Texas Basketball: Longhorns ready to come out firing this season

In the first game of the season (granted it was during the preseason), No. 5 ranked Texas basketball took on Texas Lutheran in what essentially amounts to a scrimmage. And this game got lopsided fast, as expected. New Texas head coach Chris Beard had his squad take down Texas Lutheran by the final score of 96-33 at the Frank Erwin Center on Nov. 1.

Beard and the Longhorns never really kept it close with Texas Lutheran earlier this week. By halftime, the score was already 47-20. And things got even more lopsided in the second half when the Longhorns won by a score of 49-13.

We see some of the many new faces on this Longhorns men’s hoops team step to the forefront in this preseason win. That namely included the likes of former UMass Minutemen star sophomore center Tre Mitchell, former Utah Utes forward Timmy Allen, and freshman forward Jaylon Tyson.

Some familiar faces were good in this preseason game too. The senior duo of shooting guard/wing Andrew Jones and guard Courtney Ramey were stellar for Beard and the Longhorns in this meeting with Texas Lutheran.

Chris Beard leading No. 5 Texas basketball to something special this season

Texas essentially has two units worth of players that all would start for most teams around the Big 12, not to mention essentially for most non-top 10 teams around the entire college hoops landscape. And a lot of these new additions to the program would start in many units on top 10 teams, depending on who you look at this season.

Given the insane amount of depth that Beard and this new Longhorns staff put together, largely by way of additions out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, it almost seems impossible for Texas to start the season slowly. Beard had a few months now to find the right guys to put in what will be a very competitive starting unit.

He’s also got a good combination of younger players that are hungry to earn more minutes, new transfers ready to make an immediate impact, and returning upperclassmen with the experience necessary to win in the Big 12.

Yet, the regular season slate doesn’t have many breaks for the Longhorns early on. Texas does open up the regular season on Nov. 9 at home at the Erwin Center against Houston Baptist. That should be an easy win for Texas to get things going early on.

But in the second game of the regular season, Texas has to take on the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs and head coach Mark Few on the road. Notch a win over the Zags, and Texas could truly establish itself early this season as one or two of the top teams in the nation.

Texas finished up last season with a record of 19-8 (11-6 Big 12), including a Big 12 Tournament crown. But it ended in disappointment with former head coach Shaka Smart and the Longhorns getting upset in the Round of 64 by the 14-seed Abilene Christian Wildcats.