Texas has long been a university with a global reputation.
TEXAS VS. NO. 6 DUKE
When/where: 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C.
TV/radio: ESPN
There are nearly 2,000 international undergraduate students enrolled at the school and more than 4,600 international graduate students representing 130 countries, according to a 2024 article from the Daily Texan, the student newspaper. That international flair also extends into the school’s athletic department, which has long included recent Olympians in swimmer Hubert Kós of Hungary, German decathlete Leo Neugebauer and Saint Lucia sprinter Julien Alfred.
Article continues below this ad
Until the offseason arrival of new head coach Sean Miller, however, that trend never included the Texas men’s basketball program. But Miller understands the global reach of his game and knows recruiting overseas can help his program contend for a national championship. It especially helped his teams in 12 years at Arizona, where he lured multiple international players, including Lauri Markkanen, a Finnish forward currently averaging more than 30 points in the NBA.
Texas forward Declan Duru Jr. (4) smiles during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
“They came to the University of Arizona and they became terrific players and had great experiences,” Miller said. “It was fun to coach them. And I think the University of Texas and the city of Austin is a great opportunity for international students and players that want to reach their goals and dreams. You’re no longer just recruiting nationally; it’s recruiting the world. And we want to do that.”
That philosophy has already impacted the Texas roster. Miller brought in four overseas players to his first UT squad: senior forward Lassina Traore of the Ivory Coast, Lithuanian sophomore post Matas Vokietaitis, German freshman forward Declan Duru Jr. and English freshman post Lewis Obiorah.
Article continues below this ad
It’s the first time the Texas men’s basketball team has ever featured four overseas players, and that number almost matches the smattering of international players who have ever suited up for the Longhorns.
Excluding a handful of Canadians and players from the Caribbean, few foreign players have ever made a big impact for Texas. But could one of the four international players on this year’s roster become the next Dogus Balbay, a 6-foot-1 Turk who played for Texas during the Rick Barnes era and became a defensive stalwart on a trio of NCAA Tournament teams?
Texas forward Lassina Traore (23) smiles during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
Texas roster ‘a good blend’ of both America, international style
Watch any NBA all-star game or any NBA Finals series to get a glimpse of the impact on the game from international players. An American hasn’t won the league’s MVP award since James Harden in 2018. Over the past six years, a player not born in the U.S. has captured 19 of the 30 possible first-team All-NBA selections.
Article continues below this ad
That’s no coincidence considering basketball has evolved away from a physical war of attrition in the paint to a free-flowing contest on the perimeter, Miller said.
“I think international players, for the most part, grow up differently,” Miller said. “Player development and skill development, that’s at the forefront of their training rather than tournament play and getting on teams and playing games.”
Games may start at a later age for players overseas, but they also mimic contests at the professional level. Youth games in Europe, Africa and other parts of the world follow rules applied by the Fédération Internationale de Basketball, which is the French name for the International Basketball Federation that governs international play. Youth players grow up with a 24-second shot clock, a 14-second reset shot clock and a wider lane that discourages hand-to-hand combat on the blocks.
Miller saw that in person when he coached the U.S. national team to a gold medal at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
Article continues below this ad
“In some ways, (overseas players) have learned how to play the modern game at an earlier age,” Miller said. “Ball movement, player movement, fast execution; if you watch FIBA and you watch these tournaments, you see just kind of inherently how they play. Not everyone, but a lot of them have a higher level of skill and sometimes maybe even a higher level of understanding of how to play the game.”
Miller has also crafted a coaching staff with international experience. David Miller (no relation to the head coach) recruited players such as Azuolas Tubelis of Lithuania and Kerr Kriisa of Estonia for Sean Miller to Arizona, and Adam Cohen has conducted basketball camps on multiple continents. Ryan Anderson played for Miller at Arizona before spending four years in Europe playing in Belgium, Germany, Lithuania and Ukraine.
“The international game is obviously growing at such a fast rate that players are developing really, really fast now,” Cohen said. “Whether you’re 6-6, 6-8, 6-10, they all can handle the ball. They all are taught at a young age to shoot and make decisions. So, it’s very different than the States. From our point of view, there are a lot of concepts that are European in style, dribble-pass-shoot guys, guys who can make decisions off the ball. We’re always recruiting guys who fit that kind of style.”
Anderson competed against the Europeans in multiple leagues and agrees with his fellow assistant.
Article continues below this ad
“Those guys can bring a different flavor to our program that maybe people haven’t seen as much in Moody Center the last couple years,” he said. “And I’m not saying they’re better or worse than some of our Americans, but they just play differently. And a good blend of both styles, I think, will allow our team to have the best opportunity to win.”
Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
College game is a quick path to NBA, say players
But the Texas overseas players understand that the U.S. remains the top destination for young players with NBA aspirations. The European leagues provide solid paychecks and stiff opposition; NBA stars such as Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo came straight from Europe to the NBA without playing college basketball.
Article continues below this ad
But the college game remains the best training ground for the next level, said Vokietaitis, a 7-footer who arrived in the U.S. in 2024 and played one year at Florida Atlantic before joining Texas.
“I mean, it’s the United States of America,” Vokietaitis said. “The NBA is here, and college basketball, I think, is the closest thing for young players to the NBA.”
Like Duru and Obiorah, Vokietaitis has opportunities to play professionally in Europe. His native Lithuania served as a hoops pioneer of sorts a generation ago, when stars such as Arvydas Sabonis and Sarunas Marciulionis were part of the first wave of Europeans to bypass college and come straight to the NBA.
But colleges can now come close to matching the pay from some European leagues, which helps a young player.
Article continues below this ad
“It was actually a hard decision that I had to think a lot about,” Vokietaitis said. “Last season before coming to the U.S., I had a very good season, and the family (had) been discussing a lot about that. I know I just wanted to try something new and see how everybody here is playing.”
Collegiate athletes are now allowed to get paid and that factors into the decision, Vokietaitis said. But the value of the paycheck pales in comparison to the on-the-job training he gets in the college game, especially with his new school in the SEC.
“I’m not really concentrating only about money,” he said. “I’m concentrating on improving every single day, getting to know more new things, improving as a player and showing everything that I’m doing every day.”
Both Traore and Duru grew up avid soccer players in the Ivory Coast and Germany, respectively.
Article continues below this ad
“But I got too big,” said Traore with a deep laugh. “Everybody back home, my friends and family, are telling me to play basketball since I got tall and because we see more African players in the league and in the college level, too. Playing basketball (in the U.S.) will inspire the youth back home and help the younger generation to really start getting more into the sport.”
So, will basketball ever become as popular as soccer in Africa?
“Not quite,” said Traore, who followed Miller from Xavier. “But it’s getting really big.”
Obiorah, a raw 7-footer, will likely redshirt this season while he continues to develop his game. But both the Vokietaitis and 6-8 Traore will get plenty of minutes inside, since both already have experience at the collegiate level. The 6-8 Duru also could factor into the rotation after competing at the professional level in Braunschweig, Germany, and for Real Madrid’s famed youth academy in Spain.
Article continues below this ad
Building the international players into potential NBA prospects will help build the Longhorns into an SEC contender, said Anderson, the UT assistant who played overseas.
“Our job here, as we bring in some of these young international players, is to continue to develop their body, get them stronger, get them more physical and get them more prepared for the SEC,” Anderson said. “All of us understand the SEC is the highest (collegiate) level here in America, and it’s the best way to prepare you to be in the NBA. These guys are coming over here not just to play mid-major competition. They’re coming to play the best of the best. And their goals are to reach the NBA, like all of our American players. So, we’re just trying to get them to that spot.”