Texas Just Sent A Big Message To The Rest Of College Basketball

The Texas Longhorns made more transfer portal headlines on Sunday with their fourth commitment of the offseason.

Auburn transfer forward Elyjah Freeman announced on social media that he has committed to Texas for next season after one season with the Tigers. The news came a bit out of nowhere, as there had been no rumblings of the Longhorns showing interest in Freeman.

But with Freeman now on the roster, the Longhorns are sending a notable message to the rest of the country about where the program is headed for what will be the second season under head coach Sean Miller.

Texas is Showing It's Ready to Contend for a National Championship

Auburn Tigers guard Elyjah Freeman reacts after making a dunk on the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at Neville Arena. | John Reed-Imagn Images

Freeman's addition now clearly signals that the Longhorns are ready to compete for a National Championship moving forward. Winning it all is another thing, but getting to the Final Four is now a realistic goal for Texas fans to look forward to.

When looking at Texas' projected starting lineup, it's likely Miller has a preseason Top-10 squad on his hands that has future NBA talent.

Let's start with Freeman. He has been one of the country's fastest risers the past few seasons. After being unranked by some major outlets coming out of high school, he starred at Lincoln Memorial University, a Division II program in Tennessee, before making the jump to the SEC this past season at Auburn.

He proved right away that he was ready for the bright lights and became a instant-impact player in arguably the best conference in the country. No, he didn't lead the Tigers in scoring on a nightly basis, but the talent was clearly off the charts. And based on how the way he's elevated his game since high school, Freeman could be ready to reach another level that could take the country by surprise.

Then there's the rest of the projected starting lineup. Texas has one of the best frontcourt duos in the country in Matas Vokietaitis and David Punch along with a young, dynamic backcourt with Isaiah Johnson and Austin Goosby. All four of these players will likely be second-round NBA Draft picks at the very lease at some point, possibly as soon as next offseason. It's hard to find that kind of pro-level talent on any current roster in college basketball.

Texas could have settled for a surprise Sweet 16 run this past March and gone back to the expecation of just simply reaching the NCAA Tournament. But with Freeman's addition, it has become clear that Miller and the coaching staff are not messing around when it comes to potentially taking Texas to its first Final Four since 2003.

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