NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Houston lead in updated way-too-early top 25 ranking
By Joey Loose
12. Texas
Some might be disappointed with Chris Beard’s first season with the Longhorns, but he got this Texas team to an NCAA Tournament victory and might have put together an even better roster for year two. The former Texas Tech head coach installed his killer defensive mentality in Austin and now hopes to lead the Longhorns to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend for the first time in fifteen years.
Timmy Allen and Marcus Carr are both back for one final season, moves that might have been unexpected but will certainly bolster this team. The Longhorns will hope that Carr regains his shooting form, but their two leading scorers will be aided by former Iowa State point guard Tyrese Hunter, who averaged 11.0 points per game for the Cyclones last year. Additionally, Beard kept busy, adding a pair of 5-star freshman recruits, with forward Dillon Mitchell a potential lottery pick, and point guard Arterio Morris looking to contribute from the jump.
There’s depth behind these five, but these players alone make this Texas lineup pretty lethal, even in the gauntlet of the Big 12. A Chris Beard team with three returning starters that adds some serious talent might mean danger for the rest of the nation. Expect Texas to be a bit better on offense this season and to contend with the defending champions for that Big 12 crown.