Texas Basketball Opens Season Ranked No. 7 With 11 New Players
The Longhorns start play on Monday against Chicago State after adding six freshmen and five transfers to replace departed stars.
By Kofi Costa ·
Texas basketball fans face a higher bar this season. The Longhorns enter Monday's opener against Chicago State as the No. 7 team in the nation. This ranking arrives just two years after the program finished its regular season with an 18-14 record and barely secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
The roster has changed dramatically. Eleven new players join the team for the 2026-27 season. This group includes six incoming freshmen and five transfers. Only one player from last year's lineup remains: Matas Vokietaitis. The 7-foot, 255-pound Lithuanian center averaged 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season. He shot 61.9% from the field and ranked second in the SEC in free-throw attempts with 284.
Coach Sean Miller guided the team to the Sweet 16 in his first year. That result raised expectations despite a flawed regular season. The new squad aims to improve on a record of 21-15 last year. The Longhorns have advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament only three times in the past 15 years.
The team added depth in the paint through the transfer portal and recruiting. David Punch arrives from TCU as a 6-7, 245-pound power forward. He led the Big 12 with 66 blocks last season and averaged 14.1 points. Texas paid an estimated $4 million for his transfer. Punch joins a frontcourt that also includes 17-year-old Marcus Spears Jr. The 6-9 forward reclassified from the 2027 class to join the team immediately. ESPN ranked him the top recruit in the nation for the 2027 class before his move.
Spears brings a familiar name to the program. His father, Marcus Spears Sr., is a former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle who appears on ESPN NFL broadcasts. His sister, Cari Spears, plays volleyball for Texas and serves as his roommate. Spears will not be eligible for the NBA draft for two more years due to his age.
The backcourt features new guards to replace departing star Dailyn Swain. Swain was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the 15th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Isaiah Johnson transfers from Colorado and leads the team's scoring threat. He averaged 16.9 points per game last season and shot 48.6% from the field. Freshman Austin Goosby, the younger brother of Texas offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, will also handle the point guard duties. Miller plans to rotate both players at the position.
Depth returns with Mikey Lewis, a transfer from Saint Mary's. Lewis is recovering from foot surgery and expects to return in December. He averaged 11.0 points per game and shot 37.1% from three-point range in two seasons with the Gaels. The team also signed Amari Evans from Tennessee and local standout Bo Ogden, the son of Texas general manager Chris Ogden.
Defensive improvements are a priority for Miller. Texas allowed opponents to shoot 44.8% from the field last season, ranking 13th in the 16-team SEC. The team also allowed 835 free-throw attempts, second to last in the conference. Punch and Evans are identified as defensive stoppers. The team shot 35.5% from three-point range last year, ranking fifth in the SEC, but attempted only 750 shots, which ranked 13th.
The SEC presents a difficult path. Florida enters the season as the No. 1 ranked team. The Gators feature Thomas Haugh, the league's preseason player of the year, along with Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon. Tennessee and Arkansas remain competitive under coaches Rick Barnes and John Calipari. Kentucky and Alabama also present strong challenges. The Longhorns open their season at 8 p.m. Monday at Moody Center on the SEC Network.
