Longhorns Country

Texas Longhorns Ranked No. 5 in College Basketball AP Preseason Top-25

The Longhorns will begin the 2021-2022 season with major expectations out of the gate
Zach Dimmitt|
Texas Longhorns Ranked No. 5 in College Basketball AP Preseason Top-25
Texas Longhorns Ranked No. 5 in College Basketball AP Preseason Top-25

Texas Longhorns men's basketball will begin the upcoming season as the No. 5 team in the country, according to the official AP preseason top-25 release on Monday. 

The ranking marks Texas' highest preseason AP-ranking since the 2009-2010 season when the Longhorns were ranked No. 3 in the country. It's also the first time in program history that Texas has been ranked in the preseason top-25 with a first-year head coach. 

The Texas men's basketball program went through a total reconstruction over the offseason, as the addition of head coach Chris Beard and eight new transfers has brought an entirely new look for Texas hoops. 

Here's a look at the top 10 teams in the preseason top-25. 

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs

2. UCLA Bruins

3. Kansas Jayhawks

4. Villanova Wildcats

5. Texas Longhorns 

6. Michigan Wolverines

7. Purdue Boilermakers

8. Baylor Bears

9. Duke Blue Devils

10. Kentucky Wildcats

The Longhorns are amongst an elite group of programs on the list, with a handful of these teams set to match up with the burnt orange in the upcoming season. 

In the second game of the season, Texas will take on the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs on Nov. 13 on the road in Spokane, Wash. for what should be one of the most exciting games of the regular season. The Bulldogs went undefeated last season for almost all of last season before suffering their first defeat in the national championship game against the Baylor Bears.

Additionally, the Longhorns have two conference matchups set with No. 3 Kansas at home on Feb. 7 and on the road on March 5. Texas will also face No. 8 Baylor two separate times on Feb. 12 in Waco and Feb. 28 at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. 

The Longhorns have another potential top-25 matchup on tap when the Tennessee Volunteers and former Texas head coach Rick Barnes come to Austin on Jan. 29 for the Big 12/SEC Challenge. 

Texas begins its season at home on Nov. 9 against Houston Baptist. 

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Click Here

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Longhorns Country message board community today!

Follow Longhorns Country on Twitter and Facebook.

Published
Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

Share on XFollow ZachDimmitt7