Texas basketball: 3 bold predictions for opener vs. Ohio St
By Shane Black
Texas scores over 80 points
Despite featuring two of the best scorers in the Big 12 in Max Abmas and Dylan Disu, last season's Texas offense often found itself struggling to put the ball in the hoop.
They finished the season with the second-worst free throw rate in the conference and struggled to find a reliable third option behind the aforementioned Abmas and Disu.
This season, the Longhorns do not lack scoring options.
The six transfers Coach Terry brought in combined to average 74.9 points per game last season. Combined with Shedrick's 7.7 PPG, Weaver's late-season offensive development, and one of the best freshman scorers in the country in Tre Johnson, Coach Terry has a loaded pool of offensive talent at his disposal.
Of course, the scoring averages brought in by the transfers are not linear to 2024-25 projections, but it shows that this Texas team has players who know how to get buckets in various ways.
Another factor in the likely increase in team points per game from their 75.4 mark (118th nationally) last season is the change in offensive philosophy.
Coach Terry has continuously harped on an uptick in pace of play for the 2024-25 Longhorns. Last season, Texas ranked 186th in adjusted tempo. Expect that number to creep up toward the top 50 this season.
Given the depth of talent on this roster, there is no reason Texas should not get up and down the floor every game. The Horns will typically have four guys on the court that the coaching staff is comfortable with grabbing-and-going off a defensive rebound.
Similarly to Coach Sarkisian's team, Coach Terry's roster is littered with elite athletes. Expect him to allow these athletes to get out and play in space.