Texas Basketball was one of the pleasant surprises out of the Big 12 this past season. After winning the Big 12 Tournament Championship and making a run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament, head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns return looking to make more noise across the college basketball landscape.
The Longhorns were a steady presence on the national stage this past season as they earned a 2-seed in the Midwest region in last year’s tournament field. Texas finished the year 29-9 and 12-6 in the conference, second in the standings. Coach Terry would lead them to a 22-8 record and overtake the head coaching position by March, just in time for them to rebuild this year’s rotation.
The Longhorns will return five players from last year’s squad including high-flying forward Dillon Mitchell and veteran guards Dylan Disu and Tyrese Hunter. They’ve added some solid pieces out of the transfer portal to go with their returners with their biggest acquisition being Max Abmas, last year’s Summit League Player of the Year, as they look to remain steady in the Big 12 ranks.
They’ve added another defensive presence as well in former UVA big Kadin Shedrick. They’ll look to pair him alongside Dillon Mitchell to make a formidable frontcourt combination.
Texas Longhorns basketball looks to be in the best shape of its life as Coach Terry takes over for his first full season. He’ll have his work cut out for him with some new pieces in the rotation to work with. Take a look at the projected rotation and depth chart for the Longhorns heading into 2023-24.
Point Guard
Starter – Tyrese Hunter (30 mpg)
Tyrese Hunter is probably the most important returner for the Longhorns heading into the season. Hunter joined the Longhorns this past season after spending 2021-22 with the Iowa State Cyclones. He did well in his debut season with the Longhorns, averaging 10.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, and 2.5 apg on 33.7 percent shooting from 3-point range.
He’ll have another weapon in the backcourt at his disposal in Max Abmas this season, so look for his assist production to increase steadily heading into a new year. He’s also got some options in the frontcourt to work with with Kadin Shedrick and Ze’rik Onyema joining the fold.
Bench – Chendall Weaver (10 mpg)
Chendall Weaver is another transfer portal acquisition for the Longhorns. He makes the jump to the Big 12 from UT-Arlington in the WAC after winning the WAC Rookie of the Year award. Weaver will look to boost the backcourt with his ability to knock down shots on the perimeter and make plays for others.
He put up 9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 2.0 apg in his debut season of college basketball in 2022-23, starting in 25 of his 32 appearances. He’ll be looked upon to be a presence in the Texas backcourt off the bench given what he can do on the floor.
Shooting Guard
Starter – Max Abmas (30 mpg)
Max Abmas joins Texas in the Big 12 after a record-setting career in the Summit League with Oral Roberts. Abmas exudes winning basketball and it really showed this past season as he led Oral Roberts to an 18-0 record in Summit League action as well as a conference regular season and tournament championship. He’ll look to bring his winning pedigree to the Longhorns backcourt.
The 2022-23 Summit League Player of the Year produced 21.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.0 apg and 1.1 spg on 37.3 percent shooting from deep. He’s capable of sharing the guard duties with Tyrese Hunter while still maintaining his ability to score. He knocked down 3.5 3-pointers per contest while leading the conference in 3-pointers made (119) this past year.
Bench – Ithiel Horton (10 mpg)
Ithiel Horton is another guard out of the transfer portal joining the Longhorns rotation this upcoming season. Horton spent the past season at UCF in the AAC where he finished with 12.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 apg and 1.4 spg on 34.8 percent shooting from deep. He’s got some power conference experience under his belt as well after attending Pittsburgh from 2019-22. He’ll look to use his shooting guard prowess to his advantage as a reserve for Texas this season.
Small Forward
Starter – Dillon Mitchell (25 mpg)
Dillon Mitchell is another returner with starting experience who should grow into a bigger role with at the small forward spot for the Longhorns this season. He appeared in 38 games as a freshman, starting in all 38 contests across 17.5 minutes per game. Look for that number to grow after he got some experience under his belt in 2022-23.
He finished with 4.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg on 63.6 percent shooting from the field. He’s a player who’s got rim-to-rim potential for the Longhorns on both ends of the floor this season. He’ll be pivotal to their defensive success given his length and ability to alter shots around the rim.
Bench – Brock Cunningham (12 mpg)
Brock Cunningham is another veteran presence returning for the Longhorns who should their bench with his length, rebounding and shooting at 6-foot-5. He put up 4.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 1.4 apg on 41.3 percent from 3-point land in 2022-23 across 38 appearances off the bench. He should give them solid minutes off the bench at the small forward spot with his ability to rebound the ball and make things happen.
Power Forward
Starter – Dylan Disu (28 mpg)
Dylan Disu returns looking to boost the Longhorns’ scoring attack following a breakout 2022-23 campaign. Disu came up in a big way in the Longhorns’ Big 12 Conference Tournament victory as he took home the Big 12 Tournament MVP award. He finished with 14.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.7 spg, and 1.0 bpg while shooting 73.9 percent from the floor in the conference tournament.
Given his mobility and versatility at 6-foot-9, he can operate at the stretch-forward spot as well. He shot 10-of-31 (32.3 percent) from deep this past season. He should give the Longhorns a solid defensive base to work off of with Dillon Mitchell and Kadin Shedrick also in the frontcourt.
Bench – Ze’rik Onyema (10 mpg), Alex Anamekwe (5 mpg)
Ze’rik Onyema is another name out of the transfer portal the Longhorns will look to to add depth to their frontcourt. He’s a 6-foot-8 presence who had a solid season for UTEP in Conference USA action this past season. He finished with 7.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. He’ll be a name that’ll compete for minutes with his abilities in the painted area in 2023-24.
While he’s got some starting experience, he’ll be a solid reserve for them to have off the bench as well. Alex Anamekwe is another returning name who should see an uptick in his minutes heading into Year 2.
Center
Starter – Kadin Shedrick (25 mpg)
Kadin Shedrick emerged as quite the two-way presence off the bench for the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC. He’ll look to really push the envelope as the starting center for the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12. He developed quite nicely over the past three seasons after redshirting in 2019-20. This past season, he put up 6.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 1.4 bpg. He’s got an opportunity to be quite the defensive anchor for a Longhorns squad in need.
With Timmy Allen’s departure, the frontcourt will be wide open looking for a new leader. He’s got some starting experience under his belt. He started in 34 of the 76 appearances he made for the Cavaliers and averaged roughly 17.6 minutes of action per game. Look for his production to grow on all fronts in the Big 12 this season.
Bench – Ze’rik Onyema (15 mpg)
Ze’rik Onyema should be a go-to option at the backup center spot given his experience in the Big 12. He’ll also provide support at the power forward spot, so look for him to get a ton of playing time in the frontcourt.
The biggest issue with this Longhorns squad is their depth in the frontcourt. It will be interesting to see where Coach Terry utilizes Onyema the most.