Texas men's basketball coach Sean Miller says he prefers to let his former players "run their own race," when they leave college and enter the NBA. But Miller's hands-off approach doesn't correlate with a lack of pride over his pupils' success at the next level.
"That's our NBA fraternity," Miller said Monday. "I look at Tre Johnson, and he's enormously talented, had a great rookie season [in 2025-26 with the Washington Wizards]. Tre represents us. He's such a role model for our current players that, 'I want to be him. I want to accomplish things.'"
Johnson, the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, was the first Texas player to be drafted since 2021. He was joined one year later by former Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain, who was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 15 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Swain and Johnson broke a brief NBA drought for Texas.
Texas boasts 10 former players on NBA rosters as the league begins its season Tuesday afternoon, headlined by Kevin Durant, the Houston Rockets superstar and two-time NBA Finals MVP. Miller is proud of Texas' expansive NBA reach. He also touts his own personal list of college-turned-professional players.
Ten active NBA players were coached by Miller during his stops at either Xavier or Arizona, a high-profile group that includes the 2018 No. 1 overall pick (Deandre Ayton), a 2022-23 NBA champion (Aaron Gordon) and a 2023-24 NBA All-Star (Lauri Markkanen).
Pro team ties
Miller and the Longhorns track their former players with pride. They also share an active relationship with each of the three NBA teams in the Lone Star State.
Miller said he is friends with Dusty May, the former Michigan head coach now in his first year with the Dallas Mavericks. Miller also noted Durant's continued ties to Texas, which include an NIL partnership between Durant's Nike brands and current Longhorns' athletes. There's also a "unique" relationship between the Longhorns and San Antonio Spurs, who will play three regular-season games at the Moody Center this season.
"[We have a] connection to them to their greatness," Miller said of the Spurs. "Not only who they've become with [Victor Wembanyama], but you know, the history, the tradition. They've been really good to me and our staff and to us in our brief time we've been at Texas."
The Spurs and Rockets will play Friday night at the Moody Center in the first of three I-35 Series games this season. Miller said Texas' current players may meet with one or both teams Thursday night or early Friday, but the Longhorns will not be in attendance Friday night. Texas is set to fly to New York ahead of Sunday's preseason scrimmage against St. John's at Madison Square Garden.
College correlation
Texas' roster this season is once again filled with potential NBA talents, most notably incoming freshman Marcus Spears Jr. But Miller urges his team to keep its eyes on the current competition rather than the bright lights of the pros. Take care of business at the collegiate level, and the NBA payday will follow. It's a formula Miller stressed Monday, and one he's employed throughout his 21 previous seasons as a college head coach.
"One thing that I definitely know is this: If we didn't make the Sweet 16 last year, Dailyn Swain would not be the 15th pick for the Chicago Bulls," Miller said. "I believe that with all my heart and soul.
"In college, you have to have team success to be an NBA player. ... The one commonality over a long period of time is if your team wins, if your team wins big, if your team thrives in the month and March, if you get deep into the NCAA tournament, that has real payback in giving you a real opportunity to be a part of the NBA."
Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.
This article originally published at NBA opening day: Examining Texas Longhorns, Sean Miller's success developing pros.