The Texas Longhorns are stacked with talent this season, but health will continue to be the biggest hurdle they must overcome. Texas coach Vic Schaefer gave On3 an update on the health of his roster, which includes potentially four starters who are not yet at 100%.
“That’s a lot of firepower that really hasn’t been active this summer, but I believe they will be healthy,” Schaefer told On3. “So we’ve got to get them all healthy. But if we do, I’m really excited about my team.”
Here’s the breakdown of the Longhorns from Schaefer.
Aaliyah Moore
Aaliyah Moore, who’s the starting power forward for Texas, has been out all summer recovering from a recent minor knee procedure. Moore, a 6-foot-1 senior, averaged 11.3 points and 6.1 rebounds last season.
Laila Phelia
Laila Phelia was Texas’ homerun transfer portal addition, but she’s been out with a non-basketball-related eye injury. There’s no timeline on her return, but Schaefer noted that he thinks she’ll be available to play by the season’s start. She’s been conditioning and is awaiting to be cleared for contact. Phelia averaged 16.8 points and 3.6 assists last season at Michigan.
Kyla Oldacre
Texas added Kyla Oldacre via the transfer portal this offseason. Oldacre, listed as a 6-foot-6 post player, averaged five points and 4.4 rebounds last season at Miami. Schaefer noted she’s also been dealing with injury this summer but has a chance to really make an impact this season when she gets healthy.
Rori Harmon
Rori Harmon, Texas’ star point guard, is still in recovery from tearing her ACL last winter. She told On3 that she’s at about 80% full capacity, but has yet to be cleared for contact. She noted that she’s nearing that point, though, and has been training this fall. Harmon averaged 11.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.3 steals in the 2022-23 season.
