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LEAD STORY: Four Texas Freshmen Announce Themselves in 109-59 Rout
AUSTIN — The No. 7 Texas Longhorns opened the 2026-27 season Monday night with a 109-59 dismantling of Chicago State at Moody Center, the program's highest-scoring season opener since 1992 — and the headline wasn't the margin. It was the freshmen. With junior guard Mikey Lewis sidelined until mid-December by a fractured foot, Texas handed major minutes to its first-year class, and all four delivered.
Point guard Austin Goosby drained a three on his first collegiate shot attempt and finished with eight assists, seven points, and seven rebounds while posting a team-best plus-37. Texas's head coach called the eight-assist debut remarkable regardless of opponent, noting Goosby "found the guys and really made the game easy for them." Fellow freshman Joe Sterling buried 4-of-6 from three-point range, while Bo Ogden added eight points, two offensive rebounds, and two steals in 14 minutes off the bench.
The loudest statement came from Marcus Spears Jr., the former No. 1 prospect in the 2027 class who reclassified to join the Longhorns in July. Spears scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting with five rebounds and four blocks in 20 minutes — tying Mo Bamba for the second-most blocks ever in a Texas debut, one shy of the school record held by James Banks. The rim protection is a dimension the Longhorns openly lacked a year ago, and Chicago State's head coach left Austin suggesting Texas "could make a huge run going towards the Final Four."
QUICK HITS
- Kentucky opens 2026-27 tonight at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats host Manhattan at 7:00 PM ET on SEC Network+ in a stream-only season debut. The Jaspers enter ranked 316th in KenPom's preseason rankings, and Kentucky warmed up with exhibition wins over Little Rock, Texas Tech, and UCF. Guard Kam Williams is nearing a return from injury but is unlikely to play tonight, per Sea of Blue's game coverage. The Wildcats face Kansas in next week's Champions Classic.
- Georgia turns the page to Ole Miss. Sophomore offensive lineman Juan Gaston and sophomore defensive lineman Elijah Griffin met with media Tuesday in Athens ahead of the Bulldogs' Saturday night trip to Oxford to face the Ole Miss Rebels.
- Alabama's Manon Petitcolas earns national watch-list nod. The Crimson Tide women's golfer was named to the Women's Golf Coaches Association Freshman of the Year Watch List presented by StrackaLine, the WGCA announced Tuesday afternoon.
- Auburn gymnastics lands four national TV windows. The Southeastern Conference and ESPN announced Tuesday that four of Auburn's 2027 regular-season meets will be televised live nationally.
- Texas A&M softball gives back. The Aggies hosted a donation drive benefiting The 12th Can, the campus food pantry initiative.
PORTAL WATCH
Quiet day on the transfer front — no new SEC portal entries or commitments crossed the wire in the last 12 hours. With basketball season tipping off across the league, expect movement to stay slow until the football regular season winds down.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new commitments to report Tuesday evening. One name to monitor from the hardwood: Kentucky target Cherif Millogo is still favoring the Wildcats following visits to BYU and USC, according to Sea of Blue.
GAMES TO WATCH
- Tonight — Manhattan at Kentucky, 7:00 PM ET (SEC Network+): The Wildcats raise the curtain on 2026-27 at Rupp Arena in a stream-only matchup.
- Wednesday — Southeastern Louisiana at Auburn: Tipoff on the Plains marks the stakes-count opener for the Tigers, who carry the nation's longest active home non-conference winning streak at 67 straight games.
- Wednesday — Queens at Vanderbilt, 6:30 PM CT (SEC Network+): The Commodores host Game 2 of their 2026-27 campaign in Nashville.
