Although men’s basketball transfer Dylan Disu hails from Texas, the junior forward spent his first two college seasons in Tennessee with the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Pflugerville product announced his decision to transfer to Texas in April. The Daily Texan spoke with The Vanderbilt Hustler sports editor Justin Hershey about what the 6-foot-9-inch forward will bring to this Longhorns team.

The Daily Texan: What can Texas fans expect from Disu?

Justin Hershey: I think in Dylan you’re getting a kid who first of all works really hard and plays with a lot of passion. I think Vanderbilt struggled the last couple of years, but it doesn’t really impact his play on the floor. He still gives 110 percent no matter what.

He played alongside Scottie Pippen Jr. here at Vanderbilt the last two seasons, but coach Jerry Stackhouse consistently said Disu was probably the most important player on the team, just because of what he does on both ends. So he’s going to be a guy who not only can knock down an open three, but he’s really, really solid on defense, both from a positional standpoint and a playmaking standpoint, whether that be a block, whether it be a charge or something like that.

DT: What are some of Disu’s greatest strengths as a player?

JH: Certainly spot-up shooting is where he excels. Offensively, and then all around, his rebounding is really, really good for his size. I think he’s got a great motor in the post when going for rebounds, but he also knows the positioning and really gets in good shape to really eat the glass well, considering he is not usually the biggest player on the floor.

He’s also good on a pick-and-pop type game. I know you guys have Marcus Carr now and a couple of other point guards who could really run some good pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll action with him. I think that would work really well just because he’s a good spot-up shooter. So spot-up shooting (and) rebounding are his two biggest things especially for a team like Texas that’s going to have a lot of go-to talent, so he’s not going to need to be the “it” guy like he had to be a lot of times here at Vanderbilt.

DT: What aspects of his game does Disu need to improve upon?

JH: I think continuing to round out his offensive game is going to be important. He had a nickname, “Bambi,” for a couple of years here because he was kind of long and lean but not too fast and didn’t use his body great. On offense (he) went on to get a little out of control driving downhill. So I think the biggest thing for him will be to continue working on his body, to get it in a position where he can be a little quicker on his feet to move with some of those smaller, quicker wings that he might have to guard.

DT: Is Disu more of a team player or someone who tries to do it all?

JH: Definitely a team guy. I think his whole skill set is so important for a team just because he plays so well on both ends … He’s certainly not a guy who’s trying to hog the ball, not a guy who’s going to complain about offense or anything like that … With Texas’ roster, he’s going to have to be a team player.

DT: What is Disu’s NBA comparison?

JH: A lot of what he does reminds me of some stuff PJ Tucker does … Certainly he is a more refined shooter (with a) prettier stroke, (and he) does some better things on the inside and certainly rebounds better than Tucker does, but they both have the ability to play bigger than they actually are. They’re both scrappy. (Disu) gets on the floor a lot, diving on the floor and trying to get loose balls … He plays relentlessly in most situations and PJ Tucker does too, (bringing) a lot of heart and energy, so that’s a name that came to mind.