If you love basketball, you love players like Matas Vokietaitis. The 7-foot, 255-pound Lithuanian center for the Texas Longhorns isn't just big—he's big and passionate. And according to head coach Sean Miller, that passion is what sets him apart.

Miller often recalls a lesson from the late, great Bill Walton, who used to say that big men fall into two camps: those who play because they're tall, and those who play because they genuinely love the game. "If Matas were 6'2, he would still play basketball," Miller said in November. "He loves it, and you can see that in his work ethic every day."

That love is clear—but so are the growing pains. Vokietaitis is a force in the paint, drawing fouls at an elite rate (7.9 free-throw attempts per game as a sophomore, matching Zach Edey's senior-year numbers). But his physicality can also be a double-edged sword. He led the SEC in fouls last season, averaging 5.3 per 40 minutes, and picked up five technical fouls and one flagrant along the way.

Even his reputation precedes him. During a recent appearance on the Field of 68, host Jeff Goodman apologized for previously calling Vokietaitis "the dirtiest player in college basketball," citing his frequent hook-and-hold tactics. Goodman then shared a story about Vokietaitis racking up 10 technical fouls in a single season before arriving in the U.S. to play at Florida Atlantic.

Miller acknowledges the challenge. "Once he gets in the game, he is incredibly physical—and then he has the next level, where sometimes that physicality can get away from him," he said.

For a junior still refining his game, the key is learning to channel that intensity. Vokietaitis has the love for the sport, the frame to dominate, and the work ethic to improve. Now, it's about picking his spots—and keeping his cool—so his physicality becomes an asset, not a liability.