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Gameday preview: How to watch Texas vs. Southern as the Longhorns look to improve defensively

Joe Cookby: Joe Cook10 hours agojosephcook89

Texas’ defense has some work to do, enough to where Sean Miller thinks the Longhorns’ first season with him as head coach is approaching a turning point.

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“We’re at a crossroads,” Miller said after last week’s 88-69 loss to Virginia. “You can’t lose at home and be down by 25, 20, 30 in a big game early in the year, great crowd, and not feel like that’s a problem. That’s where we’re at. We have to improve. We have to coach and teach. Some of it is individually we have to be tougher and better when it comes to that side of the ball. Too many guys had their way against us on offense.”

That disappointment in the defense was a point he repeated often after the loss to the Cavaliers.

“Generally, it was an amazing environment and everything you hoped it would have been, especially on a weekday on Wednesday at 8:15,” Miller said. “When you have that opportunity to play a home game against a good team with a crowd like that, it becomes your responsibility to perform well and play the best that you can. When it doesn’t happen, in particular the way it happened tonight, it’s actually overwhelming, the disappointment, and one thing can lead to the next.”

Miller gave props to Virginia, both its roster and coaching staff. But he was more disappointed in his own team.

“We had no answer for them offensively,” Miller said. “It’s tough to judge our offense because we either gave up a made field goal or we fouled for the majority of the game. When that happens, it’s tough to get transition points, it’s tough to be in the flow on offense when you’re always taking the ball out of bounds or you’re fouling like we did in the second half. Their offense overwhelmed our defense, and it’s becoming a pattern with us. We’re too easy to score on. We have to fix that. We have to be better. We have to do things that we’re capable of doing to fix, and we have to have more of an inner fight and toughness on that side of the ball to be able to defend the shot, challenge the shot, rebound the ball, and defend the man in front of you. A lot of where we go from here starts with that word: defense.”

Put simply…

“It was just overwhelming how they destroyed our defense,” Miller said. “Some of it is to their credit. Some of it is this is a moment of truth for our season where we have to learn from it and improve that part of our team.”

Miller said his team laid an egg versus UVA, but the Longhorn defense has been porous against top competition.

Texas has played four Power Conference opponents in 2025: Duke, Arizona State, NC State, and Virginia. Each of those teams has logged at least 75 points and Texas is 1-3 in those games. The only win was over NC State, and that’s because Texas was able to reach 102 points in Maui.

Even mid-major teams are putting buckets up against Texas. The lowest point total allowed this year by the Longhorns is 55 to Kansas City. FDU notched 58. Everyone else has at least hit 60.

The 73.7 points allowed per game is currently No. 192 in Division I. Advanced metrics are a tad bit kinder as the Longhorns are No. 97 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. Though that’s a decent standing nationally, that ranking is good for No. 15 among the 16 SEC teams.

There’s plenty of work left for Texas on defense. Southern should be a chance to show progress considering the Jaguars have posted three 100-point games this year and have hit 75 points in all but one game. That progress must become apparent considering the Longhorns travel to Storrs, Conn. this Friday to battle top-five UConn.

The season, per Miller, is already at a crossroads. How Texas defends at this juncture will dictate the type of path the Longhorns will take in 2025-26.

Game notes via UT

Game 10: Texas (6-3, 0-0 SEC) vs. Southern (4-4, 0-0 SWAC)
Monday, Dec. 8, 2025 – 7 p.m. Central
Moody Center (10,763) – Austin, Texas

GameDay Quick Facts

  • TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by SEC Network with Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and King McClure (analyst) on the call.
  • RADIO: The Longhorn Radio Network broadcasts every UT game on the statewide network. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check TexasLonghorns.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
  • SERIES: Texas leads, 1-0. Last meeting: Texas 89-56 (Nov. 15, 2005; Austin).

Notables

  • BOUNCING BACK AFTER A LOSS: After each of its previous two losses this season, the Longhorns have bounced back quickly with dominant victories. Texas is 2-0 this year after a defeat with a +39.0 ppg scoring margin in those two contests.
  • CLEANING THE GLASS: The Longhorns have outrebounded each of their first nine opponents and have registered a +12.7 rebound margin (43.0-30.3) this season. Texas has posted a 122-79 advantage on the offensive glass on the year.
  • SWAIN SEEING DOUBLE: Junior G/F Dailyn Swain recorded his first double-double as a Longhorn and fourth of his collegiate career with his 15-point, 10-rebound effort in Wednesday’s loss to Virginia. He tied his career high in rebounds and added a season-high four steals and four assists in 32 minutes.

Previous starting five for Southern

G Cam Amboree: 9.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.4 apg
G Brandon Hardy: 5.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.9 apg
G Michael Jacobs: 22.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.5 apg
G Keith Lamar: 3.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.6 apg
F Terrance Dixon Jr.: 7.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.4 apg

2025-26 Texas roster

PlayerNumberGradePPGRPGAPGPrevious School
Jordan Pope0Sr.11.92.13.3Oregon State
Cole Bott1Gr.0.80.30.3
Chendall Weaver2Sr.8.15.71.3UT-Arlington
Dailyn Swain3Jr.16.37.03.3Xavier
Declan Duru Jr.4Fr.1.91.40.0
Camden Heide5Jr.6.82.50.9Purdue
Simeon Wilcher7Jr.8.92.41.8St. John’s
Matas Vokietaitis8So.14.66.70.2FAU
John Clark9Fr.N/AN/AN/A
Nic Codie10So.5.73.30.6
Tramon Mark12Gr.10.32.92.3Arkansas
Lewis Obiorah14Fr.N/AN/AN/A
Lassina Traore23Gr.5.17.20.4Xavier
Anthon McDermott33R-Fr.1.50.80.5
Brandon Taylor44Gr.1.50.50.0East Texas A&M

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