The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
11.02.2026 | Men's Basketball
Punch and Vokietaitis both selected to 50-person preseason watch list for Men’s College Player of the Year.
ATLANTA, Ga. — A pair of Texas Men's Basketball student-athletes have been selected to the 2026-27 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday. Junior center Matas Vokietaitis and junior forward David Punch are two of the 50 players named to the preseason watch list for the award that recognizes the Men's College National 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.
No. 7/7 Texas opens the 2026-27 season with a home contest against Chicago State later tonight. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Central in Moody Center, and the contest will be televised by SEC Network.
