Three thoughts as Texas gets three 20-point scorers in 99-65 win over Rider

Texas finished its initial four-game homestand of the 2025-26 season with a resounding 99-65 win over Rider. Three Longhorns notched 20+ points for the first time since a 103-90 win over North Carolina in December of 2009. Dailyn Swain posted 26 points, one shy of his career high. Similar applied for Matas Vokietaitis with his 20 points. Camden Heide did set a career best with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting including 6-for-9 from three.

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Here are three thoughts before Texas heads to Maui next week.

Dailyn Swain has a special ceiling

Swain had 26 points on a 9-for-11 night from the field plus a perfect 8-for-8 outing at the free throw line. He also added five rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes. His athleticism is often apparent on the offensive end as he did all of his scoring work either from inside the arc or at the line. The ability to draw fouls is a testament to his athleticism.

On Tuesday, his athleticism was most readily seen with his defense. With consistent effort, Swain is a one-through-four defender at his best and a two-through-four defender on off nights at 6-foot-8, 225 pounds. He was credited with two steals and did a solid job of using his physical gifts against a Rider team that posted a few quality offensive spurts.

If Swain plays close to his averages on offense and provides capable defense alongside whatever big Sean Miller puts on the court, the overall ceiling of this team takes a significant step up because of the defensive capability Swain and other veterans bring to the table. There may also be an avenue toward Swain being a small-lineup big. We’ll see if Miller takes that route as the season carries one.

Camden Heide shows proof of concept

After limited minutes versus Duke, FDU, and Kansas City and a DNP versus Lafayette due to an upper body injury, Heide showed why he left Purdue in search of greater opportunities on offense.

Heide, who entered the starting lineup on Tuesday, was a sizzling 7-for-11 from the field and 6-for-9 from three. A couple of those misses from deep late in the contest can be chalked up to heat-check attempts that would make Steph Curry blush.

All in all, Heide did versus Rider what he sought the opportunity for in his transfer to Texas. He was given the green light from three. He was tasked with being an athletic defender and working tough assignments. He also added five rebounds and even picked up three fouls in the process. Tuesday provided a glimpse of what both Heide and Texas were looking for when they made their offseason connection.

Not to leave him out, Vokietaitis proved to be a mismatch for Rider. He notched 20 points on 6-of-8 from the field plus a strong 8-for-12 from the line, and you could argue he should have had more opportunities at the stripe. Three rebounds is an odd look, and four fouls is not a surprise, but he made the most of his chances against a team with an unskilled big and not much else as it pertains to size.

Prepare for the Hawaiian feast

Feast week is here so that means Sean Miller will (hopefully) be donning Hawaiian shirts on the sidelines of the Lahaina Civic Center starting with a Monday matchup versus Arizona State. The Longhorns will get a crack at a number of Power Conference opponents, but they also could get matched up with DII host Chaminade.

No matter who the Horns play, Texas gets a good look at what a tough road trip is like and what a 24-hour turnaround entails. Plus, the chance to see some teams contending to make the NCAA Tournament ahead of a home game versus Virginia on December 3 is a good schedule break. Texas can win in Maui — they may be the best team there — before a solid test against a similarly-rated team in KenPom in the Cavaliers. In fact, UVA was one spot behind the Horns entering this evening’s game.