Texas Longhorns Need Improvement in Key Area to Find Success in March

Texas men's basketball is dynamic offensively, but struggles on the other side of the ball dampen that.

South Carolina Gamecocks guard Meechie Johnson drives the ball to the basket against Texas Longhorns guard Tramon Mark during the second half at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

With the latest win over the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Texas Longhorns rise to the No. 10 spot in the SEC with a 5-5 conference record.

That record is indicative of the shifting validity of this Texas team, which changes nearly every single game. The Longhorns have beaten big names such as Vanderbilt, Alabama and Georgia, but right after a prominent victory they proceed to fall back into their old habits.

There’s an extremely simple, overarching reason for Texas’ inconsistency, resulting in small mistakes that paint an even bigger picture. If the Longhorns can fix their defensive issues and protect the ball at a basic level regularly, they could turn into very real contenders.

Texas Has A High-Powered Offense, But The Longhorns Can’t Stop The Bleed

Feb 3, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Elijah Strong (31) shoots a layup against Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

In a high-scoring, 84-75 match, Texas beat South Carolina with an even distribution of points across the board as four different players logged double digits.

That didn’t stop the Gamecocks from scoring 46-75 in the paint alone, meaning that a combination of offensive explosiveness and sheer luck helped the Longhorns in out-scoring them with a six-point lead as the final minutes of the game ticked down.

“We had some head-scratching moments, not being able to get a defensive stop, fouling,” head coach Sean Miller said after the game.

Miller said it himself during that night’s press conference. Texas has little semblance to a defensive identity, and its inability to stop the other team from putting points on the board harms all offensive talent the team possesses.

“We’re a much better offensive team than we are defensive,” Miller said. “We have to improve on defense, I think, for us to get to where we would like to be and where we would like to go.”

Now hold on, you may say. Isn’t this the same Texas team that held the nation’s best offense in the country, Georgia, to 20 points below their average per game two weeks ago?

It is, and that’s the puzzling thing. The Longhorns certainly have the capability to play defense if they wish, but they rarely utilize it to complement the offensive show they put on every night. Besides uninspired effort, there are a couple reasons why Texas is struggling so much on the defensive side of the ball.

First of all, sophomore center Matas Vokietaitis is averaging over three fouls per game at the moment — and less than one block every night. Texas’ main big man is a scoring machine, especially because he seems to incur nearly as many penalties as he commits, but in terms of actually guarding the paint he rarely makes a difference. He’s also committing around two turnovers per game this year, which certainly doesn’t help the Longhorns with their ball security issues.

The average stature of the starting rotation likely doesn’t help much either. 7-footer Vokietaitis is the biggest guy on the team, with playmakers like senior guards Jordan Pope and Chendall Weaver standing at 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3 respectively. In 2022, the average SEC starter began to climb above the 6-foot-6 ratio. The advantage that a couple more inches in wingspan brings is crucial, and currently Texas does not carry that advantage.

An inability to play complementary basketball is the mark of doom for any hopeful team in the NCAA, let alone the SEC. Despite all the talent the Longhorns possess, they won’t be able to move forward until the defensive inconsistencies get worked out.