RIO GRANDE VALLEY – After nearly two weeks focused on conditioning, toughness, togetherness and grit, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros men's basketball team got back to skill work Tuesday and tipped off the 2026-27 season with the first official practice. 
 
In some ways, Tuesday was just another day of basketball for the new-look Vaqueros. They did eight weeks of workouts during the summer and have been working throughout the fall. But new head coach Brandon Chambers admits the summer weeks spent together weren't really about basketball. He recognized early how talented and capable his players are, so he chose instead to spend the initial months building chemistry.
 
Now, the Vaqueros are taking the court to officially start the new season with a tight-knit group. With practice hours extending and the foundation solidly set, UTRGV will be able to harp on the details in preparation for the first season under Chambers. 
 
"For me, it was all about how do we get this group as connected as possible, so I did table the basketball stuff in the summertime. Our team chemistry, our connectedness is our superpower. But now it's time to dial in and really sharpen the sword and get ready for what's to come in November," Chambers said. "With that, the basketball piece comes into play. We'll start to tinker with lineups, establish roles, really dial in to who we are and how we're going to win. We haven't touched a basketball since Sept. 9. We're ready to get going. We're all excited to roll out the new balls and the new practice gear. For us, it's the same thing, different day, but there is some excitement in the air." 
 
Day 1 saw the Vaqueros race up and down the court doing passing drills and rotate through stations to focus on "old boring details" like getting the ball reversed, one-on-one closeouts, hand-to-hand combat, rebounding, transitions, and shooting. The team was challenged to be crisp and communicative and intentional with their actions. 
 
Throughout the good and bad moments in practice, players could be heard picking each other up, correcting each other's actions, and demanding more from each other. That's a positive sign the Vaqueros are ready to lead from within, which is exactly what Chambers called on them to do when the chapter flipped from summer to fall and the countdown to the season opener started. 
 
"We have a really, really good group of guys and they understand what it takes. We've been pouring into them about how we win a game, win a championship, win the week, win the day, win everything," Chambers said. "Our talent is our floor, but our ceiling, I have no idea. I have zero clue how good we can be, and that's all dictated by how connected they are. I told them at the end of the summer, I'm giving you the keys to the car. This is your team. I'm a part of it, but it's their team. Take ownership."
 
Energy, enthusiasm and effort are the qualities Chambers wants his team's identity built on, and the Vaqueros showed all three Tuesday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. After a long, fast-paced practice, every Vaqueros player still stayed in the gym for an extended time, taking midrange and three-point shots, flashing athleticism with dunks, and simply talking ball with coaches and teammates. 
 
The encouragement, accountability and competitive drive shown throughout practice and the extra gym time emphasized the culture this team has fostered. From Team Tuesday bonding moments like paintball, a cooking class and a video game tournament, to the challenging Navy SEALs training and several days of boot camp, Chambers has put his team in situations to lean on, learn from and grow with each other. 
 
"The summer we had, it was really productive. Shared suffering was something we emphasized. Even through hardships we have, we only come out stronger in the end. We have a lot of personalities, and for those personalities to be able to go through challenges together and build a cohesiveness between us all, all those activities, they were completely worth it. Our chemistry is definitely our strongest aspect of the team," senior Devon Pryor said.  
 
The Vaqueros are six weeks away from the season-opening game against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Nov. 2 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. UTRGV will spend the next 41 days polishing its defense, which will be a strength of the team, and installing plays and schemes to be ready for the season. Every practice will be intentional and get the Vaqueros one step closer to showing fans the exciting brand of basketball this new era will bring.  
 
"When official practice starts, the live play in practice starts to pick up. We get in the competitive spirit and we just get to play basketball, so that's the exciting part for me. Games are right around the corner and every practice matters," redshirt junior Jace Posey said. "We have a lot of energy, a lot of high-flying dudes, aggressive guys, we got some shooters on the team. It's a lot of smiles and a lot of laughs and we're going to play basketball the right way." 

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