Matas Vokietaitis unsure about return to Texas
The big Lithuanian could test his value on the open market by entering the NCAA transfer portal again.
Mar 25, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) addresses the media in a press conference during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Will rising junior center Matas Vokietaitis return to the Forty Acres for another season with the Texas Longhorns? Don’t expect a quick resolution to one of the most important offseason questions facing Sean Miller’s program — on Thursday, Vokietaitis told Kirk Bohls of the Houston Chronicle, “ We’ll see, ” when asked about whether he’ll be back in Austin next year during a chance airport encounter.
Vokietaitis averaged 15. 6 points and 7. 1 rebounds per game at Texas in 2025-26 after earning AAC Freshman of the Year recognition at Florida Atlantic, helping to fuel a surprise run from the First Four to the Sweet 16 for the Longhorns.
As a fringe NBA Draft prospect who will have a long professional basketball career somewhere, Vokietaitis could be more valuable as a college basketball player over the next two years than he will be as a professional, increasing the pressure to maximize his earnings now and thereby increasing the probability that he will enter the NCAA transfer portal again to secure the biggest deal possible on the open market. The portal window opens on Tuesday, giving the Longhorns several days to negotiate with Vokietaitis’ agent as the 7’0, 255-pounder enjoys his vacation and considers his future.