There’s plenty of new faces as well as a new conference for Texas basketball. But the expectations remain the same for Rodney Terry, who will enter his second full season as the Longhorn’s head coach.
Terry has led Texas to four NCAA Tournament wins since taking over for Chris Beard on an interim basis during the 2023-23 season, which is the most NCAA wins in back-to-back seasons since the 2008 and 2009 squads also combined for four tournament triumphs. That stretch includes last season, when Texas went 21-13 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Who are the 2024-25 Longhorns, and what can they achieve in their first season SEC season? Let’s answer 15 questions for the upcoming season, which starts Monday in Las Vegas against Ohio State.
Is my favorite player for Texas basketball back from last season?
Probably, since many Texas fans took a shine to guard Chendall Weaver, a high-flying, high-motor guard that always added a jolt of energy when he came off the bench last season. But 6-foot-11 forward Kadin Shedrick and 6-8 forward Ze’Rik Onyema are the only other players from last year’s rotation, and both are expected to anchor the interior on both ends of the court. Of the other three players that return, 6-7 sophomore wing Devon Pryor is the only one expected to see many minutes.
What happened to last year’s Longhorn starters?
Program stalwarts Dylan Disu and Brock Cunningham finally used up their eligibility at forward, as did one-year Longhorn guard Max Abmas. Forward Dillon Mitchell and guard Tyrese Hunter both transferred after starting for two seasons.
So how many new players are on the team?
Nine. Six of them arrived in the transfer portal, and all of those are expected to either start or play significant minutes. Terry also welcomed in a three-player freshmen class, although only one – Tre Johnson – will likely become part of the rotation.
I’ve heard of Tre Johnson. Is he as good as advertised?
Johnson, a 6-6 shooting guard from the Dallas area, was the No. 6 overall prospect in the nation based on 247Sports composite rankings. That makes him the highest-ranked freshman to join Texas since Mo Bamba in 2017, and he’s likely the most gifted offensive player signed out of high school by the Longhorns since Kevin Durant took the court for one season in the 2006-07 campaign.
But will Johnson start?
Likely, yes. But we won’t know for sure until Monday. Johnson boasts a smooth jumper and can put the ball on the court while scoring at all three levels. Don’t be surprised if he leads Texas in scoring; he reportedly scored 31 points in a closed scrimmage against Colorado last weekend.
OK, sounds like Johnson will start. Who else will start at guard?
Terry brought in two point guards in the portal with Jordan Pope from Oregon State and Julian Larry from Indiana State. Both players started for their respective teams last season, and both should see significant minutes regardless of who starts. Pope, especially, could also get some run off the ball.
Jordan Pope or Julian Larry: Who’s the better player?
Well, they’re different. Larry has a bit more size at 6 feet, 3 inches and 185 pounds and has played in 130 career games with 108 starts. The graduate student is arguably one of the top defensive point guards in the SEC. The 6-2 Pope started the past two season with the Beavers and has a more explosive offensive game, as evident by his 15.1 points-per-game scoring average last season.
So, does that mean Chendall Weaver will come off the bench?
Probably. Terry likes the energy that Weaver injects into the game, and these Longhorns are loaded at the guard and wing spots. Expect a lot of three-guard lineups.
What other guards will see action?
Arguably the top portal prize for Texas, 6-5 Tramon Mark arrives as a graduate student after starting for Houston and Arkansas in his previous four seasons. A scrappy, explosive guard who has played in 107 career games with 69 starts, Mark led Arkansas with 16.2 points a game last season as well as steals and minutes. He also rebounds the ball well and averaged almost two assists a game a year ago. His versatility could keep him on the court more than any other Texas player.
It seems like Texas has more size at guard than last season, right?
Absolutely, and that was a priority for Terry. Opponents picked on Abmas and Hunter last season, since neither stood taller than 6 feet. This year’s crop of guards boasts more size, more strength and enough savvy to switch off defensively without missing a beat. That group includes Pryor and 6-6 Malik Presley, a San Marcos native who transferred back home after one year at Vanderbilt.
Did Texas bring in any forwards?
The Longhorns will likely be guard-heavy but two transfer forwards will play big roles. Jayson Kent, a 6-8, 215-pound graduate student, has started 62 games over the past four seasons at Bradley and Indiana State. He averaged 13.5 points and 8.1 rebounds a game last season for an Indiana State squad that went 32-7 and reached the NIT national championship game, but he will have to adapt to playing in a Power Five conference. That won’t be an issue for Arthur Kaluma, a 6-7, 215-pound senior who averaged 14.4 points and 7 rebounds a game for Kansas State last season. Kaluma has 99 starts in his career at Kansas State and Creighton, giving Texas five transfers with at least 60 career starts.
The new roster sounds loaded, but is there enough size in the paint?
Good question. Shedrick certainly has the size but has battled injuries throughout his five years at Virginia and Texas. When healthy, he’s a massive defensive presence who can run the floor. Last year, he led the Longhorns in blocks (35), ranked fifth in scoring (7.7 points per game), tied for fifth in rebounding (three per game) and sixth in steals (25) while playing 17.3 minutes a contest.
Will Ze’Rik Onyema become a factor after a quiet first season at Texas?
Terry has high expectations for Onyema, a burly 6-9, 235-pound senior who battled injuries last season. Terry recruited Onyema while serving as head coach at UTEP and knows his potential. Onyema reshaped his body in the offseason and has impressed in preseason workouts. If he emerges as an enforcer of sorts inside, that will free up Kaluma and Kent to get some mismatches at the small-forward spot.
Is the SEC as good as the Big 12?
Probably not, but the gap is closer than you think. The Big 12 has four teams in the preseason US LBM coaches poll while the SEC has one team in the top 10 and nine in the top 25, including No. 19 Texas. The Longhorns haven’t had a losing conference record since the 2018-19 season, and they expect to have a winning record in their first SEC campaign.
What about March Madness? Should I plan a trip to San Antonio next spring?
If Texas can form some on-court chemistry by the time SEC play tips off in January, it will likely qualify for a fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament – a streak that doesn’t include 2020, when the NCAA cancelled the tournament. But planning a trip to the Final Four in the Alamo City seems premature. If Johnson emerges as a one-and-done player and the best Texas freshman since Durant, if Kent and Kaluma can fortify the interior, and if Pope and Larry give the Longhorns one of the best one-two punches in the nation at the point, then Texas could emerge as a darkhorse threat for a national championship. But that’s a lot of ifs to start thinking about San Antonio. Besides, Austin has better tacos, anyway.
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