Texas Basketball: 3 must-get portal targets for Horns early this offseason

Newly-hired full-time head coach Rodney Terry and the Texas basketball program have quickly run into a busy time early this offseason in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Since the start of last weekend, Texas has lost two players to the transfer portal in freshman guards Rowan Brumbaugh and Arterio Morris.

Brumbaugh has already found his next home out of the portal this offseason with new head coach Ed Cooley and the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big East.

Meanwhile, Morris is still in the transfer portal as he just announced he would be testing the waters on the transfer market on April 10.

With Brumbaugh and Morris leaving Texas via the transfer portal in the last week, Terry and the Longhorns staff are now left with no guarantees among guards returning to the Forty Acres for the 2023-24 season from last year’s squad. Sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter could return to the 40 ahead of next season as he declared early for the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.

And while it looks like the backcourt unit is in dire need of some added depth via the portal this offseason, there is a similar narrative to be painted in the frontcourt. Texas could be losing both freshman forward Dillon Mitchell and senior big man Dylan Disu to the 2023 NBA Draft.

To make matters worse, Terry and the Longhorns also lost the elite five-star Southern California Academy combo guard signee AJ Johnson to the Illawarra Hawks of Australia’s NBL on April 13.

Kadin Shedrick and the “must-get” priority portal targets for Texas basketball early this offseason

With all of this in mind, here’s a look at three must-get portal targets for the Longhorns early this offseason.

Kadin Shedrick, C

After Texas lost out on the former USC Trojans junior shooting guard and the reigning PAC-12 Sixth Man of the Year Reese Dixon-Waters to the San Diego State Aztecs earlier this week, the top priority target for Terry and the Longhorns in the portal could now be a former Virginia Cavaliers big man.

Redshirt junior 6-foot-11 and 220-pound Virginia transfer center Kadin Shedrick included Texas amid his five finalist schools announced a few days ago. Shedrick will also be visiting Texas on April 18, one day before his trip to Columbia, MO, to see the Mizzou Tigers (another one of his five finalist schools).

It is my personal opinion that this visit next week for Shedrick to see the Forty Acres will be one of the most pivotal moments of the early stages of the 2023 offseason for Terry. Texas clearly needs a win in the portal and/or on the recruiting trail to find something to feel good about in terms of rebuilding the roster this spring.

Shedrick would be a nice addition as a proficient two-way big man that is a good rim protector, rebounder, and runs well in transition. He also brings a nice back-to-the-basket game on the offensive end of the floor.

The top competition for the Longhorns in the race to land a commitment from Shedrick out of the portal will be three schools. The Duke Blue Devils are getting most of the chatter in terms of the presumed favorite for Shedrick. But Texas, Mizzou, and the Kansas State Wildcats aren’t going away quietly in this portal recruitment.