At a Texas women’s basketball practice last month, head coach Vic Schaefer instructed senior point guard Rori Harmon to “take McGill.” Harmon met up with a player wearing a No. 23 jersey at midcourt, deflected a forced pass and then snagged the steal.
Two days later, Harmon persistently pestered Liv McGill during a nine-turnover game for the Florida guard. As they say, practice makes perfect.
Article continues below this ad
Brett Haden, a men’s practice squad player, drives toward the basket as Bryanna Preston defends during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Now, Harmon didn’t face Liv McGill twice that week. The Liv McGill that Harmon faced in UT’s 88-68 win at Florida on Jan. 29 was the SEC’s second-leading scorer. The “Liv McGill” that Harmon faced in that Tuesday’s practice was actually Jake Tolfa, a graduate student at Texas who is studying strategic communications.
More: Are the Longhorns averaging fewer fouls because of a new rule?
Tolfa is one member of a men’s practice team that helps prepare the UT women for their games. On Thursday, No. 4 Texas (23-2, 8-2) will travel to Nashville to visit No. 5 Vanderbilt (23-2, 9-2).
Article continues below this ad
“Their impact on our program is far-reaching and everlasting,” Schaefer said. “We certainly wouldn’t be where we are or who we are without them.”
Jake Tolfa, a men’s practice squad player, goes up for a shot against Grace Prenter during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
What do these men get out of being practice players?
Graham Kiemsteadt, a men’s practice squad player, goes up for a shot against Teya Sidberry, left, and Grace Prenter during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. men’s practice squad player goes up for a shot against Teya Sidberry, left, and Grace Prenter during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Samuel Wren, a men’s practice squad player, at a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Brett Haden, a men’s practice squad player, at a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Brett Haden, a men’s practice squad player, drives toward the basket as Jordan Lee defends during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Brett Haden, a men’s practice squad player, drives toward the basket as Bryanna Preston defends during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Men’s practice squad player Jake Tolfa plays against Bryanna Preston during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Jake Tolfa, a men’s practice squad player, drives to the basket against Breya Cunnigham during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Brett Haden, a men’s practice squad player, plays against Jordan Lee during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
The concept of a women’s basketball team practicing against men is nothing new. According to The Athletic, famed Tennessee coach Pat Summitt started bringing men into her practices back in the 1970s. When a proposal to ban the opposite sex from practicing with women’s sports teams was debated in 2007, then-Texas coach Jody Conradt told The Oklahoman that having men’s practice players “helped us get to where we are today. Even when I was in high school, if you really wanted to challenge yourself, you played against guys.”
Article continues below this ad
In Schaefer’s mind, having men’s practice players helps his Longhorns preserve their energy during practices. Texas associate head coach Elena Lovato noted that “we do have a lot of talent. We could play five-on-five, girls versus girls, but it’s just another level when you put the five guys on the floor. The speed, the pace, the physicality, they make us a lot better.”
More: Subscribe to the Statesman’s Texas sports newsletter
At Texas, three of this season’s men’s practice players also serve as graduate assistants so there they are earning scholarships this school year. The student managers on the practice team make a little bit of money. However, some of the practice players are participating on a volunteer basis.
“We haven’t even been giving them shoes or gear this year,” Lovato said. “We’re pretty tough on them, and they don’t get a whole lot. It’s all about service at this point. They’re selfless, and they have servant hearts.”
Article continues below this ad
So what’s in it for these men being practice players? Samuel Wren said it wasn’t hard to accept an offer to play basketball every day. Brett Haden, who has been a practice player for six years, eventually wants to coach and feels that being around Schaefer and his assistants was a “really good opportunity.”
The practice players will get rings if Texas wins a championship. The men also play on an intramural team together so UT practices also serve as their own practices, and they won a campus championship this past December that matches an intramural title won by a team featuring several of the program’s female managers.
“They practice so much out here, I would hope they have great chemistry in their tournaments too,” junior forward Madison Booker said.
Article continues below this ad
Samuel Wren, a men’s practice squad player, plays against Ashton Judd, left, and Breya Cunnigham during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
For practice players, the job entails mimicking opponents and swallowing pride
The members of the men’s practice team have varying basketball backgrounds. For example, Wren was once an all-district basketball player at Decatur who worked last year as a practice player for the Texas men’s basketball program. Lovato noted that junior Michael Davis has “gotten so much better (over his two years). He can play multiple positions now.”
The practice team self-recruits and currently boasts around 10 players. The practice players study highlights and scouting reports compiled by the Texas assistant coaches, and they learn up to 15 offensive sets each day. During workouts, Lovato said that men “take pride in who they are” and try to imitate the players the Longhorns will face.Â
Article continues below this ad
“I especially try really hard to be the player that we’re about to play,” the 6-foot-8 Wren said. “At practice (on Jan. 27), I was shooting threes and fadeaways because (6-4 forward Me’Arah O’Neal and Florida), that’s what they’ll do. Then we’re playing (Oklahoma’s All-American center) Raegan Beers, and she’s not doing all that. She’s more back to the basket, physical post player. So it’s kind of weird getting to be a different player twice a week.”
More: Longhorns believe freshman Aaliyah Crump has the ‘it’ factor
For the most part, the men get it. There is no need to dunk since Texas won’t face that type of offensive threat during an actual game. Sometimes an understudy may be sidelined by a scouting report.
The job is to give the Longhorns a good look in practice. And if anyone wants to show up early or stay late to rebound for the team’s shooters, that would be appreciated as well.
Article continues below this ad
“I think the longer they’re with us, they really do understand the assignment and it’s not about them,” Lovato said. “We get some eager beavers out here sometimes early in the semester, like when they’re trying out, they want to show how good they are. But the ones that stick and stay, they truly understand the assignment.”
Men’s practice squad players Jake Tolfa, left, and Samuel Wren play against Bryanna Preston, left, and Kyla Oldacre during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
Texas practices involve physicality, trash talk
What kind of dynamic comes from having the Texas women practice against men? Are these practices competitive? Yes. Are these practices physical? Yes. Is there a lot of trash talk? Again, yes.
Article continues below this ad
At the aforementioned pre-Florida practice, Booker sarcastically chided a member of the practice team while senior guard Ashton Judd was being tended to following an on-court collision. Wren acknowledges there are times when he has to put it in “third gear” since there aren’t too many women with his 240-pound frame. The women, though, are just as rough. The practice players have war wounds of their own, and the team has joked with Haden about what his wife thinks of the scratches he comes home from.
Golden: An off night for Texas, but rising forward Justice Carlton saved No. 4 Longhorns
In terms of trash talk, Haden and Wren said to be wary of sophomore forward Justice Carlton, who “makes a point to try and make us mad.” Senior guard Sarah Graves talks a lot, but her chatter is mostly harmless. Booker, the two-time All-American, has been known to pick-and-choose who she goes after vocally.
“That is, in fact, true. I can name them out, Graham (Kiemsteadt) and Mason (Wright),” Booker said. “Those two right there. Every day, they’re going to hear me. If I get a shot up, they’re going to hear me every time. If they try to get a shot up on me, every time, they’re going to hear it. It’s a brick, they’re going to hear it every time.”
Article continues below this ad
Brett Haden, a men’s practice squad player, goes up for a shot against Rori Harmon during a Texas women’s basketball practice at the Moody Center on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman
These practices aren’t just about bruises and barbs, though. Harmon serves as a testament to that. The 5-6 Harmon has often practiced against the 5-9 Haden over the course of her five years with the Longhorns, and she recently credited her sparring partner with helping her develop into UT’s all-time leader in steals.
“Going against Brett, I literally tell him like you are the reason why I think my defensive technique and everything is as good as it is,” Harmon said. “You don’t know what he’s going to do. Like you can’t time anything. You can’t pick up like tendencies, you can’t do any of that. You truly have to play straight up as if you’re playing a different player every day.”
Article continues below this ad
Harmon recalled that when she first got to campus, she would get “blown past” by Haden in practices. Harmon has caught up with Haden although she conceded that he still gets the best of her from time to time. Haden said he had a reliable spin move that Harmon figured out and can easily draw offensive fouls on now.
“She knows every move in my book. I know every move in hers. It’s just a matter of who’s going to change it up,” Haden said.