Big 12 Basketball: What is the ceiling for each program for 2018-19?
By Chris Kern
Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns are coming off a season in which they were selected to the NCAA tournament as a 10 seed. They lost in the first round to the Nevada Wolfpack.
They lose a few keys guys such as Mo Bamba and Eric Davis Jr. but they do return a lot of their key guys. Texas also brings in a really good recruiting class. With the talent they have on their roster, they should make it back to the big dance.
This Texas roster is one of the more talented rosters in the Big 12. They bring in multiple top 100 recruits each year but they just haven’t gotten to the next level under Shaka Smart like they were expected to.
This season they are bringing in the 8th ranked recruiting class in the nation and 2nd ranked class in the Big 12, according to 247sports. The class features four four-star players, three of which are ranked 58th or higher.
Add that to the pure talent they already have on this roster and you’d think this team is a lock to make the NCAA tournament and a possible threat to dethrone the Jayhawks in the Big 12.
Andrew Jones, Kerwin Roach, and Dylan Osetkowksi give this team a really good trio to lead the way. Add in guys like Jerico Sims and Matt Coleman and you’ve got yourself five really good players returning from a year ago.
Of course, they’ve got the talented freshman but they also have a really good transfer coming in. Guard Elijah Mitrou-Long is eligible this season after sitting out last season after he transferred over from Mount St. Mary’s. He averaged 10.7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
This team has all the pieces to be very successful. They can score inside and out and have big guys who can stretch the floor. This team is capable of taking the next step that past Texas teams could not.
I need to see it to believe it though. Texas will make it back to the NCAA tournament but I think based off what we saw from this team last season when they had a star player in Bamba it’s hard to expect more out of them. Their ceiling is a 6 or 7 seed in March and at best a Sweet 16 appearance, though that seems like a big stretch right now.