The expectations heading into Texas men’s basketball head coach Sean Miller’s first season on the Forty Acres were low.
With a roster partly filled out with leftovers from former head coach Rodney Terry’s team, the only thing most wanted to see was competitive basketball, nothing too crazy. Even an appearance in the NCAA tournament Round of 64 would suffice.
But what the Longhorns achieved in year one under Miller far exceeded what was thought of even remotely as a possibility.
“I think the bigger picture is really just trying to instill a way of doing things … hopefully grow and improve while they’re doing it, and get to a good place, which I think sets a great tone for the future,” Miller said. “Really, all that came true through these guys’ effort.”
Miller was hired in late March last year. As he repeatedly brought up throughout the season, it was a tough place for him, roster construction-wise, from keeping players in the program to tapping into the portal to fill other needs.
Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, Miller was able to retain starters, graduate guard Tramon Mark and senior guard Jordan Pope, as well as his glue piece off the bench, senior guard Chendall Weaver. He was able to bring some luggage with him as well, including junior forward Dailyn Swain and graduate forward Lassina Traore from Xavier.
Sophomore Matas Vokietaitis was the other big grab in the portal for the Longhorns, being their starting center for the entire season.
Texas, with an almost entirely new roster, had the daunting task of adjusting to a new head coach and scheme set forth on their plate— it came with some struggle.
The Longhorns had a tough non-conference schedule, opening up the season at No. 1 Duke, and games against then-No. 5 UConn, Virginia, along with two Power Four games against Arizona State and NC State during the Maui Invitational.
“I remember thinking on the trip, ‘God, nobody knows each other,’” Miller said. “That was our starting point. But these guys, they kept working together. I think we definitely grew closer together.”
In that early part of the season, the Longhorns went a meager 1–4 against opponents with similar pedigree, their only win being against the Wolfpack in Maui.
For one of the best offenses in the country, the Texas defense was not up to par for the majority of the season, especially against teams with a dynamic backcourt like Arkansas and Mississippi State.
Then, there was the fouling issue — the Longhorns consistently found themselves picking up 20+ fouls on a nightly basis, with the culmination of Miller’s frustrations being aired out following the loss to Kentucky.
However, the Longhorns and Miller found themselves in the middle of the season, rattling off five consecutive wins. However, in the natural ebbs and flows of a season, Texas lost five of its last six, losing its almost certified lock into the tournament and another bid into the First Four.
But in that limbo state of disappointment between the Southeastern Conference tournament and March Madness, the Longhorns seemingly caught fire at the right moment. Practicing without a cause set the tone for their three wins and appearance in the Sweet 16.
“Very, very proud of these guys,” Miller said. “It ends in a really tough way when you lose these close games. But I would much rather lose a heartbreaker and then go away the other way.”
Texas will have to rebuild, losing Mark and Pope, along with valuable bench pieces Weaver and Traore. But the tone that was set in year one has already put the Longhorns up in a better place compared to one year ago.
