25. Texas (1-1)
When Texas fired Chris Beard a few years ago, they got really lucky that Rodney Terry was on his staff. He led the Longhorns to the Elite Eight a few months later and this program in very solid shape a few years later. They didn’t have the same type of postseason run last season, but have assembled the talent to win games as new members of the SEC this year. The big question is if the Longhorns can put it all together, especially with a flurry of new Transfer Portal additions.
Opening night did not go according to plan, as the Longhorns lost 80-72 in Las Vegas against a feisty Ohio State team. Tre Johnson scored 29 points in a game where Texas was significantly outshot from outside the arc. They got back on track later in the week, winning 90-59 against Houston Christian for the first win of the season. Johnson again stood above all others, putting up 28 points, while five other Longhorns were double-digit scorers.
Texas has the talent to win games in the SEC this season and nobody should panic over a tough shooting performance against Ohio State to open the season. The Longhorns have a chance to make a great entrance into the SEC, and we certainly saw more of that offense on display later this past week. Two very weak mid-majors await next week, meaning Texas’s true chance at a bounce back won’t come quite yet.