Texas Basketball: Dylan Disu returns to give Horns a staple big man

Newly-hired full-time Texas basketball head coach Rodney Terry and his staff got some much-needed good news this weekend in terms of a key player returning to the team for the 2023-24 season. Senior big man Dylan Disu announced on social media on the afternoon of April 23 that he will return to Texas for the final year of his collegiate eligibility for the 2023-24 campaign.

Disu is the first and only starter from last season’s squad for the Longhorns to announce he’s returning to the 40 for another year. Granted, there is still the possibility that Texas gets either freshman forward Dillon Mitchell or sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter back next season.

Mitchell and Hunter both declared for the 2023 NBA Draft earlier this month while maintaining their collegiate eligibility.

Moreover, this is great news for Terry and the Longhorns to get a staple in the starting frontcourt back for the 2023-24 season. Disu played a vital role in Texas’ success in the Big 12 Tournament during the magical run to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament in the season that was.

Texas basketball gets critical piece back for next year in senior PF/C Dylan Disu

For his efforts in March and April, Disu won the Big 12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. And had he not suffered an unfortunate lower-body injury during Texas’ NCAA Tournament run in the Sweet 16, Disu could’ve easily put up a valid case to get All-Tournament honors too.

Prior to suffering that lower-body injury that sidelined him throughout much of the win over the three-seed Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet 16, Disu was leading the NCAA in points per 40 minutes among starters, at a clip north of 33.

Disu had some record-setting performances in the first two rounds for the Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament. He set the single-game NCAA Tournament record for the Longhorns in program history in terms of field goals made, with 14, in the Round of 32 win over the 10-seed Penn State Nittany Lions on March 18.

With Disu returning to Texas for the 2023-24 season, there is some foundation for Terry and his staff to build the starting frontcourt around. Disu is very likely going to be starting at the five, with the elite five-star 2023 commit and Duncanville forward Ron Holland getting the starting nod at the four.

Texas is also after the former Virginia Cavaliers redshirt junior center Kadin Shedrick and UTEP Miners junior power forward Ze’Rik Onyema in the NCAA Transfer Portal early this offseason. Shedrick was on campus for a multi-day official visit earlier this week. And it looks like Onyema is set to take a visit to Texas in the coming weeks as the Longhorns are one of the early schools standing out to him since he entered the portal earlier in the week.

Hypothetically landing a portal commitment from Shedrick could add another starting-caliber player to the frontcourt unit for the Longhorns ahead of next season.

This is how I would project Texas’ starting unit for the 2023-24 season at the moment after the news that Disu will return to the 40 for one more year.

• PG: Max Abmas* (ORU transfer)
• SG: Tyrese Hunter (assuming he does return after declaring for the draft)
• SF: Brock Cunningham/portal
• PF: Ron Holland
• C: Dylan Disu

Impact of Disu’s return on Texas

What Texas is getting with Disu returning for another season is twofold. First and foremost, Texas is getting a critical starter that is also an experienced voice in this locker room. Texas is facing a lot of roster turnover this spring, and this team could have a lot of inexperience in the fold heading into next season.

Getting Disu back will bring some stability and a key veteran voice within the program for next season.

Secondly, Disu gives the Longhorns a proven and versatile scorer that can pose a threat from almost anywhere within 18 or 20 feet of the basket. He’s got a nice post-up game while also scoring at an efficient clip from the mid-range and the elbow.

That’s not to mention the fact that Disu is a solid rebounder on both ends of the floor, given his length and vertical ability. He’s also one of the most capable rim protectors Texas had in the mix in the last few seasons. Disu led the team last season at a clip of 1.3 blocks per game.

And he was the only Longhorns player that even averaged more than one block per game during the season that was. The combination of Disu’s veteran presence along with his versatile two-way skill set makes him one of the most important players that Terry and Texas could get to return next season.

Texas finished up last season with a record of 29-9 (12-6 Big 12) following the Elite Eight loss to the five-seed Miami Hurricanes. Terry and the Longhorns are now busy in the portal early this offseason trying to rebuild this roster that just got an important piece back in the fifth-year senior Disu.