Are the Texas Longhorns Set at Point Guard After Mantas Laurencikas Addition?

Do the Texas Longhorns have enough depth at point guard after losing Jordan Pope?

Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller looks on during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

After a chaotic offseason, the Texas Longhorns men’s basketball team’s roster is nearly set. One area that underwent a major overhaul was the backcourt, with point guards Jordan Pope and Chendall Weaver exhausting their eligibility.

Tramon Mark and Dailyn Swain also had some duties as the primary ball handler, making Texas’s need for a true point guard one of its greatest.

The Longhorns swung big in the transfer portal and signed international guard Mantas Laurencikas from the top French league on Friday, securing the position for 2026.

Isaiah Johnson, Mantas Laurencikas Secure Longhorns’ PG Position

Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson reacts to a score in the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the CU Events Center. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Longhorns shored up the point guard spot in one fell swoop. Isaiah Johnson, a rising sophomore who played for the Colorado Buffaloes in 2025, was one of the top available athletes in the transfer portal this offseason.

From unranked to freshman difference-maker, Johnson made his mark in Boulder, Colo., by setting Colorado's freshman season scoring record. He made 15 starts in 33 games and scored a team-high 16.9 points per game, along with 3.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds.

With three years of eligibility, he gives Texas something it lacked in 2025: youth. Pope and Weaver were in their final years of eligibility. Simeon Wilcher was next up on the depth chart, but after starting one game and playing 18.7 minutes per game, he transferred to Seton Hall for his senior season.

Johnson is best known for being a dynamic playmaker. He showed a reliable jump shot — 37.8% from three and 82.1% from the free-throw line. With the ball, he is smooth and in control as the primary ball-handler.

Colorado Buffaloes guard Isaiah Johnson controls the ball against Baylor Bears guard Isaac Williams during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Longhorns’ newest addition provides depth behind Johnson. Texas lacked a backup point guard to lead the secondary offense, a role that freshman guard Austin Goosby could play. However, Mantas Laurencikas allows Goosby to make plays both on and off the ball.

Texas added Laurencikas from AS Monaco Basket, which plays in the EuroLeague and the top French league, LNB Élite. Laurencikas is from Lithuania and averaged 13.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for Espoirs Monaco, which competes in the under-21 LNB Espoirs, before being called up to AS Monaco in April.

Laurencikas will be 20 by the start of the next season but was granted four seasons of eligibility, according to a press release from the Texas athletics program. He will give depth behind Johnson, one of the few missing roles on the Longhorns' roster.

With Johnson and Laurencikas, Texas has a point guard rotation with youth and upside. The Longhorns’ starting rotation — with Matas Vokietaitis, David Punch, Mikey Lewis and Elyjah Freeman — is built to compete in 2026, while the depth is built for the future.

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