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Sean Miller hugs Hook ‘Em as he is announced The University of Texas’ new men’s basketball coach Tuesday, March 25, 2025.<\/p>\n
Mikala Compton\/American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Texas basketball<\/a> coach Sean Miller<\/a> has been on campus for more than four months already, but he\u2019s yet to work with his full squad.<\/p>\n That will soon change, Miller said Tuesday.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n During an almost hour-long chat with select members of the media inside a luxury suite at Royal-Memorial Stadium, Miller revealed that returning guard Tramon Mark<\/a> and transfer forward Lassina Traore<\/a> are close to returning after each underwent surgery within the past year.<\/p>\n Mark, a graduate guard who transferred to Texas from Arkansas last summer, had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder in the offseason and \u201cis about four weeks away from being cleared for contact,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\n MORE: New coach Sean Miller expects ‘perennial great program’ with Longhorns<\/a><\/p>\n Mark battled through the injury in the second half of last season. He played lots of point guard on a team that went 19-16 and lost to Miller\u2019s Xavier squad in a First Four game. He drew praise from Miller, who said retaining Mark for his sixth and final season was one of his top priorities after\u00a0taking over for Rodney Terry<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys would have watched him navigate this past year, where sometimes (the shoulder) would go out or flare up on him,\u201d Miller said. \u201cGood news is he got that corrected in the spring. He’s fine. You watch him, he can shoot. He could do everything, other than take the chance here, prematurely, of putting him out there against others.\u201d<\/p>\n Traore, a graduate forward who followed Miller from Xavier, underwent surgery on his knee to repair a torn ligament suffered last October. Miller said the 6-foot-11, 245-pound Traore had developed into Xavier\u2019s best big man before suffering the season-ending injury.<\/p>\n \u201cHe’s made a full recovery,\u201d Miller said. \u201cIf you do the math, he’s entering that ninth month (of recovery). We’ve been very cautious. He’s been cleared for noncontact, but he hasn’t done anything contact-wise this summer.\u00a0We just want to make sure that, from a physical perspective, we look at him as a 100% before we put him out there, and that’s where he’s at.\u201d<\/p>\n Both players \u201care key pieces to what we want to do,\u201d Miller said. Mark has played in 136 career games with 94 starts at Houston, Arkansas and Texas and has 1,507 career points.\u00a0Traore has played in 87 career games with 67 starts and has averaged 10.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in 24.5 minutes a game at St. Louis and Long Beach State. He did not play a regular-season game at Xavier.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Miller also said two international members of the 2025 class are expected to arrive in Austin later this month. Lewis Obiorah<\/a>, a 7-1 post from England, should be on campus \u201cwithin one week\u201d while 6-9 forward Declan Duru Jr. <\/a>will arrive from Germany \u201cwithin two weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n Miller described Obiorah as a \u201cdevelopmental player\u201d who needs boasts raw talent but must work on the fundamentals against higher-caliber players.<\/p>\n \u201cHe’s a work in progress,\u201d Miller said. \u201cHis best days are ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n Duru, who competes for Germany\u2019s under-19 national team, is more seasoned and has spent five seasons in the youth development program for Real Madrid, one of Europe\u2019s elite basketball clubs that has produced several NBA players, including Luka Doncic.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Miller said Duru \u201cis more battle-tested, and I believe that as an incoming freshman, is a potential contributor and somebody who can impact this year’s team.\u201d<\/p>\n