Closed preseason scrimmages in college basketball are often treated like state secrets. Details slip out, but coaches try their hardest to conceal the full picture.

New Texas basketball coach Sean Miller is no different as his team closes in on its season opener Tuesday against No. 6 Duke in Charlotte, N.C. However, he did reveal that the Longhorns scrimmaged against both TCU and SMU without injured posts Lassina Traore and Matas Vokietaitis. That partially explains why Texas struggled some in a reported win over SMU and a 91-72 loss to TCU, Miller said.

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“When you have two players, especially when they both play the same position, out for this extended period, that has not helped our progress offensively, and unfortunately, that’s where we’re at,” Miller said Thursday during a Zoom meeting with the media. “The good news is everybody else is learning and growing.”

Fortunately for Texas, Miller says both Traore and Vokietaitis should be ready for the opener against the Blue Devils. He didn’t reveal how the Longhorns will use the 6-foot-9 Traore and the 7-foot Vokietaitis, but the two are expected to handle the bulk of the minutes at the center spot.

“I think we’re going to have both guys back, and hopefully, they can have a great stretch of health,” he said. “But (their absence) hasn’t helped what we’re trying to build and what we’re trying to grow. Time is not on our side when it comes to that.”

MORE: Sean Miller, Texas basketball eager to take their place with other top Longhorns programs

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Transfer big men Lassina Traore, Matas Vokietaitis back at practice

Miller said Vokietaitis “not only returned to practice, but (is) doing really well” after spraining an ankle a few weeks ago. Vokietaitis, a native of Lithuania, transferred in the offseason from Florida Atlantic, where he earned the AAC’s freshman of the year award after averaging 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in just 17.7 minutes per contest.

Traore, a graduate student in his fifth collegiate season who transferred to Texas from Xavier, sprained his foot earlier this month but has recently returned to practice in limited capacity. The Ivory Coast native suffered a season-ending knee injury a year ago and never suited up for the Musketeers, which means Miller and his staff are taking extra caution even though the coach expects him to play against Duke.

“(Traore) is a little bit more complicated, simply because a year ago he missed the season with an ACL on his other leg.” Miller said. “So, we’re just making sure that we don’t put him in a bad position. Selfishly, as a coach, you want your entire roster to be able to practice every day. Those two guys missing the time that they’ve missed has really hurt everybody.”

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Freshman John Clark draws praise

But with injuries come opportunities. Miller said freshman John Clark and sophomore Nic Codie handled the bulk of the minutes inside against SMU and TCU. In particular, Miller said Clark benefitted from the extra work since the 6-9 forward from Houston missed most of his senior season in high school with an injury.

“John Clark is one of the most coachable freshmen that I’ve had the pleasure of coaching,” Miller said. “He basically looks you in the eye and just tries to do what you ask of him. The one negative on John, it’s just his circumstances. It’s never in the player’s best interest to miss an extended period of time, especially when they’re young.

“I think John missing that time, we were able to this spring and summer get his strength and conditioning moving in a good way. I think he’s learning and improving as much as anybody. He made huge gains over the summer, and I would just say this to you: His best days are ahead of him.”

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But did Clark show enough to Miller and the staff that the program would consider burning a redshirt and using him in the rotation?

“I think that his role this year, we’re working together to figure it out,” Miller said. “But when you see him down the road, you’re going to see a really terrific player. And I really believe this: He can be a great player for us here at Texas. There’s going to be this developmental curve that he has to get through. But because of his great attitude, I’m very confident that he’ll get through that part.”