Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
Texas (Projected: 9th in SEC)
After stints in his career with Fresno State and UTEP, Rodney Terry took over for Chris Beard early on in 2022-23 and has held the fort down since. This will be Terry’s first full cycle as the head coach at Texas, a big year for him to prove himself at the power conference level. Many players left this offseason, but Terry put together a great incoming transfer class and added one of the top freshmen in the country.
Just four players who were on the roster last season return to Texas, including only one guard. Chendall Weaver (6 ppg) primarily came off the bench for the Longhorns last season in his first year with the team after transferring in from UT Arlington. Weaver is a guy that can really hold the lineup together, a great defender who can do a bit of everything on the offensive end. Weaver will likely come off the bench once again as a junior but is sure to provide a positive impact on both ends of the floor.
The Longhorns’ frontcourt returns three frontcourt players, most notably Kadin Shedrick (8 ppg). Shedrick started 11 games last year for Texas after transferring in from Virginia. He’ll provide a lengthy option in the frontcourt, though he isn’t as physical as one would hope a 6-11 forward is. Ze’Rik Onyema (3 ppg) was originally recruited by Terry at UTEP, and eventually followed his coach over to Texas last season. Onyema saw flashes of playing time throughout 2023-24 and I think he could flourish in a bigger role off the bench for the Longhorns. Devon Pryor (1 ppg) is the final returner for the Longhorns, an incoming sophomore who appeared in just seven games as a freshman.
Six players, whom all played significant minutes last season, left Texas this offseason for one reason or another. Leading scorers Max Abmas (17 ppg, 4 apg) and Dylan Disu (16 ppg, 5 rpg) both ran out of eligibility. Tyrese Hunter (11 ppg, 4 apg) left for Memphis, while Dillon Mitchell (10 ppg, 8 rpg) transferred to Cincinnati. Supporting cast members Ithiel Horton (6 ppg) and Brock Cunningham (4 ppg, 4 rpg) both ran out of eligibility as well.
Rodney Terry’s class of transfers is where this upcoming season’s roster starts to get exciting. Arthur Kaluma (14 ppg, 7 rpg at Kansas State) highlights the class, a senior forward who has averaged double figures in scoring for all three seasons of his collegiate career. Kaluma is a good all-around forward, with an ever-improving three-point shot and great defense and rebounding tangibles. Staying in the frontcourt, Terry also brings in Indiana State wing Jayson Kent (14 ppg, 8 rpg at Indiana State). Kent stands at 6-8 and primarily plays the three or the four but has the skills of a guard. His improvement from his junior to senior season (5.1 ppg & 2.1 rpg to 13.5 ppg & 8.1 rpg) is one of the more underrated aspects to Indiana State’s surprising season. Kent was overshadowed plenty at Indiana State, but I believe he can have a meaningful in the Longhorns’ rotation this season.
Julian Larry (11 ppg, 5 apg at Indiana State) also joins the Longhorns from Indiana State, starting at point guard in 38/39 games last season for the Sycamores. Larry will be the best option for Terry as a pass-first point guard, with three electric scoring options alongside him in the backcourt. Jordan Pope (18 ppg at Oregon State) and Tramon Mark (16 ppg, 4 rpg at Arkansas) are the electric scorers. Pope was one of the few bright spots on an awful Oregon State squad last season, leading the team in scoring with efficient shooting splits (45.1% FG, 37.1% 3P). Last offseason, Mark became one of the rare players to transfer out of Kelvin Sampson’s Houston program, heading to Arkansas, Now, Mark finds himself back in Texas with the Texas Longhorns. Mark saw a bigger role at Arkansas and was actually pretty efficient for the Razorbacks, even in their disaster-filled campaign. The final transfer of the class is Vanderbilt transfer Malik Presley (2 ppg), a 6-6 wing who saw limited minutes during his freshman season at Vanderbilt.
Three recruits fill out Terry’s roster heading into 2024-25. Tre Johnson (5*, NAT 5) is the big name of the class, a consensus top 10 recruit in the class of 2024. Johnson is hyped up to be one of the best scorers in the class and is a guy who could end up going inside the top 10 of next year’s NBA Draft. The only worry with Johnson will be if there’s enough shots to go around for everybody, with both Jordan Pope and Tramon Mark in the backcourt alongside him. Nicolas Codie (4*, NAT 62) and Jamie Vinson (3*, NAT 206) will both have much smaller roles than Johnson, but could still see a sizable impact off the bench in their freshman seasons.
Rodney Terry is one of the more scrutinized coaches in college basketball, with many unsure if he’s truly capable of leading a program like Texas. To me, I think he’s done exactly what would be expected of him in each of the last two seasons and I can’t knock him at all for that. However, I do believe that this is a big year for him, one where he will be competing in a top-heavy SEC against many elite coaching minds.
There’s a lot of questions as to how exactly the Longhorns lineup will shake out heading into November, but there’s no question that the talent level of this roster is NCAA Tournament good once again. From a personal standpoint, I’m very excited to see how Jordan Pope fits in at Texas and how he will play in a much more talented lineup. Tre Johnson will be a big piece as well, looking to fit in as a freshman on a one-year journey to the NBA. My X-factor for this team is Julian Larry though, a guy I think will have to have a big impact as the only true point guard on the roster. If Larry can keep everyone happy while also making a seamless jump up in competition himself, the Longhorns could be very scary come March.
I’m very split on Texas and on a lot of the teams between 4th and 10th in the SEC. I think the Longhorns talent can match with anyone in those spots, but the largest blemish could be the fact that Rodney Terry will be up against John Calipari, Rick Barnes, and Chris Beard, among others. I’ve got the Longhorns placed 9th in the SEC right now, which I think is a very safe spot to reach an NCAA Tournament in with how good the SEC will be.