NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 power rankings for 2023-24 season

17. Texas Longhorns

2022-23 season record: 29-9 (12-6 Big 12)

Despite dealing with a coaching change midway through the season, Texas still managed to make an Elite 8 appearance under coach Rodney Terry. He earned the full-time gig and had an offseason to replace a ton of key pieces. That includes most notably, guards Marcus Carr and Sir’Jabari Rice, as well as forward Timmy Allen.

The Longhorns did add some big names through the portal this offseason, including most notably, Max Abmas. The 6’1 scoring guard is a two-time Summit League Player of the Year at Oral Roberts, with a four-year career average of 20.8 ppg and 3.2 apg. Abmas has number 30+ point scoring efforts and with returning guard Tyrese Hunter, should have one of the top backcourts in NCAA Basketball this season. UCF transfer Ithiel Horton and former WAC Rookie of the Year guard Chendall Weaver round out the perimeter rotation.

Joining starter Dylan Disu in the frontcourt is Virginia transfer Kadin Shedrick, one of the better defensive centers in NCAA Basketball. Ze’Rik Onyema is a transfer from UTEP who’s familar with Coach Terry, while Brock Cunningham is back for yet another year as the ultimate glue-guy.

If sophomore forward and former five-star prospect Dillon Mitchell can have a breakout campaign, it’ll be hard to find a weakness on this roster. That would leave the only question to be whether or not Coach Terry is the long-term man for the high-profile job. That may be more important to note than any of the newcomers.