How offseason Texas Longhorns moves could make Matas Vokietaitis nation's top center

Matas Vokietaitis carried a big load for Texas basketball last season.

And that's quite literal, considering the 7-foot, 255-pound center often had to fend for himself in the paint on an undersized Longhorns squad that somehow scrapped its way to the Sweet 16.

But second-year coach Sean Miller says Vokietaitis, a junior from Lithuania, still hasn't tapped his full potential even after averaging 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds a year ago in his first season at Texas. That's one reason why Miller's program made a heavy investment in power forward David Punch , an All-Big 12 player a year ago at TCU.

Yes, the 6-7, 245-pound Punch provides a knockout on his own after averaging 14.1 points and 6.8 boards last season. But part of his immense value - Punch signed with Texas for a reported $4 million a year - will come from how he helps Vokietaitis, Miller said.

With Punch on the court, Vokietaitis won't face as many double-teams with each touch in the paint. And with a little more freedom for his post on the defense end, Miller said Vokietaitis can work more on his rim protection.

The regular season doesn't start until Monday with a visit from Chicago State, but Vokietaitis already understands the impact Punch has on the team as well as his own development.

"It's like a gift playing with him," Vokietaitis said. "I'm very, very grateful that he's here, and we're ready to be the best frontcourt in the country."

Sean Miller: Matas Vokietaitis plays from love, not just size

That's the expectations for No. 7 Texas , Miller said. Even though almost every young player wants to be the next Steph Curry, the Texas coach knows basketball remains a big man's game. Last year, Vokietaitis was the only Texas player taller than 6-foot-8 to play at least 400 minutes. Now, Vokietaitis, Punch and 6-9 freshman Marcus Spears give Texas the size to match up with the best in the SEC as well as the nation, Miller said.

"I think Marcus' talent, size, athleticism with David and Matas gives us a really unique combination," Miller said. "When you look at the size of that front line, you know that's the size of a lot of teams that you watch that are still playing deep in March."

That's the goal for a Texas team with 11 new faces with five transfers and six freshmen. But Vokietaitis - the lone returning starter from last year's 21-15 squad - remains the key.

When discussing big men, Miller often brings up the myriad conversations he had with the late Bill Walton, a Hall of Fame center who became a much-beloved color analyst for college basketball.

"I love Bill Walton, and he used to talk about there's two types of big guys," Miller said. "One category is a big guy that plays the game of basketball because he's supposed to. He's tall. There's this other guy that he might be tall, but the reason he plays the game is he loves it. And Walton would always ask me, 'Coach, does he play the game because he loves it, or does he play the game because he's supposed to?' And Matas plays the game because he loves it."

Trimming fouls, adding blocks focus for Texas basketball post

Vokietaitis certainly plays with the type of passion that delights his teammates and infuriates the foe. He proved fearless going to the basket a year ago, when he ranked second in the SEC with 7.9 free-throw attempts per game. But he'll also mix it up with opponents, as evident by both the boos from opposing fans as well as foul calls from the officials. That energy caught the attention of freshman guard Austin Goosby the moment he stepped onto the practice court with Vokietaitis.

"Matas, yeah, that's a big dude," Goosby said. "It's great to have a big man that wants to do all the dirty work and go get in the paint and rebound, and he'll still kick it out to you. Just knowing that he has my back and I have his back at the end of the day, we'll be able to do big things. Obviously on the court, you see him, he's probably angry, mad, just trying to take someone's head off. But when he's off the court, he's just a great kid to be around."

But removing heads seems to catch the eye of the officials, and Miller doesn't want that much attention. The coach said trimming the fouls and protecting the rim are two areas of focus for Vokietaitis, who shot 61.9% from the floor and 66.9% from the foul line last season.

"One element that we want him to grow in is just being smarter," Miller said. "He doesn't have to flop, beg for fouls, play that game. He can really just get fouled because he's big and physical and good. And I also think that he has another level that he knows he has to get to defensively. And we've worked really hard this summer to make sure that on an everyday basis that we put him in a position to improve there. So, his defense improving, being smarter, but really picking up where he left off."

David Punch: More than sidekick in frontcourt

And that's where Punch helps. Not only does the graduate of Killeen Harker Heights have a soft jumper that complements Vokietaitis' rugged style, but Punch also plays with a cool demeanor that helps settle down his teammates. He seems to enjoy mixing it up in the paint with players a few inches taller, but playing with a big man like Vokietaitis expands his game. And it expands the Longhorns' options on both ends of the court, Punch said.

"It's super exciting, honestly," Punch said. "I've always kind of been the center, but having Matas has made my game a lot easier. It allows me to step out, kind of worry about the perimeter and not have to worry about being a force on the inside as much. You know, I'm still going to do my stuff around the basket, but Matas just takes a lot of pressure off on defense.

"The last two years (at TCU), I really didn't get to play with somebody like Matas. Playing with him this year, it opens the floor a lot for both of us. I've talked to him, and it's something that we haven't experienced yet, but it's something that we're looking forward to. It's going to be amazing."

Miller thinks so, too. Mixing together a strong offseason with a revamped roster that fits well with his skill set will make Vokietaitis "one of the best centers in college basketball," said the coach.

"Matas has had a great off season," Miller said. "He's a really hard worker, loves the game, and really pours into it what he does. I think he'll pick up where he left off, and I'd be surprised if he didn't.

"He's over 7 feet tall, and he's right at about 5 ½ or 6% body fat," Miller said. "Look, there just aren't a lot of those types of people walking around on planet Earth. It's a testament to his discipline, his work ethic and just his quest to be great."