Gameday Preview: Camden Heide's three-point shooting has been a Texas strength in SEC play

The search for three-point shooters on this Texas team during the preseason focused on Jordan Pope and Camden Heide. While Pope has been a bit under his career averages from distance during Southeastern Conference play, Heide’s three-point shooting is arguably the rising tide that has lifted Texas’ overall percentage from deep.

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In Texas’ nine SEC games, Sean Miller‘s team is shooting a decent 35.1% from three. That’s a mark just above its season-long average of 34.6%. The 34.6% number is good for No. 148 in the nation, right in the middle of the pack.

The Longhorns probably wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for Heide. In SEC play, Heide is shooting a scorching 53.1% from behind the arc and 59% from the field. His effective field goal percentage, which adjusts for the fact three is more than two, is a blistering 80.8%.

His three-point shooting has improved dramatically compared to his numbers at Purdue. Heide was a 45% shooter from deep during his freshman year with the Boilermakers, knocking down 18-of-40. Then in his sophomore season, his volume went up while his percentage went down. He was 31-for-79 for a 49.1% number. This year, he has a career-high 36 made threes on 68 attempts, good for a 52.9% average across the 2025-26 season.

Aside from an eight minute appearance at Kentucky where his time in-game was curtailed due to illness, Heide has become a 25-or-more minutes player for the Longhorns. He’s posted double-figure scoring totals in each of the Horns’ last two games, with 17 points in a loss to Auburn and 13 points on the road in a win over Oklahoma. Those 13 points came on a 5-for-6 day from the field and a 3-for-4 effort from three. He only played 22 minutes due to logging four fouls.

Heide has at least one three-pointer made in 7-of-9 SEC games for the Longhorns. He’s made at least three threes in each of the last two games. Heide doesn’t get to the charity stripe all that much, he only has 10 attempts on the year from the free throw line and has made seven of them.

The one-point shot is not his game, at least not for this Texas team. Heide’s game is to be a threat from distance. The more he’s able to live up to those expectations, the more room the Longhorns will have on the interior for Dailyn Swain drives, Tramon Mark pull-ups, and Matas Vokietaitis low block sets.

Perimeter shooting was a question for Texas entering the year. Heide has worked to establish himself as the answer.

Game notes via UT

Game 23: TEXAS (13-9, 4-5 SEC) vs. South Carolina (11-11, 2-7 SEC)
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 – 6 p.m. Central
Moody Center (10,763) – Austin, Texas

GameDay Quick Facts

• TELEVISION: The game will be televised nationally by SEC Network with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Daymeon Fishback (analyst) on the call.
• RADIO: The Longhorn Radio Network broadcasts every UT game on the statewide network. Craig Way (pxp) and Eddie Oran (analyst) will call the action. Check TexasLonghorns.com for a listing of affiliates carrying the game.
• SERIES: South Carolina leads, 2-1. Last meeting: USC 84-69 (Feb. 22, 2025; Columbia)

Notables

• MILLER EARNS 500TH CAREER WIN: Sean Miller recorded his 500th career victory as a collegiate head coach with Saturday’s win at Oklahoma. Miller enters Tuesday’s contest with an on-court career record of 500-205 (.709) in 21 seasons.
• SWAIN ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL: Over his last four games, junior G/F Dailyn Swain has averaged 25.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.5 steals in 37.1 minutes per contest. He has converted 64.9-percent (37-57) from the floor, including a 44.4-percent (8-18) mark from three-point range, and 87.5-percent (21-24) from the free throw line in this stretch.
• HEIDE HEATS UP: Junior F Camden Heide has averaged 15.0 ppg while hitting 84.6-percent (11-13) from the floor, including an 80-percent (8-10) mark from three-point range, in 29.6 mpg over his last two contests. Heide had 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 threes) in 22 minutes during Saturday’s win at Oklahoma.

Previous starting five and key depth for South Carolina

F Mike Sharavjamts: 11.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.5 apg
G Kobe Knox: 10.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.3 apg
G Meechie Johnson Jr.: 15.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.2 apg
F Elijah Strong: 10.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.2 apg
F Myles Stute: 7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.9 apg
—
G Eli Ellis: 10.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg
F EJ Walker: 3.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.1 apg
G Grant Polk: 4.7 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.2 apg

2025-26 Texas roster

Player	Number	Grade	PPG	RPG	APG	Previous School
Jordan Pope	0	Sr.	12.9	2.0	2.3	Oregon State
Cole Bott	1	Gr.	0.5	0.2	0.2
Chendall Weaver	2	Sr.	6.6	4.7	1.3	UT-Arlington
Dailyn Swain	3	Jr.	17.5	7.2	3.4	Xavier
Declan Duru Jr.	4	Fr.	1.4	1.3	0.0
Camden Heide	5	Jr.	7.0	2.7	0.7	Purdue
Simeon Wilcher	7	Jr.	7.1	2.2	1.9	St. John’s
Matas Vokietaitis	8	So.	14.9	6.6	0.5	FAU
John Clark	9	Fr.	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nic Codie	10	So.	4.5	2.9	0.4
Tramon Mark	12	Gr.	12.9	3.5	2.2	Arkansas
Lewis Obiorah	14	Fr.	N/A	N/A	N/A
Lassina Traore	23	Gr.	3.4	5.2	0.6	Xavier
Anthon McDermott	33	R-Fr.	0.9	0.6	0.3
Brandon Taylor	44	Gr.	0.8	0.5	0.0	East Texas A&M