Predicting Texas basketball’s next transfer addition after Kadin Shedrick

Texas basketball and newly-hired full-time head coach Rodney Terry nabbed their first addition via the NCAA Transfer Portal in the 2023 class this offseason over the weekend. Texas landed a portal commitment from the former Virginia Cavaliers redshirt junior center Kadin Shedrick on April 23.

This was much-needed good news for Terry and the Longhorns after what could be characterized as a tumultuous start to the offseason in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail at the high school ranks. So far this offseason, the Longhorns have lost seven scholarship players from last season’s team.

And that’s not including the two Longhorns players that declared early for the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining their collegiate eligibility, freshman forward Dillon Mitchell and sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter.

It sounds like Texas is reasonably expecting Hunter back next season, while Mitchell is less likely to return as he is a potential mid-to-late first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Moreover, Texas also lost the five-star Southern California Academy combo guard signee AJ Johnson to Australia’s NBL and the Illawarra Hawks earlier this month.

Max Abmas and the possible upcoming portal pickups for Texas basketball after Kadin Shedrick

Thus, it’s clear why the Longhorns nabbing Shedrick out of the portal a couple of days ago is so huge. With that in mind, here’s a look at a prediction of the next portal addition for the Longhorns this spring after landing Shedrick on April 23.

Tre White, SG

Among the newer portal targets on the radar for Terry and the Longhorns this week is the former USC Trojans freshman shooting guard Tre White. The 6-foot-7 and 210-pound Dallas, TX, native reportedly received interest from Texas after his name surfaced in the transfer portal last week.

White is the second USC transfer wing that Terry and the Longhorns have expressed interest in so far this offseason. The other was the reigning PAC-12 Sixth Man of the Year and junior 6-foot-5 shooting guard Reese Dixon-Waters (committed to San Diego State earlier this month).

With Dixon-Waters off the board, it looks like White is going to be one of the top wing targets for the Longhorns in the portal a couple of weeks before this portal window closes. The athletic and lanky wing would bring more length and secondary playmaking to the backcourt/wing rotation for the Longhorns.

White is a gifted athlete that is a gifted slasher capable of creating his own shot from any part of the floor within 15 or 18 feet from the basket. He’s got the length and explosiveness to pull up over most defenders that are matched up against him while also being able to use a lighting quick first step to slash to the rim.

On both ends of the floor, White is a high-energy player, which allows him to be an effective rebounder, a disruptive one-on-one defender, and a threat in transition. White averaged just over five rebounds per game at USC last season, including around 1.5 offensive boards. He also averaged nearly two second-chance points per game (good for the 90th percentile in the PAC-12), which shows how he’s willing to stick with the play even after he puts a shot up.

The ability of White to run in transition and effectively get to the hole as a pick-and-roll ball handler or the roll man would be an excellent addition to Terry’s rotation. Terry often relies on high ball screens, set pick-and-roll plays, and up-tempo play in transition to push the pace on the offensive end.

I like the idea of bringing in White as a lengthy two-guard or wing that can provide some energy off the bench or in the starting unit. His lack of three-point shooting chops does concern me, especially given that there isn’t a single proven shooter from deep on the team at the moment outside of Brock Cunningham.

But the depth and talent that White brings to the table would probably be worth the trade-off for his lack of floor spacing.