Why You Should Buy Stock in the Texas Longhorns' Offense Right Now

After opening their season with a loss to No.6 Duke, the Longhorns rebounded with their first win in the Sean Miller era.

Nov 8, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller watches Lafayette Leopards free throw during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

After a humbling loss to the No.6 Duke Blue Devils, the Texas Longhorns rebounded by picking up their first win of both the 2025 college basketball season — and the first of the Sean Miller era.

win #1 in the Sean Miller era 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/0ywacmuAON

— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) November 9, 2025

With a 97-60 final score, the Longhorns moved to 1-1 on the season while the Leopards dropped their second game of the season moving to 1-2. Senior guard Tramon Mark led the charge for Texas offensively with 16 points knocking down 5 of his 10 shots from the field. For Lafayette, guards Caleb Williams and Andrew Phillips produced over half of the team's offense with a combined 38 points.

There were a variety of things to take away from Texas's first win of the season. Not only did the Longhorns' head coach find his first win in the burnt orange, but his squad showed signs of growth both offensively and defensively against the Leopards.

A Balanced Texas Offense Could be Dangerous

Nov 8, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA;Texas Longhorns celebrate a three-point basket by Texas Longhorns guard Anthon McDermott (33) during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

One of the bigger differences in this year's Texas squad appears to be their offensive firepower. Instead of relying on Tre Johnson to score the most points by a wide margin, the Longhorns have had a balanced share of scoring from a variety of players.

Through their first two games this season, the Horns have had 3 or more players reach double-digit scoring. Against Lafayette, Texas had six players reach 10 or more points, with Mark leading the way with 16 points. Other players who reached double digits on Saturday include Matas

Vokietaitis, Jordan Pope, Dailyn Swain, Chendall Weaver, and Simeon Wilcher.

The Longhorns' offense putting up nearly 100 points is an encouraging sight for fans who freaked after the season-opening loss. With a matchup against a team that finished the 2024-25 season 13-20, it's only natural that Texas improves on nearly every offensive statistic.

Compared to the Longhorns shooting just 32% from the floor against the Blue Devils, Coach Miller's squad responded nicely on Saturday by shooting 52.4% against the Leopards and nearly 40% from the three-point line. The Longhorns could be more than just another SEC basketball team if they can keep these numbers in the same ballpark.

A Foundation for What's Ahead

Nov 8, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Sean Miller enters the court before the game against the Lafayette Leopards at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Easily the biggest news from Texas's first win of the year was head coach Sean Miller getting his first win as a Longhorn. It might not have come against a Power Four opponent, but in a college basketball landscape full of early-season upsets, the Horns will gladly take the win.

Only a few hours ago, No.5 St John's were handed their first loss by No.15 Alabama and No.22 Michigan State knocked off No.14 Arkansas.

While there aren't any opponents for the Longhorns that stand out in the near future, Coach Miller's squad will have another solid test ahead of them in December when they take on the No.4 UConn Huskies. Last year in Austin, the Longhorns fell to the Huskies 76-65 due to a horrendous first half where they were outscored 42-24.

If Coach Miller and the Longhorns can keep things heading in the right direction, they could enter their matchup against UConn with all the confidence in the world. While Texas might not be facing a ranked opponent each week, the out-of-conference part of the season gives Miller time to figure out what the best rotations are against a variety of opponents.