The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men’s Basketball picked second in SEC media preseason poll
10.12.2026 | Men's Basketball
Vokietaitis named to Preseason All-SEC Second Team and Punch tabbed All-SEC Third Team by league media members.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The University of Texas Men's Basketball team was picked to finish second in the Southeastern Conference by a panel of both SEC and national media members, the league office announced Monday. Junior center Matas Vokietaitis was tabbed to the five-person Preseason All-SEC Second Team, and junior forward David Punch was named to the five-person Preseason All-SEC Third Team.
Florida is the preseason SEC favorite in the media poll and is followed by Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Alabama in the top five. Thomas Haugh of Florida was tabbed the Preseason SEC Player of the Year.
Vokietaitis returns for his second season at Texas and his third year in college basketball. A 2026 NABC All-Gulf District Second Team selection, he played and started all 36 games last year and led the team in blocks (33) and ranked second in scoring (15.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). Vokietaitis reached double figures in scoring in 31 of the 36 games, including eight 20-point performances, while hitting double digits in rebounds six times and posting six double-doubles. In his four NCAA Tournament contests last season, he averaged 16.0 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game.
Punch elected to transfer from TCU following the 2025-26 season. He has played in 66 career games (61 starts) and registered two-year career totals of 687 points, 370 rebounds and 94 blocks in 1,661 minutes. Punch earned honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference and NABC All-Gulf District First Team honors last year. He played in 34 of a possible 35 games (34 starts) and led the team in scoring (14.1 ppg), rebounding (6.8 rpg) and blocks (66), ranked second in steals (45) and third in assists (68) and minutes (29.7 mpg) while helping the Horned Frogs post a 23-12 mark (11-7 Big 12) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.
Texas opens the 2026-27 season with a home contest against Chicago State on Monday, Nov. 2. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Central in Moody Center, and the contest will be televised by SEC Network.
Preseason Predicted Order of Finish: Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina
Preseason Player of the Year: Thomas Haugh (Florida)
Preseason All-SEC First Team: Rueben Chinyelu (Florida), Juke Harris (Tennessee), Thomas Haugh (Florida), Josh Hubbard (Mississippi State), Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt)
Preseason All-SEC Second Team: Amari Allen (Alabama), Alex Condon (Florida), Milan Momcilovic (Kentucky), Jordan Smith Jr. (Arkansas), Matas Vokietaitis (TEXAS)
Preseason All-SEC Third Team: PJ Haggerty (Texas A&M), Malachi Moreno (Kentucky), Tahaad Pettiford (Auburn), David Punch (TEXAS), Billy Richmond III (Arkansas)
