Longhorns Dealing with Injury Questions as Season Looms

Texas Longhorns big men Dylan Disu and Kadin Shedrick remain on an unclear injury timetable as the season approaches.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Ahead of the first full season under coach Rodney Terry, the Texas Longhorns are looking to make another deep March Madness run while defending their Big 12 Tournament title for their final season in the conference.

But in order to so, the new-look Longhorns will need to figure out where things stand in the frontcourt. Fowards Dylan Disu and Kadin Shedrick are both projected to be starters this season, yet are still dealing with lingering injury issues less than seven weeks away from the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

Per college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Disu (foot) and Shedrick (both shoulders) still don't have a timetable for a return to full basketball activities. This was the same update Terry provided two weeks ago on Sept. 7, meaning nothing notable has seemed to change on that end since.

Should the pair sit out to start season, the Longhorns would be without two starting-caliber players in the frontcourt and arguably their two best rim protectors for non-conference play.

Terry said that the Longhorns are playing "the long game" with both Disu and Shedrick as they get back to 100 percent.

Texas Longhorns forward Dylan Disu (1) looks for an opening during the first half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at T-Mobile Center / © William Purnell, USA TODAY

"Dylan Disu is moving around a little bit which is big news for us," Terry said on Sept. 7. "He's come a long way. We're bringing him along really slow. ... We're playing the long game with him moving forward."

Disu's foot issue has been lingering since March when the Longhorns made it to the Elite Eight. He started Texas' Sweet 16 game against Xavier, but immediately exited and later appeared on the bench with a walking boot. He was later ruled out for Texas' Elite Eight contest against Miami after averaging 22.5 points and 10 rebounds during the Longhorns' first two March Madness games.

As for Shedrick, he enters his first season in Austin after transferring from Virginia.

He averaged 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks last season. At 6-11, 231, he's got impressive size and length that helps him provide high-energy play as a big man on both ends. He had nine games with at least two blocks and five games with at least four blocks during the season.

The Longhorns still have plenty of time to hear good news on the injury front before the season opener. Texas begins its season on Monday, Nov. 6 at home against Incarnate Word.