With a move to the SEC looming, for the second consecutive year, Texas men’s basketball will look very different in a few months.
Head coach Rodney Terry’s team has seen three players enter the transfer portal, freshman guard Chris Johnson, redshirt sophomore Gavin Perryman and sophomore Alex Anamekwe. The latter two played sparingly for the Longhorns this year and their departures don’t significantly impact Texas’ outlook, but losing Johnson hurts.
At 6-foot-5, Johnson’s playing time was limited in a backcourt consisting of graduate Max Abmas, junior Tyrese Hunter and sophomore Chendall Weaver, but Johnson showed promise as a combo guard with ideal size. His shooting appeared to be a work in progress but Johnson demonstrated flashes of a combination of point-of-attack defense and fluid playmaking that would pair nicely with Weaver moving forward.
However, with two 2024 guards signed in Tre Johnson and Cam Scott, alongside Hunter, whose future at Texas remains blurry, Johnson will pack his bags and leave Texas with a hole at point guard.
As the roster stands, there are only a handful of locks to return for the 2024-25 season: graduate forward Kadin Shedrick, freshman forward Devon Pryor and junior forward Ze’Rik Onyema. Weaver has given no reason to believe he will depart, but figures to be a wanted commodity with many suitors should he explore other directions.
Shedrick had some clear rust after offseason surgery on both shoulders, but improved throughout the season and for the moment looks penciled into a starting role at center. Onyema looks like more of a rotational piece, and Pryor remains a mystery, playing just 25 total minutes in his freshman season and showing little more than his high-flying ability.
For now, Tre Johnson looks like he’ll have massive expectations to elevate a roster lacking star-level talent. The top recruit in the state dazzled in the McDonald’s All-American Game, posting 17 points and three assists, including a five-of-seven performance from beyond the arc. Much of Texas’ success next season looks to hinge on Johnson’s ability to step in as a volume scorer for the Longhorns from day one.
Scott and four-star forward Nic Codie, Texas’ final signee for 2024-25, fill out Texas’ incoming freshmen for now. Texas may not be done yet, though, as it added Chris Johnson and Pryor in June and July of last year, respectively. As it stands, it’s a solid first true recruiting for Terry and his staff, ranked ninth nationally by 247Sports. Where they will need to perform better, though, is in landing quality transfers.
Texas has just seven rotational players on the roster, and once again will be busy in the transfer portal revamping. As of now, the team lacks a true point guard, a proven power forward, a backup center and an off-ball wing. The futures of Hunter and sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell will greatly impact the type of players Texas pursues, but, regardless, Terry will need to assemble a more balanced roster to remain competitive in his program’s first year as members of the SEC.
