When Texas men’s basketball hits the floor for the 2026-27 season, it will be in its second year under head coach Sean Miller, with a roster full of new faces — 11, to be exact.

The Longhorns will have four returning players from the 2025-26 team that was one possession away from the Elite Eight. Following the end of that season, Miller had plenty of work to do in his second offseason to reconstruct his team. 

While no official games have been played, Miller feels confident that he made the correct offseason decisions. At the Southeastern Conference Media Day on Wednesday, he complimented the character of his new team.

“We really have an amazing group of kids,” Miller said. “I’m talking about guys that really love the game; don’t talk about it, but show it.”

Miller used both the transfer portal and the high school ranks to bring in the new players, with five players coming from different programs and the other six players beginning their college basketball careers at Texas.

Miller wasn’t shy about why he added the players that he did for the upcoming season and what goal he was building toward.

“March, we can accept it as coaches in college basketball or try to fight it, but March Madness is what it’s all about,” Miller said. “It’s very difficult to be a part of March Madness. I don’t think anybody can truly understate the importance of being in it.”

Now, with the collection of talent in Austin, Miller has another task on his hands: getting all the talent to buy into the Texas program.

Miller’s newly-assembled team has not dug its head in the sand on that point, as the Longhorns continue to work toward becoming a team, not just individuals, heading into the season.

“We’re still gelling,” junior guard Mikey Lewis said. “But we’ve come a long way since our first day. So, we’re hoping, like Coach Miller says, to have a good product out there ready to go on night one.”

Buying into the program has not been much of a struggle, as the players have led the effort to grow stronger as a team.

“We just met (at the) beginning of the summer,” junior forward Elyjah Freeman said. “Being around each other (in) the weight room, and going through as hard of the workouts as we go through in the weight room and on the court, … brings us closer together. So when the season comes around, we’re able to play with each other against everybody else.”

The new version of the Longhorns won’t be hitting the court until an exhibition game against St. John’s on Oct. 25.

With the season still being a few weeks away, Miller will rely on his team’s personal ideals, not just for the start of the season but through its entirety.

“They have all come to Texas to win and be a part of something bigger than just their own goals,” Miller said. “You feel it when you’re around them; it’s in the energy that you can’t fake, and I think more than any other component, I think that’s what we’re going to call on all season long as we move forward.”