When Chris Del Conte plucked Texas basketball coach Sean Miller from Xavier in the offseason to replace the fired Rodney Terry, the Longhorns’ athletic director said he expects the program to contend for national championships.
But Del Conte also wants a steady hand to guide the program through some rough SEC waters. Since he arrived on the Texas campus in 2017, Del Conte has fired two men’s basketball coaches — Terry in 2025 and Chris Beard in 2023 — and reached a mutual separation with Shaka Smart in 2021.
Can Miller provide the stability as well as the wins that have eluded Texas since former coach Rick Barnes left in 2015? Miller, 56, certainly seems equipped to sustain success at Texas considering his track record, which includes a 487-196 record as a head coach spread across 20 years at Arizona and Xavier.
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However, Miller has to jump into the deep end of the current pool of talent in the NCAA. Last season, the SEC sent a record 14 schools to the NCAA Tournament. That included Texas, which went 19-16 and just 6-12 in conference play but earned a spot in the First Four, where the Longhorns fell to Miller’s Xavier team. Squads from the SEC won 88.9% of their nonconference games, and seven of them reached the Sweet 16. Florida won the national championship.
Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Jordan Pope (0) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Lassina Traore (23) smiles during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Declan Duru Jr. (4) takes a break during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas Head Coach Sean Miller during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Jordan Pope (0) laughs with guard Simeon Wilcher (7) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Basketball during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Nic Codie (10) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Tramon Mark (12) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward John Clark (9) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward John Clark (9) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Simeon Wilcher (7) shoots the ball during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Dailyn Swain (3) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Tramon Mark (12) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Nic Codie (10) defends during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Chendall Weaver (2) makes a pass during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Camden Heide (5) drives while doing a drill during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Simeon Wilcher (7) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas Head Coach Sean Miller during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Brandon Taylor (44) dribbles during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) dribbles during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Anthon McDermott (33) dribbles during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8) warms up during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Lassina Traore (23) warms up during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Tramon Mark (12) warms up during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Camden Heide (5) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas forward Declan Duru Jr. (4) smiles during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Jordan Pope (0) shoots during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Jordan Pope (0) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Texas guard Simeon Wilcher (7) laughs during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Miller reloaded the Texas roster in the portal and on the recruiting trails, bringing in nine new players to his 15-player roster. He says the squad has enough talent, size and experience to become a contender in the SEC, and he welcomes the challenge.
“When you have the opportunity to join the SEC, you know you’re going against the best players, teams, programs, investment, the coaches,” Miller said. “You have to certainly be excited about the challenge. To me, that’s what I think of when I think about becoming the coach here and participating in the SEC.”
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Here are 15 questions for the 15-player roster entering Miller’s first season at Texas, which tips off Tuesday against No. 6 Duke:
What’s the biggest loss from last season?
No disrespect intended for former Texas players Arthur Kaluma and Kaden Shedrick, two hard-working forwards from last year’s squad. But 6-foot-5 guard Tre Johnson will be the only player from the 2024-25 team that’s tough to replace. Now playing for the Washington Wizards, Johnson led the SEC in scoring as a freshman, averaging 19.9 points.
Who returns for Texas from a year ago?
Four scholarship players: senior starting guards Tramon Mark (10.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg) and Jordan Pope (11 ppg, 1.9 apg), senior reserve guard Chendall Weaver (6.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and sophomore reserve forward Nic Codie (1.7 ppg, .9 rpg).
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Texas guard Chendall Weaver (2) catches a pass during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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Does any returner look primed for a breakout season?
Mark and Poole will be expected to score more with Johnson gone, and Weaver has worked hard on his outside shot. But look for a big jump from Codie; the 6-foot-8 forward has put on almost 20 pounds of muscle and has wowed coaches during the preseason.
What transfers joined Texas?
Junior wing Dailyn Swain and senior forward Lassina Traore followed Miller from Xavier, junior guard Simeon Wilcher arrives after starting for Big East power St. John’s, junior forward Camden Heide comes from a strong program at Purdue, and sophomore big man Matas Vokietaitis comes from Lithuania via Florida Atlantic, where he earned AAC freshman of the year honors.
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Which transfer will have the most impact?
All will likely play regular roles in the rotation, but Swain has star power. The 6-foot-8 wing has the frame and game that makes him Texas’ top NBA prospect; he played in all 34 games with 33 starts for Xavier last season and led the team with 53 steals, ranked second in rebounding (5.5) and assists (2.6), third in scoring (11) and fourth in minutes (28.5). If he can develop a 3-point shot after making just seven of 28 attempts a year ago, Swain will likely draw all-conference consideration.
Texas center Matas Vokietaitis (8), guard Dailyn Swain (3) , and guard Simeon Wilcher (7) take a break between drills during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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How many freshmen did Sean Miller sign?
Miller retained Terry recruit John Clark, a bruising four-star power forward from the Houston suburb of Klein. He also signed a pair of promising Europeans in English 7-footer Lewis Obiorah and 6-8 German forward Declan Duru Jr.
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Will any freshmen have an immediate impact?
Duru seems the most likely, since he brings some impressive experience in addition to good size and athleticism. He helped Germany capture the silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup this summer and has spent the past five years in the developmental system of Real Madrid, arguably the top club in Europe.
What will the rotation look like early on?
Miller will likely experiment with his new roster through the first couple of months of the season, but look for a starting lineup with a backcourt of Mark, Pope and Wilcher teaming with Swain on the wing and Vokietaitis in the paint. Traore seems fully recovered from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of last season; he’ll team with Vokietaitis for a one-two punch in the paint. Weaver will again bring the juice off the bench as a disruptive defender and Heide could be Texas’ best 3-point shooter and its top bench scorer. Codie will also get his share of minutes and Duru could be the wild card in the rotation depending on how he adapts to the college game.
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Can anyone replace the scoring of Tre Johnson?
It’s doubtful anyone on this balanced roster will approach an average of 20 points a game, but Miller would be more than pleased if both Mark and Pope can get near 15. Scoring points will be a group effort from a team that didn’t have a single player named to one of the three preseason All-SEC teams.
Which player will get the ball in his hands with the game on the line?
Mark, a sixth-year senior who spent three years at Houston and one at Arkansas, seems like the top choice. He’s averaged double-figures in points in four of his five seasons and put up 16.2 a game for Arkansas in 2023-24. Mark also will play some point guard and knows how to make the right decision with the ball.
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Texas forward Lassina Traore (23) chats with guard Tramon Mark (12) during a Texas Basketball practice at the facility, Oct. 30, 2025.
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What’s the strength of this team?
College remains a guard’s game, even with more quality big men staying longer in the NCAA. And Texas has plenty of veteran guards with a diverse set of skills. Weaver and Wilcher are two of the better defensive guards in the nation; Pope has the capability of exploding for 40 points like he did against New Orleans last season; and Mark could be one of the SEC’s top two-way guards. Together, that quartet has combined for 385 games played and 256 starts. That kind of experience and production is rare.
Does that mean a faster tempo?
In a word, yes. Miller says he will play fast, especially with his four veteran guards and a rotation that looks at least nine-deep. The big men better keep up.
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Can Texas rebound better than last season?
It better if it wants to hold up against the array of big bodies in the SEC and improve on last season, when the Longhorns ranked 11th in the 16-team conference in rebounding differential. Only three of the top 10 rebounders in the league return from last season, and Florida’s Alex Condon is the only forward that earned all-conference honors. But it’s still a physical league, and Vokietaitis, Traore, Swain and Heide will have to hold up in the paint, especially on defense.
What’s the biggest concern for the Longhorns?
Miller has constructed a roster with more depth and better positional size, but outside shooting remains a concern. Long-distance shooting has never been part of their respective games for Mark (32.7% career), Wilcher (31.9%) and Weaver (35.7%), and Poole is more a volume shooter who’s made 37.1% of his 506 career attempts from long distance. If Heide can handle more minutes, he could emerge as Texas’ top outside weapon; he’s shooting 41.2% from 3-point range in his career, but has just 119 attempts in 15.9 minutes a game spread over two seasons at Purdue.
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Where will Texas finish in the SEC, and will it make the NCAA Tournament?
Based on a depletion of talent, it’s hard to imagine the SEC replicating last season’s success. But the conference will still likely send nine or 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament, and the Longhorns should do enough to be in that group.