With college basketball starting in just under a month, preseason rankings are flying in from all over the place.
Texas would typically start the season ranked towards the middle of the pack or lower, but since Chris Beard has taken over, the Longhorns look to be a powerhouse in the making.
After landing multiple top transfers this offseason, the Longhorns are viewed by many as having a chance to contend for a national title. We will quickly find out how good the team is, as Texas will be taking on the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs for their second game of the season.
Whether they win that game or not, the preseason hype is there, as renowned ESPN color commentator, Dick Vitale, released his college basketball top-40 recently and the Longhorns came in at No. 3.
Here is what Vitale said about Texas ahead of the season:
Chris Beard should enjoy his first season with the Longhorns. He landed the best group of transfers, led by Marcus Carr from Minnesota. This Texas squad is one of the deepest in America; the second team could be ranked as its own unit. Andrew Jones is the top returning starter and he may be coming off the bench. Dylan Disu is coming off a knee injury; if he is healthy, he has double-double potential. Tre Mitchell can flat-out play. There is excitement galore for Texas, which will battle with Kansas for the Big 12 title.
He had a total of three Big 12 teams in the top-10 with Kansas being at No. 5 and the defending national champion Baylor Bears at No. 9. Texas will certainly be battle tested all season long, but Beard and his stable of elite transfers should be giving other teams trouble.