Tip-Off Tactics: Scouting the Longhorns Ahead of Duke-Texas
More on Sean Miller's system, including go-to ball screen actions, defensive coverages and key players
Duke and Texas will tip off their seasons in Charlotte, NC, in a neutral-site matchup that features two Top 40 teams, according to both KenPom and Bart Torvik’s preseason projections.
Here are four things to watch regarding Sean Miller’s system and his rebuilt roster at Texas.
Miller Time: Texas on offense
Miller’s playbook is balanced, featuring a good amount of Pistol action in early offense. These quick-hitters can open the floor up for movement sets or spring empty-side screen-roll, which was what happens here at Creighton. Souley Boum (0) fakes a handoff to Colby Jones (3) as Zach Freemantle (32) sprints over to set the naked-corner ball screen. As Boum drives and Freemantle rolls, Jerome Hunter, the power forward
Once things settle into a half-court possession, his teams run a variety of pick-and-roll actions, including continuity ball screen offense: a side-to-side ball screen motion offense, where the ball cycles through the slots before transitioning into empty-corner pick-and-roll.
This possession begins on the right side of the floor, with the ball quickly swinging to the left for a side pick-and-roll involving Desmond Claude (1). He then kicks the ball to the right slot, setting up a wing pick-and-roll with Dailyn Swain (3)
Here’s another empty-corner ball screen for Swain, coming out of the continuity offense. This time, however, Swain rejects the screen and drives baseline. With the defense stretched — Ryan Kalkbrenner (11) of Creighton is pulled out of the restricted area as his man relocates to the right slot — Swain can attack the rim without immediate resistance.
If the defense provides help at the nail on these empty-side looks — as Creighton does on this possession — the player in the opposite slot, typically the 4 or 5, will be open for a kick-out 3.
The player in the slot can also act as a passer in big-to-big actions, looking for hi-lo connections as the other big dives to the rim or seals in the paint. As Kyle Filipowski slides at the level of the screen with Boum, Duke’s defense gets caught in no-man’s land — with Jeremy Roach guarding no one and Freemantle open the dive.
Miller’s offenses have consistently ranked among the Top 25 in adjusted efficiency. That success was certainly aided by the elite talent he attracted to Tucson during his time at Arizona. That said, since returning to Xavier, Miller has produced three Top 50 offenses, including a unit that ranked No. 8 nationally in adjusted efficiency in the 2022-23 season.
During this three-year stretch, each of Miller’s Xavier teams ranked Top 20 nationally in assist rate. The 2024-25 squad assisted on 62.8 percent of its field goals, a Top 10 mark in Division I.
Another hallmark of Miller’s offense is the use of multiple 5-out Zoom actions: a down screen into a dribble-handoff (DHO) from the team’s center.
For example, this is what I refer to as Miller’s “Thru Zoom” action, run on an after-timeout (ATO) play at Creighton. It begins with point guard Dayvion McKnight (20) passing to the right wing and cutting through the lane to the left corner. Dante Maddox (21) then swings the ball to center Zach Freemantle (32) at the top of the key. When Freemantle touches the ball, it triggers a 5-out Zoom involving Ryan Conwell (7). As Conwell comes off the DHO, Kalkbrenner remains in his usual drop coverage, creating enough space for one of the nation’s top movement shooters to let it fly.
His teams can also get to 5-out Zoom action from the continuity ball screen offense. As Freemantle initiates here at UConn, Adam Kunkel (5) sets a brush screen for Boum, who sprints into the DHO with the Freemantle, while 7-foot center Jack Nunge lifts to the left slot.
Veteran Shot Makers: Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark
Tre Johnson was the star around whom the Texas offense revolved last season; however, Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark proved to be reliable secondary scorers and playmakers, too. Notably, Miller retained both players in Austin. With Johnson now in the NBA with the Washington Wizards, combined with Miller’s 5-out Zoom sets, Pistol action and side-to-side ball-screen offense, both Pope and Mark project as candidates for a Year 2 transfer leap.
Pope isn’t a purue point guard; his game slants more toward scoring, particularly pull-up jumpers from two levels of the floor: midrange and beyond the arc. Going back to his time at Oregon State, he is a career 37.1 percent 3-point shooter. In the 2024–25 season, 23 of his 60 three-pointers (38.3 percent) were unassisted.
From outside the paint, Pope attempted 3.3 two-point field goals per 40 minutes last season (93rd percentile), according to CBB Analytics, which accounted for 24 percent of his total field-goal attempts (92nd percentile). He balanced that volume with efficiency, converting 51.3 percent of these long twos (93rd percentile).
At NC State: Texas runs side Elevator screen action for Johnson (20), which is fluff designed to occupy the defense and clear out one side of the floor for a backdoor cut from Chendall Weaver (2). Instead of hitting Weaver on the cut, Pope (0) opts to get into his bag and cook a little against Michael O’Connell (12), creating space for the step-back middy.
Mark is a capable 3-point shooter on a solid volume. Last season, he made 34.6 percent of his 3s on 7.8 attempts per 100 possessions. While he isn’t at the same level of shot creation as Pope — 88.9 percent of his 3-pointers in 2024–25 were assisted — he also likes to generate his own offense in the midrange. Mark attempted 2.9 two-point shots per 40 minutes from outside the paint last season, though he wasn’t nearly as efficient as Pope, converting just 30.4 percent from this range (41st percentile).
Assuming Duke starts in drop coverage, with Patrick Ngongba defending ball screens below the level, Pope and Mark could find some daylight on their pull-up jumpers. That was the base coverage for Ngongba last season, a trend that unsurprisingly continue in Duke’s exhibition games this year, including a good effort here from Cayden Boozer and Ngongba on Nate Ament.
The Blue Devils might be more willing to let Mark shoot, while being less comfortable with Pope getting to his jumper. In that case, they may take different approaches in navigating screens depending on who is handling the ball.
Of course, this process becomes easier if Maliq Brown is ready to play. Duke’s scheme versatility increases significantly with Brown’s mobility and defensive presence, allowing them to switch from 1-5 or bring the defensive center up closer to the level of the pick.
Texas on Defense: Pick-and-roll Coverages
As Miller takes over from Rodney Terry, the Longhorns are starting from scratch at the center position. There’s stuff to like here, though. Texas boasts significant size in its frontcourt and some under-the-radar upside, with a group that includes veterans Matas Vokietaitis (7-0, 255) and Lassina Traore (6-9, 245), as well as international freshman Lewis Obiorah (7-0, 250).
Vokietaitis (4.4 percent block rate) was the AAC Freshman of the Year last season at FAU, while Traore was a second team All-Big West Conference selection in the 2023-24 season at Long Beach State.
Miller’s teams vary their approach to defending ball screens. They’ll move the center around and alter coverages. In a matchup against Wake Forest last season, Xavier occasionally sent two defenders at Hunter Sallis, trapping and pressuring the star ball handler to force him to give up the ball.
On this possession, Wake Forest runs “77” pick-and-roll — staggered high ball screens — for Sallis with an empty corner. Center John Hugley (4) is up at the level as Sallis dribbles off the second screen. When Churchill Abass (55) re-screens for Sallis, Hugley is up the the level again and creates a deflection.
However, from the games I charted, Xavier relied primarily on drop coverage over the past three seasons. Given Texas’s combination of size and strength — two seven-footers, all three players over 245 pounds — it’s reasonable to project the Longhorns using a drop defense in pick-and-roll situations: positioning the center a step or two below the level of the screen while asking the guards and wings to chase over the top in pursuit.
From the 2022-23 season, when the Musketeers ranked No. 26 nationally in weighted average height, per KenPom: drop coverage against Duke’s “77” ball screen action. Jeremy Roach dribbles right over the screens and gets the midrange jumper.
This is the type of shot that drop coverage is meant to encourage: off-dribble jumpers from the midrange. Here’s Sallis settling for a short, pull-up 2-point attempt vs. Xavier last season.
Duke’s offense features a lot of 5-out and high-post initiation, whether it’s Cam Boozer, Patrick Ngongba or Maliq Brown operating as the hub. Those 5-out looks can turn into handoff actions. If Texas is in drop coverage against the handoffs, Duke’s movement shooter — Isaiah Evans and Darren Harris — should look to let it burn.
If they come off the screen flat and the defender trails, there’s a green light to launch a 3-pointer. If the chase defender stays attached, they can curl down into the midrange, like Jordan Hawkins here for UConn, creating a clean midrange look
Wing Athletes: Dailyn Swain and Chendall Weaver
As Miller assembled his new roster in Austin, one of his biggest acquisitions was veteran wing Dailyn Swain, whom he brought with him from Xavier. The 6-foot-7 wing appeared in 53 games over two seasons with the Musketeers, establishing himself as a two-way playmaker with a 3.1 percent steal rate, 2.8 percent block rate, and 15.2 percent assist rate.
Swain was one of only four high-major players last season to reach benchmarks of a 2 percent block rate, 3 percent steal rate, 15 percent assist rate and 40 percent free throw attempt rate — a group that includes Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson, one of the top returning NBA prospects in the country.
Known as a sticky defender, Swain can guard multiple positions, disrupt opponents in pick-and-roll situations and create opportunities as a helper on defense.
Swain blows up this 5-out action from Delaware, chasing over the down screen and then going under on the handoff action, which allows him to get back in front of the ball. As the ball is passed back to Delaware’s center, Swain’s arms and hands are in the passing lane to gobble it up.
While his 3-point shot has yet to land (11-of-54 3PA, 20.4 3P% career), Swain is a talented slasher on offense who can get downhill with long strides, finish around the rim and make plays for others.
Similar to Pope and Mark, Chendall Weaver (6-3, 180) returned to Texas following the coaching change. Weaver brings high energy and athleticism to the guard position, particularly on the defensive end. Alongside Swain, he gives Texas two experienced, high-level perimeter defenders.
At the hybrid forward spots, there’s are a few more important pieces: Camden Heide and Declan Duru Jr. Heide (6-7, 205), a transfer from Purdue, adds further versatility as a veteran, multi-positional defender, strengthening Texas’s defensive depth. He’s another energy guy.
Duru (6-8, 235) is arguably the most intriguing player on the roster. A product of Real Madrid’s development system, he combines size with both power and skillful movement. Born in Munich, Duru was a key contributor to the German squad that went 6-1 and finished as runner-up to the United States at the U19 World Cup this summer.
Teaming up with NBA prospects Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Hannes Steinbach (Washington) and Eric Reibe (UConn), Duru averaged 28 minutes, 11.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures in six of the seven games, with the exception of the Final against Nik Khamenia, Jordan Smith Jr. and Team USA.
Duru’s handle isn’t quite functional at this stage, but he’s a powerful offensive rebounder, and he’s getting better as a shooter and passer.