What to know about Texas basketball as revamped Longhorns roster open 2026-27 season

Texas forward David Punch (13) defends against center Lewis Obiorah (14) during Texas Basketball's final summer practice of the season in the Moody Center, Aug. 4, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman) In just his second season as head coach, Sean Miller has suddenly raised the expectations for Texas basketball. But that's what happens after guiding the Longhorns to the Sweet 16 in your burnt-orange debut, especially since a flawed Texas squad barely qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament with a First Four appearance following an 18-14 regular season and a loss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.Adding an impressive collection of talent in the portal and on the recruiting path helps, too. Texas, 21-15 a year ago, welcomes 11 new players onto the roster with six freshmen and five transfers. It all adds up to a No. 7 ranking in The Associated Press' preseason poll, a No. 2 spot in the SEC's preseason media rankings and high hopes for a program that has made it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament only three times in the past 15 years.UP NEXTNO. 7 TEXAS VS. CHICAGO STATEWhen/where: 8 p.m. Monday at Moody Center.TV/radio: SEC Network; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM.Here are 15 preseason questions about the new-look team as well as the Longhorns' chances in a rugged SEC.MORE: Longhorns ready to meet suddenly high expectations, says Sean MillerOK, there are 11 new players. But who's back?Only the big fella, Matas Vokietaitis. The 7-foot, 255-pound Lithuanian transferred to Texas before last season from Florida Atlantic and became one of the SEC's best big men while averaging 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds. He also shot 61.9% from the floor and ranked second in the SEC in free-throw attempts with 284. He'll serve as the centerpiece of the Texas offense because he's also a willing passer out of the paint.MORE: Texas basketball falls to St. John's in scrimmage. Here's what the Longhorns learnedHe's 7 feet tall and efficient. How come Vokietaitis isn't in the NBA?Vokietaitis isn't the quickest defender, and he's not much of a rim protector when it comes to NBA standards. But Miller said he took a big step forward defensively in the offseason. Oh, and Vokietaitis doesn't shoot the 3-ball, almost a prerequisite in the NBA regardless of the position; he didn't have one shot from behind the arc a year ago. Texas guard Anthon McDermott (33) chats with forward Matas Vokietaitis (8) as the two warm up at Texas Basketball's final summer practice in the Moody Center, Aug. 4, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman) No one else returned from last season?No one expected to play. Big men John Clark and Lewis Obiorah are both back, but neither has seen much preseason action and Miller doesn't ever mention them in his chats with reporters.Who'll help Matas Vokietaitis in the paint?Texas made two big frontcourt additions, one in the portal and one in a surprising recruiting twist. David Punch, a 6-7, 245-pound power forward, arrives from TCU after being named honorable mention All-Big 12 last season averaging 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds. He's also an elite defender who led the Frogs with 66 blocks and ranked second with 45 steals. He'll shore up a questionable interior defense from a year ago. Texas forward Marcus Spears Jr. (31) drives to the hoop during Texas Basketball's final summer practice of the season in the Moody Center, Aug. 4, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman) Who's Marcus Spears that we keep hearing about?The 17-year-old Marcus Spears Jr. reclassified from 2027 to join the Longhorns' 2026 class. The 6-9, 206-pounder ranked as the top recruit in the nation by ESPN for 2027 before his reclassification, and he'll add immediate juice to the frontcourt. In fact, he's probably the top NBA prospect on the team, but can't make the jump to the next level for two seasons because of his age.Why does Marcus Spears' surname sound so familiar?His dad, Marcus Spears Sr., is a former defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys and a ubiquitous presence on ESPN's various NFL shows. And Spears' older sister, Cari Spears, stars for the Texas volleyball team. She's also his roommate, which probably helps keep the freshman in line.How will Texas replace Dailyn Swain?Dailyn Swain, the Longhorns' best player a year ago, now plays for the Chicago Bulls after going with the 15th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He led Texas in scoring and rebounding while often playing out of position at power forward. Elyjah Freeman arrives from Auburn with a similar build at a lengthy 6 feet, 8 inches and will likely get most of the minutes on the wing. He did average 13.6 points and 6.8 rebounds a game in two seasons for the Tigers, but don't expect him to carry the scoring load Swain bore last season because this year's Texas team boasts more weapons. Texas guard Isaiah Johnson (2) eyes the defender during a drill at Texas Basketball's final summer practice of the season in the Moody Center, Aug. 4, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman) Who will lead Texas in scoring?New guard Isaiah Johnson looks like a good candidate if it isn't Vokietaitis. The 6-2 sophomore led Colorado in scoring a year ago at 16.9 points a game, and he's a three-level scorer who shot 48.6% from the floor, made almost two 3-pointers a game last season and averaged 6.1 free throws per contest.Does Texas need Isaiah Johnson to run the point?Not all the time. McDonald's All-American freshman Austin Goosby, the younger brother of star Texas offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, has shown the ability to play point guard in the preseason. Miller says he plans to use both at the point, both can bring the ball upcourt, and both can initiate the offense.Guards are so important. Does Texas have backcourt depth?Without a doubt, especially when Saint Mary's transfer Mikey Lewis returns from foot surgery sometime in December. Lewis, a junior, averaged 11.0 points a game in two seasons with the Gaels and made 126 3-pointers on 37.1% shooting from the arc. Texas also signed Tennessee's Amari Evans, a physical guard with great size at 6-foot-5 who takes great delight in his reputation as a defensive dog.Didn't Texas sign a big-time freshman guard from a local school, too?That would be Bo Ogden, the son of Texas general manager Chris Ogden and a former local prep star at St. Michael's and Westlake. The 6-foot-6 Ogden earned the American-Statesman's high school player of the year award last season and provides good size, solid outside shooting and underrated athleticism. Oh, and speaking of freshmen, don't forget about Joe Sterling. He needs to work on his defense but may boast the best outside touch on the team. Texas guard Bo Ogden (5) drives to the hoop during Texas Basketball's final summer practice of the season in the Moody Center, Aug. 4, 2026. (Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman) How is this team better than last year's, which had a lot of veterans?For starters, this year's squad has much more length at every position. Punch and Spears are true power forwards, which Texas didn't have last season. And the additions of Goosby, Evans and Ogden provide size on the perimeter. In particular, Punch and Evans take pride in their identities as defensive stoppers. Texas ranked 13th in the 16-team SEC in opponent's field-goal percentage a year ago at 44.8%, and it was second to last in opponent's free-throw attempts with 835. Lowering those numbers has been a top offseason priority for Miller.Can these Longhorns shoot better from the outside?Texas wasn't bad from the arc a year ago: a 3-point percentage of 35.5%, which ranked fifth in the SEC. But the Longhorns didn't shoot many; their 750 attempts ranked just 13th in the conference. Expect the 3-point shot to become more of a weapon for Texas, especially when Lewis returns to the court. Vokietaitis and Punch will demand their share of double teams, which should make for lots of good looks.Is Texas a contender in a brutal SEC?Sure, but top-ranked Florida looks tough to topple. The Gators boast the league's preseason player of the year in forward Thomas Haugh as well as two other first- or second-team All-SEC players in post Rueben Chinyelu and forward Alex Condon. They can pummel teams on the glass, which is one reason Texas paid Punch an estimated $4 million to leave TCU to provide help for Vokietaitis. Hall of Fame coaches at Tennessee (Rick Barnes) and Arkansas (John Calipari) will keep their respective programs in contention, and blue-blood Kentucky and new-blood Alabama also look stout.How far will Texas go in the NCAA Tournament?Miller admits that the madness of March measures success in college basketball, and anything less that a repeat run to the Sweet 16 would be disappointing. But the Longhorns seem set up for success beyond this season, too; Spears is the only player that would project as an instant first-round NBA pick, and he has to wait two years to enter the draft because of his age. Vokietaitis and Goosby may play their way into first-round contention this season, but this team could have lots of familiar faces a year from now.Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at What to know about Texas basketball as revamped Longhorns roster open 2026-27 season.