longhornswire
The No. 7 Texas men's basketball team opened its exhibition schedule with a loss to No. 13 St. John's on Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game marked the first action for a revamped Longhorns roster under new head coach Sean Miller, who has brought in a host of new faces.
Sophomore guard Isaiah Johnson paced Texas with a team-high 18 points, converting 8 of 11 free throws. He also dished out four assists and recorded two steals, both team highs. Junior center Matas Vokietaitis contributed 14 points and four rebounds, while junior forward David Punch added 11 points and grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds.
Miller's roster features several notable transfers, including Punch, Johnson, Amari Evans, Elyjah Freeman, and Mikey Lewis. The Longhorns also welcome a highly touted freshman class consisting of Austin Goosby, Bo Ogden, and Marcus Spears Jr., a group that is part of a recruiting class ranked fourth nationally.
Texas will begin the 2026-27 regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, when it hosts Chicago State at the Moody Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. Central, and the game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
Key Analysis
With a new coach and a roster filled with transfers and freshmen, the exhibition loss highlights the early challenges of building chemistry. However, the preseason provides valuable opportunities for the Longhorns to develop cohesion before the games count. The performance of Johnson and the frontcourt duo of Vokietaitis and Punch offers promising signs for Texas as it prepares for the regular season.
Originally reported by longhornswire.