The good news is that it isn't forever, but the bad news is that the Texas Longhorns just lost one of their transfer additions, Mikey Lewis, for an extended period of time.
Lewis, who transferred to Texas from Saint Mary's this offseason, reportedly fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot this week during a practice. The Horns shared that he will have to undergo surgery and will be out for quite a while as he recovers.
Making matters even more unfortunate was the fact that Lewis suffered the injury just over a month before the season tipped off, likely sidelining him for the first games of the year.
However, while he may not be available right away, Lewis is expected to return before the NCAA Tournament, the injury and subsequent surgery reportedly not being "season-ending."
Texas’ Mikey Lewis suffered a fracture in the fifth metatarsal in his right foot earlier this week in practice and will undergo surgery, per release.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 30, 2026
A transfer from Saint Mary’s, Lewis averaged 13.9 PPG last season and is expected to miss an extended period of time.
Miller and the Longhorns did share an exact timetable for Lewis's return when the injury news first broke.
The silver lining of it all is that the recruiting effort made by Texas head coach Sean Miller this offseason has prepared the Longhorns for this exact kind of thing; missing depth, that is.
Miller landed the No. 4 recruiting class in the country, headlined by five-star recruits Marcus Spears Jr. and Austin Goosby. He also landed the No. 5 transfer portal class, headlined by players like Lewis, David Punch, and Isaiah Johnson.
Obviously, we would never wish an injury on anybody, but with the amount of talent and experience that the Horns added to the roster, Texas will be just fine even if a player or two goes down throughout the year (although we're crossing our fingers for this to be the first and last).
The elite recruiting work is already paying off, with the "next-man-up" mentality already needing to kick in before the season actually begins.
Predicting Texas men's basketball with a month until tip off
However, before news of the fracture broke, Lewis wasn't expected to be a starter for the Horns, by most estimations, with Spears, Goosby, Punch, Johnson, and returning center Matas Vokietaitis filling out the starting five.
- Point guard: Isaiah Johnson, sophomore, 6-foot-2
- Shooting guard: Austin Goosby, freshman, 6-foot-5
- Small forward: David Punch, junior, 6-foot-7
- Power forward: Marcus Spears Jr., freshman, 6-foot-9
- Center Matas Vokietaitis, junior, 7-foot-0
Lewis was projected to come off the bench to add depth to the backcourt, alongside fellow transfer guards Amari Evans and Elyjah Freeman, as well as returning guard Anthon McDermott and freshmen guards Joe Sterling, Coleman Elkins, Bo Ogden, and Mantas Laurencikas.
The Horns are scheduled to play the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden in a preseason exhibition game on Oct. 25. Then, Texas will host the Chicago State Cougars on Nov. 2 to tip off the actual season at the Moody Center.
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