For the first time in several seasons, Texas Longhorn basketball fans have a lot to be excited about. Following a disastrous season in 2012-13 in which the Longhorns were bounced from the first round of the College Basketball Invitational, expectations weren’t very high for the Longhorns last year. Nevertheless, fans were in for a big surprise, as the team made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament: a huge victory considering that an invite to the NIT was the best that fans had hoped for before the season began.
The Horns prepare to tip-off the season against North Dakota State in the first round of the 2K Classic this Friday.
Last year, the Longhorns, the youngest team in the nation at the time with a coach on the hot-seat, seemed to find the chemistry they’d been lacking for several seasons, and with some players choosing to leave the program, those left truly seemed to buy into what head coach Rick Barnes was trying to rebuild in Austin.
After the surprising season ended, fans began to get excited for the upcoming year; the future finally looked bright for this young Texas Longhorns team, who is returning their entire roster. Not only that, the nation’s No. 2 recruit, Myles Turner, selected to stay in his home state and play for the Horns.With such talent returning and young, elite talent coming in, the Longhorns have drawn the attention of the media, ranking them No. 10 in the preseason polls.
As the Horns prepare to tip-off the season against North Dakota State in the first round of the 2K Classic this Friday, we will take a look at this year’s team, beginning with the incoming freshmen: Myles Turner and Jordan Barnett. While the class only has two freshman coming in, what they lack in number, they more than make up for in talent.
Incoming freshman Myles Turner is the most heralded freshman player at Texas since Kevin Durant.
Myles Turner, a 6-11 power forward from Bedford, Texas, is the most heralded freshman player at Texas since Kevin Durant played on the Forty Acres. As a high school senior at Trinity (Euless), Turner averaged 18.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 7.8 blocks per game. He choose to represent his home state over basketball powerhouses such as Kansas and Duke.
Turner is expected to provide an immediate impact for the Longhorns, despite the returning talent. While it may take a couple of months for him to find his grove in the college game, he will contribute early, likely as a starter.
Turner is one of the rare talents who can play any position from the post to the wing. He has a great shooting touch, and his size and length make him incredibly tough to defend.
Jordan Barnett is a 6’6″, 205-pound small forward out of St. Louis, MO. Barnett is ranked as the 86th player on ESPN’s top 100 list and is the No. 1 recruit out of Missouri. Despite offers from Michigan State, Florida, Oklahoma State, and Stanford, Barnett decided to play for the up-and-coming Longhorns.
Barnett is strong and athletic and can handle the ball fairly well in the lane in addition to being a solid mid-range shooter. He is a very smart, physical player and attacks the boards aggressively. In his final season in high school, where he led his team to the state title, Barnett averaged over 19 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game.
With so much talent returning, it’s too early to tell how much of an impact Barnett will make this season, however, it will be hard to keep him off the floor for too long. His size, strength, and athleticism could cause problems for opposing defenses.
Both Myles and Barnett should make a huge impact on a team that was already expected to do well this season. If they can stay healthy, they could end up as two of the top freshmen in the country.
Stay tuned for our next preview, featuring the returning starters.