For months, Texas men’s basketball has been preparing behind closed doors. On Sunday, the public finally gets its first look at head coach Sean Miller’s revamped roster.
And the Longhorns won’t be easing into action.
No. 7 Texas will face No. 13 St. John’s at Madison Square Garden in New York at 11 a.m. Central, an exhibition game against a program coming off a season where it captured both the Big East regular-season and tournament titles.
The matchup will be Texas’ first appearance in front of fans after closed scrimmages against Arizona State and SMU. With 11 newcomers this season, Sunday offers a chance to see just how far the new-look Longhorns have come.
“Although I think we have a really good group, there’s nothing that can make up for experience,” Miller said in Monday’s media availability. “You can only practice and play against yourself so much. So, I’m really looking forward to the trip to New York City.”
That experience will come quickly against a St. John’s team led by Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, who has guided the Red Storm to back-to-back 30-win seasons. Last season, St. John’s finished 30–7 and reached the Sweet 16, holding opponents to 69.6 points per game while outrebounding by 3.8 boards per contest.
“When you play against St. John’s, it’s like going into the athletic crucible,” Miller said. “You have to play through exhaustion. When a shot goes up, there’ll be no team that will try to get second shots more than St. John’s. They are relentless in terms of their effort level.”
The Red Storm’s physicality will also test Texas’ ability to stay out of foul trouble. Last season, the Longhorns ranked second-to-last in the Southeastern Conference in defensive free-throw rate, while junior center Matas Vokietaitis committed an SEC-high 123 personal fouls and fouled out on five separate occasions.
Unlike its last two scrimmages, where players could stay on the court after committing five fouls, Sunday’s exhibition will enforce the usual disqualification rules.
“That’s the game within the game a lot of times,” Miller said. “Our team a year ago just never ever was able to be the best that we can be fouling, and that hurts. So, I think that’s a real emphasis for this year’s team: can we be the team that makes more free throws than the other team attempts?”
Beyond the challenge awaiting the Longhorns, Sunday provides the opportunity to play at one of basketball’s most historic venues. For several Longhorns, including sophomore guard Amari Evans, it will be their first time lacing up in the Garden.
“I’ve never played in the Garden, but I can’t wait to go,” Evans said. “We’re gonna win that game, so it’s gonna be a confidence boost.”
Sunday’s result won’t count, and might not even be remembered by March. But the performance could reveal just how close the preseason top-10 ranked Longhorns are to meeting those expectations ahead of their Nov. 2 season opener against Chicago State.
