With Dailyn Swain NBA-bound, Matas Vokietaitis aims to anchor the Longhorns' offense against elite transfer portal additions Isaiah Johnson and David Punch in a revamped scoring race.
Entering his second year in Austin, Texas men's basketball head coach Sean Miller has lost his leading scorer from a season ago.
Dailyn Swain led all Longhorns during the 2025-26 campaign with 17.3 points per game — but he's moved on to the NBA after being selected by the Chicago Bulls in June's draft.
Thus, Miller will have a new man headlining Texas' scoring attack. But who might that be?
The easy answer is Matas Vokietaitis, who finished second on the team in scoring last year, producing 15.6 points per game. He'll have another full offseason under Miller, will be better acclimated to the Longhorns' system and could be the offense's focal point with Swain departed.
Retaining Vokietaitis in the modern NIL era was a massive win for Texas, but Miller also turned to the transfer portal — adding two more players who could realistically emerge as the Longhorns' leading scorer.
David Punch arrives in Austin after averaging 14.1 points per game on a 24.6 percent usage rate at TCU, while Isaiah Johnson joins Texas after producing 16.9 points per game on a 28.9% usage rate during his freshman campaign at Colorado.
Both newcomers have legitimate cases.
Johnson's ability to create his own shot makes him one of the most dynamic guards in the SEC entering the season. His nearly 29 percent usage rate at Colorado suggests he's more than capable of carrying an offense, and Miller has never shied away from putting the ball in the hands of an elite playmaker.
Punch, meanwhile, brings a different dimension. The 6-7 forward proved he could score efficiently without dominating possessions, averaging 14.1 points per game while serving as one of the Big 12's most physical frontcourt players.
That versatility should make him an ideal fit alongside Texas' returning talent.
But if there's one player who feels most likely to finish atop the Longhorns' scoring leaderboard, it's still Vokietaitis.
Unlike Johnson and Punch, there won't be an adjustment period. Vokietaitis already understands Miller's system, has established chemistry with his teammates and has proven he can produce against SEC competition.
With Swain gone ... there should be even more offensive touches available for the junior center.
Johnson and Punch will have plenty of opportunities to make their mark in Austin. Yet when the season reaches March, don't be surprised if Vokietaitis once again leads Texas in scoring — only this time, by an even wider margin.
