Texas Basketball Faces Huge Expectations With Top 10 Preseason Ranking

Texas basketball is heading into the 2026-27 season with something it hasn't had in five years: a preseason national ranking inside the top seven.

The Longhorns landed at No. 7 in Monday's Associated Press preseason Top 25, giving second-year coach Sean Miller a prominent place among college basketball's early championship contenders.

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It's Texas' highest preseason AP ranking since opening the 2021-22 campaign at No. 5.

And considering how dramatically Miller rebuilt his roster, the expectations are substantial.

Texas returns just one player from last season's rotation, junior center Matas Vokietaitis, after finishing 21-15 overall and 9-9 in SEC play.

That team reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16, providing a foundation for Miller's second season in Austin.

But instead of relying on continuity, Texas attacked the offseason with an aggressive recruiting and transfer strategy.

The Longhorns added 11 newcomers, assembling what 247Sports rated the nation's top overall incoming class when combining transfers and freshmen.

Now Miller faces the challenge of turning that collection of talent into a cohesive basketball team.

The preseason rankings suggest national voters believe he can do it.

Texas sits behind Florida, Duke, Illinois, UConn, Arizona and Michigan State.

The Longhorns also begin the season ahead of several prominent SEC rivals, including No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 20 Alabama, No. 23 Kentucky and No. 24 Vanderbilt.

Florida, the overwhelming preseason No. 1, received 47 first-place votes and enters the season as the conference favorite.

That creates an immediate challenge for Texas.

Miller's team won't have the luxury of developing without attention. The Longhorns will enter November carrying expectations associated with a legitimate national contender.

Vokietaitis gives Texas an experienced presence in the frontcourt, but the chemistry between returning personnel and incoming players will be critical.

The Longhorns are scheduled to face St. John's in a preseason exhibition at Madison Square Garden before opening the regular season against Chicago State on November 2 at Moody Center.

The early schedule should provide valuable opportunities to establish rotations and develop consistency before SEC competition begins.

For Miller, the objective goes beyond validating a preseason ranking.

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Texas is trying to establish itself as a program capable of competing for championships every year.

The talent appears to be in place.