Texas Longhorns Aim to Improve Defense for SEC Tournament Matchup Against Ole Miss Rebels

Texas coach Sean Miller hopes his team can find more success on the defensive end after recent struggles

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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The Texas Longhorns, seeded 10th, will face the 15th-seeded Ole Miss Rebels in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament in Nashville. Texas head coach Sean Miller has emphasized the need for his team to improve its defense, which has struggled in recent games, allowing over 100 points to Arkansas and 88 to Oklahoma. Despite their defensive woes, the Longhorns are still on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble with a 42 NET ranking. Texas will look to replicate its earlier 79-68 home win over Ole Miss, in which the Longhorns held the Rebels to 41.4% shooting from the field and 29.2% from 3-point range.

Why it matters

Texas' ability to play effective defense will be crucial in determining the outcome of this SEC tournament matchup. The Longhorns' offensive efficiency has been impressive, but they need to generate more stops and turnovers to complement their scoring. A strong defensive performance could help Texas solidify its NCAA Tournament standing, while a continued defensive struggle could put their postseason hopes in jeopardy.

The details

In their previous meeting on February 7, Texas held Ole Miss to 41.4% shooting from the field and 29.2% from 3-point range in a 79-68 home win. The Longhorns will need a similar defensive effort to advance in the SEC tournament. Texas is led in scoring, rebounding, and assists by Dailyn Swain, who averages 17.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Matas Vokietaitis adds 15.7 points per contest for the Longhorns. Ole Miss, on the other hand, has struggled mightily, losing 10 straight games since January 17. The Rebels are led in scoring by AJ Storr (15.0 ppg), Malik Dia (14.1 ppg), and Ilias Kamardine (11.0 ppg).

  • The Texas Longhorns and Ole Miss Rebels will face off in the first round of the SEC tournament on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.

The players

Sean Miller

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns, who has emphasized the need for his team to improve its defensive performance.

Dailyn Swain

The leading scorer, rebounder, and assist provider for the Texas Longhorns, averaging 17.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

Matas Vokietaitis

A key contributor for the Texas Longhorns, averaging 15.7 points per game.

AJ Storr

The leading scorer for the Ole Miss Rebels, averaging 15.0 points per game.

Chris Beard

The head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, who is in his third year with the program.

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What they’re saying

“We have to just really keep flipping the coin. I've said this to you guys for about three months. I don't think you completely understand how efficient our offense has been, how remarkable that has been, because we get nothing off of our defense. We get no steals, no blocks, very few stops after stop.”

— Sean Miller, Head Coach, Texas Longhorns (austinnews.net)

“Regardless of what kind of season you have, conference tournaments bring opportunities. Most of the teams around the country are playing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. That's the situation we find ourselves in this year. Our guys will keep fighting.”

— Chris Beard, Head Coach, Ole Miss Rebels (austinnews.net)

What’s next

The winner of the Texas-Ole Miss matchup will advance to the second round of the SEC tournament, where they will face the winner of the game between the 7th-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores and the 2nd-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide.

The takeaway

Texas' ability to improve its defensive performance will be crucial in determining the outcome of this SEC tournament game against Ole Miss. If the Longhorns can replicate their earlier defensive success against the Rebels, they have a strong chance of advancing in the tournament and solidifying their NCAA Tournament standing. However, if Texas' defensive struggles continue, it could put their postseason hopes in jeopardy.