Sean Miller Speaks On 'Underrated' Texas Basketball Program

The Texas Longhorns exceeded expectations in the first year under head coach Sean Miller, making the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament and recruiting a haul of sought-after prospects from high school and the transfer portal going into this upcoming season.

At SEC Media Days, the second-year head coach laid out why the Longhorns should deserve respect on the hardwood this season.

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"I think that our basketball program is very underrated," Miller said in his opening remarks. "Sometimes [it's] not recognized the way I think it should be." 

Miller presented a list of Texas' men's basketball accomplishments that help inflate the Longhorns' resume in a competitive SEC environment.

Says Miller...

* Since 1998, Texas is one of seven basketball programs that have been a part of 24 of the last 27 NCAA tournaments

* The Longhorns have made 15 Sweet 16's (including a year ago), eight Elite Eight's and three Final Four's.

And about the 2025-26 team: "I'm very, very proud of what we were able to accomplish in Year 1," Miller said. "In that we were a resilient group. We were a group that never gave in, and certainly we were a group led by a terrific player, Dailyn Swain, who became the No. 15 pick in the NBA Draft this past summer."

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More than the strong transfer portal class that followed, Miller hangs his hat on the progress his program has made as it enters another season with even larger expectations.

"I bring that up because I think it gave us a great sense of momentum and belief as we entered into the spring," the coach said. "That's when this year's roster was really constructed."

Texas' five transfers include David Punch, Elyjah Freeman, Isaiah Johnson, Mikey Lewis and Amari Evans - who were each listed as 4-star recruits out of the portal by several outlets.

Miller's true freshman class also includes 4-star wing Austin Goosby, 4-star guard Bo Ogden, and 5-star Marcus Spears Jr., who reclassified from the 2027 class into the 2026 group.

"I'm excited about our team," Miller said. "It has a few qualities that I think any coach would love to have. Number one, I think quality depth, and number two, we really have an amazing group of kids. I'm talking about guys that love the game, don't talk about it but show it, and also they have all really come to Texas to win, to be a part of something that's bigger than their own goals."