In the modern game of college basketball, the key to building a successful roster is done through the portal. The prime example of this is the national champion, Michigan, which possesses a starting five that all began their college careers at different places.
For Texas men’s basketball, the roster for next season’s team will be almost unrecognizable, with sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis being the only starter returning. The rest of the lineup will be made up of transfers and highly-touted freshmen.
The Longhorns are losing longtime starting guards Jordan Pope, Tramon Mark and valuable bench piece Chendall Weaver after the trio exhausted their NCAA eligibility. Texas will also lose big man graduate forward Lassina Traore, one of the two players head coach Sean Miller brought from Xavier.
Arguably, the biggest piece Miller is losing heading into next season is junior guard/forward Dailyn Swain, who announced his intention to enter the 2026 NBA Draft last Tuesday. Swain led the Longhorns in points per game, rebounds and steals at the small forward position.
“This journey has been everything I dreamed of and more,” Swain wrote on Instagram. “Xavier built me – it was home. Texas elevated me and made it feel like home too.”
Other guys who have left Texas since the transfer portal window opened include junior forward Camden Heide and junior guard Simeon Wilcher, who quickly found a new home at Seton Hall.
Sophomore forward Nic Codie and freshman forward Declan Duru Jr. also put their names in the portal to find new homes for next season.
The losses in the portal have not proven too much of a detriment, with Miller scooping up two of the portal’s highest-ranked recruits.
The Longhorns acquired former Colorado freshman point guard Isaiah Johnson and TCU sophomore power forward David Punch, satisfying two of Miller’s biggest needs heading into next season.
Although he was expected to take on a more productive role, Heide, the starting power forward this season, did not live up to expectations, averaging just 5.9 PPG and 2.7 rebounds.
Punch started all 34 games this season as the Horned Frogs’ power forward and made a major leap in his sophomore season in Fort Worth. Averaging 14.1 PPG, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.3 steals, Punch is an effective two-way player that also fits into the mold of Miller’s mindset of having veterans on his team.
Texas’ new point guard might be one of the most intriguing players next season. Johnson came off the bench for the first half of his freshman season but became the Colorado Buffaloes’ primary option in the second half, averaging 17.8 PPG.
Johnson consistently puts up double-digit numbers as an aggressive shot maker in the paint, and his nimble frame allows him to easily beat opposing defenses in transition.
Rounding out the Longhorns’ projected starting five are two talented freshmen. Bo Ogden, son of Texas general manager Chris Ogden, is expected to fill in at the small forward position. McDonald’s All-American Austin Goosby, brother of Texas football junior offensive lineman Trevor Goosby, will make up a dynamic backcourt with Johnson.
With the moves, longtime college basketball insider Jon Rothstein has the Longhorns at No. 9 in the most recent edition of his “Rothstein 45” offseason rankings for FanDuel Research.
Texas still has some areas to fill depth-wise, especially at the point guard position, but Miller is setting himself up nicely in the portal and into year two on the Forty Acres.
