How Texas could address final scholarship vacancy
After the spring NCAA Transfer Portal window closed last week, Texas basketball and head coach Rodney Terry are looking for frontcourt help to fill the final scholarship spot on the projected 2024-25 roster.
Who will fill the final scholarship spot for Texas basketball in 2024-25?
Texas has added five players from the transfer portal this spring and two from the 2024 high school signing class who will arrive this summer. Terry and staff also return four scholarship players, bringing the Longhorns to 11 on the projected forster for the upcoming 2024-25 season in the SEC.
Here are the five portal additions for the Longhorns this spring.
G: Jordan Pope, Junior (17.6 PPG, 2.6 REB, 3.4 AST)
G: Julian Larry, Senior (11.0 PPG, 2.8 REB, 4.8 AST)
G: Tramon Mark, Senior (16.2 PPG, 4.3 REB, 1.8 AST)
W: Malik Presley, Sophomore (2.2 PPG, 1.6 REB, 0.5 AST)
F: Jayson Kent, Senior (13.5 PPG, 8.1 REB, 0.6 AST)
Texas has a handful of targets worth watching in the portal in the coming days that the staff can pursue to fill the need in the frontcourt. If Terry can add an impact frontcourt player who can hold their own in the paint on both ends of the floor, the rotation should be complete for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
Here are three portal options for the Longhorns to fill the final scholarship spot for next season's roster.
Coleman Hawkins, F
Illinois Fighting Illini senior power forward Coleman Hawkins announced on social media on April 30 that he plans to enter the transfer portal while declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. Hawkins said in his announcement post last week that he intends to stay in the NBA Draft.
Hawkins is the type of big man who could check many of the boxes the Longhorns need in the frontcourt with the use of the final scholarship spot. The 6-foot-10 and 200-pound forward from Sacramento, CA, has multiple years of starting experience for a major conference program.
He was a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection after posting career-highs in points per game (12.1), steals (1.5), three-point field goal percentage (36.9), and field goal percentage (45.1) last season. Hawkins played out all four seasons of his collegiate career at Illinois.
If Hawkins were to hypothetically withdraw his name from the NBA Draft in the coming weeks, he would be an ideal target for Texas to add an immediate impact frontcourt player from the portal. He has the size, proven experience, and low-post scoring ability Texas needs to round out the frontcourt rotation heading into next season in the SEC.