Texas continues roster overhaul with commitment from Lithuanian guard
Published:
Texas got all the way from the First Four to the Sweet 16 in last season’s NCAA Tournament, but Longhorns head coach Sean Miller isn’t resting on his laurels.
This offseason, he’s done a massive roster overhaul, and that continued on Friday with the announcement that Texas got a commitment from talented Lithuanian guard Mantas Laurencikas. The commitment from the 19-year-old Laurencikas was first reported by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
The 6-foot-4 Laurencikas currently plays for AS Monaco Basketball and has played for his native Lithuania in FIBA competitions during the past 4 summers.
Laurencikas is a point guard and will further bolster Texas’ backcourt room for the 2026-27 season. He’s averaging 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists for AS Monaco but will soon be trying to help Miller get the Longhorns even further in the NCAA Tournament next season.
Miller has signed the third-ranked transfer portal class this offseason, according to 247Sports, and though Laurencikas isn’t a pure college transfer, he’s the latest in an impressive list of guard additions that Texas has made since the end of last season.
The Longhorns have also added guards Isaiah Johnson from Colorado, Mikey Lewis from Saint Mary’s and Amari Evans, who transferred to Texas from SEC rival Tennessee. Miller has also added forwards Elyjah Freeman, who he plucked from another SEC rival in Auburn, and David Punch from TCU.
Laurencikas won’t be the only Lithuania native on the Texas roster now either, as he’ll join Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis.
Texas is trying to load up for another run in the NCAA Tournament next season, with Laurencikas the latest addition. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the teams with the best chance to be in the Final Four next April:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
