NCAA Basketball: Duke, Michigan State fall in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
21. Texas (2-0)
It’s a new season in Austin and the Longhorns have turned the page after the controversies surrounding Chris Beard last season. Texas is in great shape under new full-time head coach Rodney Terry, who took the Longhorns to the Elite Eight and a Big 12 Tournament title as the interim coach last year. A few names are different this season, but the Longhorns have the talent to make waves in their final year in the Big 12.
Making waves wasn’t exactly necessary on opening night, as the Longhorns pulled away for an 88-56 win over Incarnate Word. Ithiel Horton had 17 points while exciting newcomer Max Abmas put up 12 in his debut with the Longhorns. Their game on Friday against Delaware State was a little closer than expected early, but ended in an 86-59 victory. Abmas’s 19 points led the charge while Dillon Mitchell had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
Adding Abmas, one of college basketball’s best scorers in recent years, was a fantastic offseason move for Terry and company. They’ve put together a functional and talented roster that legitimately could have aspirations to get right back to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. We’re not making sweeping statements based on those first two games, nor will we be able to say much next week, with games against Rice and Louisville on the horizon.