Two years ago, Texas basketball was coming off its first NCAA Tournament win since 2015, and momentum was swirling around the program, which was set to begin its second season under head coach Chris Beard.
Texas basketball can contend for a deep NCAA Tournament run in the 2024-25 season
The Longhorns leaped off to a 6-0 start with wins over No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 7 Creighton to ascend to the No. 2 spot in the AP Poll for the first time since 2010. However, in mid-December, Beard was suspended and subsequently fired due to a domestic violence arrest.
Rodney Terry took over the reins as the interim for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, leading Texas to its first Elite Eight appearance since 2008. Given the tournament run, it was impossible to let Terry walk. Chris Del Conte signed the former Fresno State and UTEP headman to a five-year, $15.3 million deal.
Amidst Beard's arrest, Terry did a terrific job keeping the team focused on basketball. However, upon Del Conte's announcement that Terry would become the full-time head coach, many Texas fans wondered how much credit Terry should be given for the Elite Eight run. His stints at Fresno State (126-108) and UTEP (37-48) were nothing to write home about.
In his first offseason, Coach Terry hit the transfer portal hard, a common theme during his early tenure at Texas.
Texas finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 20-11 record, receiving a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Horns stomped Colorado State in the first round before falling to No. 2 seed Tennessee 62-58.
Given this program's lack of recent NCAA Tournament success, a win in March should be praised. That said, Texas struggled against upper-level opponents last season, finishing with a 3-9 record against top-25 teams.
The recent construction of the $375 million Moody Center has reaffirmed the University of Texas and its athletic department's commitment to basketball. Wins must follow.
Realistic expectations for the inaugural 2024-25 season in the SEC
That begs the question; what constitutes success for Rodney Terry in year two?
It starts with recruiting, something Terry has nailed in his 18 months on the job.
Terry brought in three nationally ranked recruits in his first complete high school recruiting cycle. Tre Johnson, the nation's No. 2 shooting guard, was a major pull to keep out of Waco, and Nic Codie, the No. 7 power forward, looks like a current rotational piece and future star. Jamie Vinson, the No. 46 power forward in the class, rounded out the cycle.
In today's college basketball world, transfer portal recruiting is arguably more important than recruiting from the high school ranks.
Although the Horns lost four players, including two starters, to the portal, Coach Terry did a phenomenal job of retooling. Texas welcomes six transfers to the Forty Acres, including 17.6 PPG scorer Jordan Pope from Oregon State and 16.2 PPG scorer Tramon Mark from Arkansas.
Five of the six transfers Coach Terry brought in project to be immediate contributors.
Those freshmen and transfers, along with returners Kadin Shedrick, Chendall Weaver, Ze'Rik Onyema, and Devin Pryor, form one of the deepest teams in the SEC. I could feasibly see Coach Terry giving meaningful minutes to 11 players at some point this season.
That, however, is where the first question comes in. How does Terry manage a roster with 10+ players who expect to find the court this season?
The second-year head coach has proven he can build a roster with Texas's abundant resources. Can he get those players to gel?
The roster consists of six players entering their final year of collegiate eligibility and one (Tre Johnson) who will likely enter next June's NBA Draft. That means guys like Weaver, Pryor, Codie, Vinson, and Vanderbilt transfer Malik Presley are pieces you hope to keep in Austin next year. Giving the 2024-25 team the best chance to win while ensuring the cupboard is not bare next summer is a tricky balancing act.
Another priority question for Coach Terry is how this team plays in its biggest games.
I mentioned last season's struggles against top-25 teams. As Texas enters its inaugural season as a member of the SEC, it is one of nine teams in the conference ranked in the preseason AP Poll. As of now, the Horns have 11 ranked matchups on the schedule, including a non-con tilt against No. 2 UConn, a home-and-home with Texas A&M, and a January trip to Oxford to take on Coach Beard and his Ole Miss Rebels.
In college basketball, big wins are not only tournament resume boosters, but they help create momentum for your program. It is no secret that the support Texas basketball gets pales in comparison to the football team. Coach Terry must secure big wins for the newfound energy to stay with the program.
I am not going to set a target number of wins or a particular round in the tournament Coach Terry must reach for it to be a successful year two. College basketball is fickle, especially in March.
What I will be looking for is on-court cohesion, an offense that doesn't experience consistent dry spells, and a team that plays its best basketball in the biggest moments.
Fair or unfair, Coach Terry has a target on his back due to the nature in which he received this job. A strong season in the SEC could silence those doubters.