Basketball returned to the Moody Center after a long offseason, as Texas men’s basketball and its new-look roster didn’t take much time to get up and running.
The Longhorns dominated their first official action of the 2026-27 season and the start of year two under head coach Sean Miller, winning 109-59 over the Chicago State Cougars.
While the result was never in doubt, as Texas held its biggest lead at 51 points late in the second half, with 11 new players, eyes were focused on how those new faces would fit with each other in game one.
Texas received a combined 43 points from its four transfers that played, as sophomore guard Isaiah Johnson led the transfers with 18 points while shooting over 60% from the field and 60% from three.
Not only did Johnson have a big scoring output, but he was also a floor general as Texas’ point guard with five assists to two turnovers.
“I just think the sky’s the limit (for Isaiah),” Miller said postgame. “There’s a lot of things that he’s working to be better at … but his ability to get fouled, to score, to play in transition, to get others involved — we really believe in him, and we love him that he’s a part of our program.”
Taking the floor for the first time in their collegiate careers were six freshmen, and four of those first-year players made big contributions in their first game as Longhorns.
Freshmen guards Austin Goosby, Joe Sterling and Bo Ogden, as well as forward Marcus Spears Jr., combined for 40 points on the night.
“Guys like Marcus, Joe, Bo, you know, the new guys, they have OD confidence,” Johnson said. “Like there’s so much you can tell them, it’ll get in and get out. They’re just going to do their thing, so they’re ready for the moment.”
Sterling led the freshmen with 14 points, as the guard quickly established his three-point shooting to go 4-of-6 from distance. While Sterling ended the night with the most points by a freshman, much of the attention was obviously on Spears Jr.
The 17-year-old ended his first collegiate game with 11 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the floor while also being effective elsewhere as he recorded five rebounds and a game-high four blocks.
“Marcus was outstanding tonight,” Miller said. “I mean, so many things happened when he came into the game. It’s just like his quickness and his athleticism.”
Most of the attention was on the new faces; the one key returner, junior center Matas Vokietaitis, showed why Miller decided to build around him heading into this season.
Vokietaitis ended the game with a team- and game-high 22 points and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field. The seven-footer also added six rebounds, a block and a steal.
Miller challenged Vokietaitis after a poor performance in Texas’ exhibition game against St. John’s. In the season opener, the center responded well.
“He was nine-for-nine from the field, great performance,” Miller said. “He doesn’t have to do that every night, but he’s got to set the tone, and he’s got to set the tone for some of these young players who are his teammates this year, and that’s what he learned. And I think he’ll continue to learn and grow and be better in that role.”
The debuts and the time for first impressions are in the books as the Longhorns prepare for game two of the young season, staying home at the Moody Center to take on the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
