But I also hope we can remain efficient -- free-throw attempts, inside shots, taking good, quality shots, taking care of the ball."
Chicago State is the first team in the way. The Cougars went 7-25 in the Northeast Conference last season and were picked to finish eighth in the nine-team league this preseason. They return one starter, 6-foot guard Malek Robinson, who led the NEC with 1.8 steals per game, and add 6-4 wing Foday Sheriff, the Heart of America Conference player of the year and a second-team All-American at NAIA William Penn University after averaging 16.2 points and 9.7 rebounds.
Chicago State coach Landon Bussie is eager for the national-stage opportunity, even with the Cougars set to play 13 of their 15 non-conference games away from home.
"Of course, opening night against Texas, having the opportunity to have our players play on a national stage ... I'm just grateful for the opportunity to coach on this level," Bussie said. "Really think we have a chance to have a good season."
The Cougars also bring in incoming junior guard Mike Price, a Chicago native who averaged 6.5 points at Cal State Bakersfield, and senior guard Armari Carraway, who averaged 6.7 points at Charleston Southern.
"We're going to win this year," Robinson said.
In Other News...
Texas Pass Rush Just Took Another Hit Before Mississippi State
Texas edge rotation took another hit heading into its meeting with Mississippi State, with Colin Simmons downgraded to doubtful because of an ankle sprain and Richard Wesley ruled out. The Longhorns have leaned on that group to keep the front seven disruptive, so the timing is less than ideal as they try to stack another clean defensive performance.
There is some better news elsewhere on the availability front, with running back Hollywood Smothers and wide receiver Cam Coleman both off the injury list and expected to play. Mississippi State, meanwhile, is dealing with its own absences, including starting quarterback Kamario Taylor and wide receiver Ayden Williams, which adds another layer to a game that already looked like it could hinge on which sidelined players matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Found An Offensive Spark Now Comes The Hard Part
Texas found a much-needed jolt on offense against Ole Miss, and the biggest reason was a running game that looked more alive even without some key backs available. Raleek Brown and Michael Terry III helped carry the load, giving the Longhorns balance and a couple of finishing touches on the ground that had been missing as the season has worn on.
Now comes the tougher test: proving it was more than a one-game lift. Mississippi State brings a run defense that has been difficult to move, so Texas will have to show it can keep generating push and production when the box tightens and the margin for error shrinks. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Has A Chance To Silence One Doubt This Weekend
Texas win over Ole Miss gave the Longhorns a needed boost, both in the standings and in the national conversation, and now they get another chance to build on it at home against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs arrive with a losing streak and without starting quarterback Kamario Taylor, which puts the matchup firmly in Texas favor on paper.
Even so, the Longhorns still have a few things to clean up. Their offense has not always been sharp, and injuries continue to be part of the backdrop as they try to keep momentum rolling. A convincing showing this weekend would do more than add another win, it would help quiet one of the lingering questions around this team as the schedule keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]