After two closed scrimmages for Texas basketball against Arizona State and SMU, fans will finally get a glimpse at the new-look Longhorns during a nationally broadcast scrimmage at 11 a.m. Sunday against St. John’s.
The Texas faithful could use an introduction considering all the new faces for second-year coach Sean Miller. Post Matas Vokietaitis returns from last year’s team, which went 21-15 and reached the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament. But everyone else is new, including five transfers and six freshmen.
Finding chemistry with a rebuilt roster remains the top priority for Miller before the season opener Nov. 2 against visiting Chicago State, and he believes facing St. John’s just a handful of stops on the F Train from its home campus in Queens will speed up that process.
“When you play against St. Johns, it’s like going into the athletic crucible,” Miller said.
The exhibition is set for New York City’s Madison Square Garden and can be watched on ESPN+.
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Sean Miller is familiar with St. John’s
Miller would know. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino recruited Miller out of Pittsburgh nearly four decades ago while leading Providence. Miller signed with his hometown school but competed against Pitino as well as St. John’s in his playing days in the Big East. Miller also faced Pitino and St. John’s while coaching Xavier.
He understands the defensive pressure that St. John’s applies, he knows its relentlessness on the offensive glass and he has felt how the hometown crowd can create a wave of momentum that usually crests with a St. John’s victory.
“I’m really looking forward to the trip to New York City,” said Miller, whose team ranks No. 7 in The Associated Press preseason poll. “I’m looking forward to that experience. It will not be easy, but I believe this: That’s the next test that we need as we now get ready to open up (the season). Being able to play in the Garden is a great experience for all of our players, and I’m really grateful that we have a chance to give (the Texas players) that opportunity. And the trip itself, playing a true road game, all those first-time things are important.”
It’s especially important for the younger players like freshmen Austin Goosby and Marcus Spears, who each drew praise from Miller for their performances in the two closed scrimmages. Coaches agree to keep scores and stats from such scrimmages secret, but Miller did say the 6-foot-5 Goosby impressed while playing both guard spots and the 6-9 Spears showed the defensive versatility that the coach likes in his big men.
“I think both guys, they’re two-way players,” he said. “They’re going to impact our defense in a really positive way. You’ll enjoy watching both of those guys defensively because they have great athletic talent, and they’re committed to it. I think it’s their athleticism, their versatility, and their mindset that really jump out for me in terms of being able to impact us in a good way.”
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Texas Longhorns hope to learn from Michigan
But what will the mindset of the Longhorns as a team look like against St. John’s? That’s what Miller wants to find out. A year ago, Michigan edged St. John’s 96-94 in overtime in a preseason scrimmage at Madison Square Garden, and former Michigan coach Dusty May said the encounter helped harden his club for its run to last season’s national championship.
Miller has talked about that contest and its impact with May, who’s now coaching the Dallas Mavericks.
“They got so much out of that experience,” Miller said. “I mean, you have to have some toughness. You have to have the ability to get open. You have to play through contact. You have to play full court. You have to play through exhaustion. When a shot goes up, there’ll be no team that will try to get second shots more than St. Johns. They are relentless in terms of their effort level, and it comes in waves throughout a 40-minute cycle. … this will be a great, great test for us.”
This article originally published at How to watch Texas basketball’s scrimmage vs St. John’s, and what it means for Longhorns.
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