Texas Basketball: 3 biggest positions of need to tackle in the portal
Texas basketball has a busy early offseason slate for the spring and summer. Newly-hired head coach Rodney Terry has the task of rebuilding a roster that is going to lose a lot of seniors this offseason. Texas is likely set to lose five seniors, depending on what happens with senior big man Dylan Disu.
At least 40 percent of the core rotation players are probably going to be gone next season upon the departures of key senior contributors such as guard Marcus Carr, shooting guard/wing Sir’Jabari Rice, and forward Timmy Allen. That’s a lot to replace.
Moreover, Terry also has to start forming this roster in the shape that he wants to build for the future. All the players on the roster for the Longhorns in the season that was were recruited by former head coach Chris Beard, aside from returning super senior forward Brock Cunningham.
Biggest portal needs for Texas basketball early this offseason
With all of this in mind, here’s a look at three of the biggest positions of need that Terry and the Longhorns can tackle in the NCAA Transfer Portal during the 2023 offseason.
Texas has reportedly made contact with the reigning PAC-12 Sixth Man of the Year in the transfer portal. https://t.co/fbTgoLdcX0
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) March 28, 2023
Wing
One of the positions that Terry and the Longhorns staff appear to be targeting in the portal early this offseason is small forward. Texas will be looking to replenish the depth that is lost with key departures such as Rice and Allen.
At the moment, the only proven depth that Texas really has on the wing is the return of Cunnigham. And even Cunningham is more accustomed to playing a small ball four instead of the role of a true wing in the last few years.
Texas has reportedly already made contact with the former USC Trojans junior 6-foot-5 and 210-pound shooting guard Reese Dixon-Waters. The reigning PAC-12 Sixth Man of the Year could provide some valuable scoring more than likely off the bench. Dixon-Waters averaged a career-best 9.8 points per game in a little north of 30 games played for the Trojans last season.
Ideally, though, I would like to see the Longhorns pursue more of a three-and-D wing that could help space the floor for this Terry offensive scheme next season. Rice gave Texas that valuable floor spacing so the offense could perform at an efficient level on a nightly basis in the season that was.