WATCH: Longhorns New Transfer Additions Arrive in Austin
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Longhorns are still a ways out from beginning the 2023-24 season and getting the roster finalized, but the team's offseason additions are already in Austin ready to get to work.
The Longhorns and coach Rodney Terry have secured four transfer commitments in the 2023 class and all four have now arrived on the Forty Acres. The Texas men's basketball official Twitter shared welcome videos for Oral Roberts transfer Max Abmas, UT Arlington transfer Chendall Weaver, Virginia transfer Kadin Shedrick and UTEP transfer Ze'Rik Onyema on Monday as they all get settled into their new living spaces.
Take a look:
Barring another major transfer addition before the season begins, Abmas headlines this transfer class, and for good reason.
Abmas arrives to campus as the NCAA's active career scoring leader (2,561), which understandably made him one of the most coveted players in the portal.
He averaged 21.9 points (ninth in the nation), 4.4 rebounds and four assists this past season while shooting 43.6 percent from the field. He blew up on the national stage in March Madness after leading Oral Roberts to the Sweet 16 during the 2020-21 season, averaging 26.6 points per game during those three games in the NCAA Tournament.
Weaver will join him in the backcourt and will likely serve as a key piece off the bench. The 2023 WAC Freshman of the Year, Weaver brings youth and athleticism to the team.
He started in 25 of his 32 appearances as a freshman last season, averaging 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and two assists on 44.2 percent shooting. His scoring averages don't tell the whole story though, as he reached double figures in seven of his last 10 games this past season. This included a career-high 21-point effort against Sam Houston on Feb. 4, which began a six-game stretch of scoring at least 10 points.
As for Shedrick, he was the first of the transfers to commit to Texas.
He averaged 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks this past season. He didn't post the most insane scoring numbers, but his impact went far beyond the offensive stats. 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.
Onyema will join Shedrick in the frontcourt, though the adjustment under Terry should be a smooth one, as he played for Terry during his final year as head coach at UTEP in the 2020-21 season. A native of El Paso, Onyema was apart of Terry's 2020 recruiting class for the Miners.
This past season, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and shot 55.4 percent from the field in 31 starts. The Longhorns played UTEP in the season opener, coming out with a hard-fought 72-57 win at the Moody Center. But Onyema was a major reason the game was a bit closer than expected, as he led the Miners with a team-high 10 points to go along with four rebounds off the bench. This marked the only time he didn't start all season for coach Joe Golding.
Both the new and returning Longhorns will now begin the meshing process as the upcoming season creeps closer.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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