Texas Basketball 2022-23 Player Profile: F Dylan Disu

As Texas basketball inches closer to their season opener in the Moody Center against UTEP on Nov. 7, we at Hook’Em Headlines will offer player profiles for everyone on the roster.

Hopes are high entering year two under the Chris Beard regime, as this Texas basketball roster is undoubtedly one of the most talented in the country. A mixture of impact freshmen, transfers, and key returners has the Longhorns poised to make some noise on the national stage.

We already dove into the previews for Timmy Allen, Christian Bishop, Marcus Carr, Tyrese Hunter, and Dillon Mitchell. Today, we focus on veteran big man Dylan Disu.

Dylan Disu

Heading into the 2021 offseason, Dylan Disu was one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal.

The 6-9 big man was coming off of a sophomore season at Vanderbilt where he led the SEC in rebounding with 9.2 per game while also averaging 15.0 points per game. Disu knocked down 36.9 percent of his three-point attempts and swatted 1.2 shots per game.

Unfortunately for the Commodores, a 9-16 (3-13) record led the Pflugerville native to take his talents to the transfer portal.

As told to Orangebloods, Disu’s yearning to return home and play near family paired with the style and winning attitude of Coach Chris Beard led him to choose the University of Texas as his transfer destination.

"“I really like what he {Coach Beard} had to say and I like his style. I think he is a winner and he has proven that at the highest level. All those factors stand out when it comes to them, and the school being 15 minutes away from my house is the cherry on top.”"

In late May of this year, Disu announced his intentions to return for to Texas for his senior season.

A look back at 2021-22

A knee injury that ended Disu’s 2020-21 season ended up plaguing the 6-9 forward for most of last season.

He missed the offseason conditioning program, fall practice, and the first eight games of the regular season. Disu was slowly worked back into the rotation on a minute’s restriction but never seemed to feel fully comfortable on the court.

Disu played in 26 games, averaging 3.7 points and 3.2 rebounds with a true shooting percentage of 51.1 percent. This was a far fall from grace for a guy who averaged 15.0/9.2 in the SEC the season before.

I believe Disu’s knee injury was more of a hindrance than he let on, and Coach Beard has said as much this offseason.

"“Last year I thought he had a great year, not even good, a great year if you consider everything that he went through. No preseason, no foundation, limited in practice, limited in game minutes to start. Really just kind of learned on the fly.”"

There were certainly some positives from Disu’s 2021-22 season.

Despite playing in just 26 games, he was second on the team with 21 blocks. Three of those blocks came in the NCAA Tournament, where he looked spry and was an impact on the defensive end of the floor.

Disu had a three-game stretch to end non-conference play where he averaged 13.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks while shooting 61.5 percent from the field. The opponents (Stanford, Alabama State, and Incarnate Word) certainly factored into that production. Still, it was a good sign for everyone involved to see that Disu can be an impactful player in the burnt orange.

Looking ahead to 2022-23 for Texas basketball F Dylan Disu

Coach Beard and those inside the Texas basketball program are very bullish on the type of season Disu can have this year. This leads me to believe he will get a lot of opportunities to recapture his form from his sophomore season at Vanderbilt.

The cohesion Disu has gained from spending an entire offseason in Austin working in John Reilly’s strength and conditioning program is unmeasurable.

Disu has proven he can play at an All-Conference level in high Division One college basketball. He has the requisite skills to be an offensive weapon at all three levels and a defensive eraser around the basket. I believe he will show that this season.

Although Disu started during the Longhorns’ exhibition game against Arkansas, it is unclear if this will be his role during regular season play. Regardless, he and Christian Bishop will likely split most minutes at the ‘center’ position.

On the offensive end of the floor, I believe Disu can be a real weapon in pick-and-roll/pop situations. He has displayed soft hands and strong leaping ability when rolling to the rim. When stepping out behind the arc, I believe it is fully reasonable to expect we see sophomore Disu (36.9%) rather than junior Disu (13.3%) when it comes to his three-point stroke.

If he shows he is back to that level from the outside, the Texas offense completely opens up.

Last season, defenses were able to pack the paint, daring the Horns to beat them from deep. Disu being able to draw the opposition’s big man to the perimeter will allow guys like Marcus Carr and Tyrese Hunter easier driving lanes to the hoop.

On the defensive end, it is paramount that Disu returns to the rim protector he was at Vanderbilt.

The one thing the Texas defense is lacking is a true rim protector. Disu’s seven-foot wingspan and rangy athleticism set him up perfectly to be elite at swatting shots. He has 18 games with at least two blocks in his collegiate career.

Although he will certainly give up some size against the bigger post players on the Longhorns’ schedule, using that seven-foot wingspan to his advantage can make up for his wiry frame.

I expect Disu to play 20-24 minutes per game this season as one of the leaders in the frontcourt. If he refinds his jump shot, he can be one of the most effective offensive options on the roster. Regardless, a healthy Disu should have a significant impact on the defensive end of the floor.