To John Fanta
FOX Sports College Basketball Writer
Editor’s Note: Jon Fanta is counting the top 15 teams in college basketball for the start of the 2022-23 season. Check-in at number 12 texas.
Is Texas Back?
wait! Before I stop reading, I’m not talking about the debates created by college football pundits every September. I’m talking about the Longhorns’ basketball program.
Momentum is waning in Austin. Texas has one of the sport’s coaching stars, Chris Beard, who is in his second season. The Horns ended his eight-year drought on the dance floor last season by winning an NCAA Tournament game. According to 247 Sports, they will return the top two scorers from his 22-12 team and lead them into the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation. Beard and his staff also performed on the transfer portal with his one in the offseason splash.
To top it off, the program should open a new home building, the Moody Center, located in the middle of campus this season, giving the Longhorns a stronger home-court advantage than in the past. What an alum like Beard is passionate about.
With a lot of talent and the right leaders in place, there are plenty of reasons to buy stock in Texas next season. Will the Longhorns reach Suite 16 for the first time since his 2008?
Let’s take a closer look at the 12th-ranked team in the nation in the preseason rankings.
Who are the returning players?
There’s no shortage of returning talent to work with, including three starters who each landed it all-big 12 Honor last season. Even better, all three players are in his fifth year of college basketball.
Marcus Kerr Help lead the backcourt after averaging 11.4 points and 3.4 assists per game in his debut season after transferring from MinnesotaThe question for Kerr will be whether he can come close to the numbers he averaged 19.4 points and 4.9 assists per game with the Golden Gophers two years ago.
Texas also has a dynamic 6-foot-6 wing Timmy Allen return. Last season’s All Big 12 second team selection, Utah A transfer average of 12.1 points and a 6.4 board all-league second-team honours.
On the frontcourt, Texas is back christian bishopthe 6-foot-7 forward who will be asked for more after posting 7.0 points and 5.6 boards per game last season.
The other piece behind is a 6-foot-9 senior forward Dylan Dis and a 6-foot-6 senior wing brock cunninghamNeither could do much in the offensive end, but both played double-digit hours per game for Beard. vanderbilt He averaged 15.0 points and 9.2 boards in his sophomore year. After a development offseason, can he grow into a bigger role?
while guarding Andrew Jones When Courtney Rameyand transfer Tre Mitchellmay be gone, but a solid core remains.
Who’s new to the roster?
The Longhorns have the top three recruiting classes in the country, with Beard securing two five-star commitments.
With both 6.7-foot winger Dillon Mitchell (#5 Recruit 2022 Ranked) and 6.3-foot point guard Alterio Morris (#17 Recruit 2022 Ranked) on the field, Texas’ lack of firepower on the perimeter is There is none. program.
Mitchell is a long and versatile small forward and one of the most athletic players in this freshman class. With his speed, ability to hit the rim, and solid defensive skills his set of Montverde his academy products are natural wings. His defense is what Beard found very appealing when they recruited him, and all signs point to him starting.
As for Morris, he’s likely to take on a rotation role, and his quick bursts and ability on the downhills could provide another dimension for Texas.
As for the transfer portal, Beard and his staff put top players on the board to step in to replace the departed Ramey and Jones, and the Longhorns involved him.
Iowa Migration tyreese hunterNamed Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He decided to stay at the conference by heading to Austin. His decision, which was officially announced on May 27, made waves in college basketball headlines, and a major reason Texas is ranked 12th in the preseason polls is the difficult big game. At 12 is what Hunter did in his first year.
A 6-foot guard, Hunter averaged 11.0 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.0 boards, helping lead Iowa State to an amazing season and the NCAA Tournament. If he can extend his 39% mark from the field last season, watch out.
At his size and skill set, the hunter isn’t really NBA A draft prospect, but that’s to Beard’s benefit. The Wisconsin native put up with his freshman year quite a bit, but he still has high ceilings and will probably be around for a couple of seasons. He is a complete winner in the recruitment route.
Another feature that Beard added to the portal is: new mexico Migration sirjabali riceYet another fifth-year player on the Longhorns roster, Rice could be a winner and an underrated weapon. The 6-foot-4 guard helped the Aggies to the WAC Tournament championship last season and also upset them in the first round. U Conn at the NCAA Tournament. Averaging 11.9 points, 5.1 boards, and 3.1 assists, he brings his 111-game experience of college basketball to the program and knows what his winning looks like.
Important question…
For the Longhorns, what they do this season will be determined by how Beard manages the blend of returning experience and high-impact additions.
What Kerr does in the end will be huge for this team. At his best, he can perform at the national level.Allen and Bishop are expected to make up the first frontcourt, with Bishop clayton After the transfer, he made a leap forward in the second season on the program.
Defense has never been an issue for Beard’s team. Texas ranked 14th in KenPom-adjusted defensive efficiency last season.
[40 storylines to watch for the 2022-23 season]
It’s the offense and what happens from the perimeter will be a big key. Texas lost the top three shooters in Jones, Rummy and Febre, and the Horns weren’t particularly strong across the arc. They finished 6th of 10 in the Big 12 with a 6.6 3-pointer per game, and he was fifth in the conference with a 33% 3-pointer percentage.
With the addition of Hunter, Mitchell and Rice, will the Longhorns find more ways to beat defenses?
Another big question is what life will be like in the Big 12. The Longhorns may be 12th in the preseason rankings, but they’re only the first. four League teams in this countdown. This conference is piling up, and Texas has no shortage of challenges.
Non-meeting schedule highlights
How’s the game in Austin on November 16th? GonzagaIt’s a non-conference highlight for the Longhorns, who are also home to Clayton, who could be a top 10 team on December 1st.? Illinois At Jimmy V Classic. December 18th in Dallas Stanford A program that could be a candidate for Pac-12.
In the middle of the conference gauntlet, Kansas, Baylor, TCU When texas techLonghorns is also doing a big load test Tennessee at the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on January 28th.
Top 15 Countdown:
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1, to serving as lead his host on the BIG EAST digital network and providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John Fanta.
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