Texas Basketball: 3 reasons Longhorns will reach the 2023 Final Four

Texas has a deep roster with veteran leadership and loads of talent

Another reason Texas should be considered a favorite to win the Midwest region is its roster. They have experience and depth, with six seniors leading the way. The work Beard did in the transfer portal prior to last season may not have paid off then, but it sure is now. Marcus Carr, Christian Bishop, Timmy Allen, and Dylan Disu all joined the program before last season and after a year of gelling, things are coming together.

This summer they were joined by two more big-time transfers, sophomore Tyrese Hunter who starred at Iowa State his freshman year, and grad student Sir’Jabari Rice who came over from New Mexico State and is arguably the best 6th man in the country. That’s about as solid of a foundation of leadership as a program can ask for. Brock Cunningham is the lone four-year rotation player in Austin and another veteran presence on the floor for Terry.

The Longhorns have nine guys who have played 12 minutes or more per game in at least 31 games this season. That depth showed itself in March with five different players having game-highs in either scoring, rebounding, or assists. Another guy to watch in the tournament is freshman forward Dillon Mitchell. The 6’8 Tampa native doesn’t get a ton of minutes but when he does, he is a menace on the boards averaging over four per game in his 18 minutes.

He led the team in rebounding in their road game at Kansas and the home tilt with Baylor. Should any of the Longhorns’ forwards get into foul trouble, Terry has a young kid he can rely on who scored 10 points in a win over Creighton and grabbed 12 rebounds when they beat Oklahoma State in January.

It’s that veteran leadership and quality depth that has been built up over the last couple of seasons that has the Longhorns playing their best ball of the season in March.