Abmas thinks Texas basketball can ‘compete for national championship’

New Texas basketball head coach Rodney Terry and his staff have done some solid gold-mining in the NCAA Transfer Portal so far this offseason. Texas has landed quite a few priority portal targets in the last couple of weeks, including a couple of key pickups in the last 48 hours in the former UT-Arlington Mavericks freshman guard Chendall Weaver and UTEP Miners junior power forward Ze’Rik Onyema.

The biggest portal pickup of the offseason thus far for the Longhorns, though, is the former Oral Roberts senior standout guard Max Abmas. Texas landed Abmas out of the portal on April 27, four days after Terry and his staff reeled in their first portal commitment of the offseason in the former Virginia Cavaliers redshirt junior center Kadin Shedrick.

Texas is getting an instant All-Big 12 caliber point guard in the two-time Summit League Player of the Year Abmas. He could even be an upgrade at the one compared to what the Longhorns had in the standout senior guard Marcus Carr last season.

Before we put the cart too far out in front of the horse, though, we have to see how Abmas fits with some of the new pieces that Terry and his staff are bringing into the mix ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Yet, what is clear is that Abmas buys into what Terry is building with the Longhorns this offseason. Beyond the obvious that Abmas wouldn’t have committed to Terry and the Longhorns out of the portal this offseason had he not bought into what is building on the Forty Acres, it sounds like the former Oral Roberts floor general likes how the personnel on this team fits around him.

Transfer G Max Abmas sees a lot of potential in his supporting cast with Texas basketball next season

Abmas talked about his fit at Texas and why he picked this offseason to transfer from Oral Roberts in an interview with The Field of 68 on May 4.

It sounds like Abmas is excited about the opportunity to play with returning senior big man Dylan Disu and Shedrick at Texas next season.

"“That’s big. Just talking with Coach Terry through the whole process, just understanding that we’ll be able to get guys to come in and help us win. Just seeing them work and put together a team, trying to compete for a national championship, and then me being able to come in and do what I’m able to do to help them get there, was definitely something that I liked, too.”"

Something that stuck out to me with that quote from Abmas is that he was pretty quick to mention that Terry is helping the Longhorns put together a team that is “trying to compete for a national championship”.

The proven experience and dynamic skill sets that Terry is putting together for the rotation next season definitely bring a lot of intrigue. Texas has a nice combination and variety of skill sets, especially from the new portal additions this offseason.

For example, Abmas is an all-around stud that is one of the most gifted offensive guards in the entire country. By his side will be Weaver, who is one of the best three-point shooters among underclassman guards in the Big 12 heading into next season. Texas is also getting two lengthy and formidable big men in Shedrick and Onyema.

I also like how Abmas talked about the idea of playing with sophomore guard Tyrese Hunter in the backcourt.

"“I think we’ll both be able to play on the ball and off the ball.”"

He seems to be looking at this as an opportunity to develop his game as an off-ball threat, which will help him develop into a more formidable NBA Draft prospect. That will also help Texas have a complete backcourt unit that works well together between the likes of Hunter, Abmas, and Weaver.

Abmas will be leading a Texas unit next season that should be capable of competing for a Big 12 title again in 2023-24. Terry and the Longhorns have a tall task ahead, though, to one-up last season’s Big 12 Tournament title and Elite Eight run.