3 biggest portal whiffs for Texas basketball this spring

Brandon Garrison, C

Texas's top priority big man target in the portal this spring was former Oklahoma State Cowboys true freshman center Brandon Garrison.

The former elite high-four-star recruit from Oklahoma City, OK, was one of the most highly sought-after transfer centers during the spring portal window, garnering interest from the likes of the Kentucky Wildcats, Arkansas Razorbacks, Oklahoma Sooners, and Texas, among many other major conference schools.

Garrison brought proven size, athleticism, and extremely high upside after a successful true freshman campaign for an Oklahoma State team that otherwise had a year to forget this past season. Texas really liked the two-way presence he could bring to the low post as a potential immediate impact starter in the frontcourt rotation.

It's also noteworthy that Garrison was one of the best portal players in this transfer cycle, with multiple years of eligibility remaining at the collegiate level as the No. 5 transfer center in the 247Sports Composite.

After visiting Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, Garrison pulled off somewhat of a shocker by committing to Kentucky and new head coach Mark Pope. It does hurt a bit that Texas will face Garrison in the SEC this upcoming season with Kentucky.

As something that partly went unaddressed in the portal this spring, Texas's need to add an instant impact low-post player from the transfer market is a result of intense SEC and Big 12 portal recruitments, most with lofty NIL bidding wars involved.