Texas Basketball: Projected early starting 5 for 2021-22 season

Tre Mitchell, C

The lone player on this list that I’ve projected to be in the starting five in this way-too-early prediction for next season is the former UMass Minutemen star transfer sophomore center Tre Mitchell. There’s not much better at this point in time that Beard and the Longhorns could do in terms of adding a center out of the transfer portal than with the 6-foot-9 and 240 pound Mitchell.

Texas was named in the top six finalist schools for Mitchell out of the transfer portal this offseason. The other five schools to watch are the Georgia Bulldogs, Bryant Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, and Illinois Fighting Illini. If Texas can pitch a clear path for a big role and a spot in the starting unit right away to Mitchell, that might be enough to lure him to the Forty Acres when it’s all said and done.

Thinking about what the Longhorns could do with a starting frontcourt unit of Disu and Mitchell would be truly cumbersome for the rest of the Big 12. That would put them among the most potent frontcourt units in the entire country if these two transfers were to both land in and pan out well together in Austin (which would be a strong likelihood).

The two-time All-Atlantic 10 Conference Team selection and 2019-20 A-10 Newcomer of the Year is one of the best remaining available players in the transfer portal at this point of the offseason. Texas needs to put their best foot forward to see if they can get him to Austin.

Especially if Texas winds up losing senior center Jericho Sims to the NBA, they need to find depth to replace him at this spot in the rotation.