Texas Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Longhorns

Season Outlook

Most people are going to look at the loss of Mo Bamba as a big blow for the Longhorns and it is but they still return a lot of experience and scoring from last year and they are adding in transfer Elijah Mitrou-Long and big-time recruit Courtney Ramey. So even though they have a big loss Texas could be even better this year.

Shaka Smart could be coaching for his job and this team looks like a team that could help him keep it. The problem is they play in the stacked Big 12 and nothing will be easy. Kansas is still on top and West Virginia, TCU and Texas Tech are rising. Kansas State is also a team to watch, and Oklahoma is no cupcake either. If Texas is going to make it to the tournament or beyond they will definitely have to earn it.

Smart has the experience coming back, they just now need to produce. They will get answers early in their tough non-conference schedule. This could make or break them early. If they can get out with a winning record and some upsets they could have a ton of confidence entering conference play. If they lose all their big games, it could be the beginning of the end for the Longhorns season.

Look for Longhorns to compete well early and be a tough out in the conference. With so many good teams Texas would be good to finish in the top 5. If they can do that they should get a tournament berth and then its time to produce. I think the Longhorns play well enough for Smart to keep his job and be a team nobody wants to see come tournament time.