Texas basketball brought in seven new players who are expected to factor into the rotation this season, including six transfers and one highly touted freshman.
The Longhorns finished 21-13 and 9-9 in the Big 12 last year and won the conference tournament. This year, they are making their debut in the SEC, which had eight tournament teams in 2023-24. Texas lost last year’s starting backcourt of Max Abmas and Tyrese Hunter; the two combined for 27.9 points and 8.2 assists per game.
Let’s meet these seven new Longhorns, who will team with returners Chendall Weaver, a guard; Kadin Shedrick, a forward; Ze’Rik Onyema, a forward; and Devon Pryor, a wing.
Tre Johnson, freshman guard: A 6-foot-6 blue-chip recruit ranked as the top Texas signee since Mo Bamba in 2017 can score at all three levels and reportedly dropped 31 points on Colorado in a closed scrimmage last weekend.
Arthur Kaluma, senior forward: The active 6-7, 225-pound small forward, who has 99 career starts, plays bigger than his size. He averaged 14.4 points and seven rebounds a game last season for Kansas State after spending three seasons at Creighton.
Jayson Kent, graduate forward: A native Austinite who’s father, Jason Kent, once coached Huston-Tillotson, the 6-8, 215-pounder is a heady player with 62 career starts at Indiana State and Bradley who averaged 13.5 points and 8.1 rebounds last season for NIT Tournament finalist Indiana State.
Julian Larry, graduate guard: The 6-3 point guard, a Texas native from the Dallas suburb of Frisco, started 108 of 130 games over the past four seasons for Indiana State and is an all-conference defender as well as a 50% shooter who averaged 11 points and 4.8 assists last season.
Tramon Mark, graduate guard: After three years at Houston, the 6-5 native of Dicksinson, averaged a team-high 16.2 points with 4.3 rebounds for Arkansas a year ago and plays with a physical edge typical of players who tutored under Houston coach Kelvin Sampson.
Jordan Pope, junior guard: The 6-2 point guard and a two-year starter for Oregon State had to carry a heavier offensive load last season while averaging 17.6 points and 3.4 assists a game. He also shot 88% from the foul line a year ago on 107 attempts.
Malik Presley, sophomore wing: A former All-Centex player for the American-Statesman, the San Marcos High School graduate showed potential at Vanderbilt while averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.6 minutes a game but could be a redshirt candidate.
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