How offseason Texas Longhorns strikes may make Matas Vokietaitis nation’s high heart

Matas Vokietaitis carried a giant load for Texas basketball final season.

And that is fairly literal, contemplating the 7-foot, 255-pound heart usually needed to fend for himself within the paint on an undersized Longhorns squad that in some way scrapped its solution to the Candy 16.

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NO. 7 TEXAS VS. CHICAGO STATE

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However second-year coach Sean Miller says Vokietaitis, a junior from Lithuania, nonetheless hasn’t tapped his full potential even after averaging 15.6 factors and seven.1 rebounds a 12 months in the past in his first season at Texas. That is one cause why Miller’s program made a heavy funding in energy ahead David Punch, an All-Massive 12 participant a 12 months in the past at TCU.

Sure, the 6-7, 245-pound Punch supplies a knockout on his personal after averaging 14.1 factors and 6.8 boards final season. However a part of his immense worth – Punch signed with Texas for a reported $4 million a 12 months – will come from how he helps Vokietaitis, Miller mentioned.

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With Punch on the court docket, Vokietaitis will not face as many double-teams with every contact within the paint. And with slightly extra freedom for his publish on the protection finish, Miller mentioned Vokietaitis can work extra on his rim safety.

The common season does not begin till Monday with a go to from Chicago State, however Vokietaitis already understands the influence Punch has on the staff in addition to his personal growth.

“It is like a present enjoying with him,” Vokietaitis mentioned. “I am very, very grateful that he is right here, and we’re able to be one of the best frontcourt within the nation.”

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Sean Miller: Matas Vokietaitis performs from love, not simply dimension

That is the expectations for No. 7 Texas, Miller mentioned. Regardless that virtually each younger participant needs to be the subsequent Steph Curry, the Texas coach is aware of basketball stays a giant man’s sport. Final 12 months, Vokietaitis was the one Texas participant taller than 6-foot-8 to play no less than 400 minutes. Now, Vokietaitis, Punch and 6-9 freshman Marcus Spears give Texas the scale to match up with one of the best within the SEC in addition to the nation, Miller mentioned.

“I believe Marcus’ expertise, dimension, athleticism with David and Matas provides us a very distinctive mixture,” Miller mentioned. “Once you have a look at the scale of that entrance line, you already know that is the scale of a whole lot of groups that you simply watch which might be nonetheless enjoying deep in March.”

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That is the aim for a Texas staff with 11 new faces with 5 transfers and 6 freshmen. However Vokietaitis – the lone returning starter from final 12 months’s 21-15 squad – stays the important thing.

When discussing huge males, Miller usually brings up the myriad conversations he had with the late Invoice Walton, a Corridor of Fame heart who turned a much-beloved coloration analyst for school basketball.

“I really like Invoice Walton, and he used to speak about there’s two forms of huge guys,” Miller mentioned. “One class is a giant man that performs the sport of basketball as a result of he is presupposed to. He is tall. There’s this different man that he is perhaps tall, however the cause he performs the sport is he loves it. And Walton would all the time ask me, ‘Coach, does he play the sport as a result of he loves it, or does he play the sport as a result of he is presupposed to?’ And Matas performs the sport as a result of he loves it.”

Trimming fouls, including blocks focus for Texas basketball publish

Vokietaitis actually performs with the kind of ardour that delights his teammates and infuriates the foe. He proved fearless going to the basket a 12 months in the past, when he ranked second within the SEC with 7.9 free-throw makes an attempt per sport. However he’ll additionally combine it up with opponents, as evident by each the boos from opposing followers in addition to foul calls from the officers. That vitality caught the eye of freshman guard Austin Goosby the second he stepped onto the apply court docket with Vokietaitis.

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“Matas, yeah, that is a giant dude,” Goosby mentioned. “It is nice to have a giant man that desires to do all of the soiled work and go get within the paint and rebound, and he’ll nonetheless kick it out to you. Simply understanding that he has my again and I’ve his again on the finish of the day, we’ll be capable to do huge issues. Clearly on the court docket, you see him, he is most likely indignant, mad, simply making an attempt to take somebody’s head off. However when he is off the court docket, he is only a nice child to be round.”

However eradicating heads appears to catch the attention of the officers, and Miller does not need that a lot consideration. The coach mentioned trimming the fouls and defending the rim are two areas of focus for Vokietaitis, who shot 61.9% from the ground and 66.9% from the foul line final season.

“One aspect that we would like him to develop in is simply being smarter,” Miller mentioned. “He does not must flop, beg for fouls, play that sport. He can actually simply get fouled as a result of he is huge and bodily and good. And I additionally assume that he has one other stage that he is aware of he has to get to defensively. And we have labored actually laborious this summer time to guarantee that on an on a regular basis foundation that we put him able to enhance there. So, his protection enhancing, being smarter, however actually selecting up the place he left off.”

David Punch: Greater than sidekick in frontcourt

And that is the place Punch helps. Not solely does the graduate of Killeen Harker Heights have a gentle jumper that enhances Vokietaitis’ rugged model, however Punch additionally performs with a cool demeanor that helps cool down his teammates. He appears to take pleasure in mixing it up within the paint with gamers a number of inches taller, however enjoying with a giant man like Vokietaitis expands his sport. And it expands the Longhorns’ choices on each ends of the court docket, Punch mentioned.

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“It is tremendous thrilling, actually,” Punch mentioned. “I’ve all the time form of been the middle, however having Matas has made my sport so much simpler. It permits me to step out, form of fear in regards to the perimeter and never have to fret about being a drive on the within as a lot. You realize, I am nonetheless going to do my stuff across the basket, however Matas simply takes a whole lot of strain off on protection.

“The final two years (at TCU), I actually did not get to play with someone like Matas. Enjoying with him this 12 months, it opens the ground so much for each of us. I’ve talked to him, and it is one thing that we’ve not skilled but, nevertheless it’s one thing that we’re trying ahead to. It will be superb.”

Miller thinks so, too. Mixing collectively a powerful offseason with a revamped roster that matches properly along with his ability set will make Vokietaitis “probably the greatest facilities in school basketball,” mentioned the coach.

“Matas has had a terrific off season,” Miller mentioned. “He is a very laborious employee, loves the sport, and actually pours into it what he does. I believe he’ll decide up the place he left off, and I would be shocked if he did not.

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“He is over 7 ft tall, and he is proper at about 5 ½ or 6% physique fats,” Miller mentioned. “Look, there simply aren’t a whole lot of these forms of folks strolling round on planet Earth. It is a testomony to his self-discipline, his work ethic and simply his quest to be nice.”

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This text initially printed at How offseason Texas Longhorns strikes may make Matas Vokietaitis nation’s high heart.