NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Marquette rise in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
23. Texas (4-1)
Things certainly did not go exactly according to plan in Austin last season in a tumultuous season that involved Chris Beard’s firing and a deep postseason run. Texas would certainly take the Elite Eight runs on a more consistent basis, but a lot depends on how Rodney Terry’s program fares in the weeks and months ahead. This past week was not one of the bright ones.
The Longhorns narrowly avoided disaster back on Sunday in their first game at the Empire Classic, using a game-winning shot by Max Abmas to win 81-80 against a rough Louisville team. Kadin Shedrick had 27 points and 7 rebounds in the close call; a game where Texas shot just 12% from outside the arc. Texas lost their first game of the season the following day, falling 81-71 against a much stronger Connecticut team that won the national title last year. Dillon Mitchell led the team with 21 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.
Between Abmas and Shedrick and the other names on this roster, Texas has the talent to make noise in a deep, talented Big 12. That much might not be clear based on their struggles in New York, but Terry’s squad will likely get back to that level. The offense has looked great for the most part and they’ll get very winnable matchups against Wyoming and Texas State to get back on track this upcoming week.