NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 power rankings for 2024-25 season

19. Texas Longhorns

There are two new additions to the SEC in Oklahoma and Texas. The Sooners are more in a rebuilding mode, while the Longhorns hope to have the pieces to make an immediate impact. They’re without the top four scorers from last season, including key guys Max Abmas and Dylan Disu.

However, Coach Rodney Terry made several moves to replace the talent via the transfer portal. And he arguably improved the roster overall, especially in the backcourt. Jordan Pope (17.6 ppg and 3.4 apg at Oregon State) and Tramon Mark (16.2 ppg at Arkansas) were two of the top guard pickups this offseason, joined by two double-digit starters from Saint Louis (Julian Larry and Jayson Kent). Don’t forget about Tre Johnson, a consensus 5-star freshman prospect who could be a “one and done” NBA Draft pick.

The only starter who is back is Kadin Shedrick, the starting center. He’s dealt with injuries in the past but can be a great rim protector when healthy. Arthur Kaluma, a transfer from Kansas State, joins him in the frontcourt. He produced career-high numbers of 14.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg on 35% shooting from deep. Ze’Rik Onyema and freshmen Jamie Vinson and Nicolas Codie complete the depth inside.

Coach Terry showed could handle the job at the Big 12 level, so going to the SEC shouldn’t be a big deal. But based on this top-25 power ranking, there’s a lot of high-end competition for them to deal with.