Not even six months into his position, Texas men’s basketball head coach Sean Miller has been vocal about how he wants to play.
“When you watch our offense, what I hope you see is fast execution,” Miller said in a media availability on Aug. 5. “We want to play with pace. Fast execution means we’re constantly trying to get those quick strike moments.”
With a mix of returners and newcomers, here’s who could potentially be running the show on the Longhorns’ court.
Chendall Weaver, senior guard
After transferring from UT-Arlington for his sophomore year, Chendall Weaver sat out in 15 conference games in his junior campaign due to injury. This year, he returns as a senior with his new coach having full faith in him.
“If (Weaver) didn’t get injured a year ago, the total wins in terms of Texas would have been great,” Miller said. “His ability to get steals, blocks (and) make plays on defense, and his excitement in the open court where he can make a play both with the ball and help others — he’s really unselfish.”
Averaging 4.9 rebounds and 0.8 steals, Weaver’s high athleticism and defensive ability have the potential to be a seamless fit in Miller’s system and the fast pace it requires.
Dailyn Swain, junior guard/forward
Transferring from Xavier and following Miller to Texas, Dailyn Swain is already familiar with the coaching setup. Miller himself already has a plan for the junior guard/forward.
“If the ball has energy, you have unselfish cuts and you have five players involved, that’s the hardest team to defend,” Miller said. “Now, I’d say Dalen is almost 6-foot-8, so using his size, his passing, his ball handling, I think you’ll find he’ll be involved in a lot of action.”
Last season, Swain averaged 11 points while contributing as a two-way player with 1.6 steals and 5.5 rebounds. This ability to be both an offensive and defensive player has already landed Swain on ESPN’s early 2026 mock draft. Crafted by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, the two have Swain as the 36th pick in the draft.
Jordan Pope, senior guard
In what was a sub-par 19–16 record in the 2024-25 season, then-junior guard Jordan Pope was one of the shining lights.
Although Pope averaged 11 points on 25.5 minutes last season, he was able to produce 17.6 points on 35.6 minutes two seasons ago at Oregon State. In the entirety of his collegiate career, the guard has been efficient, shooting at least 40% from the field and over 35% from three-point range.
“(Pope) has great college experience, both in Oregon State, but also he played in (the Southeastern Conference), and he played here last year in Texas,” Miller said.
Declan Duru, freshman forward
Hailing from Germany, Declan Duru is one of two international students whom Miller recruited. While not in Austin for the majority of the summer, Duru was representing Germany at the FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup. Finishing second and losing to the U.S.A. in the finals, Duru averaged 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in seven games.
“Declan is well-versed, more battle-tested, and I believe that as an incoming freshman, (he) is a potential contributor and somebody who can impact this year,” Miller said. “He’s played at a very high level for Germany in this summer tournament.”
