The Texas Longhorns are poised to maintain their established starting lineup as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament. The team”s journey begins with a match against NC State in the First Four round, taking place in Dayton, Ohio. This matchup marks the first postseason appearance for Texas under new head coach Sean Miller.
Scheduled for Tuesday, the Longhorns, seeded No. 11, look to advance to the Round of 64 where they would face No. 6 seed BYU in Portland, Oregon on Thursday. This encounter will be the second time Texas and NC State meet this season; the Longhorns previously triumphed over the Wolfpack with a score of 102-97 during the Maui Invitational in November.
Coach Miller is unlikely to make any alterations to the starting five that has been consistent throughout the majority of the season. Despite experimenting with lineups early on, the same core group that competed against NC State in Maui has played together for nearly all SEC games this season. The projected starters for Texas include:
- Jordan Pope, G
- Tramon Mark, G
- Camden Heide, F
- Dailyn Swain, G/F
- Matas Vokietaitis, C
Texas is expected to utilize an eight-man rotation, relying on three bench players. With forward Lassina Traore unlikely to return for the remainder of the season, guards Chendall Weaver and Simeon Wilcher, along with forward Nic Codie, are anticipated to provide support off the bench.
Tramon Mark has been a consistent presence, starting every game this season while averaging 13.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. In last year”s First Four defeat against Xavier, Mark contributed with 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists. His performance will be crucial as he enters what could be his final collegiate game.
Dailyn Swain has also been a staple in the lineup, starting all 32 games this season and leading the team in multiple categories, including points (17.8), rebounds (7.6), and assists (3.4). Swain has recorded eight double-doubles this year, highlighted by a 34-point, 14-rebound effort in the overtime loss to Mississippi State during the SEC opener. His performance will be vital for Texas if they aim to overcome NC State.
Jordan Pope, who has started every game alongside Swain, is averaging 13.3 points and had a standout game against NC State in Maui, scoring 28 points and dishing out four assists. In the regular-season finale against Oklahoma, he netted 30 points and grabbed six rebounds.
Camden Heide, who has been a starter for most of the season, brings experience from his time at Purdue, where he participated in nine NCAA Tournament games, including the National Championship in 2024. Heide has averaged 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds this season.
Finally, Matas Vokietaitis completes the starting five, having started all 32 games this season while contributing an average of 15.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. Vokietaitis has been a reliable scoring option, achieving double figures in all but four games, which includes a career-high 28 points against Southern in December.
As the Longhorns prepare for this critical matchup, the team”s cohesion and experience will be pivotal in their quest for NCAA Tournament success.
