Texas Longhorns guard Simeon Wilcher (7) dribbles the ball towards the Mississippi State basket during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) takes the court ahead of the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller talks to his players ahead of the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller greets Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans ahead of the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) shoots the ball during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) dunks the ball during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver (2) shoots the ball past Mississippi State center Quincy Ballard (15) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver (2) shoots the ball past Mississippi State center Quincy Ballard (15) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) is blocked by Mississippi State forward Sergej Macura (11) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) is blocked from shooting during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver (2) dribbles the bal during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Mississippi State head coach Chris Jans yells intructions from the sideline during the game against the Texas Longhorns at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Simeon Wilcher (7) celebrates a drawn foul by guard Dailyn Swain (3) during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) shoots the ball during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) looks for an open team mate for a pass during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) shoots the ball over Mississippi State forward Achor Achor (99) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) collides with Mississippi State forward Achor Achor (99) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) is fouled by Mississippi State forward Jamarion Davis-Fleming (0) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) shoots the ball past Mississippi State forward Jamarion Davis-Fleming (0) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) is blocked by Mississippi State forward Jamarion Davis-Fleming (0) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) is guarded by Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard (12) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) pushes past Mississippi State guardJa’Borri McGhee (2) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
An official argues with Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) pushes past Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard (12) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver (2) loses control of the ball during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) shoots the ball over Mississippi State guard Shawn Jones Jr. (5) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller directs his team from the sieline during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) collides with Mississippi State guard Shawn Jones Jr. (5) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard jordan Pop (0) leaves the court after fouling out during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark (12) guards Mississippi State guard Josh Hubbard (12) during the game at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) dunks the ball during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guards Jordan Pope (0) and Dailyn Swain (3) celebrate a score during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis () reacts to a foul call during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns guards Dailyn Swain (3) and Simeon Wilcher (7) leave the court after the loss to Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller leaves the court after the loss to Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
No Texas basketball player understands head coach Sean Miller better than Dailyn Swain, a junior who has known Miller since his prep days as an overlooked recruit in Columbus, Ohio.
Swain played two seasons for Miller at Xavier before following the coach to Texas in the offseason. So, when Miller assails his squad’s lack of effort, energy and execution like he did following two losses to open SEC play, Swain understands the reason. And he also appreciates the results, like a 92-88 win Saturday over then No. 13 Alabama that may have changed the season’s narrative surrounding the Longhorns (10-6, 1-2 SEC).
Article continues below this ad
“I definitely would say I’ve seen him that mad before,” Swain said. “We had a pretty rough start to my freshman year and my sophomore year (at Xavier)”
MORE:Why Texas basketball needs a gut-check just a week into SEC play | Golden
But what does Miller mean when he compares his team to, say, a child that gets hit by a bus while disregarding warnings about playing in the street?
“The message that he’s trying to get across is just that there’s a standard in place on his teams, and it’s just to be competitive, even if it doesn’t result in winning every game, which obviously won’t happen,” Swain said. “But we have to have a competitive environment every day in practice, and it should translate to the games. He’s just trying to hold everyone to that standard.”
Article continues below this ad
Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) is fouled during the game against Mississippi State at the Moody Center on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Texas certainly played a different standard against the Tide. The Longhorns held one of the nation’s most potent offenses to 44% shooting from the floor, they outrebounded the Tide 48-38 and they got 28 points from Jordan Pope to pace a balanced attack that had six players score at least seven points.
TEXAS VS. NO. 10 VANDERBILT
When/where: 8 p.m. Wednesday at Moody Center
TV/radio: ESPN2; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM.
Now, Swain said, Texas just has to do it again Wednesday against unbeaten Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0) at Moody Center.
Article continues below this ad
“It’s a pretty good win (vs. Alabama),” he said. “It was kind of a testament to the hard work that we put in in practice after coach Miller challenged us, but we’re focused on trying to get another one. It was a good feeling, but we’re kind of past that now. We’re just working on getting the next big one.”
MORE: Texas basketball: How Sean Miller plans to tweak next year’s nonconference schedule
Miller said the victory at Alabama did more than give Texas a second Quad One victory, which vaulted the Longhorns from No. 73 to No. 51 in the latest NET rankings from the NCAA, a key metric used in March to determine the NCAA Tournament field. It also gave the Longhorns an idea of what it takes to beat No. 10 Vanderbilt and the other conference contenders.
“I’m just really proud of our team that we were able to come in (to Alabama) and leave with the win,” Miller said. “I think it gives us a real shot of confidence and an understanding of how hard you have to compete to have a chance to win in the SEC.”
Article continues below this ad
And if that means Miller must again question the heart of some Texas players, so be it, Swain said.
“He’s not just expecting you to do something that’s impossible,” Swain said. “If you’re not playing up to par or buying in completely to what he wants, then obviously he challenges you. That’s what great coaches do.”
Texas (10-6, 1-2 SEC) vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0): How to watch
Article continues below this ad
Where: Moody Center in Austin
TV/radio: ESPN2; 1300 AM, 98.1 FM